Heavy Loads and Carbon Fiber

As I continue my search for potential new bicycle candidates, I find my self coming back to a common question. Am I too heavy for a carbon fiber rig?

I’ve ridden aluminum (including fork) for the last 15 years and have had no problems with the frame. While riding the last year or so I’ve really put my old bike to the limit because I’m sure it wasn’t designed to carry a 260 pound rider. It’s performed great though. As I’ve been looking for a new bike I’ve fondled a couple of carbon fiber bikes but am really hesitant to even test ride one because I know I’ll probably love it but am afraid I’m too heavy for the frame. I don’t want it to die a slow death due to the stress of carrying me, or worse, fail catastrophically while riding.

This question was thrust back into the spotlight this weekend when I looked at a bike mentioned to me by one of my local readers here in Dallas. It’s a 2009 Fuji CCR2 on closeout at Performance Bike. I honestly don’t know too much about Fuji’s, and always thought of them as ‘department store’ bikes, but I think their reputation has been growing the last few years. The bike I looked at was all carbon fiber outfitted with a full Ultegra setup for $1500. If I remember correctly, that’s almost $1000 off the list. It’s a beautiful bike. The price is about the max I wanted to spend but the fact that it’s a full carbon bike has given me reservations because of my weight.

I’m also hesitant to buy a carbon fiber bike because of the message it sends. A grotesquely overweight guy riding a light carbon fiber bike isn’t something I want to be remembered for. Especially when I know that I’d get more benefit, in both riding and in my health, by shedding 90 pounds.

So, I’m looking for opinions/facts on heavy riders and carbon fiber bikes. Am I best off just going with an aluminum frame/carbon fiber fork setup or am I OK going all carbon? I’m sure the manufacturer specs for the bike will help me determine this but I’m interested in your opinions and thoughts.

http://mildstallion.wordpress.com Al

Perhaps it’s better to go aluminum frame/carbon fork and sink the dough you save into components?
http://gtinla.wordpress.com Gerhard

Hi Bryan;
a couple of observations:

#1: you must love what you buy – if you are that hesitant about carbon, don’t buy it.
#2: the bike you love will help you take off the pounds; so you might be remembered by some as a clydesdale riding a light carbon fiber bike, and a year later by others, as a great rider. It doesn’t matter what others think – the only thing that matters is what is important to you
#3: Al’s idea of going with aluminum frame/carbon fork is really good, and seems to mesh with what you like
http://bikingtolive.com Bryan

I think you guy are both right.
http://www.outsidepgh.com DC

Bryan,

At 271#’s my aluminum/carbon fork bike is still going strong after 4 years. I’m hearing moans from the carbon seat post though!
I agree with Gerhard. I’d overspend on a bike that I couldn’t live without, but I wouldn’t buy it just cause it was a good deal.
http://jeremybsmith.com Jeremy

Don’t go carbon at your price point. Cheap carbon + heavy rider will end in tears. However, the Fuji might be ok. I suggest you email them and ask about weight limits.

I’m a hair over 200, and I’ve got 3 carbon things on my road bike, which is steel. The Alpha Q Z-pro fork has no weight limit, and is approved for tandem use. My seatpost and bars are also both sold specifically with no weight limit.

If you approached me in a shop, I’d put you on a steel bike with a good carbon fork in a blink.
http://mildstallion.wordpress.com Al

As I think about it more, carbon makes less sense from the weight perspective. It’s not just the mass of the bike going against gravity, it’s the combination with the rider.

I think you might be able to get a great feeling ride with a good set of wheels for less than a carbon frame. Maybe you can get a good deal on a carbon fork.
—–
A nod to Jeremy’s comment – when I started back riding a few years back, I was at about 210 lbs. My steel bike never once complained.
http://www.wirewd.com/bike/ wirehead

The bikeforums.com clyde forum is full of heavy folk in carbon fiber bikes. They’ve come a long way since the early days and most of them have reasonable weight limits.

The wheels are likely to be another matter, of course. Better to get 32 or 36 spoke wheels with sturdy rims.

