Bike for 130kg Rider - £2500 ish

imafatman

I'm doing the London Brighton bike ride this year and have been riding longer and longer distances, this is highlighted the fact I need a new bike. My aging and badly fitting hard-tail just isn't up to these kind of distances.

Disc compatible Frame/Fork suitable for a 130KG rider
Enough clearance for 30 or 32mm fat wheels
I assume at this weight I will need some built wheels - perhaps 32 spoke hope cyclocross hub/rim combination for example?

Budget: £2500 ish

I test rode the Fairlight Strael and I loved it but apparently Fairlight had some concerns about a rider of my weight and their carbon fork. Swift Cycles are currently scratching their head to find options for me.

So looking for suggestions for a bike build. Looking for something which isn't too heavy (<10kg would be great) - Something which I can put a lot of miles on in relative comfort. Something which can still be a fast road bike. I definitely do NOT want a sit up and beg touring bike.

Thanks for your help.

cal_stewart

Full custom steel f&f's with 105 and maybe a 32/36 set of hand builds.

Moonbiker

How tall are you,i.e a giant or just fat?

With such a huge budget theres loads of nice options gravel 'all road' or cx bikes...

e.g shand stoater



Might be worth considering handbuilt wheels as some factory wheelsets have max rider weight limit.

imafatman

Cal_Stewart wrote:

Full custom steel f&f's with 105 and maybe a 32/36 set of hand builds.

Thanks for the suggestion mate. It's definitely an option but I feel like going through the time and expense when I'm losing weight will leave me with an expensive and heavy bike which I won't necessarily need by next year.

Moonbiker wrote:

How tall are you,i.e a giant or just fat?
Might be worth considering handbuilt wheels as some factory wheelsets have max rider weight limit.

I'm 190cm so more on the tall size though my belly thinks otherwise. Yes I've definitely got hand-built wheels on the list.
The only wheelset I've seen for 130kg is the HUNT "SuperDura" but it's not disc compatible.

Thanks for the suggestion on the Shand Stoater, looks like a great option.

bmxboy10

Cal_Stewart wrote:

Full custom steel f&f's with 105 and maybe a 32/36 set of hand builds.

Bit extreme for the L2B Plus if its custom it may be ready for the L2B 2018....

wolfsbane2k

That's a cracking budget.
I started at 130kg at 2m and got a 2015 (10spd mostly 105) btwin 540 roadie. Space for 32mm tyre as long as you don't want guards.

I also added a pannier, and carry about 6kg of stuff with me daily (laptop+ d lock), so well over the limit, but I've been riding 20miles daily and not had any problems (i expected to kill many BBs, and I'm on my second now). 1 truing, but i did hand tension the spokes before i got on the bike (it came with mavic askium ones).
Bearing in mind i have my tyres pumped to 100psi with 25mms on, I'm really impressed it's held up as long as it has.

So, if you can, have a look.
(Btwin do not have a weight limit on the frame or forks, but 120kg on the wheels but i got it in writing they would stand up to the 2 year warranty on the wheels even if mavic wouldn't).

imafatman

What do people think of Giant bikes? I just came across some suggestions online and Giant CX bikes have got a 136kg rider weight limit and a total bike limit with luggage of 150kg!

Giant TCX Advanced 2 for example is a full carbon frame with a 150kg total limit.

None of the other big brands seem to have anything listed over 105kg for a carbon frame. Too good to be true?

ajkerr73

imafatman wrote:

What do people think of Giant bikes? I just came across some suggestions online and Giant CX bikes have got a 136kg rider weight limit and a total bike limit with luggage of 150kg!

Giant TCX Advanced 2 for example is a full carbon frame with a 150kg total limit.

None of the other big brands seem to have anything listed over 105kg for a carbon frame. Too good to be true?

I've ridden Giant defy ally at 115kg with no problems (although stock wheels gave in after about 7000km) I understand the Giant defy rider limit is 127kg (I think).

With £2.5k in your back pocket I'd be all over that Shand Stoater above. Speak to the guys at Shand, they'll give you exactly what you need (including wheels that will suit your size also).

ryan_w-2

Moonbiker wrote:

How tall are you,i.e a giant or just fat?

With such a huge budget theres loads of nice options gravel 'all road' or cx bikes...

e.g shand stoater



Might be worth considering handbuilt wheels as some factory wheelsets have max rider weight limit.

