Bike Help!!!

Sounds like your bike, heavy and cumbersome caters to your build and to your objective fitness.

I ride a forty pound bike more than five-thousand miles per year and at 220#, 74", 54 yo, 100/60 am
reasonably fit.

"Ron" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Due to years of rugby injuries (knees), I've decided to start riding to stay in shape this coming
spring (easier on the knees vs. 8 mile runs). I'm 6'4", 248lbs and very fit. My problem is that
most road bikes I've investigated are made for the 145lb athlete. Can someone please point me to a
source that would cater to my build. I'm very serious and want to work very hard. I have an old
touring bike that's extremely heavy and cumbersome to ride.

Thanks for the help.

Ron

"Ron" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Due to years of rugby injuries (knees), I've decided to start riding to stay in shape this coming
spring (easier on the knees vs. 8 mile runs). I'm 6'4", 248lbs and very fit. My problem is that
most road bikes I've investigated are made for the 145lb athlete. Can someone please point me to a
source that would cater to my build. I'm very serious and want to work very hard. I have an old
touring bike that's extremely heavy and cumbersome to ride.

I'm 6'10", 230 lb. I have several bikes and do a variety of riding, including fast (20+ mph),
intermediate distance (30-50 mile) club rides as well as many long distance rides (100-250 mile)
each season. All of my bikes are made from touring frames. My favorite is a Cannondale. Touring
frames are particularly well suited for large riders, being a little stronger, and having a little
more wheelbase, and generally larger frame clearances to fit a larger range of tire sizes. A touring
bike may not be what you need, but a touring frame built up with more standard components may suit
you well. I think fat tubed aluminum frames are slightly better for strong riders in large frame
sizes because of their increase lateral stiffness, but that's not a huge issue. Cannondale and Klein
make "racing" bikes with this sort of frame, the large riders I know who have them have been quite
happy with them.

At 248 lb, you're likely to have wheel issues. Some people (like myself) are easy on wheels, and can
get away with conventional ones. I have a pair of 32 spoke Mavic/Ultegra (Open Pro, with aluminum
nipples) that have held up well for years, even with 23 mm tires. I also have a set of heavier,
custom made 36 spoke wheels with touring rims that I leave fatter tires on (28 mm) for long, rural
rides. It's vitally important that your wheels be well tensioned and stress relieved (see the FAQ).
I've had good luck with factory built wheels that I have carefully gone over myself after learning
the process (it's not hard). With your size and build, stay away from "stupid light" components
(stems, handlebars, seatposts), you should be OK with standard group components.

In article said:

Due to years of rugby injuries (knees), I've decided to start riding to stay in shape this coming
spring (easier on the knees vs. 8 mile runs). I'm 6'4", 248lbs and very fit. My problem is that
most road bikes I've investigated are made for the 145lb athlete. Can someone please point me to a
source that would cater to my build. I'm very serious and want to work very hard. I have an old
touring bike that's extremely heavy and cumbersome to ride.

You are not so big or heavy that you exceed the available stock sizing of some brands, depending on
your dimensions, but it's going to take some calling around to find bikes in stock to test ride,
most shops will not stock many (or any) big bikes. You might like a fat-tube aluminum bike like a
Cannondale. I wouldn't rule out steel either but to make it stiff enough in that sort of size it
will be heavier.

--Paul

Paul Southworth said:

You are not so big or heavy that you exceed the available stock sizing of some brands, depending
on your dimensions

I'm not so sure about that. Most modern frames seem to top out at 61cm (and that's usually measured
center-to-top). I can't remember the last time I saw a new 63 cm c-c frame.

Art "63 cm c-c" Harris

"Peter Cole" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

"Ron" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Due to years of rugby injuries (knees), I've decided to start riding to stay in shape this
coming spring (easier on the knees vs. 8 mile runs). I'm 6'4", 248lbs and very fit. My problem
is that most road bikes I've investigated are made for the 145lb athlete. Can someone please
point me to a source that would cater to my build. I'm very serious and want to work very hard.
I have an old touring bike that's extremely heavy and cumbersome to ride.

