Bicycles and Big Riders: A Guide to Bike Shopping for Heavy Folks

I recently came across an article on Outside Magazine's web on bike shopping as a plus-size rider. I was discussing it online with friends, as you do, and realized that if I'm qualified to have an opinion on anything, cycling as a heavy rider is probably it.

See, I worked as a mechanic in bike shops either full or part time for nearly 20 years before I wore my hands out and had to give it up, so I know about bikes, and I ride regularly for commuting, camping and recreation. But also, I'm a big boy. While I'm fairly active, my build is probably more suited to a defensive lineup than a peleton, and I run about 6'3" and 300 lbs.

They call me "The Mountain That Bikes"

So I have a pretty good idea of what works and doesn't for a larger-than-average rider, and thought I'd share some of what I think is and isn't important. I'll also tell you about what I ride, myself.

Spoiler: It's a bicycle

While the bicycle world, particularly bicycle marketing, can get wrapped up in cramming as many gears as possible into the rear cassette, new bottom bracket standards, and shaving grams, our priority as heavier riders (aka "Clydesdales and Athenas" in racing terms, that being men over 220lbs and women over 165), are a bit different. I mean, maybe we still want to go fast or shred some trails, but we'd like to not break stuff too often along the way. You might have also found that the bike shop employees, who are often (but not always, to use myself as an example) are thin and stereotypically athletic individuals, may not quite know what to do with you.

So here's a short breakdown of what I think matters.

Wheels

Wheels are probably the most important thing to big riders, and will make the most difference. First off, if you're going to be riding on pavement, look for a bike that will fit at least 32mm wide tires, off road consider 2.5-3" wide tires (fat bikes are great, but can present extra challenges for heavier riders, including longer axles making them more vulnerable to damage, and the bigger tires suffering even more drag with your additional weight than they would for a light rider).

Rims should be double-wall (box shaped cross section instead of just u-shaped) and have at least 32 spokes. Aluminum rims hold up better than the steel ones found on old bikes, and offer better braking, so if you're setting up a vintage road bike, plan to upgrade the wheels if you can.

Brakes

Speaking of rims and brakes, disc brakes offer really good stopping power for the heavy rider. Hydraulic disc brakes work really well, but maintenance can be fiddly, so for a casual rider (or touring/commuter oriented cyclist like me, who likes field reparability) decent mechanical disc brakes work well, and often better than the cheap hydraulics on some stock builds.

If your budget only extends to a vintage bike, consider upgrading to newer brakes if you can. The caliper brakes on old ten-speeds and vintage road bikes don't stop as well as newer dual-pivot calipers, new levers and brakes can transform a cheap old bike into a great commuting machine. Older mountain bikes often have cantilever brakes, which can stop really well if they're set up perfectly, but linear-pull "v-brakes" are easier to get more performance from (you'll also have to change out the levers to match the cable pull, or add an adapter to go from center pull cantilevers to linear pull v-brakes)

Suspension

Unless you're spending over $1500 on a serious off-road bike, avoid it, inexpensive suspension forks don't handle heavy riders well. And bikes with rear shocks tend to suck until you get past the $2000 price point.

Other parts

You probably don't need the lightest and most cutting-edge drivetrain, in fact "cutting edge" and "finicky" are usually synonyms. That being said, as long as they shifters and derailleurs work, they're fine whatever they are. You may want to make sure you have low enough gears for climbing. Two-piece cranks seem to hold up better than the old-fashioned square taper design, and I've never had any luck with older cottered cranks. Pedals are going to wear out, don't stress over which ones you get, just assume you're going to have to buy new ones periodically.

Saddles

Squishier is not better. As a heavier rider, you'll probably sink through the cushioning like it's an old mattress, and as your sit bones push down, the rest of that displaced padding will push up into your softer bits. Think more "support" than "cushion" when you're shopping for a bike seat. Sometimes wider saddles, combined with meatier thighs, lead to extra chafing and ergonomic issues. Don't let some sales guy convince you to ride on something that looks like a tractor seat just because you're big, try some sportier stuff. A good rule of thumb is the more leaned over you are, the thinner the seat, so on an upright bike, a broader and more supportive platform works, but as you get into a "sportier" position, your ideal seat will get slimmer, EVEN IF you're a big rider (and most people are more comfortable riding leaned at least a bit forward, sitting bolt-upright puts your weight right on your tailbone and spine and can be less comfortable than being slightly "slouched" forward).

Jerome K. Jerome offered this advice on bicycle seats about 100 years ago "There may be a better land where bicycle saddles are made out of rainbow, stuffed with cloud; in this world the simplest thing is to get used to something hard."

Frames

Steel, aluminum, carbon, titanium, there are good frames made out of any of these. Cheap titanium (which isn't actually all that cheap) is going to be really flexy for a big rider, sometimes to the point where, if you stand up to crank up a hill, it'll bend enough that your tires rub on the frame. Cheap carbon is rare and should be looked at with suspicion. Steel frames can be great, cheap ones can be a little flexy but mid-to-higher end steel frames work great. Same with aluminum, while in theory, it has a shorter fatigue life than steel, in real world conditions a well-made aluminum alloy frame will last you for decades. Bikes designed for touring work well, as they're meant not only to be strong enough for extra weight, but to handle reliably under a heavier load. The only disadvantage is they tend to favor stability over maneuverability, which can be a drawback if you're looking for a quick and agile ride.

Handlebars

Depends on the type of riding you want to do. For city and casual riding, swept back bars are fantastic, and even work well for light trail and touring use. Straight-ish bars are best for trails, as they give lots of control, but aren't especially comfortable or ergonomic. "Rams horn" road handlebars offer good ergonomics and the ability to change hand positions, which is really helpful on longer rides, the trick is to set them a lot higher than you see on racing bikes (level with your seat or higher, usually). Wider bars give more leverage and control, in general, so tend to work better for us big folk

So what am I riding? Well, the frame for the bike pictured up top is by Surly bikes, a Minnesota-based brand that manufactures frames in Taiwan. The model is called the Disc Trucker, which is based on their Long Haul Trucker touring bike, but with the addition of disc brakes. The wheels are Velocity "Cliffhanger" rims, which are designed for on and off road touring, laced up 32-spokes-each to Shimano XT hubs (the front one having a dynamo to power the lights, which has nothing to do with durability, but makes me happy). I built the wheels up from parts myself when I worked in a shop.
Tires are Schwalbe Marathon Mondial in 700x41, an all-condition heavy touring tire. I've got Surly's "Truck Stop" handlebars, which are big and wide and even have a bit of rise in the middle and a Brooks B17 saddle, and I reign in my blazing-fast speed with Avid BB7 mechanical disc brakes.
Overall, it's a heavy-duty touring bike designed to be reliable and sturdy for commuting, camping and general riding. Is it the perfect bike for everyone? Nope, but it works well for me, and a similar setup would probably work well for a lot of folks. I built it up myself by Frankenstiening a couple other bikes together with some new parts, but a similar build-up would probably cost around $2,000 retail.

A closer look at some of the components: