What does weight have to do with it...

[buzzy]

Ok, I'm new to cycling, and I have noticed in some posts that you guys are making reference to the weight of the rider and the type of bike, shoes, and seat a rider should buy. How does my weight (239.5lbs and counting..on a diet you know) (I'm 5'11") affect what bike and shoes I buy?

Thanks for your help!

 

[daveornee]

Originally posted by buzzy
Ok, I'm new to cycling, and I have noticed in some posts that you guys are making reference to the weight of the rider and the type of bike, shoes, and seat a rider should buy. How does my weight (239.5lbs and counting..on a diet you know) (I'm 5'11") affect what bike and shoes I buy?

Thanks for your help!

Your weight flexes the frame, fork, wheels, etc. as you ride. The more you weigh the sturdier all those structures need to be. I never thought about shoes in this light, but I understand that your shoes also carry your weight, especially when standing on the pedals, but even when seated... especially when pedaling up a grade.
You can likely select components, frame, fork, wheels, + shoes that will be around 10% of your weight. You will enjoy riding more if you concentrate on selecting those items for comfort and safety... and not try to count grams.
Keep up the good work and keep riding.

 

[RC2]

Cycling is a great way to loose weight through excersize as there is minimal or no high impacts to your knees, etc. Good for you. I think any quality bike frame and shoes, as long as they are comfortable and fit you well, you will do fine with. You may want to error on the side of a stiffer frame however (perhaps an Al specialized Roubiax or the like over a sexy lightweight italian chromoly frame). You'll also probably want to upgrade your saddle to a gel model or one with lots of cushioning...off the shelf bikes don't often have very comfortable saddles.

 

[boudreaux]

Originally posted by buzzy
Ok, I'm new to cycling, and I have noticed in some posts that you guys are making reference to the weight of the rider and the type of bike, shoes, and seat a rider should buy. How does my weight (239.5lbs and counting..on a diet you know) (I'm 5'11") affect what bike and shoes I buy?

Thanks for your help!

Big heavy people should not buy crazy lightweight stuff. There is a genersal rule some like to too about: stuff breaks, light stuff breaks faster, and defective stuff breaks almost immediately.

 

[RC2]

Originally posted by boudreaux
Big heavy people should not buy crazy lightweight stuff.

Poor buzzy, to be fair 239 lb at 5'11" isn't exactly obese! That kind of weight isn't going to overstress most ~58 sized frames made for ~6 footers...especially assuming Buzzy's going to be down to fighting weight after several months in the saddle.

 

[boudreaux]

Originally posted by RC2
Poor buzzy, to be fair 239 lb at 5'11" isn't exactly obese! That kind of weight isn't going to overstress most ~58 sized frames made for ~6 footers...especially assuming Buzzy's going to be down to fighting weight after several months in the saddle.

Who said obese???!!! Reliable wheels are often the bigger issue for 'heftier' people. AFWIW, I said mainstream. There are a number of lightweight frames in a 58 that he could seriously overstress.

 

[RC2]

Who said obese???!!! Reliable wheels are often the bigger issue for 'heftier' people. AFWIW, I said mainstream. There are a number of lightweight frames in a 58 that he could seriously overstress. [/QUOTE]

I said obese. That was levity. The point is that a 58 frame is probably designed with a 160-190 pounder in mind, 239 is definitely within a small factor of safety. I'm also making an assumption that Buzzy implied she/he wants to loose weight... a frame that typically wouldn't fail for 10's of thousands of miles isn't likely to be damaged in any significant way with a year or so of a somewhat overweight rider.

That said, yes, definitely stay away fromthe crazy-light stuff. And a quality wheelset (i.e. tried and true mavic open pro's or the like vs. the sexy aero stuff targeting lower pricepoints) is very solid advice.

 

[lokstah]

Clearly, there are plenty of cyclists between 200 and 250 lbs that get by just fine on whatever they're riding; they're not, however, riding on Fuji Team Super Lites, with titanium-spindled pedals and sub-100g stems.

The good news is that most of the really light stuff ships with rider weight limits. Those numbers may or may not be perfectly accurate, but they give you an idea of what you're dealing with.

