body weight and bikes

[Sphere]

I'm about 240lbs, but I'd like to get a bike. Any good, solid bikes out there that won't crumple
when I get on? I'm looking for something that can be converted to a single speed. You think I weigh
too much for a track bike? Thanks.

 

[Steve Palincsar]

On Mon, 02 Jun 2003 17:08:36 -0400, Sphere wrote:

> I'm about 240lbs, but I'd like to get a bike. Any good, solid bikes out there that won't crumple
> when I get on? I'm looking for something that can be converted to a single speed. You think I
> weigh too much for a track bike?

nelson vails is/was pretty big guy

consider older touring bike, built w/heavy gauge 531, 5-speed freewheel OLN as candidate for fixie
road conversion 240 not outlandish load for loaded touring, big guy

 

[Kevin]

Any good bike will do.

Surly, Gunnar or Waterford, just for a place to start if you have no favorites.

"Sphere" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I'm about 240lbs, but I'd like to get a bike. Any good, solid bikes out there that won't crumple
> when I get on? I'm looking for something that can be converted to a single speed. You think I
> weigh too much for a track bike? Thanks.

 

[Paul Kopit]

On 2 Jun 2003 14:08:36 -0700, [email protected] (Sphere) wrote:

>I'm about 240lbs, but I'd like to get a bike. Any good, solid bikes out there that won't crumple
>when I get on? I'm looking for something that can be converted to a single speed. You think I weigh
>too much for a track bike? Thanks.

Certainly, there are bicycles for you. It you don't need a large frame size with a large main
triangle, most road bicycles will work. I'm partial to Cannondales but many other bicycles will
work. Any touring bicycle might be a good choices.

 

[Jay Beattie]

"Sphere" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I'm about 240lbs, but I'd like to get a bike. Any good, solid bikes out there that won't crumple
> when I get on? I'm looking for something that can be converted to a single speed. You think I
> weigh too much for a track bike? Thanks.

Bluto (Chalo Colina) will chime in any time now. He is as big as Philadelphia and probably has some
good bicycle suggestions for the gravity-challenged.

Track bikes are pretty tough and historically have been built to withstand the mighty forces of
track sprinters. I am a svelte 225lbs, and have had no problems with my old Raleigh Pro track bike.
The old Campy NR is particularly tough, except the crank will probably break one day as they all
did. The seatpost could survive a nuclear (or if you are G.B. nu-ca-lar) blast. -- Jay Beattie.

 

[Donald Gillies]

[email protected] (Sphere) writes:

>I'm about 240lbs, but I'd like to get a bike. Any good, solid bikes out there that won't crumple
>when I get on? I'm looking for something that can be converted to a single speed. You think I weigh
>too much for a track bike? Thanks.

Trek bikes are pretty durable, considering that they are the midwestern company that replaced
schwinn, maker of spoked tanks, as the leading bicycle manufacturer in america.

- Don Gillies San Diego, CA

 

[Matt O'Toole]

"Donald Gillies" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> [email protected] (Sphere) writes:

> >I'm about 240lbs, but I'd like to get a bike. Any good,
solid bikes
> >out there that won't crumple when I get on? I'm looking
for something
> >that can be converted to a single speed. You think I
weigh too much
> >for a track bike? Thanks.
>
> Trek bikes are pretty durable, considering that they are
the
> midwestern company that replaced schwinn, maker of spoked
tanks, as
> the leading bicycle manufacturer in america.

Trek not only builds solid bikes, they have incredibly solid warranties -- and excellent warranty
service too. Making claims with some other companies is like trying to pull teeth. Trek will likely
have a new thing for you in a day or two.

FWIW, Schwinn had great warranties "back in the day," too.

Matt O.

Matt O.

 

[David L. Johnso]

On Mon, 02 Jun 2003 17:07:59 +0000, Jay Beattie wrote:

>
> "Sphere" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> I'm about 240lbs, but I'd like to get a bike. Any good, solid bikes out there that won't crumple
>> when I get on? I'm looking for something that can be converted to a single speed. You think I
>> weigh too much for a track bike? Thanks.

I agree with the previous response. 240lbs should be no challenge for a decent track bike. There are
some which are built for pursuits that are probably too lightweight for you, but a sprint bike is
pretty beefy.

Road bikes would also be no problem for you, as long as you avoid anything close to "stupid-light"
and get lots of spokes on your wheels. 12-spoke wheels and all-carbon forks are not what you need;
36 spokes and steel are more like it -- though I use a carbon fork, even for moderately loaded
touring, and I am not that much lighter than you (under 200 in a good year, and this year it has
rained a lot).

>
> Bluto (Chalo Colina) will chime in any time now. He is as big as Philadelphia and probably has
> some good bicycle suggestions for the gravity-challenged.

