another newbie

[gary in derby]

ok, here goes.

firstly would like to say hello(did this on the welcome mat) but hey, manners cost nothing. little about me, im 48yo, overweight and unfit. however have lost 4 stone so far and intend to lose a lot more. at the advice of my lbs i purchased a Giant mtb. though im having fun im not an offroad kind of chap. so was wondering if anyone could give me an idea of weight limits to a road bike as have every intention in doing the london 2 brighton ride next year. on a lighter note what is the idea of vasaline/ chamios cream? i thought it was the saddle that made cyclists walk funny.

Regards Gary

 

[cyberknight]

Welcome gary from sunny Swadlincote, most road bikes can take a lot more weight than you think , i am sure our famous shrinking cyclist will be along shortly .

This is his blog about his weight loss..

http://theamazing39stonecyclist.wordpress.com/about/

Vaseline /cream is used by soem people to stop chaffing on the nether regions , i do not use it myself as i find padded shorts enough.

 

[gary in derby]

Phew, thanks cyberKnight, thought there might be some sort of initiation, have seen the guy on another site, was my inspiration to get started.

 

[Tyres23]

No road bikes are very strong granted I waited to buy my carbon but I'm now 10 stone less and still shrinking but I'm sure gaz will help you more than me basically find some thing that suits you and yes push but always remember to enjoy the ride as well don't sickening your self

 

[cyberknight]

Phew, thanks cyberKnight, thought there might be some sort of initiation,

Not till you know the secret hand shake .......

 

[Nebulous]

Hi Gary - welcome.

How much weight are you talking about - if you don't mind me asking?

Different makes of bikes have different weight limits. Some don't quote any. There is an article in the current cycling plus magazine about ex-England rugby players and their bikes, which discusses this. One of the biggest issues seems to be wheels. Don't buy lightweight low spoke count wheels.

I lost 5 stone in 14 months (18 stone 2 -> 13 stone) - and found my way to cycling as part of that. The bike and fitness has become much more important than my weight now to be honest. I'm just slightly older than you - and found it a good time to take stock - with the big 50 looming!

I would recommend a road bike. I've always had an attraction to speed, and really enjoy belting along under my own power. I've had an mtb for years, and still use it for my 2 mile commute, but it's chalk and cheese compared to a road bike.

 

[gary in derby]

Thanks Tyres, will be taking it steady.

 

[gary in derby]

Thanks, Nebulous, still got a way to go for 18 stone, well 5 more and i will be there. but determined. looking forward to getting the milage up.

or by the way Cyberknight as long as i dont have to roll my left trouser leg up.

 

[smokeysmoo]

Hi G and welcome. I'm a big guy, (6' 5" and rugby player type build ) yet I've never had an issue with any road bike so far. I do tend to email manufacturers before I buy one, and so far can confirm that Trek, Focus and Cannondale have no weight limits on their framesets.

Components, in particular wheels for example are obviously another matter, but even so I've only ever manged to snap one spoke, (touches wood). Stick to either high spoke count wheels, or very well built wheels, I'm currently using Mavic Ksyrium SL, the spoke count is lower than I'd normally go for, but they are extremely well made, and came with a 2 year crash replacement policy, and look freakin' awesome

So take the plunge, the speed will amaze you, and the distances you can cover compared to an MTB are phenomenal, IME.

FWIW, I've had carbon, alu and steel frames and never had any weight related issues with any material. So fill your boots, the choice is yours. My frame material of choice is well documented, and as you browse the site you'll probably discover what it is, but there is no substitute for testing them for yourself, what suits one will not necessarily suit another

 

[cyberknight]

haha !

roll trouser leg up? wait till you have to explain to the other half that wearing lycra is necessary , i am a MAMIL ( middle aged man in lycra ) and proud although i have not got to shaving my legs yet .

 

[gary in derby]

shaving legs? hate shaving my face, let alone legs, lol.

thanks smokeysmoo, will be down the lbs after xmas.

 

[Izakbar]

Welcome Gary !

I have only been here a day myself. Seems pretty good tbh.. spent the day reading a load of posts.
Read the 39st cyclist blog previously after a lad cycling up a hill next to me recommend it!

I lost 5.5st since Jan1 and have got a long way to go still (sat at about 20st now) - I too wonder about how much weight I should lose to get a roadie - so I'll watch this thread intently I have been thinking of cyclocross for next bike (Currently using Spesh MTB). I worry about getting a nice road bike with carbon forks and having a catastrophic fork failure at 40mph+

I currently do ~100 miles a week on the road with my MTB, so you don't _need_ a roadie to do road...

Never tried creams.. most of the time been fine without. When not so fine I have used a bit of moisturiser. YMMV ofc.
Padded pants deffo the future I got some fat-bastard size stuff from the USA (google Aerotech designs) been very happy with them (getting a little slack now though, ready for winter refresh )

Keep up the good work!

 

[Izakbar]

i have not got to shaving my legs yet .

I have not shaved legs.. however I regularly have back/sack/crack sorted... The first time - that was the worst. Second time was pretty bad too.. good after though.

 

[gary in derby]

Ouch hair grows in places for a reason. Lol think I will leave it where it is.

 

[Andrew_P]

I was quite surprised that Specialized had a limit of 125kg (19.5st), and some wheel sets 90 odd kg!

My best advice would be maybe find the bike you like and email the company to get the weight limit before buying it.

Well done on the weight loss and now you need to make sure you keep the miles up during the winter!