Bike upgrade time...

I'm 6'3" and down to 285, but at one point I was bigger than you and am still riding the same bike today as I was before I lost any weight. It's an alloy framed Giant and has held up fairly well, all things considered. The biggest issue I had was with the stock wheelset - I essentially destroyed the rear wheel. I ended up having my LBS build me a 36 spoke Mavic OpenPro on a 105 hub which seems to be almost indestructible. Were I you, I would plan on a beefier rear wheel, possibly even a front wheel.

Also, I plan to buy a new road bike in the next 6 months and I'm not sure I feel comfortable with a carbon frame at 285lbs (well, I hope to be down closer to 250 or less by the time I'm ready to buy). From what I've been able to find, some companies specify a weight limit, some don't. My personal opinion for guys our size is that any weight savings from a carbon frame is more than offset by our excess bulk - so I'm not sure it's worth the extra cost. Again, that's just my opinion. All other things being equal, I think I'd buy an alloy frame and spend the savings from a carbon frame on stronger wheels and/or better components.

Edited by BigG 2013-08-19 1:16 PM

First...congrats on the weight lose, you give me hope. I hadn't even considered the wheels. That is such a great point. I know my LBS is a Giant dealer so perhaps I'll take a look at those alloys, with some beefy rims as you put it. Thanks for the advice!

Far closer to a newbie than an expert...But...

Cervelo does not have a weight limit on their carbon frames. They say any limits would be based on specific components but not they do not impose a limit on their bikes.

I bought a Cervelo S5 at about 310 lbs...I only have about 1500 miles on it so far and am now down closer to 235 lbs so I can't say long term what it would do, but through one season of heavy weight riding it has done well. LBS went back and forth depending on who I talked to on beefier wheels but we ended up leaving them stock and they are still fine also even with Vermont's really bad roads.

As for the weight savings...I agree with you...We clydes have way more benefit to be gained by losing engine weight than bike weight. However what swayed me to the carbon frame was the stiffness of it allowing me to feel like I was putting power down to the road better. I rode a couple of aluminum frame bikes and it seemed to me that the responsiveness of the carbon frames was better. I will admit that might be all mental and I have no data to back it.

That's good to know, 1200rsvt. Cannondale is another manufacturer who doesn't specify a weight limit for their carbon frames. I haven't looked at Cervelo as an options, but maybe I'll check them out too.

I think Trek and/or Specialized specify a weight limit for their carbon frames, but I can't remember.

And as for my wheels, in fairness I did buy a very cheap, entry level road bike, and I'm sure the stock wheels weren't the greatest to begin with. Had I spent more $$ up front on the bike, maybe the wheels would have held up better. I rode the stock wheels for about 2 years of casual riding but once I got serious and started putting on bigger miles, the rear wheel just couldn't cut it. At one point I actually broke a spoke off on a descent that lodged in the back of my calf. Not fun. Still running the original front wheel though, and it seems to be ok.

To the OP, I would definitely stop in and talk to the folks who seem knowledgeable at your LBS.

Edited by BigG 2013-08-19 7:36 PM

As others have said, wheelset is probably the most important factor. My first bike was a Fuji road bike with stock wheels and I was ~275 lbs when I started in the sport in 2002. I roached the rearwheel to the point where it could no longer be tuned. Over my career I had 5 bikes, and down to my last which I am trying to sell. My screenname is short for Retired From Tris, 4 kids with sports and school doesn't leave much time to train. I have been an active member of other forums for many years and joined BT this morning so I could list my bike for sale. I am also 6'4" and have a 60cm that I will list as soon as I can post in the Classifieds, it might be something of interest to you. It is a 2004 Quintana Roo Caliente. If you are interested in more details let me know, I plan to list it for $500. It's a beautiful bike in tremendous shape, always LBS maintained, sadly she just sits and looks at me, she needs to be out riding. She carried me through 4 IMs, 7 1/2 IMs and countless Olys, sprints, and duathlons. She has many more in her.

One more vote for beefing up the back wheel. My pickup got rear-ended in about 2004, and being from Idaho I know there's no point in repairing cosmetic damage. Best decision of my life was to take a big chunk of the insurance money and buy a bike. Big fat hybrid bike. My original goal was to bike a marathon, and it took training all summer to get there. By October, I did 26.2, followed by a 30. But, still being around 410 lbs, I found I was breaking spokes and couldn't stand having the bike in the shop for days at a time.

I'm still doing things on the cheap, but I've spent some bucks on two things - a triple-wall, extra-spoke back wheel, and a top-notch seat. The super-heavy back wheel keeps the bike out of the shop, and the seat keeps my non-tri exercise going smoothly. The day might come when I get a road bike, but I plan to wear this one out first.