Road Bike for big guy

[BigMike69]

i am 6.5 and same weight. 

 

I ride a jamis 61cm carbon with campag scirocco wheels, it is bulletproof, light and very fast. 

 

Alu frames are great, look for a Trek 62/63. the Merida 59cm can also work with tweaking and are great buys. 

 

good luck bud

[Mr lee]

i am 6.5 and same weight. 

 

I ride a jamis 61cm carbon with campag scirocco wheels, it is bulletproof, light and very fast. 

 

Alu frames are great, look for a Trek 62/63. the Merida 59cm can also work with tweaking and are great buys. 

 

good luck bud

 

When you say tweaking to the Merida...are you refering to using a longer stem or seat post?

 

What other tweeks could be done?

 

The 61cm of other brands are usually the same as the 59cm in the Merida with a few changes here and there...I suppose it is just marketing at the end of the day but they all seem to be pretty much very close...

[BigMike69]

When you say tweaking to the Merida...are you refering to using a longer stem or seat post?

 

What other tweeks could be done?

 

The 61cm of other brands are usually the same as the 59cm in the Merida with a few changes here and there...I suppose it is just marketing at the end of the day but they all seem to be pretty much very close...

 

pretty much ... also flipping the stem to relax the riding position 

Edited August 23, 2017 by BigMike69

[Super J]

Ah.... Now all you tiny feather weights can back off, this is my dept... I'm 6'6' and 100kg... Honestly, avoid carbon, you will either crack or flex it, try find a decent Cannondale CAAD or a Merckx in a std geometry, dont even dare look at a compact frame. Cannondale have a awesome warranty system and the CAAD series are strong, Merckx are brilliant but scarce. You will most likely need a 120mm stem or longer, and longer cranks too. You are most welcome to come over and take my 63 Merckx for a ride.....there was a 63 Cannondale frame on the hub a few days back for a good price!

[Mr lee]

Ah.... Now all you tiny feather weights can back off, this is my dept... I'm 6'6' and 100kg... Honestly, avoid carbon, you will either crack or flex it, try find a decent Cannondale CAAD or a Merckx in a std geometry, dont even dare look at a compact frame. Cannondale have a awesome warranty system and the CAAD series are strong, Merckx are brilliant but scarce. You will most likely need a 120mm stem or longer, and longer cranks too. You are most welcome to come over and take my 63 Merckx for a ride.....there was a 63 Cannondale frame on the hub a few days back for a good price!

 

So most XL's come with shorter cranks and not 175mm like on the XL mountian bikes?

[Kranswurm]

So most XL's come with shorter cranks and not 175mm like on the XL mountian bikes?

Nope...they come with 175

[Spock]

I'm heavier than you and my Spez Allez is holding up fine. Had the back wheel strengthened by a wheel builder for R400 and have had no problems.

 

It's an entry level Allez. They're cheap.

 

Don't go the Mtb on skinny slicks route. It's not the same!

[Allrounder]

I'm heavier than you and my Spez Allez is holding up fine. Had the back wheel strengthened by a wheel builder for R400 and have had no problems.

 

It's an entry level Allez. They're cheap.

 

Don't go the Mtb on skinny slicks route. It's not the same!

Agreed. MTB with slicks will never be a road bike. 

[Allrounder]

Its like sawing iron with a wood work saw. 

[Mr lee]

I'm heavier than you and my Spez Allez is holding up fine. Had the back wheel strengthened by a wheel builder for R400 and have had no problems.

 

It's an entry level Allez. They're cheap.

 

Don't go the Mtb on skinny slicks route. It's not the same!

 

Care to share how your wheel builder went about strengthening your rear wheel? Thicker spokes?

[madbradd]

6'4 and been between 100 and 110 for a long time.

 

I'm on a Giant TCR composite (carbon, compact frame - XL is a 58.5cm) and have used Mavic Aksium Race wheels and more recently 45mm LightBicycle clinchers on DT350 hubs. both wheelsets are 24/20 spokes and I've never had any problems. I ride chinese carbon wheels on the MTB as well (1550g with 28/28 spokes and 30/24mm rim width) with no issues.

