Safe weight load for basic chromo mtb

[half cog]

Hi
I have a young relative who has a massive weight problem.Suddenly came up with the idea that she wanted to go mountain biking with me.If it happens it will only be bridleways with nothing risky thrown in.I have an old marin bear valley in basic chromo.Not too bothered about the bike but somewhat concerned that if anything breaks she is going to get hurt.So does anyone know the sort of weight limit that should apply. If she is way outside it then she will have to sort herself out before I would consider it.Any info much appreciated
Regards
Peter

 

[Tootyred]

More than any alluminium bike you will now buy! Unless she's down hilling on it and dropping 30 footers, i probably wouldn't be too worried. I would however check...as with all frames, for any rider, that its not rusted through internally.....especially round the bottom bracket on them.

There are a good few bigger guys and girls traveling round on old steel frames and doing some pretty crazy stuff on them too.

 

[half cog]

Thanks for the reply. As said she will only be doing bridleway riding.Dont want her going splat
Regards
Peter

 

[Titiritero]

More than likely the frame will do fine. But the wheels might suffer. And if she is not into cycling she might take potholes or kerbs less carefully than you.

A friend of mine suffers with depressions and one way to compensate is by eating, so after a few broken spokes he just got the bike shop to install extra strong spokes and rebuild the whole wheel. No problems since. The bike is a middle class aluminium Trek from the early 2010's, forgot the model.

 

[Imlach]

Any frame will be fine.

 

[CassidyAce]

Don't forget to increase the tyre pressure to accommodate the heavier rider.

Incidentally, this morning, I read this:

Cycling has a weight problem: a call for the industry to be more transparent about its weight limits

Cycling products’ weight limits are typically hidden deep within owner’s manuals or not listed at all. This is a problem.

www.cyclingweekly.com

 

[Woz]

You've not being specific, but I would say a reasonable steel frame will old up fine.

A stock Kalloy seatpost probably won't fail, and if the cranks are reasonable and she doesn't thrutch about off the saddle etc. it will be fine.

As said, perhaps a rear spoke may go ping if they are lightweight wheels, but other wise I don't think you need to worry.

 

[Imlach]

At my recent heaviest I was nearing 150 kg which is rather substantial. I've been hovering between that and 130 for the last 4 or 5 years and during that time has cycled most days, every day through many periods. I ride a mix of gravel and road, no actual mountain biking but occasionally rooty and rocky.

During that time I rode bikes spanning everything from a lightweight thin walled Explosif, to various tange ultralight to early 2000s alu. All frames are fine. Now was I riding stuff where it is likely I would get air time, it might have looked different - but even so - it would likely be fine. When recreational riding in the woods and on fire roads, you're simply not going to be getting some sort of catastrophic failure. Yeah, with some lighter frames it may be ridden over the fatigue limit for a good while, but even so will likely be replaced before it ever gets to that point. They're obviously also very conservative about load capacity, most manufacturers, because they have to be. As long as you're not picking an old knackered paperthin race frame I would say you are golden.

It pisses me off to no end when cycling is gatekept from fellow fatties. When I got back into cycling after many years of only hiking, I was very heavy and was told the only thing that'd work was a... Worksman. ******* scummy to imply all a fat person can ride is a fecking utilitarian industrial strength boat anchor. It put me off for a long time. I was then recommended Surly, there a love story began. Then I realised they're just bog standard chromoly frames and realised I'd been blinded.

All in all I've never felt that worried riding any of my bikes really.

About wheels, I do agree that it is where a lot of that stress will be going. Good place to spend money or go for a custom build. But even so I haven't gone through many wheels. And I always bought the cheap machine assembled deore hubbed ones. The key is to try and keep at a decent tension consistently, because you don't want them to fatigue faster. That has been my main issue. I have many older wheels where a full rebuild really is the way to go. Yes yes yes on the tyre pressure brought up, I've always had issues running lower pressures, being bigger just means accepting that you gotta beef up that tyre.

The most important thing, I'd say, is getting a nice position for the rider dialed in and get a good sturdy saddle they like.

Happy riding.

 

[greencat]

I've ridden with some big lads from the local fire service, well over 6 foot, arms and legs like tree trunks - often pushing 20 st - and their bikes have generally been fine. Except for the guy who kept ovalising bottom brackets on Cannondales. Eventually, they just gave him a refund.

I have comfortably carried myself (80 kg) plus 2x25kg bags of plaster on a steel frame before now. Wouldn't want to do it regularly, but it can be done. IME it is aluminum frames which fail.