I was recommended a gravel bike because of my weight and height.

[MarioK]

Hi there,

It's my first post and also my first contact with the cycling world ever so I'm sorry if this post is in the wrong Subforum.

I'm 29 years old, 6,2ft tall (190cm) and I hover around 203lbs (92,5kg).
I really want to get into road cycling.
I've been lifting pretty heavy in the gym over the past few years so I'm not exactly slender.
My joints in my wrists are starting to wear off a little and I honestly don't have much fun going to the gym anymore. It's all become little dull.

I got into a local bike shop a and told them what my aspirations are aka road biking, riding on tarmac, etc.

The employee got really excited and seemed to know what he was talking about. He proposed that I invest in a Orbea Terra H30-D because of my height and weight.
Reason being that I would break everything on a road bike and I was just simply to heavy. With all the "going out of the saddle" and everything.

I don't mind the price, I'm willing to spend 2k on a bike.

Here's the thing: I'm pretty sure that any bike in this price range is perfectly fine for a reasonably fit person but cycling newbie like me.

I just want to get a few opinions on this. Am I going to regret buying a Gravelbike which is gonna be ridden on smooth tarmac for 99.9% of the time?
Could I just slap some road tires or even completely new rims with tires on it and have a bike that suits my weight and height and still have fun on perfectly smooth asphalt?
I'm pretty sure I will lose a decent amount of weight switching to cycling and I dont want to "outgrow" my bike.

The more information i gather the more I'm in doubt I'm making the right decision.

Thank you guys so much in advance for your feedback!

Greetings from Germany

Mario

 

[BlueRoads]

I'm sure advice from much better informed people will come, but a few thoughts of mine:

What's your riding style? It's not that you can't ride a road bike with your weight, but that might also depend on whether you ride very smoothly or move a lot and hard. Some men treat their bikes so that I think they will break them even if they are not big.
If you don't feel comfortable on a road bike right now you could do some running for a few months, lose some weight and then switch to cycling.
Or you could buy a used gravel bike for half a year, sell it, then switch to a long term road bike.
How serious are you about cycling? Do you want to try it or are you sure that's what you want to persue the next years? Do you want to do it for fun and some fitness or do you plan to be competitive?

 

[sirthx]

I was a gym-rat at 6"6' and a 'ripped' 225, and was an avid mountain biker. I screwed up my lower back and the doc recommended a switch from MTB to road cycling. I did, almost 20 years ago and have never looked back. Now I'm 6"6 190 and live on the road bike. (still take out the MTB every now and then)

I know that doesn't answer your question, but wanted to throw encouragement to a fellow big guy to hit the roads! Like most, I'm sure you'll get the bug and start replacing everything on the bike, then buying a new one within a year or two and having enough parts lying around to maybe build a third. Obsession awaits!

 

[MarioK]

Thank you both so much for your quick replys!

BlueRoads
What's your riding style? It's not that you can't ride a road bike with your weight, but that might also depend on whether you ride very smoothly or move a lot and hard. Some men treat their bikes so that I think they will break them even if they are not big.
- I really can't tell yet. All I can say is that I like to push myself hard. So probably a little more agressive if that makes any sense

If you don't feel comfortable on a road bike right now you could do some running for a few months, lose some weight and then switch to cycling.
- I don't think that I won't feel comfortable on a road bike but of course I can't say that for sure.
I do some running every once in a while, I could get into that a little more, good point.

Or you could buy a used gravel bike for half a year, sell it, then switch to a long term road bike.
How serious are you about cycling? Do you want to try it or are you sure that's what you want to persue the next years? Do you want to do it for fun and some fitness or do you plan to be competitive?
I'm all in. I kinda want this to become my next obession to be honest.
I can defenitely see myself doing longer rides over the course of a few days as well as short intense riding sessions. Maybe even local races, with of course the right training beforehand.
Buying a used bike sounds like a reasonable decision, I'll defenitely consider.