This with the Ultegra upgrade and call them to push them on price to take the £105 excess off....

fenix

That extra 6 inches you have on me is almost my bodyweight ! :-)

I'd not be so worried about the frame - but the wheels I'd definitely go custom. I can't see wheels coming with bikes as being durable enough for you.

Are you going to lose weight too ? It'll make a hell of a difference to your cycling.

You'd also need to think about gearing - make sure you have low enough.

singleton

Maybe good to check out the hunt Race Aero SuperDura wheels.
They are built for up to 130Kg rider weight.

imafatman

Fenix wrote:

Are you going to lose weight too ? It'll make a hell of a difference to your cycling.

That's the plan, I went from 150->120kg in 2015 when I was commuting 25 miles each day. 2016 was a really bad year and I ballooned back up to 135.

I've been training in the gym this year and made some amazing progress but now the sun is out I'm dying to get back on the road and hammer some miles out, I just need a solid well fitting bike to do it.

Shand is my favourite so far but are quoting 14 weeks from ordering which means it's not going to be here before the London 2 Brighton and I really want to get something before then.

I took a walk down to the local Giant dealership here in London and looked at the Ali TCX SLR1 and the carbon TCX Advanced Pro 2. Basically identical in spec, just one with full carbon frame. Giant are quoting these both as 150kg bikes. (136kg rider+ 14kg luggage) - rated for cyclocross. Carbon one is about £400 more expensive.

Also these weights are quoted in the notoriously litigious U.S.A which makes me think they've properly tested these to that weight limit.

So I'm leaning towards Giant currently - I have a test ride booked later this week to try both out.

imafatman

Singleton wrote:

Maybe good to check out the hunt Race Aero SuperDura wheels.
They are built for up to 130Kg rider weight.

Yeah good shout mate but they don't do a disc specific option.

I got in contact with them and apparantly they have a 135kg disc specific wheelset coming out very soon. I will be watching and waiting

fenix

Do check what width tyres the Giant can cope with - I think you'll be OK though.

So stock bike and custom wheels. Sorted.

timothyw

I'm 120 something kilos and have a Giant TCR. I haven't broken it yet, although I've only done 1300 miles on it so might not be the best example. Still, I am within the quoted weight limit for it, and it has a lifetime frame warranty so I'm not worried. Giant is a good bet IMHO.

I had a Kinesis Crosslight, broke it, and ProBikeKit stuck me with store credit for the warranty. Don't get one of those, and don't buy anything big from them.

I had a Verenti, broke it, so far Wiggle have been good with the warranty although the replacement bike isn't with me yet as we're between model years.

I've had two second hand Treks, and a second hand Benotto. Broke all three and was left with nothing. Don't buy second hand.

Whatever you do get, sell the wheels while they are new and buy yourself some handbuilts from a competent builder - I suggest Archetype rims with 36 spokes at the rear, 32 or 28 at the front. If you want extra reassurance then get them built with DT Swiss Alpine 3 spokes - the weight penalty is small - otherwise DT Comp/Sapim Race is fine. If you want to splash the cash CX-ray spokes are meant to be strong but there is a hefty cost.

imafatman

Thanks Timothy that's a great to hear your experiences with the TCR and that you haven't managed to break it.....yet.

Will definitely plan for some built wheels from day 0. I have broken many a spoke and warped many factory rims in my time!

ProjectObject

You could try Merlin Cycles. They have a good choice and also have an on site wheel builder. I hear he has a very good reputation.

barongreenback

Not much advice but just wanted to say good luck with the weight loss. I started at 24 stone and I'm steady at 13 stone these days (6'4" so in proportion!). I started cycling at around 19 stone on a Specialized Secteur and I finally feel light enough to spoil myself to a carbon upgrade. Maybe that's the way to go? I've noticed the difference to my ability to get up hills just by losing pounds.

stueys

I'd have thought any of the cx bikes would have been fine at that weight. Which gives you a load of good options.

P.s. L2B is a fun ride but unless you start very, very early you'll be walking up every hill and your hard tail will be absolutely fine....I did it 2 years ago and was pedalling at 6am, the first hour was still chaotic until we had got ahead of most of the crowds. Definitely get a nice bike but its probably not gonna be essential for this ride.

imafatman

Stueys wrote:

I'd have thought any of the cx bikes would have been fine at that weight. Which gives you a load of good options.

