"Hud" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:
[email protected]...
>
> "BobT" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> "Hud" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>>> I've been biking for a month and I'm hooked. I've been riding a Trek
>>> Multitrack 7200, a hybrid for urban transportation. I really want to
>>> upgrade to a road bike but worry my 245 lbs. will damage such a bike.
>>> I'm willing to spend up to $1500. Maybe some of you have been in my
>>> shoes before. Any bike suggestions?
>> First I would ask, what are you looking for in a road bike that you don't
>> have on your hybrid?
>>
>> a) Drop handlebar for better aerodyanmics? Unless your 245 comes mostly
>> from height not girth, you may not be very comfortable with the now
>> typically very low bar position of a road racing bike.
>>
>> b) Better components? You could upgrade your current bike.
>>
>> c) You probably don't care if the bike weighs 23 pounds instead of 17
>> pounds, right?
>>
>> d) You probably don't want low spoke count superlight wheels or skinny
>> racing tires, right?
>>
>> If you tell us what your goal is in upgrading, the group might be able
>> to give better suggestions.
>>
>> BobT
>>
>>
>
> Just because I'm big doesn't mean I don't care about the weight of the
> bike. My bodyweight is dropping from biking. I'm getting lighter and I
> want my bike to get lighter too. My current bike is more of a comfort
> bike. Solidly built, it has shock absorbers in the front and under the
> seat. My wife says it's a "sweet ride." The tires are considerably
> bigger than road bike wheels. It has straight handlebars. So my hands
> are forced to stay in one spot. It's not built specifically for speed.
> I want a bike built for speed. I don't need shock absorbers. And smaller
> diameter tires are better for speed. I like to go fast. I can handle a
> roadbike; I just wonder if it can handle me. (You can see what I look
> like here on our family website:
> http://www.geocities.com/hud_ohio/HudnellFamilyPage ) To give my hands a
> break, I often rest my forearms on the straight handlebars while I pedal.
> So I believe I can handle drop handlebars. I'm currently reading "Heft On
> Wheels" by Mike Magnuson. When he was in the 255 to 275 pound range he
> found that the Trek 5200 was the right bike for him. This came after
> damaging (bent frames and forks) several other brands of road bikes. Trek
> no longer manufactures the 5200. I just wondered what else is on the
> market.
After hearing more about you goals, I would recommend a standard road racing
bike. The choices are innumerable - Trek, Cannondale, Specialized and a
zillion others. You might want to avoid ultralight low-spoke count wheels
but this is probably not going to be standard on most $1500 bikes.
I weigh 220 pounds. I sometimes ride a Orbea Onix carbon fiber bike with a
carbon fiber handlebar, Mavic Ksyrium SL wheels, and 700c x 23 tires and so
far nothing has broken in three years. I am not advocating this particular
setup, but mention it to show that a big guy can ride a lightweight carbon
fiber bike with boutique wheels without the wheels or frame collapsing.
I would like to explain my question about the importance of bike weight.
For example, if you weigh 245 pounds and the bike weighs 17 pounds instead
of 24 pounds, that is a less than 3% difference in total rider/bike weight.
I ride for fun and exercise and not to race. For me, spending extra money
to have a bike that is a couple of pounds lighter is silly. This may sound
crazy since I just said I own and ride a carbon fiber bike with boutique
wheels. I bought it when I knew less than I know now and I want to help
others keep from repeating mistakes I've made. If you want to race, keep up
with the group, or just want to go fast because it is fun, spend the money
to get a really light bike that might increase your speed a few percentage
points. That's why I posed the question about bike weight rather than
simply stating that you don't need a super lightweight bike.
BobT
