Fat man on a bike



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Lardy Ninja

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I have a erm friend who is about 115Kg and rides a cheapish (£400) mountain bike to commute. He also
carries a lot of heavy books/shopping etc. in rear panniers. He likes to ride as fast as possible
(any other cyclist on the road is racing material). He has a constant problem with spokes breaking
on the rear wheel. Is there anything which can be done along the lines of perhaps buying a
particularly strong type of wheel or is it just a case of learn to live with it?

LN
 
st john street cycles will build you a wheel to suit http://www.sjscycles.com/
- probably a sun rhyno rim - up to 48 spokes and a hub to suit - good enough for a tandem - won't be
cheap mind either that or staying off the pies...and where's the fun in that :)

"lardy ninja" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I have a erm friend who is about 115Kg and rides a cheapish (£400) mountain bike to commute. He
> also carries a lot of heavy books/shopping etc. in rear panniers. He likes to ride as fast as
> possible (any other cyclist on the road is racing material). He has a constant problem with spokes
> breaking on the rear wheel. Is there anything which can be done along the lines of perhaps buying
> a particularly strong type of wheel or is it just a case of learn to live with it?
>
> LN
 
lardy ninja wrote:
> I have a erm friend who is about 115Kg and rides a cheapish (=A3400) mountain bike to commute. He
> also carries a lot of heavy books/shopping etc. in rear panniers. He likes to ride as fast as
> possible (any other cyclist on the road is racing material). He has a constant problem with spokes
> breaking on the rear wheel. Is there anything which can be done along the lines of perhaps buying
> a particularly strong type of wheel or is it just a case of learn to live with it?

Have a word with your LBS about building you a rear wheel that's=20 especially strong. Machine built
off-the-peg are okay for most utility=20 applications but a well hand built job is better, and they
can specify=20 better spokes too. If there's lots of **** going on the back you^H^H^Hyour friend may
wish=20 to consider a front rack and lowriders or a barbag: if you distribute=20 the weight better
not only will that save a bit of stress on the back=20 but the handling should improve too if you
distribute the load better.

Pete. --=20 Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics,
Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email protected]
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
 
"Ian D" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> st john street cycles will build you a wheel to suit http://www.sjscycles.com/
> - probably a sun rhyno rim - up to 48 spokes and a hub to suit - good
enough
> for a tandem - won't be cheap mind

That'll be at least 150 quid, and won't the hub be 145mm OLN? Well it should be, my LBS thinks he
can muck about and get it to 135mm. He's also been claiming that theres a hub on order for about the
last 5 months.... must call.

He also thinks he's a good enough wheel builder to make a 36 hole wheel that'll carry 35Kg of
bike+luggage + 150Kg of riders. He may well be right on that one, but I wouldn't want to find that
out half way through a tour.
 
"lardy ninja" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I have a erm friend who is about 115Kg and rides a cheapish (£400) mountain bike to commute. He
> also carries a lot of heavy books/shopping etc. in rear panniers. He likes to ride as fast as
> possible (any other cyclist on the road is racing material). He has a constant problem with spokes
> breaking on the rear wheel. Is there anything which can be done along the lines of perhaps buying
> a particularly strong type of wheel or is it just a case of learn to live with it?

Lose 25 kg of weight.

Learn to curb aggressive tendencies and avoid big pot holes.

Re-build the wheel properly.

I had a very similar problem while cycling in India. Got to the point that I was losing a spoke
every other day.

As soon as I removed the panniers (i.e. ~25 kg) and rebuilt the wheel (same rim & hub, new spokes)
all has been sweetness and light.

I know it is claimed that one spoke failing does not greatly affect the others but if your 'friend'
has been losing spokes regularly then it seems likely that quite a few will have been stressed and
it maybe that their quality was not of the best from day one!!

T
 
I am^H^H^Ha friend also a lardy git and had the same problem. Then I got an LBS to build me a back
wheel for ~£40 (and also switched to a cassette rather than a screw-on hub), and it's stayed true,
without breaking spokes or bent axles (touch wood) for well over a year so far. I also avoid the
potholes whenever I can see them.

R.
 
On 5 Mar 2003 08:45:17 -0800, [email protected] (lardy ninja) wrote:

>I have a erm friend who is about 115Kg and rides a cheapish (£400) mountain bike to commute. He
>also carries a lot of heavy books/shopping etc. in rear panniers. He likes to ride as fast as
>possible (any other cyclist on the road is racing material). He has a constant problem with spokes
>breaking on the rear wheel. Is there anything which can be done along the lines of perhaps buying a
>particularly strong type of wheel or is it just a case of learn to live with it?
>

115kg isn't that heavy, especially if the riding is only on road (bit of guess work on my part -
presumably landing from a great height puts more load onto a rim). How many spokes does your (ahem)
friend run? 36 would be good.

Get a handbuilt wheel with a rim of your choice and double butted spokes. Or get a machine made one
and get the spokes wound up to a decent tension by your LBS/yourself/your friend if you/friend has
the skills, patience and tools.

Tim
--

fast and gripping, non pompous, glossy and credible.
 
Tim Hall <[email protected]> wrote: ( 115kg isn't that heavy, especially if the riding
is only on road (bit ) of guess work on my part - presumably landing from a great height puts ( more
load onto a rim). How many spokes does your (ahem) friend run? ) 36 would be good.