P.s. L2B is a fun ride but unless you start very, very early you'll be walking up every hill and your hard tail will be absolutely fine....I did it 2 years ago and was pedalling at 6am, the first hour was still chaotic until we had got ahead of most of the crowds. Definitely get a nice bike but its probably not gonna be essential for this ride.

Yeah I'm gonna test some CX bikes, I just hope they aren't too aggressive for me. I have a strong feeling that the front end is gonna feel too low. Of course I can put a riser stem but then I'd rather get a bike with comfortable geometry from the start. Giant do some cheaper gravel bikes which are less aggressive which might do the job.

Thanks for the comment on the L2B - I am planning on a 6AM start to get ahead of the crowd. I'm a big chap but I'm not slow. My hard-tail is just a pain in the backside because it's badly fitting and after an hour I'm hurting in my hands, arms. I've put up with it for years because I use it to commute but I need something a little more comfortable for L2B.

imafatman

barongreenback wrote:

Not much advice but just wanted to say good luck with the weight loss.

Thanks feller. Cycling is a great way to do it! Beats sitting in the gym all day.

I'm wondering if I should save some cash now and buy something cheap and comfortable just to get me over the next few months and then treat myself with the right bike a bit later. Seeing as I can't seem to find something which ticks every box right now.

wolfsbane2k

imafatman wrote:

barongreenback wrote:

Not much advice but just wanted to say good luck with the weight loss.

Thanks feller. Cycling is a great way to do it! Beats sitting in the gym all day.

I'm wondering if I should save some cash now and buy something cheap and comfortable just to get me over the next few months and then treat myself with the right bike a bit later. Seeing as I can't seem to find something which ticks every box right now.

If you do "buy cheap now, then more suitable later", do take into account that barebones shimano kit has gone up circa 22% in the last 6 months...

singleton

imafatman wrote:

Yeah good shout mate but they don't do a disc specific option.

I got in contact with them and apparantly they have a 135kg disc specific wheelset coming out very soon. I will be watching and waiting

My bad - I didn't check whether they did this with a disc brake option.
I've got 2 sets of their wheels and I'm very pleased with them.

Worth checking out CAAD Optimo or even a CAAD 12.
The geometry of the 12 isn't too bad and it has more stack than my CAAD 10.

imafatman

Test drove the Giant bikes on the weekend. Compared a TCX and Anyroad - both alu frames. The Carbon TCX is only medium/large, and the Anyroad composite frame was not available in large.

Wasn't terrifically impressed by either of them, compared to the Strael I road which just immediately felt comfortable and nice to ride. Also the propriety seat post shape and clamp put me off with no option to swap for quick release or different post in the future.

So the search continues....

imafatman

So I stopped by my local Cycle Surgery to test drive a Genesis Croix de Fer which I had seen in the window. It was with Tiagra groupset and beefy looking tyres cross tyres.

Went out for a quick spin and immediately loved it. The position was just right which obviously helped but the frame just had a lovely ride quality to it. Started going through the gears and before I knew it I was flying along. With a little tail wind I nearly maxed out the gears on the bike! Went back and forth a few times really trying to hammer the power out and it felt surprisingly solid at the back with very decent power delivery.

The local park has some amazing rolling grass hills, with a few steep drops, I jumped out the pedals and hammered up the a few hills before bombing down the other sides. It was great fun.

The only downside is weight, it does feel pretty portly, but then again I'm carrying a lot of excess weight myself which when it starts dropping off will make the riding much easier anyway.

So I think I've pretty muched nailed the geometry.... The sensible choice is the CDF 30, around £1500. Then maybe spend a chunk on getting some new wheels built up. The not so sensible choice would be the CDF Titanium... which looks like the kind of bike I would have forever.

sloppyschleckonds

imafatman wrote:

So I stopped by my local Cycle Surgery to test drive a Genesis Croix de Fer

imafatman wrote:

Test drove the Giant bikes on the weekend.

Test ride.

imafatman

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

imafatman wrote:

Test drove the Giant bikes on the weekend.

Test ride.

Ohhh..... so that's why the people at car dealerships look at me funny when I ask for a test ride....

timothyw

imafatman wrote:

The not so sensible choice would be the CDF Titanium... which looks like the kind of bike I would have forever.

