heavy guy needs a bike to commute, please help me choose and give me some advices and explanations

cruiserupce

Hello I have around 20 stones.

I would like to cycle to my work which is 1.5 miles twice a day.

There is one quite big hill which we should consider.

I do not want to waste too much money but i want reliable bike, as my experience from childhood i always crashed the rear wheel.


I am looking at:
https://www.cycleking.co.uk/traveller-7 ... -grey.html

or
http://www.onyerbike.co.uk/bikes/python ... ybrid_bike

or even
https://www.cycleking.co.uk/coyote-fatm ... brake.html


I like the fatman it looks that it could handle me, but i am afraid if i would handle the hill with that and if i would be able to buy mudguards.

I read this page about weight limits: http://www.lifeinthebuslane.com/road-wh ... ht-limits/

and I am thinking about this suggestion: "forget small flange hubs, no matter how many spokes there are, as soon as you get on the big ring you’ll destroy that rear wheel" -> but i am not sure why, what is the physics which should cause that.

fenix

Can you not save your cash and walk to work. Its a 30 min walk. No need for special clothes or anything. Also better exercise if you want to lose weight.

And sweet baby jesus - "Introducing the Coyote Fatman fat bike, weighing in a svelte 22kg"

I don't fancy any of those bikes.

The Rookie

None of the above as Monty Brewster would say.

You have a big hill and want to lug the weight of that Fatman up it? As an indication my Hybrid weighs less than half that weight!

Either walk as suggested (less than 30 minutes) or go an get a reasonable condition mountain bike or hybrid used, something like a Carrera Subway would be ideal, lighter and better quality than anything you've linked to and should set you back about £150.

Pufftmw

Save up & get an eBike

I'm using mine to pull 20kg trailer & load and its no problem uphill

bonzo_banana

I have some experience with this matter when I took up commuting by bike at 26 stone a few years ago. Much to the protests of people on a few forums I bought a rather heavy steel cheap mountain bike for the grand sum of about £65 new. No suspension just a big thick steel frame and Shimano's entry level mountain bike groupset - Tourney. Wheels that the factory was ashamed to put its name to and just about the only thing on the bike that was made of aluminium, well the rims at least anyway. The bike I bought proudly stated 'MEGA OVERSIZE' on the tubing. It was basic and it worked. Things I learned pretty quickly was to avoid absolutely everything from pot holes, drains and even the double yellow lines if they'd painted them on too thick. Any bumps in the road surface would make the rear wheel go out of true and I'd have to get the spoke key out to sort. I also replaced some bearings fairly quickly, the front wheel bearings broke up fairly quickly.

I rode that bike for maybe a couple thousand miles before I was light enough to get something better.

I personally don't see any issue with riding at 20 stone but I certainly wouldn't be using 700cc wheels I'd be using a basic steel mountain bike without suspension and nice chunky 26" wheels until I got down to a more reasonable weight. To me 20 stone is reasonable when I'd got down to about 21/22 stone the bike was much more reliable and there were no issues. Mountain bikes are all about rough ground and taking a few knocks so are stronger bikes which also makes them ideal for commuting bikes for heavy riders you just don't need suspension. I'd definitely not recommend an aluminium frame especially on a cheaper bike. Anyone can weld steel well but aluminium is harder to get right and the material when it fails is catastrophic where as steel gives you some warning.

One company that is great at helping you transform a cheap or basic bike into a more reliable bike is Weldtite. They do replacement bearings and solid axles that can transform a cheap bike's reliability and improve its strength.

http://index.weldtite.co.uk/our-brands/bike-bits/all

The bike I used is very similar to this one. It's just a very basic overly strong bike.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/Bikes/177831/ ... 21&_sop=15

Another is this;

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-30 ... 84495.html


It's my recommendation but as soon as you are a bit lighter maybe 15-16 stone I'd move over to a decent hybrid like the Carrera subway and if you get down to about 14 or so perhaps a faster road bike.

If you would prefer to go to your local bike shop and get them to do setting up and maintenance then perhaps take their advice but I would definitely avoid an aluminium frame unless its a ultra strong aluminium frame like on the old Kona Hoss mountain bike.