@sirthx Hell yeah, thanks for the encouragement!

 

[macbindle]

Your bike shop will try and sell you a bike they have in stock.

It's really about whether you have flexibility to ride in a racy position or if you need something with a longer headtube, shorter toptube and a more upright position ("endurance" type)

 

[MarioK]

Your bike shop will try and sell you a bike they have in stock.

It's really about whether you have flexibility to ride in a racy position or if you need something with a longer headtube, shorter toptube and a more upright position ("endurance" type)

That's the thing, they ordered it just for me, it ships in May 2021.
They said if I don't buy it they can sell it anyway.
My Flexibility should be relatively fine, I don't have back problems or shortened tendons.

 

[Jagartrott]

They order a bike just for you and it will arrive only 8 months from now? That's a bit weird. Also, if you're very eager, wouldn't you want to start right away?

I don't think your height and weight is problem, by the way. And when biking, you'll probably lose some non-necessary muscle-weight anyway. I recommend a hardly-used 2nd hand bike - you're not yet committing to a certain type of bike, it's cheaper, and you have it immediately. Plenty of people buy a bike, then never use it.

 

[MarioK]

They order a bike just for you and it will arrive only 8 months from now? That's a bit weird. Also, if you're very eager, wouldn't you want to start right away?

I don't think your height and weight is problem, by the way. And when biking, you'll probably lose some non-necessary muscle-weight anyway. I recommend a hardly-used 2nd hand bike - you're not yet committing to a certain type of bike, it's cheaper, and you have it immediately. Plenty of people buy a bike, then never use it.

They're having shipment issues from the retailer because of covid i suppose.
I'm not assuming they had any kind of malicious intent aka selling whatever it takes, they seemed genuinely excited for me wanting to get into cycling.

Sure, I'm pretty excited but I'm willing to wait if it's worth it.
Maybe I'm just making myself crazy for no reason. It's just there's so much information out there and with a new "thing" you try to get into it can get a little overwhelming.

I will try to get my hands on a pair of cycling shoes and try out a few bikes in a couple of local shops.

Thank you guys so much for your input. Every little bit is appreciated!

 

[BlueRoads]

Yes, try some out. I would really think a bike for some months might be a good thing for you, and then, after what you said, a road bike might be right for you, because you sound like someone who will not be okay with being slower than necessary. Personally, I do not have much cycling equipment apart from some gloves and a helmet, I often even ride without real shorts or bibs, and I'm good with that. But if you are ambitious and care about the material and think of races, and know that you don't want to do gravel, I would rather not buy a long-term gravel bike.

 

[King Boonen]

Your height isn't an issue, but at that weight there's a bit of a worry that the wheels which come stock with lots of road bikes won't be strong enough. Gravel bikes tend to have stronger wheels (not always) and bigger tyres that'll soak up a bit more of the hits.

My advice would be pick up something cheap and lose the weight first. Too many people dump large amounts of money into bikes that ultimately doesn't fit them well after a year or two or don't suit the riding they want to do. Pick up something second-hand, ride it through the winter and get your weight down and then look at putting more money into something more specific.

What the shop say about supply of bikes is kind of true (I have friends who run shops and other friends who work for a very well known UK chain, they're all struggling to get bikes and parts), but this years bikes should be coming in sooner than that.

 

[The GCW]

If You want to ride a road bike on the road, forget gravel bikes. That's with a !

I ride with a group of men who weight twice My weight, which comes in around 260+ lbs. -My name is __: their nick name is 2______s.

You usually want to do some investigating into bike purchases and so You want to be sure what You're investing in is good for a person Your weight. It's available.

My bike is under 15 lbs. It's weight limit on some components is at around 185 so that will not work for a heavier cyclist.

Then consider My bike may be around 11% of My body weight.

A heavier cyclist's bike may be around 18+ lbs but / and in relation to their body weight may be less.