I'm 6'10", 230 lb. I have several bikes and do a variety of riding, including fast (20+ mph),
intermediate distance (30-50 mile) club rides as well as many long distance rides (100-250 mile)
each season. All of my bikes are made from touring frames. My favorite is a Cannondale. Touring
frames are particularly well suited for large riders, being a little stronger, and having a little
more wheelbase, and generally larger frame clearances to fit a larger range of tire sizes. A
touring bike may not be what you need, but a touring frame built up with more standard components
may suit you well. I think fat tubed aluminum frames are slightly better for strong riders in
large frame sizes because of their increase lateral stiffness, but that's not a huge issue.
Cannondale and Klein make "racing" bikes with this sort of frame, the large riders I know who have
them have been quite happy with them.

At 248 lb, you're likely to have wheel issues. Some people (like myself) are easy on wheels, and
can get away with conventional ones. I have a pair of 32 spoke Mavic/Ultegra (Open Pro, with
aluminum nipples) that have held up well for years, even with 23 mm tires. I also have a set of
heavier, custom made 36 spoke wheels with touring rims that I leave fatter tires on (28 mm) for
long, rural rides. It's vitally important that your wheels be well tensioned and stress relieved
(see the FAQ). I've had good luck with factory built wheels that I have carefully gone over myself
after learning the process (it's not hard). With your size and build, stay away from "stupid
light" components (stems, handlebars, seatposts), you should be OK with standard group components.

I really appreciate the help with this topic. I'll investigate all of the above. In addition to my
size, I'm a real novice and haven't worked out on a bike since college (other than a sadistic
spinning class). Thanks!

"Harris" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Paul Southworth said:

You are not so big or heavy that you exceed the available stock sizing of some brands, depending
on your dimensions

I'm not so sure about that. Most modern frames seem to top out at 61cm (and that's usually
measured center-to-top). I can't remember the last time I saw a new 63 cm c-c frame.

Some LBS do not stock them but they are made by many builders, Bianchi, f'rexample up to 63, as most
Italian builders do. Gunnar goes to 62, Waterford (when they had standard sizes) up to 68!

--
Andrew Muzi yellowjersey.orgyellowjersey.orgOpen ↗ Open every day since 1 April 1971

"A Muzi" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Harris" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Paul Southworth said:

You are not so big or heavy that you exceed the available stock sizing of some brands,
depending on your dimensions

I'm not so sure about that. Most modern frames seem to top out at 61cm (and that's usually
measured center-to-top). I can't remember the last time I saw a new 63 cm c-c frame.

Some LBS do not stock them but they are made by many builders, Bianchi, f'rexample up to 63, as
most Italian builders do. Gunnar goes to 62, Waterford (when they had standard sizes) up to 68!

Ah, they still have stock geo's. !

Robin Hubert

(Ron) said:

Due to years of rugby injuries (knees), I've decided to start riding to stay in shape this coming
spring (easier on the knees vs. 8 mile runs). I'm 6'4", 248lbs and very fit. My problem is that
most road bikes I've investigated are made for the 145lb athlete. Can someone please point me to a
source that would cater to my build.

A number of years ago while on a club ride we were joined by an ex-linebacker (Washington Redskins)
named Pete Wysocki. He was about your size and also very fit. He was riding a Merlin, which he said
he had had for a number of years. I didn't notice what wheels he was using.

A friend of mine is also about your size and has a number of bikes. His main ride is a custom
Serotta titanium. I recall it was first built with Hugi hubbed wheels, and one of the flanges broke
right off the rear hub after only a few rides. It was replaced under warrenty and the replacement is
still going strong.

He rides a Co-Motion touring bike. He was constantly breaking spokes on the rear wheel and recently
had Sheldon build him a 48-spoke, Phil hubbed rear. We'll see how that works out when we do a loaded
tour in the Rockies this summer. :-)

jeverett3<AT>earthlink<DOT>net home.earthlink.net~jeverett3Open ↗

I'd go with a Custom steel or titaium frame like Indepndent Fabrications , Waterford, or Steelman.
Actually Zinn makes great custom frames in large sizes. The handling will be really good on a
custom frame.