| Re: Frame Material for a Clydesdale
"Brian Nelson" <lowellnelson@qwest.net> wrote:
> So now I am looking for a new ride. I'm 6'7 and
> 265, and the aluminum was fine except for the road noise. I lust after
> carbon fiber but wondered if oclv 120 will hold up under my light weight...
> Should I stick with and aluminum Klein or Trek 2300 still, or is there
> something else out there that would work. I'm probably working with
> $2,000 - $2,500 so not too spendy...
The specific material is not of paramount importance, but at your size
you need to be sure you're getting enough of it.
I am 6'8" and 360ish, and I've been an avid rider for the past 140
pounds. The main lesson I have learned equipment-wise is that I am
improvising with stuff that was not designed for me. Some
manufacturers will say that they use frame-size-specific tubing, etc.,
but that's just not the same thing. Some of this stuff can be made to
work fine, but you have to be careful and you have to be
discriminating.
I doubt that any recent carbon frame would be likely to break under
your riding loads, but likewise I doubt any recent non-custom carbon
frame will give you appropriate fit and stiffness.
A good strength-to-weight ratio works in your favor when it's combined
with equal or higher weight than a lesser part. Otherwise it's
usually a wash or else a disadvantage. This is an important principle
to keep in mind when looking at, carbon, scandium-aluminum, or
magnesium frames. Many such frames are made to have a weight
advantage, but will exact a toll in function or durability for a guy
your size.
You will benefit greatly from wider tires than contemporary racing
frames will accept. This, and the screwed-up weight distribution
caused by fitting a tall guy on a bike with a short rear end, suggest
to me that a touring bike frame may give you a fit and ride quality
comparable to what racer boys get on racing bikes, but a racing frame
will not.
I have a pretty new "jumbo" (25in) Cannondale touring frame that I
believe would make an excellent sport bike, though I have set it up as
a roadster. It springs around a bit more than my circa 1990
Cannondale tourer, and it's noticeably lighter. But it still has 18
inch chainstays, a huge asset for a tall rider. It also features a
road-bike-steep 73 degree head angle, which makes it feel lighter at
the bars than my other touring-framed bikes, and allows a racy fork to
provide the correct amount of steering trail.
Aluminum frames are IMO the easiest to make appropriately stiff for a
heavy rider wihout making them heavy. To me, the level of stiffness
makes a big difference both in feel and in controllability. Not that
a little more weight is necessarily a bad thing-- as a percentage of
body weight, you and I are riding pretty gossamer machines any way we
go.
If you don't want to use a touring frame for whatever reason, I'd
suggest getting a custom frame so you can get a proportioned fit and
sufficient tire clearance in a sport frame. Mark Hickey can summon up
a custom Ti Habanero at a reasonable price, and there are many
handmade custom steel frames for $1000 and under, but a custom carbon
frame will blow your budget.
Chalo Colina
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