 

My uncle is 6'3 and when we did Panorama he was about 116kgs I think. Rode a Carbon Merida Scultura with Easton EA90 (SLs if I remember correctly) and replaced it with a Carbon Reacto with Campy Shamals when the Scultura came off his bike rack.

 

DragoRosso is also a big fellow - I rode a large portion of Dome2Dome with him a few years back and he was on Chinese Carbon frame with Chinese Carbon wheels (from Flyxii if I remember correctly) - I don't think he's mentioned an issue with either of those.

 

TL:DR - Carbon frame will probably be fine, and more comfy too. Just make sure you get the right size.

 

Edit: I had 23c Gatorskins on the Mavics and have 26c Spez Turbo Pros on the Carbon wheels. My uncle rode 23mm tubeless Michelin on his Eastons. 28mm tyres would be great if they can fit in your frame.

Edited August 23, 2017 by madbradd

[Spock]

Care to share how your wheel builder went about strengthening your rear wheel? Thicker spokes?

Thicker spokes. Soldered together where they cross. And small washers where the spoke goes through the hub

[eccc whippet]

from my experience...while over 125 kg 

 

you gona have a lot of issues with wheels (or you might get lucky)....find a wheel which is correctly rated for your weight...most wheels are rated below 110 kg...but there are wheels rated over 120 kg...just remember the wheel is rated for all the weight including kit...water bottles etc...including the bike frame etc.

 

they rate wheels for your safety and others in the bunch with you...you dont want a wheel collapsing or breaking a spoke at 40-50 km/hr  in a bunch...an mtb it makes no difference you on your own...if you like me and ride at the back all the time it also makes no difference...you just gona be fighting your brakes back to the vehicle...just remember to lift the lever to open the brakes to ease the rubbing.

 

I had bigger spokes fitted to my back wheel on my Trek after i broke 6 spokes....i am now under the weight class of all my wheels.

Edited August 24, 2017 by isetech

[Butterbean]

I would suggest the following, as a fatty myself, there are some things to keep in mind:

 

Framewise, almost anything except the ultra light stuff with hold you. Carbon, Alu, is extremely strong and puts up with incredible abuse, so don't stress too much. However, for peace of mind, steel is real and you cannot go wrong with a new or old steel frame in our weight class. It's also a lot more comfortable and you will enjoy riding it far more.

 

Wheels are your Achilles heel and you need to ensure you get the highest spoke count, strong rims and make sure you take them to a proper wheel builder to check and set everything up correctly. Again, for the couple of hundred bucks it'll cost, it's really worth the peace of mind. Tyre width isn't as much of an issue. But check your frame, and do so once you've found your wheels. In all honesty, 25C tyres are great. Not all 25c tyres are created equal tho, I find gatorskins have the most width out of the ones I've tried.

 

Lastly, you'll need to really focus on your contact points to enjoy your ride. Spend a lot on decent shorts, wide and supportive saddle, double wrap those handlebars and get your hoods set correctly. Invest in a comfortable, stiff pair of shoes. At our weight the contact points take such a beating and you need to make sure they're as comfortable as can be. I would upgrade here far long before I looked at gears or fancy bits.

 

Good luck! It's can be done and it's not that hard to do either. Just don't be outrageous or silly and you'll get by on almost any bike.

[BigMike69]

another thing ... dont worry about bike weight ...

 

i got a lecture from Kim Johnson many years ago when i wanted to spend a small African fortune on a Trek Madone ..

 

he asked me why i wanted it over my alu bike. i told him i wanted to save weight on the bike.

 

his response was "lose another 10kgs and save yourself 50k" couldn't argue with his logic. 

[porqui]

Spock "Don't go the Mtb on skinny slicks route. It's not the same!"

 

Agreed. MTB with slicks will never be a road bike. 

 

MTB with slicks on rides hugely different to mtb with knobbiies.

 

He may just be happy with it and save huge bucks.

Do not think he is a race snake.

 

I have mtb with knobs

I have mtb with slicks

I have Calnago

I ride all three and enjoy all.

Edited August 24, 2017 by porqui