Which bike for a pretty big guy.

jacksie66

This post has been deleted.

Lumen

Normal road bike is fine.

Wouldn't be happy on regular wheels though @ 160kg. For instance, a "good ordinary" wheel like the Mavic Aksium has a rider+bike limit of 120kg.

So you might get some cheap touring wheels, until you're at 120kg or thereabouts. And 28mm tyres.

ED E

Discs might also be a good call for any descending.

homer911

Definitely get advice in your local shop. Many alloy frames are not designed for 25st. Its not so much the regular cycling, but if you were to hit a pothole on an under spec'd bike, the sudden strain "could" cause a catastrophic failure and you could injure yourself

saccades

Surly bikes

secman

Depends on how pretty you are, if you are really pretty.. a pinarello

TychoCaine

Most manufacturers have a weight limit on their bikes for warranty purposes, but the design strength is always well in excess of this. Stay away from the more exotic ultralight carbon stuff and you'll be fine. Maybe go for a Cyclocross bike as they're extra sturdy. They also come with disc brakes (better stopping power) and room for wide tyres (see below).

The key thing is wheels and tyres. Most nice bikes come with with very lightweight wheels, which *will* get trashed the first time someone 25 stone hits a pothole. Replace them with something with 32 - 36 spokes and you'll be fine.

Tyre width is also important. Pinch flats happen when you hit a pothole/kerb and the tube gets crushed between the tyre and the rim, ruining your day. Heavier riders are more susceptible to this, so you need to run higher pressures to compensate. Narrower tyres need even higher pressures because they have less air volume. You won't find a 23mm or 25mm tyre that'll withstand the pressure needed to avoid pinch flats with a 25 stone rider is onboard. A 28mm wide tyre @ 100psi should do the job. Not all road bikes will take a 28mm tyre, so check first, or get a cyclocross bike.

rubadub

Have you considered an e-bike. I have a MTB and love it, due to the fact I know it is stronger and eats up kerbs & potholes etc.

Many have misconceptions about them, equating them with motorbikes needing zero effort to be cycling. You said you want to lose weight so some (or yourself) might rule them out.

My bike has 4 levels of assistance, on the lowest assistance I would have to put more effort into cycling to work than I did on my old hybrid. On windy days you could increase assitance either the whole way or partially and still be able to match your usual commute time and effort. You could lower the assistance on the way home to exercise more. There might be a difficult hill where you could turn it up full.

The thoughts of using a road bike again on my commute makes me shudder (I stick to the horrible cycle lanes)

benneca1

Main issue is wheels spend a few quid and get  a set with 36 spokes on the back and 32 in front. Frame will be fine weight doesn't break frames crashing does.

May Contain Small Parts

TychoCaine wrote: »

A 28mm wide tyre @ 100psi should do the job.

I would have said that's waaaay too little pressure for 160kg+bike, especially on the back.

ford2600

May Contain Small Parts wrote: »

I would have said that's waaaay too little pressure for 160kg+bike, especially on the back.

http://www.dorkypantsr.us/bike-tire-pressure-calculator.html

At OP's weight I'd be looking for 32mm minimum tyres for comfort. A tubeless set up would allow him to not worry about pinch flats at slightly lower pressures.


Touring type wheels; strong rim, decent bracing angle and high spoke count would be a good idea. Any good wheelbuilder should be able to sort him for not big money. Easy to choose strong components once you are not weight weenie obsessed.

Check with manufacturer on bike weight limit

TychoCaine

May Contain Small Parts wrote: »

I would have said that's waaaay too little pressure for 160kg+bike, especially on the back.

It would be way too little for a 23mm or 25mm tyre, but bigger tyres allow for lower pressures for a given load. I used Mavic's tyre pressure calculator to come up with 100psi

May Contain Small Parts

TychoCaine wrote: »

It would be way too little for a 23mm or 25mm tyre, but bigger tyres allow for lower pressures for a given load. I used Mavic's tyre pressure calculator to come up with 100psi

Do you have a link for that? That's still way too low for 28s at that weight imo

Macy0161

I wasn't quite as big, but was 21 stone. I did my first few months on a cheapo BSO from amazon, and learnt how to (reasonably) true a wheel. Then moved on to a carrera from halfords, before fully committing. That was with a weight loss plan and gradual weight loss which might not even be your goal (if it is, the kitchen is really the place to focus tbh).

TychoCaine

May Contain Small Parts wrote: »

Do you have a link for that? That's still way too low for 28s at that weight imo

Follow the link @ https://www.mavic.com/en-gb/my-mavic

May Contain Small Parts

TychoCaine wrote: »

Follow the link @ https://www.mavic.com/en-gb/my-mavic

Something's up with that. It gives you the same tyre pressure whether you put your weight in as 80kg or 160kg, and the same front and rear.