Weight Considerations: Road Vs. Mountain

Simon Brooke wrote:

I can't imagine 'needing' 28s, at least not for riding on tarmac. They're
huge, and will have a horrible effect on handling. 23 is enough for
anyone.

Huge? I think we are comparing skinny and super skinny. Most 28s do not
even measure 28... more like 25 (a mere inch of width).

And how do they have a horrible effect on handling? I haven't noticed
that the motorcycle riders with fat tires complain about the
handling... as they scrape their knee on the ground through the turns.
The wider contact patch will improve traction in turns... and if there
is any roughness I'd certainly feel more secure on the wider tire. They
also have lower rolling resistance... plus they protect the rim better
when hitting potholes. The only down side is a few extra grams of
weight and slightly greater aero resistance. For a heavy rider who is
just starting I see no point in going narrower than 28s.

As for the OP's original question, I think a normal road bike in the
$500-$800 range would be fine...23-25 lbs. They do not emphasize light
weight so much, so the parts tend to be pretty durable. Make sure you
get a proper fit... and like others have mentioned, get sturdy wheels
and 28mm (at least) tires.

In my experience the cheap wheels which have 32-36 spokes are not
tensioned properly from the factory. The back wheel especially is
undertensioned, which eventually leads to spokes breaking on the left
(non-drive) side. Once you get them tensioned properly, they are fine
though. So I'd advise having someone "tune" the wheels right away, if
you don't feel able to do it yourself.

Ron Ruff wrote:
: Simon Brooke wrote:
:
: I can't imagine 'needing' 28s, at least not for riding on tarmac.
: They're huge, and will have a horrible effect on handling. 23 is
: enough for anyone.
:
: Huge? I think we are comparing skinny and super skinny. Most 28s do
: not even measure 28... more like 25 (a mere inch of width).

I have some 26s I got from Performancebike. Are they more like 23s? (no).

:
: And how do they have a horrible effect on handling? I haven't noticed
: that the motorcycle riders with fat tires complain about the
: handling... as they scrape their knee on the ground through the
: turns. The wider contact patch will improve traction in turns... and
: if there
: is any roughness I'd certainly feel more secure on the wider tire.
: They also have lower rolling resistance... plus they protect the rim
: better when hitting potholes. The only down side is a few extra
: grams of
: weight and slightly greater aero resistance. For a heavy rider who is
: just starting I see no point in going narrower than 28s.
:
: As for the OP's original question, I think a normal road bike in the
: $500-$800 range would be fine...23-25 lbs. They do not emphasize
: light weight so much, so the parts tend to be pretty durable. Make
: sure you
: get a proper fit... and like others have mentioned, get sturdy wheels
: and 28mm (at least) tires.
:
: In my experience the cheap wheels which have 32-36 spokes are not
: tensioned properly from the factory. The back wheel especially is
: undertensioned, which eventually leads to spokes breaking on the left
: (non-drive) side. Once you get them tensioned properly, they are fine
: though. So I'd advise having someone "tune" the wheels right away, if
: you don't feel able to do it yourself.

wrote:
Can I get opinions on what the maximum weight is a person should be
before road bikes become a bad idea?

Since mountain bikes are better suited for carry heavier loads, I was
trying to get an idea of how heavy is too heavy when it comes to Road
bikes? Is 240lbs too heavy?

This concerns street riding and nothing extreme.

Thanks a lot.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

I just built some wheels for a rider of a road bike that weighed 360
pounds. If the bike is proper, your weight is not a concern.

Qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:
a road bike that weighed 360
pounds.

And y'all are complaining about how heavy walmart bikes are. Brings new
meaning to the phrase "rock 'n' roll"!

Simon Brooke wrote:
in message .com,
rdclark ') wrote:

I would still recommend buying a bike with sufficient tire clearance
for 28's. To need it and discover you don't have it would be
unpleasant.


I can't imagine 'needing' 28s, at least not for riding on tarmac. They're
huge, and will have a horrible effect on handling. 23 is enough for
anyone.

Skinny tires will have slightly less rolling resistance because of their
higher inflation pressure. They also have a bit less aero drag at high
speeds. Both of these effects are quite small.

I find the handling of wider tires to be slightly better because with
lower pressure they tend to hop less over road imperfections and stay in
contact better in turns (is there any other "handling" issue other than
hard cornering?).

Wider tires protect rims from road hazards -- particularly potholes.
This may be a big deal, particularly if you ride a lot in the rain
and/or dark.

The difference between 23mm and 28mm tires is not very noticeable, I
frequently switch between those sizes.

On 8 Oct 2005 06:33:47 -0700, "Qui si parla Campagnolo"
wrote:

I just built some wheels for a rider of a road bike that weighed 360
pounds. If the bike is proper, your weight is not a concern.

What did you use for the wheels? 36, 40, 48? Which rim?

Jasper

Qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:


I just built some wheels for a rider of a road bike that weighed 360
pounds. If the bike is proper, your weight is not a concern.


Bicycling Mag did an article on riders who are roughly 400 lbs (IIRC).
I've seen riders on trails near here who must be there or close.

Paul Cassel wrote in news:nbidnSQ6KYpxy9XeRVn-
:

Qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:


I just built some wheels for a rider of a road bike that weighed 360
pounds. If the bike is proper, your weight is not a concern.


Bicycling Mag did an article on riders who are roughly 400 lbs (IIRC).
I've seen riders on trails near here who must be there or close.


I started riding my road bike after I hit 295lbs. I wasn't that big for
long. Year and a half later, and I'm down to 220.

And I ride a Reynolds 531 steel frame with 36 spokes in the rear/32 in the
front.

"Ken Pisichko" wrote in message
...
Peter B wrote:

Nah, nah, nah nah..

Is this helpful or is it blatant one-upmanship?

Elaborate if you feel it is necessary, otherwise just be silent and let
others
give advice that the OP can use ;-)

Sorry Ma'am.

Jasper Janssen wrote:
On 8 Oct 2005 06:33:47 -0700, "Qui si parla Campagnolo"
wrote:

I just built some wheels for a rider of a road bike that weighed 360
pounds. If the bike is proper, your weight is not a concern.

What did you use for the wheels? 36, 40, 48? Which rim?

Jasper

Velocity Dyad, 40/4cross rear, 36/3cross front, XT tandem hubset,
spaced to 135mm.