Bike for heavy cyclist

ford2600

Looking for advice for a friend who is a big man and carrying a few pounds.
Rather than giving him bad advice, said I'dcheck with lads in the know on here.
He's about 6'2" and at least 20stone(1.88m and 127kg).

Bike will be used on rural roads with no off road planned.

I presume wheels will be weak point on entry level bikes. Budget is sub €1,000. He was thinking hybrid but I thought a road bike would a comfortable frame would be a better bet?

Thanks in advance for advice

Lumen

Hybrids are cheaper and tend to be more practical/versatile.

Drop-bar road bikes are more expensive, faster, and more fun at speed.

There isn't a right answer.

leeomurchu

I'd have said go for a hybrid slightly more forgiving in the comfort stakes especially as your friend is a big lad.

with or without front fork suspension is his preference.

I'm not sure about a road bike a big man on skinny tyres + rough roads if he doesn't know how to change a puncture he'll soon learn. That being said I regularly see lads that size out on road bikes.

Best bet is to get down to a decent shop and try before you buy no reason not to start off on a cheaper bike lose a few pounds and then invest in a decent road bike.

victorcarrera

You should be able to get a decent aluminium hybrid with triple chainrings, 36 spoke wheels and 35 to 37mm tyres for about 300 Euro. The Raleigh Metro I have came with mudguards, shock absorber seat post and rear rack fitted for that price.

Seaneh

Don't waste money by buying a bybrid with a suspension fork, total waste of money and pointless extra weight.

If he's not used to road bikes or a little intimidated by them something like a trek 7.2fx would be perfect for him.

comes with 700c wheels with 32c tyres, tripple chain ring and mounts for racks/mudguards. The breaks also have pretty good stopping power.

minterno

hi,I started cycling a road bike 2 years ago and at the time i was reaching towards 19st ,im still overweight at just over 17st but the bike has helped bigtime with the exercise,i bought a giant defy3 and at the time the lbs advised me to go for a hybrid but as i already had one i chanced buying the road bike and am glad i did,im cycling with the stock wheels and have only popped 2 spokes in 2 years,i found that while a hybrid was great for spinnin around,once you sit on a road bike the difference is amazing and its like going from a tractor to a ferrari and you will end up spending more time on the road,cheers

leeomurchu

minterno wrote: »

hi,I started cycling a road bike 2 years ago and at the time i was reaching towards 19st ,im still overweight at just over 17st but the bike has helped bigtime with the exercise,i bought a giant defy3 and at the time the lbs advised me to go for a hybrid but as i already had one i chanced buying the road bike and am glad i did,im cycling with the stock wheels and have only popped 2 spokes in 2 years,i found that while a hybrid was great for spinnin around,once you sit on a road bike the difference is amazing and its like going from a tractor to a ferrari and you will end up spending more time on the road,cheers

Right from the horses mouth there, you won't get better advice

bloomfield

I'm 6'2" myself, and over 20 stone in weight, and have got over two years of cycling from a Cube hybrid bike. I find the more upright sitting position and wider tyres of a hybrid more comfortable on the city streets - but then again I'm only doing a 12km round trip on my commute each day.

I used to have a cheap bike that I bought for around €250, and loads of stuff went wrong with it - I'm guessing because of the additional strain it was under. I had a lot of punctures, and had to replace snapped pedals and spokes. However my Cube hybrid cost more in the region of €700 and has much better quality components, I've had no such trouble.

BofaDeezNuhtz

+1 for starting on a Hybrid

I'm 6'2" myself and now down from 19st to 18st.

Bought an excercise bike cheap a coupla month ago and started doing 10k
5-6 nights a week with the headfones on. 40 mins was flying by so upped it to 15k.

4 weeks later bought a Trek 3700 MTB and started going outdoors.
No bike computer so just stayed out for 2 hours or so.
Another 4 weeks and bought a Trek 7.3 Hybrid for 2 hour spins 4-5 nights a week.
Finding it easy enough even sometimes passing my estate to keep going but 2 hours
is where about Im getting the dreaded 'Arse Deadness'.
The stock saddle on the Trek 7.3 was doing it after just an hour so robbed the spring/gel
saddle that was on the MTB doubling my rideable 'Comfort' time.
(I know I know see Rule:5 etc lol)
Anyways the web info says gel saddles are great for starting off but will kill ya on
longer rides so am now planning on ditching it and have bought a hard roadie type
and a Velo Senso Miles as a compromise ha to go with a Carbon seatpost(fingers crossed here lol).
The Bling bug has already caught on with carbon bars, Ritchey stems and all sorts
of other unecessary but yet necessary stuff whizzing its way to me thru the post as we speak

I see Minterno is on the road bike 2 years now and wouldnt go back but even he
started with a hybrid so his arse had saddle time!
My god I was walking for 2 days like John Wayne just after my first 40mins on the
excercise bike ha. And that has a saddle like a couch ffs!