I have to warn you, that when you are the wrong side of 100kg as we are, it's very unlikely that you'll have any bike forever. Well, except perhaps something like this:
https://elephantbike.co.uk/

With that said, the Croix de Fer bikes are good choices - solid construction and lifetime frame warranty. 32 spoke wheels are about as good as you get on a stock wheelset too.

Also, Harrison Ford has one, so obviously they're awesome:
http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/blog/15/0 ... oix-de-fer

Assuming the bike shop you get it from has a competent wheel builder on the staff, you can request that they check the tension on the stock wheels before you pick it up - and once again after you've done a few miles on them. Assuming the tension is set correctly there's no reason that they shouldn't last a decent amount of mileage.

When you reach a point where the stock wheels start giving your problems (so realistically, this means that more than one spoke has broken - if one spoke on a wheel breaks, it is often just bad luck, once two or three have gone you know the rest will soon follow) you could then get the wheel rebuilt with strong DT Alpine 3 spokes, which should be good for a few thousand miles unless you are very unlucky (and hopefully you'll have lost a bit of weight by then).

There is the possibility that the rim might crack at the eyelets but in my experience this is much rarer than spoke failure. Hub failure, particularly in a 3 cross wheelset such as these is pretty much unheard of.

The safest bet would certainly be to get some handbuilts, say Archetype rims with 36 spoke rear and 32 spoke front, but given the limited resale value of bike wheels you might be just as well giving the stock wheels a go first.

cal_stewart

imafatman wrote:

Cal_Stewart wrote:

Full custom steel f&f's with 105 and maybe a 32/36 set of hand builds.

Thanks for the suggestion mate. It's definitely an option but I feel like going through the time and expense when I'm losing weight will leave me with an expensive and heavy bike which I won't necessarily need by next year

This won't be a much heavier than a cheap carbon bike of same spec. I'm 80-100kgs big range I know and won't use less than a 32/32 on a shallow rim.

mrb123

imafatman wrote:

So I stopped by my local Cycle Surgery to test drive a Genesis Croix de Fer which I had seen in the window. It was with Tiagra groupset and beefy looking tyres cross tyres.

Went out for a quick spin and immediately loved it. The position was just right which obviously helped but the frame just had a lovely ride quality to it. Started going through the gears and before I knew it I was flying along. With a little tail wind I nearly maxed out the gears on the bike! Went back and forth a few times really trying to hammer the power out and it felt surprisingly solid at the back with very decent power delivery.

The local park has some amazing rolling grass hills, with a few steep drops, I jumped out the pedals and hammered up the a few hills before bombing down the other sides. It was great fun.

The only downside is weight, it does feel pretty portly, but then again I'm carrying a lot of excess weight myself which when it starts dropping off will make the riding much easier anyway.

So I think I've pretty muched nailed the geometry.... The sensible choice is the CDF 30, around £1500. Then maybe spend a chunk on getting some new wheels built up. The not so sensible choice would be the CDF Titanium... which looks like the kind of bike I would have forever.

With your budget and requirements, why not consider a build?

CDF framesets are available online for under 300 quid. Another 700 for a full Ultegra hydro groupset. 400-450 for some handbuilt wheels from someone like Malcolm at the Cycle Clinic.

Then your choice of finishing kit. Deda is nice and good value. Some 35mm tyres, something like Hyper Voyagers. You get to choose bar width, stem length etc etc.

Your LBS will build it all up for you if you don't fancy doing it yourself. You'll end up with a bike that is unique to you and built to your requirements. Plus the spec will probably be better than the off the peg models.

Bob's your uncle!

imafatman

Thanks for all the replies chaps.

MrB123 wrote:

With your budget and requirements, why not consider a build?

Looks like my hand has been forced.... Genesis say the CDF30 is not due to land until end of May. So if I want to get on this bike sooner I'm gonna have to get something built up. So stock wheels aren't going to be a worry.

I've decided to stick with steel. A couple extra kilo's is nothing and I'll be losing more off the belly anyway.

TimothyW wrote:

The safest bet would certainly be to get some handbuilts, say Archetype rims with 36 spoke rear and 32 spoke front, but given the limited resale value of bike wheels you might be just as well giving the stock wheels a go first.

Thanks for the tip on the rims. I'll take a look at the archetypes think I've seen that name a few times in discussions with heavyweights!