Touring bike setup for a heavy rider

hisoka

Hi all,
I know it is weird advice asking for here. But being a heavy rider (very heavy, looking at 20 stone but getting less) and looking towards touring properly. I did a short camping tour this summer, enjoyed it but my bike is a bit too heavy and not really designed for the long distances.
So I was looking for what advice people could give on a new bike? I know the advice to loose weight from me would be easiest to cut down on weight, but that is already happening and want to make it has nice to do as possible with a new bike to help.
Price range, well hoping to get it on employee cycle2work scheme perhaps, so can look maybe up to £1000 very max, but maybe more likely £500 as would need to get some new gear with it.

andymiller

£500 isn't a lot of money for a complete bike. I'm not sure you'd end up with anything very much lighter than what you already have.

You could see if you could get a nice steel frame and then build it up by canibalising the bike you already have (you might be able to wangle this on cycle2work).

Alternatively:

- what about a Kona Sutra? Looks like a pretty good deal to me, and you might find the disc brakes an advantage.

- or a Planet-X Kaffenback? (though you'd need to wait for a new consignment of frames)? £895 for the base option;

- or a Dawes Galaxy?

hisoka

I know it isn't the most money, I just have to be realistic with the funds.
The bike I have is rather heavy £150 "just get me moving" bike, so most anything would be an upgrade. Though I do have a fair few bits I've upgraded over time, so I could look at just getting a frame and a few bits, I hadn't thought about that.
Thanks for the advice, looking at the links to see too.

pneumatic

You might get a second hand Dawes Super Galaxy for that money (but probably not with cycle to work). Mine is a good load bearer (I am about three quarters of your weight). If not the Galaxy is a good option. They seem to be lighter than some other touring frames.

the most important thing for you will be the quality/strength of your back wheel. That is worth some investment.

hisoka

Thanks for the more advice, back wheel strength. Well do you have any advice on that at all please?
I've been stung by one of my LBS before (long story, had to spend alot more then I should have), so I am double checking everything at the moment with people here. I don't think anyone has anything to gain by lying on here hehe.

pneumatic

Don't know a lot about wheels, but if you look up the spec on off-the-peg tourers (Cannondale, Dawes Super Galaxy, Thorn, Kona) and note what kinds of rims they are using, you'll get a good idea. Alternatively, pop a question about wheels onto the Road Gear and Know How thread on here and see what comes back.

That said, I snapped a spoke last week on the Super Galaxy, but it was the first one to go in 5 years and 10,000 km of touring, so that's not too bad.

hisoka

Thanks, will pop the question over now.

vernonlevy

hisoka wrote:

Hi all,
I know it is weird advice asking for here. But being a heavy rider (very heavy, looking at 20 stone but getting less) and looking towards touring properly. I did a short camping tour this summer, enjoyed it but my bike is a bit too heavy and not really designed for the long distances.
So I was looking for what advice people could give on a new bike? I know the advice to loose weight from me would be easiest to cut down on weight, but that is already happening and want to make it has nice to do as possible with a new bike to help.
Price range, well hoping to get it on employee cycle2work scheme perhaps, so can look maybe up to £1000 very max, but maybe more likely £500 as would need to get some new gear with it.

I am heavier than you and peaked at around 23.5 - 24 stones when I started touring. Still pie eating with a vengeance and still topping the scales at 22 stones. I use a Dawes Galaxy for full load cycle camping and have been happy with it. I do give wheels a hard time and I've settled for Mavic 719 rims on Deore hubs - 36 holes of course. I have had folk suggest tandem wheels as they have around 40 spokes. I've pulled spokes through the rims and this has been the failure mode that I've encountered with two rear wheels that I've replaced in the past five years.

I do around 3000 mile sof cycling per year and rim failure is something that I out up with as I do give them a hard time with some of the off roading that i do with my Galaxy.

hisoka

Great information there. Dawes does seem very well suggest with the galaxy frame. I will have to take a look at this, been told a couple of places to check so will be doing soon. Thank you again