Buying a new bike - need advice!

[Jonathan]

After puncturing 8 miles after serious repairs on my old road bike, I have decided that enough is enough and I need a tougher machine.

I have spent alot of the last weekend looking over different bikes on the net and have really drawn a blank as to what to get.

I need a bike that is:

Strong - this is the main stipulation. It must be super tough and capable of carrying 120kg of me (and probably more as I gain weight).

Around £400 in price. £450 is my max really, but I want to avoid cheap bikes.

Ideal for commuting. Ideally it should have mudguards, 700 x 25-32c tyres, and a triple chainset.

I would love to find something with Campagnolo, but Shimano is OK too.

Huge. I am 6ft 8" and I need at least a 62cm (though ideally 64cm) frame. This has been the main problem. Most manufacturers stop at 58-60cm so I think that this will be the toughest bit.

Drop handlebars are preferable to straight.

I don't want any form of suspension.


So please, if anyone has any ideas or leads - HELP!

Jonathan

[bob_summers]

6'8"?! you want a gate with wheels!

joking aside - i don't know anything specifically up for the job, the only thing that comes to mind is a dawes galaxy, which i think goes up to 64cm. but that's a couple of hundred over budget.

ebay - i've seen a few 62cm+ bikes/frames on there recently. i'd imagine larger frames don't fetch as much, so you might have enough change to fit a triple?

there is a forum for 200lb+ riders here. seems quite busy, you might be able to pick some brains.

finally, re. campag - i think a lot of their stuff is rated up to a max. rider weight of 80kg. there's probably a lot of arse-covering going on there, but it might be useful to know that if you intend buying new/warranted stuff.

[bob_summers]

haha like this

Each weld is hidden by a very unique design as shown in the photos

amazing

[the crazyest vegan]

doesnt look too bad for £70

[Dave Noisy]

Sorry man, i'm only use for people half your size. =)

Can i suggest two bicycles instead? =P

[Jonathan]

Thanks for the suggestions!

In the end I bought this one:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... otohosting

I got it for £325. I think that this might have been a litttle over the odds, but it is so hard to get really big frames. The only other option is the £600 Dawes Galaxy!

It is quite basic in some respects - only 3x7 speed Sora groupset, but it has some nice upgrades like a carbon seat pin and a Flite Titanium saddle.

I'm excited about getting it

Jonathan

[fredrikw]

congratulations, that's a quite advanced commuter I must say

what happened to your NRS?

[Rochellita]

Coincidentally one of my colleagues has an Orbea, and is very happy with it, says it was a great buy. I have you enjoy it

[Dave Noisy]

Congrats! Should move you around pretty quickly. =)

[the crazyest vegan]

you think thats an advanced commuter?? i use this

http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=71106

i only paid £480 for it tho =P it was the last one in my LBS and was discounted, a great bike, i'm using it as a commuter and racer untill i get a better bike for racing, but that could be some way off yet =(

[fredrikw]

you think thats an advanced commuter??

well, first off, you're a cyclist and as such we don't count

as a non bike nerd, getting a triathlon specific bike for commuting is pretty advanced, wouldn't you say?

anyhow, the most important is the enjoyment of riding your bike, no matter what you're sitting on.

[Jonathan]

Looking at it I couldn't actually see what was specific for triathalon. Maybe my untrained eye has not spotted the difference.

Fredrik - the NRS had to be sold because:

a) It was a waste on me

b) I kept getting snapped spokes

c) It wasn't very fast


It was after all a silly impulse buy!

Jonathan

[fredrikw]

Looking at it I couldn't actually see what was specific for triathalon. Maybe my untrained eye has not spotted the difference.

well, me neither to be frank a typical triathlon bike should look pretty much like a TT bike, since that's what most triathlons is about.

Fredrik - the NRS had to be sold because:

a) It was a waste on me

nah, wouldn't say so, but if you never took it out on realt trails it was perhaps a bit over the top to get a genuine XC race machine.

b) I kept getting snapped spokes

that's weird, and have nothing to do with the bike itself. I guess it was badly built wheels. you should make sure the wheels are in good condition on your new one, best is to visit a good wheel builder and have him/her check spoke tenstion and truing.

c) It wasn't very fast

he he, are you sure it was the bike that was to blame?

It was after all a silly impulse buy!

we've all done that

[Jonathan]

Spokes snapping does seem to be a reoccuring theme with me at the moment - all three of the most recent bikes I have ridden have had snapped spokes.

When I say it wasn't fast, I mean primarily on road. Of course off road it was quicker than anything I have ever ridden, but even the quickest mountain bikes dawdle on the tarmac!

Jonathan

[fredrikw]

Spokes snapping does seem to be a reoccuring theme with me at the moment - all three of the most recent bikes I have ridden have had snapped spokes.

being a heavy rider you generally need properly built and maintained wheels, something that's not too common nowadays.

When I say it wasn't fast, I mean primarily on road. Of course off road it was quicker than anything I have ever ridden, but even the quickest mountain bikes dawdle on the tarmac!

it's not about the bike.