Help - road cycling equipment for big guys

[bigtig]

Hi All

My first post here after days of reading so I am hoping that I can get a few good tips.

First, thanks in advance for any help that can be offered.

I am particularly looking for feedback from experienced heavy riders and bike mechanics who have dealt with the particular quirks of big heavy riders but I am grateful for feedback from anyone!

I am about 6´10" (approx 205cm I think) tall and about 265 lbs (120kg). This weight can increase as I develop muscle mass (and yes, people do love to slip stream in a headwind lol).

Suffice it to say that I am the perfect build for road cycling... or not! (ROFL)

After a 17 year break I am getting back into cycling and have been riding on some kit which is being replaced now that I am up to 300 - 400kms a week.

I did the Cyfac custom measure and am now awaiting my custom (carbon) frame.

While this is being built I have been told have been told to go and choose wheels gruppos etc.

My main problem here is that while I was sitting watching the cycling on TV for nearly two decades, the world changed!

Campy is now reliable, Carbon is not weak, Aluminium is almost unheard of anymore, Steel is what the bike stands are made of and I have not got a clue! (OK... that last one was the same nearly two decades ago too ).

One thing that has not changed (and may even be harder to deal with now that all the materials are so lightweight) is that heavy guys kill cycling kit if they do not choose the right thing first time!

I am really looking for solid advice on what is best for the big guys now.

GRUPPO.

My measure showed I need a 177.5mm crankset but neither Campy Record nor Shimano DA do one in a compact so I am leaning toward 2010 SRAM Red.

I have never ridden SRAM, (Have been using Record for the last year which I have enjoyed very much) so I really know nothing here.

Can anyone comment on this as a gruppo?

WHEELS:

This is a real nightmare. I have already destroyed a pair of Mavic Cosmo Carbon aero rims and a lot of what I have seen on the market looks positively fragile for someone my size!

What is the best (read stiff and strong) wheel build to aim at for the jolly green giant?

STEMS (of various descriptions)

Should I be going carbon or sticking with metal? What brands/models are good?

BARS.

Same questions really. Should I be going carbon or sticking with metal. What brands/models are good?

Basically, I need to know everything because everything has changed!

As you may have gathered, I am spending the bucks to do it right first time (There really never is a cheap option when you are this size and weight) but I am not spending for brand or status. I really do want to get the best kit for the job.

Looking forward to all replies guys and girls and again, thanks in advance for any input.

Tig

 

[Dietmar]

Campy is now reliable

What do you mean by "now reliable"? Always has been, as far as I can remember (that's about 30 years back or so...)

My measure showed I need a 177.5mm crankset but neither Campy Record nor Shimano DA do one in a compact so I am leaning toward 2010 SRAM Red.

Forget that; you really don't need to see yourself forced into a group by crank length. First of all, you can always just replace the crankset. Second, people have done experiments on stationary bikes where they varied crank lengths between 120mm-200mm (!), and even for these extreme variations the differences in power output were in the single-percent range. In other words, you would do perfectly fine with a 175mm crankset. Even a 170mm crank would have no significant impact on your performance. Conclusion: Feel free to choose the groupset you like best. There is no noticeable difference in performance between approximately equivalent groupsets of different manufacturers, so it's really up to your personal preference.

Wheels. This is a real nightmare. I have already destroyed a pair of Mavic Cosmo Carbon aero rims and a lot of what I have seen on the market looks positively fragile for someone my size!

What is the best (read stiff and strong) wheel build to aim at for the jolly green giant?

If you have a competent builder, he'll make you nice dependable wheels. There's no problem doing that for somebody your weight. You'll probably end up with 36-spoke wheels, otherwise lots of options to choose from. Don't sweat it, you'll be fine. If the wheel breaks, yell at your builder...

Should I be going carbon or sticking with metal? What brands/models are good?

No reason at all to go for a carbon stem. They're usually not any lighter or stiffer than alloy ones. I like Deda stems, but again, lots of other brands will serve you just fine.

Same questions really. Should I be going carbon or sticking with metal. What brands/models are good?

You could do carbon in this case, but if you do, choose the reinforced models that can take aero bars. On the other hand alloy bars will serve you fine. I like Dedas again, or TTT, but other brands sell perfectly serviceable bars, too. I would stay away from Control Tech or other no-name stuff, and remain with a well-established, reputable brand.

As you may have gathered, I am spending the bucks to do it right first time (There really never is a cheap option when you are this size and weight) but I am not spending for brand or status. I really do want to get the best kit for the job.

Going back to the gruppo, and given your above remark, I recommend giving Campy Chorus and above a good look, or Shimano Ultegra and above, or SRAM Red.

 

[Peter@vecchios]

Hi All

My first post here after days of reading so I am hoping that I can get a few good tips.

First, thanks in advance for any help that can be offered.

I am particularly looking for feedback from experienced heavy riders and bike mechanics who have dealt with the particular quirks of big heavy riders but I am grateful for feedback from anyone!

I am about 6´10" (approx 205cm I think) tall and about 265 lbs (120kg). This weight can increase as I develop muscle mass (and yes, people do love to slip stream in a headwind lol).

Suffice it to say that I am the perfect build for road cycling... or not! (ROFL)

After a 17 year break I am getting back into cycling and have been riding on some kit which is being replaced now that I am up to 300 - 400kms a week.

I did the Cyfac custom measure and am now awaiting my custom (carbon) frame.