To sum, if You want to ride on the road, a gravel bike will SLOOOOW you down, being less efficient. -compared to an actual road bike.

When You ride with other people on the road who have road bikes, it's nice to be able to keep up. Gravel bikes, fat tire bikes, mountain bikes etc are less efficient on tarmac.

Further, an efficient bike allows You to ride further, longer, easier, and potentially escape from threatening weather better.

Further still, with a lesser budget of 2K for a road bike, FORGET, disc brakes, electric shifting, tubeless tires: more expensive heavier choices (often) and get an affordable straight road bike.

Get a road bike for road riding.

 

[OnTheRopes]

Seriously mate, if you want to ride Gravel get a gravel bike, if you want to ride the road get a road bike, I am only half an inch shorter than you and ride a 57 or 58 cm frame depending on geometry. Your weight is not an issue, at race weight I am around 80Kgs but when I have a long period off the bike I can get back up to over 90Kgs and when I start back i still ride the bike.
The only real issue for weight is the wheels, Campagnolo wheels are bomb proof as well as being just plain great wheels, all my racing is on Campag wheels and I won 10 races last year. Campagnolo weight limit for bike and rider combined is 120 Kgs and there is bound to be a large safety factor built into that. READ HERE and you can easily check the specifications for other wheels before you buy.
So, I would suggest you go to a different shop, one that can do a bike fit on you and give you decent advice, buy a mid range road bike, with decent components and wheels that can take the weight of which there will be plenty of choice. Maybe hire a road bike or two for a few days and see how you feel.

 

[Jan]

Let me use this thread to avoid establish new one.
I am deliberating gravel bike for several months. As far I know it is sturdier and more comfortable than a road bike. However, I was just offered to buy second hand road bike Trek Domane S5 (http://topbicyclerental.com/czKoloTrekDomane.html) not driven very much, almost like new , with top maintenance and from reliable source and really nice price, which I am OK with.
Frame 62cm.

I am 198 cm tall and approax 125 kg heavy person, so I am 4XL guy, experienced MTB and tour/cross biker, cycling for 26 years. I just want to try road cycling, maybe it will cacth me.
I live in hilly region - many upphils and downhils.

Do you think carbon frame is ok for such heavy person and a size 62 cm would be good for such tall person?

 

[JayKosta]

...
I am 198 cm tall and approax 125 kg heavy person, ...

--------------------------
For your weight, I think you need very sturdy wheels and tires. I suggest not less than 36 spokes per wheel, and perhaps 32mm tires with inner tubes.
Don't know if those tires would fit the Domane. Also don't know if the frame is sturdy enough for you.
At your size, you don't need light weight equipment - you should be mostly concerned with dependability.

Jay

 

[MrTea1976]

I hope I don't get accused of thread necromancy in responding to this, but I'd like to make a few points.

I got into road cycling in 2007/8 because I wanted to get healthier and I'd cycled a fair bit in my teenage years. I've always been heavy, but I was around 125kg at 1.83m (I was 31 at the time). My first road bike was a Bianchi Via Nirone. It took my weight perfectly well and the only reason I had to get new wheels was because a car hit me.

I now ride a Focus Cayo Evo. It's carbon and I've had it for 6 years. I weigh around 102kg now (sometimes more, sometimes less). It has never had any issues with regards my weight.

My younger brother (1.94m and around 10kg heavier than me) rides an Orbea Orca (carbon). He hasn't had any issues either.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is I agree with a few of the other posters. Buy a road bike if you are riding on the road.

If you're strong, you might wear chains out more quickly than most people!

 

[Nobody73]

Lots of good replies here. A gravel bike is not a bad option. The frames are a bit more beefy and are built to tolerate more. The weight ratings on most bikes top out around 250 but really they can tolerate more like 300 unless you are doing crazy rough riding all the time. I have an alloy mountain bike that I'm sure a 300 pound guy could ride and there would be no problem.

