best frame material for a heavy rider

25 replies · 3,215 views

vespasianus
26 posts
#21Jul 4, 2024, 7:05 AM
I am not a "big-big" guy but am still ~220lbs and 6'2". I have both gravel steel, aluminum and carbon bikes. If you are only going to ride the bike for a while to test out, I think aluminum is a great option. Can be cheap, light, strong and stiff - for a period of time. But will eventually give out. Aluminum will fatigue and that results in a limited lifespan.

Carbon is great but look for a more solid frame. All the carbon bikes I have used have had a bit more flex than I like - not terrible - but noticeable.

High end steel is magic. Not terribly light, stiff or cheap, but solid.

What ever bike you get, make sure it can take 700x 48 tires, at a bare minimum. Big guys need bike tires.

For wheels, I HIGHLY recommend Fulcrum racing red 3's. They are rock solid and can take abuse like nothing I have even observed in other wheels. I have ridden 10 miles out of the woods on flat tires with these and the rims are perfect. 1800 grams - which is not terrible given their strength and just easy to work on and ride. Cheap, light, strong and stiff.
1
stu
646 posts
#22Jul 4, 2024, 1:39 PMedited
I rode an aluminum frame maybe 2000 miles per year on bad pavement with 25 mm tires at 90 psi for more than 30 years. However I'm not that big (6'1", under 170 lbs) and the Cannondale ST-500 was super stiff and strong. The only visible problem was corrosion from all those years of sweat dripping on the riveted top tube cable guides. I believe that was Cannondale's first frame and it may have been overbuilt out of caution.

I decided to replace it because I was ready for wider tires and disc brakes. I chose titanium because it will last forever and it could be custom built to duplicate the geometry of the Cannondale which fit me so well. Nothing wrong with steel but titanium gives a better combination of weight/strength/stiffness and will not corrode. Carbon can't be beat for weight and stiffness but it's expensive to customize and easy to damage.

If I had an unlimited budget I'd choose beryllium...
1
vespasianus
26 posts
#23Jul 4, 2024, 2:37 PM
I rode an aluminum frame maybe 2000 miles per year on bad pavement with 25 mm tires at 90 psi for more than 30 years. However I'm not that big (6'1", under 170 lbs) and the Cannondale ST-500 was super stiff and strong. The only visible problem was corrosion from all those years of sweat dripping on the riveted top tube cable guides. I believe that was Cannondale's first frame and it may have been overbuilt out of caution.

I decided to replace it because I was ready for wider tires and disc brakes. I chose titanium because it will last forever and it could be custom built to duplicate the geometry of the Cannondale which fit me so well. Nothing wrong with steel but titanium gives a better combination of weight/strength/stiffness and will not corrode. Carbon can't be beat for weight and stiffness but it's expensive to customize and easy to damage.

If I had an unlimited budget I'd choose beryllium...
Not fan of titanium for heavier people. Not nearly as stiff as steel and not any lighter - unless you get the really expensive framesets, that are not well suited for big people.
1
stu
646 posts
#24Jul 4, 2024, 3:38 PM
Not fan of titanium for heavier people. Not nearly as stiff as steel and not any lighter - unless you get the really expensive framesets, that are not well suited for big people.
Stiffness depends on tube diameter and thickness as well as material. Steel, titanium, and aluminum have about the same stiffness/weight ratio so you will get about the same stiffness and weight with all three if the tubes have the same diameter but the lighter materials have thicker walls. However stiffness increases dramatically with diameter. With lighter materials the diameter can be increased but with steel a lightweight, large diameter tube will have such thin walls it can collapse. Think beer can.

The 44 mm down tube and 38 mm top tube make my Lynskey Backroad super stiff and suitable for any rider weight. Think Bridgeport mill. It's not that light but a steel bike with comparable strength and stiffness would weigh more.

Carbon has far greater strength and stiffness per weight than other common bike frame materials. However a carbon frame with custom geometry and high rider weight rating would likely cost a fortune.
1
Froze
16 posts
#25Aug 24, 2024, 4:14 PM
DO NOT buy a bike that is rated for 260# like that Surly, you are 260# which means the bike is borderline for you. You want a bike that that can handle at least 100 pounds more than you are, because that weight rating is for static weight, not weight bouncing on it that magnifies the weight pressure against the frame or wheels.

HOWEVER, most bikes weight handling ratings comes from the wheels, not the frame, so you need to check with the manufacture of whatever bike your considering if the weight rating is due to the wheels or is it because of the frame.

Wheels can always be made to handle more weight, but that does mean all new wheels to make that happen.

I only know of two companies that can make wheels for a heavy person, and that's Peter White Cycles, and ROL. I would call them. Word of warning, Peter White can be quite abrasive, he doesn't like people who come across like they know all about wheels and is going to tell him what to make, no, he will tell you what you need and you agree nicely! That sounds like a strange way to conduct business, but he is the foremost expert in building custom wheels for any situation, and he's been doing it for a long time. Simply call the guy, tell him how much you weigh, I would probably give him a weight a bit more like 280 or 300 pounds, and let him design the wheels. ROL wheels are not custom made like Peter White, but again you would have to contact ROL to see what they have for you.

I prefer stuff that is over engineered, because they will last a lifetime, borderline line built stuff won't.

Fulcrum racing red 3 are rated for a 264 1/2 pound person, which is pretty decent, still what I consider to be borderline for a 260 pound person though.

The Lynskey Backroads is indeed a great bike, however it is no longer being made, you would have to contact Lynskey to find out which frame would be best suited for you since they no longer post weight limits on their site. Personally, I not a fan of TI for heavier people either, I own a Lynskey, and it's a great bike, but I weigh about 100 pounds less than you. There is only 1 TI bike I know of that should be able to handle your weight, and that one is Mason Aspect, but it's very pricy, you can do as well or better with steel for half the price!

Here is a website that covers quite a few bikes that are designed to handle at least 300 pound riders, but these bikes will be heavy because they have to be! https://bikecrunch.com/bikes/road-bikes/best-road-bikes-for-heavy-riders/
Pipeliner
129 posts
#26Aug 24, 2024, 9:23 PM
I've ranged from 235 to 265 over the last 8 years or so. When it comes to drop bar bikes I've only ridden carbon. Road and gravel. I do spend a fair amount of time on flat bar bikes too but around 6000 miles of gravel riding on some pretty rough stuff occasionally. Trek, Norco, Cannondale and Niner. Never a problem with a frame.

Modern carbon frames are superior.
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