For a 20+ stone lad Id deffo say start on a Hybrid (even a cheap €300 2nd hand yoke) with a
gel saddle and go from there. He can always resell the Hybrid for the same price and
eventually swap to roadie with a more normal saddle as he gets into longer spins.

He stands a better chance of staying at it being more comfortable at the start.
Why kill himself bent over double on skinny wobbley 20 spoke wheels while sitting
on a rock hard razor blade saddle thats gonna be stuck halfway up his arse every ride!
Tis bad enough gtting the oul arse use to it as it is.

Im currently contemplating going roadie myself, but wouldnt have wanted to start off there!
My 2c

munsterleinster

-1 on the hybrid... You probably won't regret it, but you'll look at drop bars lustfully.

I'd planned to go hybrid... then considered a Boardman Cyclocross, then a Cannondale Touring before settling on a proper road bike.

The hoods on the drop bars are much more comfortable over long distances.

A decent bike will have decent wheels but you'll eventually break a spoke especially as they're generally 24 spoke rears nowadays.
I got a 36 spoke back wheel made up. Have still broken a spoke but it's hardly noticable (Whereas a broken spoke on a 24 is pretty much a show stopper).

Throw on some 25 profile Gator skins and you're sorted.

Lumen

Suzuki_TL1000R wrote: »

Bought an excercise bike a coupla month ago...4 weeks later bought a Trek 3700 MTB ...Another 4 weeks and bought a Trek 7.3 Hybrid for 2 hour spins 4-5 nights a week...I'm currently contemplating going roadie myself

Eh, you're about to purchase your fourth bike in three months!

I think most people would assume a new bike would give them at least a year before they might want to change it.

trad

I've had a Boardman hybrid for about a year and a half. Was a bit apprehensive about using it first given my weight approaching 21 st.

Have being using it a fair bit lately sometimes having a go at the 20 k cycle home at night over Bray head or through the Glen of the Downs and I'm now seeing the high eighteen on the scales and still dropping. I've had one puncture and it's on 25's.

No reliability issues and wheels straight as a die. Very confident about it now. I'd definitely recommend a good hybrid.

My favourite would be a Cannondale Badboy 8 but you're looking at €1200+

Run_to_da_hills

Suzuki_TL1000R wrote: »

+1 for starting on a Hybrid

I'm 6'2" myself and now down from 19st to 18st.

Have you still got the TL1000R

Preferred the looks of the tubular S frame but the R handled a lot better.

Fatbiker

Seaneh wrote: »

Don't waste money by buying a bybrid with a suspension fork, total waste of money and pointless extra weight.

If he's not used to road bikes or a little intimidated by them something like a trek 7.2fx would be perfect for him.

comes with 700c wheels with 32c tyres, tripple chain ring and mounts for racks/mudguards. The breaks also have pretty good stopping power.

Yeah, I have the Trek 7.2fx for over 14 months and have clocked up over 2,000km, just on training rides. Good bike. I am bigger than OP's friend and no problem with bike, just new back tyre last May. Haven't lost much weight though. An hour and a half cycling and then 4 hrs grazing! Eyeing up a road bike now and doin up a tourer. Somewhat obssessed with biking now! Happy days!:D

BofaDeezNuhtz

Lumen wrote: »

Eh, you're about to purchase your fourth bike in three months!

I think most people would assume a new bike would give them at least a year before they might want to change it.

I like me bikes like me wimmens, well ridden & frequently changed :cool:


Ah nah the exercise bike is an indoor fitness twenny quid off adverts yoke.
I jump on with the headfones pumping 90's Techno music & Armstrong couldnt keep up with me ffs

The Trek 3700 was sub 2 ton starter and was barely taken off concrete which led me to
picking up the Trek 7.3 as thats where I was gonna be spending my time.
The 3700 is going up for sale shortly pay for buying the 7.3 Hybrid.

And now that Im starting to buy carbon seatposts, bars, forks and other bling for the Hybrid
while keeping an eye out for a decent set of 36H wheels at the end of the day
it'll still be just a tarted up semi-heavy hybrid (no offence I luvit) and looking at some of
the lads Strava times and distances if I wanna start serious mile munching then
it just wont cut the mustard.:cool:

BofaDeezNuhtz

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Have you still got the TL1000R

Preferred the looks of the tubular S frame but the R handled a lot better.

Dude!.............Id sell one of me kids first

or maybe swap one for a nice pair of carbon clinchers if anybody needs a chimney sweep???