I have a trek SL5 carbon and I'm 240 and I haven't had a problem. The iso flex and the red shift stem dampener make it incredibly comfortable. My weight is coming down this year pretty good. I personally wouldn't buy a 15 pound bike till I got under 170. I intend to spend another year training, then riding grand fondo and some crits. That means another bike purchase or simply putting thinner tires. I'm not trying to win the TDF. It's about the engine usually, not the bike.

 

[CyclistA+]

Everyone has gotta say something. Ride whatever makes you happy, the weight will come off.

 

[CyclistA+]

I am 198 cm tall and approax 125 kg heavy person, so I am 4XL guy, experienced MTB and tour/cross biker, cycling for 26 years. I just want to try road cycling, maybe it will cacth me.
I live in hilly region - many upphils and downhils.

Is it easy for you to find cycling clothes that fit?

 

[Unchained]

6-2 200 pounds is not on the far end of cycling spectrum..the bicycle components for the most part are near your limit..210-235..
But that pertains mostly for wheels. Everything else can accommodate your size without compromise.
Gravel bikes have a decent mix for most riders..bikes can take on fire sizes big and small and can also fit fenders and some racks for touring or bringing light camping stuff.
you normally won't go wrong with a gravel set up,but all that said, you have a long time before a gravel bike will slow your road riding goals..
if you feel like your weight is in question,bike riding has some basics about power to weight ratio..and most riders find gains by losing what you can through natural loss through more exercise and reduced,more intelligent calorie intake
One thing to keep in mind..equipment is never the issue for achievement of cycling goals. That said,there are a few critical pivot points in cycling..that means way before you need anything else..good shorts,great shorts,quality shorts..so shorts and shoes are the place to research and invest..cheap contact points w the bike will ruin your experience..and another sound cycling credo..clean everything often and completely

 

[Denialtehrk]

I started getting interested in riding and sought out a gravel bike. After looking a bit online and checking out here big box stores i found them quite hard to find in my area. Not sure if this bike truley is a gravel but it is advertised as such along side as an adventure bike.

 

[durianrider]

Gravel bikes are great if you live out bush and dont want a mountain bike because you want to ride fast as possible on gravel roads in a drop bar slammed position.

Otherwise if you want as low body fat as me then get a road rim brake bike under 7kg and enjoy HIGH LEVEL fitness life.

 

[froze]

You are 6'2" tall and weigh 203 pounds, that is not overweight or considered heavy! If you are a small bone male then you should weigh between 152-199, but most men are medium bone which means they should weigh 200--239, if you are large boned then you're underweight since the range is 240-311. So from what I can tell you weight is fine.

Most road bikes are designed to handle 275 pounds, any other type of bike can handle more, and really the weight limitation is all in the wheels not in the frame.

Therefore, from this information, we can conclude that you are not heavy, and you can ride any bike you want...except for a tricycle made for a 3-year-old!

 

[froze]

A gravel bike will not slow you down that much, besides you won't be racing so does it really matter? A gravel bike can do a lot of things, it can ride on the road, on gravel, dirt, and grass, and you can even use it to tour or camp with if it has pannier mounts, which most do. There are a lot more options for riding a gravel bike than a road bike, which means it could keep your level of excitement up for riding longer.

Also, gravel bikes, due to tires being at least 38 to as much as 45, ride more comfortably due to less psi needed in the tires. 45 size tires do feel heavy though, 38s not so much.

Of course, if you plan on road racing eventually then fine, get a road bike, or race in cross-races with a gravel bike.

Also with a gravel bike, if the rims are 23 mm wide measure internally, those can take all the way down to a 30c tire, which means if you want a fast rolling pavement tire you can go with a Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR in the 32mm size, it has the lowest rolling resistance of tires tested using just 12.8 watts which put it in the same rolling resistance range as most road tires in the upper half of road tires. So, with a simple swap of tires, you can go from gravel, touring, etc., to running faster on roads.