While this is being built I have been told have been told to go and choose wheels gruppos etc.

My main problem here is that while I was sitting watching the cycling on TV for nearly two decades, the world changed!

Campy is now reliable, Carbon is not weak, Aluminium is almost unheard of anymore, Steel is what the bike stands are made of and I have not got a clue! (OK... that last one was the same nearly two decades ago too ).

One thing that has not changed (and may even be harder to deal with now that all the materials are so lightweight) is that heavy guys kill cycling kit if they do not choose the right thing first time!

I am really looking for solid advice on what is best for the big guys now.

GRUPPO.

My measure showed I need a 177.5mm crankset but neither Campy Record nor Shimano DA do one in a compact so I am leaning toward 2010 SRAM Red.

I have never ridden SRAM, (Have been using Record for the last year which I have enjoyed very much) so I really know nothing here.

Can anyone comment on this as a gruppo?

WHEELS:

This is a real nightmare. I have already destroyed a pair of Mavic Cosmo Carbon aero rims and a lot of what I have seen on the market looks positively fragile for someone my size!

What is the best (read stiff and strong) wheel build to aim at for the jolly green giant?

STEMS (of various descriptions)

Should I be going carbon or sticking with metal? What brands/models are good?

BARS.

Same questions really. Should I be going carbon or sticking with metal. What brands/models are good?

Basically, I need to know everything because everything has changed!

As you may have gathered, I am spending the bucks to do it right first time (There really never is a cheap option when you are this size and weight) but I am not spending for brand or status. I really do want to get the best kit for the job.

Looking forward to all replies guys and girls and again, thanks in advance for any input.

Tig

Talk to Lennard Zinn about a crank.

Use Campagnolo or shimano..not Sram.

Have a good wheelbuilder design a wheelset for you and your needs. 36 hole hubs and rims, laced 3 cross on a suitable rim, like a Deep V.

Aluminum handlebars, stems and seatposts.

25 or 28c tires.

 

[alfeng]

FWIW. A few things to consider:

Both XT and XTR cranksets (104BCD) are available in 177.5mm & 180mm crank arm lengths -- you can certainly set up the crank with a 48/34 or 48/32 chainring combination. The slightly wider ~170mm Q-factor is probably better for a larger rider ...

I think you can probably use cranks that are longer than 177.5mm, BTW.

IMO, those formulas (is there more than one that people use?) for determining crank arm length are so arbitrarily derived I would suggest that they are a dubious starting point BECAUSE they/(it) do/(does) not take into account the fact that your leg is made of three levers of different lengths rather than one lever.
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I know a guy who had his tandem built with 32h wheels -- front & rear! I think that 40h rear wheels are still common amongst tandem riders, and that is something for you may want to consider.

You probably need to stick with alloy bars ... the widest bar that 'I' am familiar with is the TruVative TEAM which is 46mm wide (c-c) at both the ends AND where the brake levers mount ... there may be others ... most ergonomic bars are narrower where the brake levers mount than the measurement stated the ends of the bars.

A so-called MOUSTACHE handlebar would be available in wider widths, but obviously has minimal drop.

You can use Campagnolo shifters with Shimano derailleurs/wheels/etc. -- the composite shift "paddles" are not as robust as alloy "paddles" on the alloy Athena shifters (11 speed ... which can apparently be mated to 10-speed Shimano-compatible stuff) & alloy Centaur shifters (10-speed ... which can definitely be mated to 8-/9-speed Shimano stuff).

 

[bigtig]

Talk to Lennard Zinn about a crank.

Use Campagnolo or shimano..not Sram.

Have a good wheelbuilder design a wheelset for you and your needs. 36 hole hubs and rims, laced 3 cross on a suitable rim, like a Deep V.

Aluminum handlebars, stems and seatposts.

25 or 28c tires.

Just curious Peter.. why do you say not Sram?

 

[Peter@vecchios]

Just curious Peter.. why do you say not Sram?

Seen too many chains, BB bearings, cranks(loose spindles) and chainrings go south way to fast. Left lever, front der action poor, high effort. Titanium FD soft, makes for poor shifts, Powerdome cogset expensive, noisy. They seem to 'sell' on whizbangery, magnesium, titanium, carbon and ceramic but the reliability just isn't there, IMO. GREAT customer service, however.

Prefer Campagnolo, shimano(particularly 7900, 6700 and 105 level stuff)very nice, durable, functional.

 

[The_Sultan]

I am unsure how relevant my advice might be, but I am 6'3" and weigh 115kg. I bought a new bike 6 months ago, carbon frame/seatpost/bars/stem, DA7800 w/ 175mm cranks and Kysrium Elite wheels, conti GP4000S tyres (23c). So far I have covered over 2500km, mostly weekend rides over some pretty rough roads and the only problem I have had is a couple of flats. I was also concerned when I bought my bike about the frame possibly breaking under my weight, and if that didn't happen I thought for sure that the wheels just wouldn't last. So far I have not had any problems and the wheels are just as true as the day I bought the bike.

When going up hills I can put a hell of a lot of power through the drive chain to the point where if push too hard I have dis-lodged my rear wheel, even though the titanium skewer is as tight as I can get it.

I know a lot of people don't think highly of factory rims, and tend to go for custom built ones, and not being an expert I am very happy with mine.

 

[dhk2]

Good report so far, but 2500 km really isn't much. The question is what will things be like after 25000 km and up. For long-term durability, Peter's recommendations are right on.