The Rookie

The Subway is predominantly MTB parts and would probably survive a nuclear event, they are tough, hence why recomended, I can't see 20 stone causing them much of an issue.

bonzo_banana

You could also consider one of these. 23kg of awesomeness.

https://elephantbike.co.uk/elephant-bike.html/

You could probably take your whole family on it and write off a Hummer in a head on collision. Collectable too only 5,000 being made and it benefits people in Africa and helps reform uk criminals or at least helps them maintain the bikes the steal.

wolfsbane2k

I'm in that weight range, originally got a triban 500se which died in 6 months doing 10 miles a day, 200m climbing . Many wheel truing needed, Bottom brackets died etc .
Now on a triban 540, little change in my weight, a year in, now trueing my own wheels, which don't need to be done quite as much, but still eating bbs and now the hubs could do with being replaced, as beginning to snag.

benws1

I wasn't the OP's weight, but in June last year I was around 17 3/4 stone (I'm 6ft 4in tall). After a lot of riding I'm now down to just below 16 stone. Cycling does indeed work for weight loss.

My choice of bike to get me started was a heavy Raleigh Misceo 1.0 hybrid. This is an aluminium bike, but is heavy and thickly built. I have had issues with the rear wheel hubs, but that's only been the main problem.

As others above have said, look at steel MTV's, but dont discount heavy hybrids.

My hybrid has been great for weight loss. Thick tyres and a heavy bike mean more effort and more calories burned.

wolfsbane2k

PS - when you do decide to get a bike, make specific mention of your weight when you ask for advice on what to buy. Your probably over the official weight limit for many wheels, so the shop selling you something that's not "fit for purpose" is an important thing to have in your back pocket when you keep killing hubs, BB's etc and they argue over warranty.

mr_eddy

IMO the biggest concern with weight is the wheels (as some have mentioned) so the frame / bike type does not really matter at this stage. Focus on bikes that have high spoke count wheels with decent hubs. I would even consider a road bike like the Triban 500SE from D'thlon at £300 then spend a few hundred quid on some decent hand made 36h (36 spoke) wheels with sealed hubs, Stick on some 28c Gatorskin Tyres (the Triban can take 28c) and you are good to go.

The wheel size (700c / 26" etc) is not really an issue its the spoke count and the quality of the rims / hubs etc. As an extreme example AX lightness sell some 700c race wheels that weight just 1kg for the set but still have a rider limit of 100KG - An extreme example given the cost but the point remains - Its the quality of the wheel components that make it strong not the size. As a general rule sealed hubs on double wall alu rims with 36h wheels will take 150kg + all day long.

I would not worry about Alu frames - They are designed to take a LOT of punishment so its not going to break any time soon - Note my 500SE was loaded up for a big tour last year and I had probably in excess of 50kg of stuff on mine as well as my 14st self all on the standard wheels and it was fine.

Anyway re weight loss once you start pushing on the bike (any bike) you will see it drop off pretty quick.

mr_eddy

Worth also mentioning my suggestion of a road bike may seem overkill for 1.5 miles but I am guessing once the weight loss starts coming off you will want to go even further and ride more - At that point you will be glad you have a road bike

ENJOY

fenix

OP hasnt been back since his first post..

benws1

cruiserupce wrote:

Hello I have around 20 stones.

Bugger. We never told him he need panniers to carry the rocks.

esox_ace

Just in reply to the concerns with weight and wheels it maybe just luck but i have never had any problems with popping spokes or bearing troubles and i'm 18 stone + and have been for several years now. The current bike i ride a Kona Jake with the stock wheels (32 hole) 18 miles a day for over 2 years now has never had any problems, nor my giant mtb same 32hole stock wheels which is probably 8 years old now.

I wonder if i'll ever lose weight cycling that was the idea, trouble is i'm a greedy sod!

imatfaal

esox_ace wrote:

Just in reply to the concerns with weight and wheels it maybe just luck but i have never had any problems with popping spokes or bearing troubles and i'm 18 stone + and have been for several years now. The current bike i ride a Kona Jake with the stock wheels (32 hole) 18 miles a day for over 2 years now has never had any problems, nor my giant mtb same 32hole stock wheels which is probably 8 years old now.

I wonder if i'll ever lose weight cycling that was the idea, trouble is i'm a greedy sod!

There is lots of advice (some good some bad some very very ugly) about weight loss in the Silly Commuting Weight Loss thread.

I was over 17 stone and now tip the balance at about 12 and a half so I know the drill. The thing that kicked off my weight loss was religiously keeping a food and drink diary. I found that I could cut out a serious portion of my energy intake with pretty little effort. Actually measuring portion size and realizing that just because something is healthy does not mean it is energy free is vital (muesli was breakfast / evening snack for me 7 days a week - but I hadnt understood how f-ing tiny a recommended portion actually was ; I was easily eating 4 or 5 portions twice a day and thinking it was a healthy breakfast/snack)