Dono. I have a bias against carbon fiber bikes, largely because I’m not too keen on the failure properties. Carbon fiber, when it fails, happens fairly catastrophically. It snaps. This is the case if you are 100 lbs or 260 lbs. OTOH, plenty of people ride carbon bikes and we’re not seeing a mass of fatalities, so it’s realistically probably just fine. It’s just that I’m the paranoid sort. And I’m getting crotchety and grumpy in my old age.

I test-rode my boss’s super-light carbon fiber tri-bike in the parking lot one time. Was totally afraid of breaking it.
http://bikingtolive.com Bryan

I appreciate all the great feedback. Because of how good my aluminum cannondale was to be I’m probably going to opt for a aluminum frame bike with a carbon fork.

I think Al and Wirehead bring up a good point about wheels. I also think I may need a beefier wheel but everything I see on the bikes I’ve looked at aren’t high spoke counts…that I remember. When I go in in a couple of weeks to test-ride bikes and talk with a sales person that’s a concern I’m going to have to bring up.
http://www.springfieldcyclist.com Tracy W

I think you’re going to get some flex in the bottom bracket with a carbon fiber bike. I ride a Giant OCR-C and at 160ish lbs I can tell I get some flex when I stand to climb. It’s not bad, but enough I can tell it’s there….

Some of it may actually be coming from the wheels. They’re a low spoke count.

I wouldn’t be too hung up about frame weight. When you think about it, most of the weight on the bike is actually in the components and the wheels. If you consider the 4-5 lb advantage you may be able to gain from a “light weight” bike, when you factor in the bike plus rider, the percentage weight savings you actually realize is pretty small and pretty pricey on a per pound basis.

My theory at this point is “go for comfort”. My frame is great about absorbing pavement “buzz”, but because of the wheelset the bike will beat you to death on rough roads.
http://www.pixilateddesign.com/jodycb/ JOdy

when are you getting a bike and writing more???? Get a cheap crappy bike offa craigslist to tide you over until you find the perfect bike.
http://bikingtolive.com Bryan

@Jody: I hope to be getting a bike within the next two weeks but we’ll have to see how the finances work out.

With all the looking I’ve done, I believe I’ve narrowed in on a couple of new bike choices plus I’ve kept an eye on some used bikes at one of the local shops. Craigs list has been hard to find the right combination of size and components. Size being the biggest hurdle. It seems like there are tons of bikes for sale that are too small or too big so that doesn’t do me any good.

I’m really missing the riding right now. Especially with some of the good weather we’ve had on the weekends. That won’t last much longer though. I’ve got plans to pick up a cheap/used trainer to use over the winter so that when spring comes I’m further ahead and fitter than I was this year when I started.

Thanks for checking in on me though. I appreciate it.
Papa Bear

I completely understand the fear of breaking a frame. I am 6’1″ and 285#. I ride an aluminum “Specialized” Rockhopper with some modifications for commuting, and I haven’t heard a complaint yet.

I DID, however, end up in the hospital when I rode a friend’s Raleigh road bike and had a front tire blowout going 30mph downhill.

I’m pretty gun-shy about another crash myself!
http://bikingtolive.com Bryan

@Papa Bear: Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I can understand about being gun-shy about crashing.

I’ve ridden my 15 year old aluminum frame Cannondale hard the past year and it’s supported me like a champ. Because of that I’ll go with Aluminum again with a carbon fork. I think the wheels I get will be very important on my next purchase because I started having lots of problems the last six months with loose spokes and then with my front rim starting to come apart. I just don’t think my 15-year old box frame rims were meant to carry my weight. For my bike purchase the rim construction and durability will be a big talking point with the sales person.
http://gtinla.wordpress.com/ Gerhard

Hi Bryan;
a couple of observations:

#1: you must love what you buy – if you are that hesitant about carbon, don't buy it.
#2: the bike you love will help you take off the pounds; so you might be remembered by some as a clydesdale riding a light carbon fiber bike, and a year later by others, as a great rider. It doesn't matter what others think – the only thing that matters is what is important to you
#3: Al's idea of going with aluminum frame/carbon fork is really good, and seems to mesh with what you like
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