If I didn't know better I would wonder about which spoke or spokes took the greatest load when a
wheel hit the ground going downwards, but fortunately I do know better so I shall not.
 
Tim Hall <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
>
> 115kg isn't that heavy, especially if the riding is only on road (bit of guess work on my part -
> presumably landing from a great height puts more load onto a rim). How many spokes does your
> (ahem) friend run? 36 would be good.

115kg = 18st, approx., but even so, I would think that the wheel should be OK. Despite being
13st myself and bunny-hopping my 'cross bike, its 32h Mavic Open Pros are still nice and true.
Mavic themselves do suggest weight restrictions on their products, specifically the ready-built
wheels, but if these are anything like the tyre "restrictions" that they advise [1], get the
salt cellar out ;-)

David E. Belcher

Dept. of Chemistry, University of York

[1] According to the Mavic website, none of the models of rim that I frequently see used at 'cross
races are actually compatible with a 28+ mm knobbly. I beg to differ....
 
Geraint Jones wrote:
> Tim Hall <[email protected]> wrote: ( 115kg isn't that heavy, especially if the
> riding is only on road (bit ) of guess work on my part - presumably landing from a great height
> puts ( more load onto a rim). How many spokes does your (ahem) friend run? ) 36 would be good.
>
> If I didn't know better I would wonder about which spoke or spokes took the greatest load when a
> wheel hit the ground going downwards, but fortunately I do know better so I shall not.

Oops, you forgot to cross-post it to rec.bicycles.tech.

I'll do it for you, shall I?
 
lardy ninja wrote:
> I have a erm friend who is about 115Kg and rides a cheapish (£400) mountain bike to commute. He
> also carries a lot of heavy books/shopping etc. in rear panniers. He likes to ride as fast as
> possible (any other cyclist on the road is racing material). He has a constant problem with spokes
> breaking on the rear wheel. Is there anything which can be done along the lines of perhaps buying
> a particularly strong type of wheel or is it just a case of learn to live with it?
>
> LN

I'm a lardy boy too, 17 1/2 stone, ride a road bike with MA3 (lightish) rims.

Its all in the quality of the spokes and the skill of the wheelbuilder.

If the rim is reusable get a good LBS to rebuild the wheel with Stainless Steel double butted
spokes. Or buy Jobst Brandts book 'The Bicycle Wheel' and do it yourself. Buy it anyway as it
explains why spokes break and a lot of other stuff. You don't need special tools, they just make it
quicker and a bit easier. Any decent wheel builder will guarantee a rebuild on a decent rim.

--
Andy Morris

AndyAtJinkasDotFreeserve.Co.UK

Love this: Put an end to Outlook Express's messy quotes
http://home.in.tum.de/~jain/software/oe-quotefix/
 
"AndyMorris" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> I'm a lardy boy too, 17 1/2 stone, ride a road bike with MA3 (lightish) rims.
>
> Its all in the quality of the spokes and the skill of the wheelbuilder.
>
> If the rim is reusable get a good LBS to rebuild the wheel with Stainless Steel double butted
> spokes. Or buy Jobst Brandts book 'The Bicycle Wheel' and do it yourself. Buy it anyway as it
> explains why spokes break and a lot of other stuff. You don't need special tools, they just make
> it quicker and a bit easier. Any decent wheel builder will guarantee a rebuild on a decent rim.
>

Thanks to all who have replied apart from whoever it was who recommended losing weight - wash your
mouth out :)

I think it will have to be a hand built wheel (by someone else cos got no time / space / inclination
to do it myself, besides it's adding to the local economy.

LN
 
lardy ninja <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
> Thanks to all who have replied apart from whoever it was who recommended losing weight - wash your
> mouth out :)
>
> I think it will have to be a hand built wheel (by someone else cos got no time / space /
> inclination to do it myself, besides it's adding to the local economy.
>

Don't think just of the local economy - there are some really bad wheelbuilders in some well
established shops local to us. Find a good wheelbuilder but they may not be local. FWIW I've found
Merlin wheels ordered on-line to be well built and relatively inexpensive.

I build all my own wheels for mountain bikes to tandems and am only a tad lighter than you. I follow
Jobst and never have to true them once built.

As an alternative buy a ready built wheel locally and then before you ride it, follow Jobst's book
to increase the tension and stress relieve it. Has the advantage of it being ready laced, close to
enough tension and true.

Tony

--
http://www.raven-family.com

"I don't want any yes-men around me. I want everybody to tell me the truth even if it costs them
their job."

Samuel Goldwyn
 
"Ambrose Nankivell" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...

> Oops, you forgot to cross-post it to rec.bicycles.tech.
>
> I'll do it for you, shall I?

It's OK. Guy's not around to muddy the waters ATM.

Tee hee. That'll annoy him at Easter. :)

--
Dave...
 
On Thu, 6 Mar 2003 16:26:56 +0000 (UTC), Geraint Jones
<[email protected]> wrote:

> If I didn't know better I would wonder about which spoke or spokes took the greatest load when a
> wheel hit the ground going downwards, but fortunately I do know better so I shall not.

Wonder no more!

http://www.astounding.org.uk/ian/wheel/index.html

Something like that, anyhow.

regards, Ian SMith
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