But the OP is not in Chalo's class. He's been dealing with the other guy asking about such things,
who is talking about an additional 100+ pounds.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | Enron's slogan: Respect, Communication, Integrity, and _`\(,_ | Excellence. (_)/ (_) |

 

[Qui Si Parla Ca]

Sphere-<< I'm looking for something that can be converted to a single speed. You think I weigh too
much for a track bike?

Soma makes a great 'fixie' bike, track dropouts, barke holes and bridges. Ant well made steel bike
will fit the bill for you, like a Torelli or Nobilette, for instance.

http://www.torelli.com http://www.nobilettecycles.com http://www.somafab.com

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 http://www.vecchios.com "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

 

[Pat Clancy]

A friend of mine tops out at about 260 and has put many miles on a Bianchi Alfana - a steel frame
bike that ran around $800 complete when new. This includes hundreds of miles touring with another 25
lbs or so of gear. He finally had to upgrade the wheels to get better durability, but no problems at
all with the frame and fork. I'm guessing that the majority of the bikes out there would safely
handle your weight as long as you're not bunny hopping curbs or performing risky tricks.

Pat Clancy

[email protected] (Sphere) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> I'm about 240lbs, but I'd like to get a bike. Any good, solid bikes out there that won't crumple
> when I get on? I'm looking for something that can be converted to a single speed. You think I
> weigh too much for a track bike? Thanks.

 

[G.Daniels]

i'm told a standard lugged steel frame takes about 300lbs but at 200 plus Tech consensus indicates
axles bearings kevlar belted tires and good strong double wall rims well spoked give the best bang
for the avoir.

 

[Mark Hickey]

Steve Palincsar <[email protected]> wrote:

>On Mon, 02 Jun 2003 17:08:36 -0400, Sphere wrote:
>
>> I'm about 240lbs, but I'd like to get a bike. Any good, solid bikes out there that won't crumple
>> when I get on? I'm looking for something that can be converted to a single speed. You think I
>> weigh too much for a track bike?
>
>nelson vails is/was pretty big guy

That's what I thought until I met him. He had slimmed down for riding the crit circuit (this was
after his trackie days), but he was not at all a "big guy". Still impressively fit, but not very
heavy (or tall). The posters of him in his trackie glory make him look like a monster.

Mark Hickey Habanero Cycles http://www.habcycles.com Home of the $695 ti frame

 

[Bluto]

"Jay Beattie" <[email protected]> wrote:

> "Sphere" <[email protected]> wrote:
> > I'm about 240lbs, but I'd like to get a bike. Any good, solid bikes out there that won't crumple
> > when I get on? I'm looking for something that can be converted to a single speed. You think I
> > weigh too much for a track bike? Thanks.
>
> Bluto (Chalo Colina) will chime in any time now. He is as big as Philadelphia and probably has
> some good bicycle suggestions for the gravity-challenged.
>
> Track bikes are pretty tough and historically have been built to withstand the mighty forces
> of track sprinters. I am a svelte 225lbs, and have had no problems with my old Raleigh Pro
> track bike.

Agreed. (With your last point. Actually I'm probably only as big as Allentown.)

An enthusiastic rider of 240 lbs (which I was once) must be cautious but not fanatical about
equipment choice-- he's within the safety margin.

I recommend 36 spoke wheels with sturdy rims like Velocity Deep-Vs or even Sun CR-18s. 14/15ga
spokes make stronger wheels than straight 14ga spokes. Fixies/singlespeeds are dishless by nature,
so no problems there. Single-speed MTB hubs with 135mm spacing build _much_ stronger wheels than
track hubs, so a frame compatible with one of those would be an advantage.

As far as other components go, structural integrity will not likely be an issue-- but stiffness
might be. Stick with tubing diameters and frame weights that are large for the material in question.

For a new, cost-effective frame that is intended for single-speed use, Surly frames are hard to
beat. The Cross-Check is a nicely classic-looking, versatile frame that accepts a huge variety of
tires and drivetrains. The Steamroller is a bit more focused and trackbike-like, but still accepting
of wider tires than most. I have a Surly 1x1 MTB frame that has given me good reliability and plenty
adequate rigidity for my 360ish lbs.

One thing I would be wary of as a heavy rider on a track bike is that the bike may not have been
intended to cope with braking loads. Track forks, for instance, are often round-bladed and flexible
fore-to-aft. Some track frames may display weakness in the head tube joints compared to a road bike,
though that's probably the exception rather than the rule.

Any "pista" specific components like cranks, pedals, and handlebars will be as strong as or stronger
than their road-specific equivalents, and wholly adequate for a 240-lb. rider.

Chalo Colina