Beyond that, if you're above average in weight, you need to use a little common sense is all. To be safe, don't buy components on the lowest end of the weight range for that category -- for instance, try to avoid stems which flirt with sub-120g figures. Avoid seatposts lighter than, say, 170g or so. Don't buy a set of handlebars which dip below 200 or 210g. The lightest stuff costs a pretty penny anyways; most of the reasonable gear is spec'd for better weight bearing.

You'll get the idea. Good luck.

 

[boudreaux]

Originally posted by RC2

I said obese. That was levity. The point is that a 58 frame is probably designed with a 160-190 [/QUOTE] I'm pretty sure there are frames that size with 170 weight limits.In the crazy light catagory probably.

 

[RC2]

[/B][/QUOTE] I'm pretty sure there are frames that size with 170 weight limits.In the crazy light catagory probably. [/B][/QUOTE]

Sure... but I wouldn't think Buzzy would be spending the kinda dough that implies on a training bike (can you?). I'd also like to think a LBS wouldn't walk a 239 lb person over to a bike with a 170 lb limit and say, "how 'bout taking her out for a test ride." But ya never know.

 

[buzzy]

OK, I could easily get my feelings hurt by some of the comments here, but with my new attitude, it's just going to make me ride harder and longer.

Alls I'm looking for is a good, strong beginners bike that will last me a while until I can shed some pounds. Nothing real fancy....but I do want something that looks cool, and looks like something I would have.

Thanks for the advice, and I'll keep you posted on how everything is going.

 

[RC2]

Originally posted by buzzy
OK, I could easily get my feelings hurt by some of the comments here, but with my new attitude, it's just going to make me ride harder and longer.

Attitude is everything.

 

[mjw_byrne]

Originally posted by buzzy
OK, I could easily get my feelings hurt by some of the comments here, but with my new attitude, it's just going to make me ride harder and longer.

Alls I'm looking for is a good, strong beginners bike that will last me a while until I can shed some pounds. Nothing real fancy....but I do want something that looks cool, and looks like something I would have.

Thanks for the advice, and I'll keep you posted on how everything is going.

Don't let any of the comments get to you; no-one means them in a nasty way, but there is no point beating around the bush either, and 239lbs is simply a rather high weight in cycling terms, so you do have to exercise a little caution when buying a bike.

What sort of terrain will you ride on? You could go for a road bike but, as some have commented, your weight might be an issue. A hybrid will have a comfier riding position, probably tougher wheels, fatter tyres (hence more comfy and less puncture-prone - another factor to bear in mind for heavier riders) and better brakes than a road bike. A mountain bike will be tougher still, but if you just intend to ride on roads, that may be overkill.

 

[buzzy]

Originally posted by mjw_byrne
Don't let any of the comments get to you; no-one means them in a nasty way, but there is no point beating around the bush either, and 239lbs is simply a rather high weight in cycling terms, so you do have to exercise a little caution when buying a bike.

What sort of terrain will you ride on? You could go for a road bike but, as some have commented, your weight might be an issue. A hybrid will have a comfier riding position, probably tougher wheels, fatter tyres (hence more comfy and less puncture-prone - another factor to bear in mind for heavier riders) and better brakes than a road bike. A mountain bike will be tougher still, but if you just intend to ride on roads, that may be overkill.

I know my weight is not the perfect number, but thats why I have started asking question far in advance...so when the day comes that I can purchase a road bike and it support me. Man, that just made me sound like I weigh a ton.

I am mostly riding on roads near my house. But the bike would also be for family vacationing. But then again I could always keep my mountain bike for vacationing.

 

[Bolo Grubb]

I don't think you need to worry about your weight in regards to a bike.

I weigh 200 or so my self and some of the guys I ride with are much larger then me. Your local bike shops will help you find a good bike for what you want to do with it.

Try at least a couple of different bike shops and ask alot of questions. Plan on spending $600- $1,000+ for a good entry level bike. And then a few hundred more on helmet, shoes, shorts etc.

Post alot of questions here too, there are alot of good knowledgeable people here but try to verify what you see here and what you are told at the bike shop with many sources.

Opinions vary and some can sound intelligent, but not know what they are talking about (like me )

 

[buzzy]

Thanks Bolo Grubb. I was guessing that would be the price range.

Yeah, I heave learned that there are very knowledgeable people here. Many years of experience.