Large Bicycles FAQ

[art]

Welcome to the Large Bicycles group. This group is for discussion of
all aspects of large bicycles -- availability, geometry, tubing,
history, etc. As those of use who ride bikes with seat tubes over 66cm
know (or who are over 6'4" or so), there are many problems specific to
large bikes -- among them are too-steep seat tubes, too-short
chainstays which position the rider over the rear wheel, too-short top
tubes, the tendency for large frames to shimmy. Some of us have been
discussing these things on other lists like the BOB list or the
Rivendell list for years. I'm hoping that this list can facilitate
such discussions, and perhaps even give us a more effective way to
line up support for small manufacturers who decide to make larger
frames.

As for discussion: the usual caveats apply -- above all, civility in
discussion. I will not moderate, but may remind members to keep on
topic if the list and traffic grows. My hope is that this group will
keep a sharp focus on large bikes, a relatively small membership, and
relatively low traffic.

Thanks for reading,

Arthur S

[Lou Richardson]

Hi -- New here....Haven't riden a bike since the '70's/'80's...In college I had a Raleigh Grand Prix...I used to be 6'6" but with age have shruck a bit, so I'm probably closed to 6'5.5"...I'm looking to retire soon/age 64.5, and looking to get back into riding for exercise and enjoyment...I've been looking at the KHS Flite 747 as a good fit, meanwhile just reviewing others' comments....live in Jacksonville Fl where it's pretty much flat....

 

Lou

[clifwrig...@yahoo.com]

Welcome Lou and congratulations on your upcoming retirement. Sounds like you have a plan! I'm taking delivery of a 747 tomorrow and will give the group a report in a couple of weeks. Cheers!

Sent from my iPhone

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Large Bicycles" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to large-bicycle...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
 
 

[Lou Richardson]

What's the going price for the 747?

[Arthur Strum]

Hi Lou:

Welcome to the group. It's a low-volume list, but the discussion we do have is really helpful for the tall cyclist, because it's focussed around characteristic problems for tall people.

I'm interested to hear about the 747 as well. One thing to think about is where you'll be riding. I think, esp. for taller riders, >30mm or even much bigger is the place to start for tires, which means your frame is going to need clearance for that. (the 747 does not) I would have suggested a Rivendell Hilsen, which will be very comfortable (if expensive), but now I'm not sure -- I've just been experimenting with 200mm cranks (just now available from IRD) on an old 27" Schwinn Voyageur... and I *really* like them. Even my 180mm cranks feel short to me now. But running such long cranks requires a higher bottom bracket, which the Rivendell models don't have. But for your purposes, a Hilsen with large tires (like the Schwalbe marathon racers in 700c x 40mm) might be ideal -- very stable, very comfortable.

Art

Tacoma

[Robert Zeidler]

I have a beautiful 68cm Ram w/ 200mm cranks, Campy 10 spd, and some other goodies. There has been some interest but nothing solid so far. Somebody steal it for $1900.00

Sent from my iPad

[Leonard]

Hi Art,

Thanks for starting this group for tall folks. I'm 6'-7" and 250, so tall and big (and grey, 51 yo)  I guess. I recently broke my Fuji Team (64 cm) and have been researching and searching. Can you expand a bit on your recommendation for 30mm or even much bigger tires for tall folks? I've been riding for many years, although I took about a decade hiatus while my kids did all their sports things. Started commuting a couple months ago, and broke my frame, which I was upset about until I found my receipt and saw it was a 15 years old aluminum frame that came with a 3 year warranty...

In my current research,I  found the wisdom of Grant Peterson, Peter White, Lennard Zinn, and others regarding proper fit and realize I don't need the aggressive racing set up. I looked at touring-type bikes (Rivendell -- more than I care to spend right now) and the Surly LHT (I've seen it called "the poor man's Rivendell"). The 64 cm Surly looks like it has potential for us tall folks, but I do enjoy going fast, or at least pretending like I am going fast (I know it's all relative) and the Flite 747 seems like a great option. It has a good and comfortable fit for a tall man, along with a go-fast type of build. However, in riding my converted MTB with fat slick tires, I now understand the appeal of fatter tires, particularly for commuting. LBS guy said I should be able to fit 28 on the 747, and maybe larger but would need to replace the brakes. Do you think 28s would make enough difference to be worthwhile?

I'd appreciate your thoughts.

Cycletex, I'm also looking forward to hearing your thoughts on your 747. If you've received it, can you share some initial thoughts, like how it fit, etc.?

Lou, my LBS quoted $1,600, which is about $100 off retail I believe.

Thanks guys,
Lenny

[Robert Zeidler]

68 Ram available. $1900.00

Frame is perfect.  Campy 10speed, velocity rims, Corsa 25c, 200mm cranks, flawless. 

Sent from my iPad

[Arthur Strum]

Hi Leonard:

thanks for joining! I'm tall and grey too, tho this side of 200lbs., and ride a couple of older 68cm road frames. I guess I recommened 30mm or more, just because I prefer the comfort and stability of the wider tires, but that does depend on personal preference. The roads are also *terrible* where I commute, here in Tacoma, WA. Riding wider tires is easier on your wheels (I ride my own handbuilt wheels and never need to true them, partly because I run 35mm or larger tires). If you find light, supple tires, the larger tires don't ride slower, either. (again: different views on this are possible)

The 747 looks great because of the long cranks - I've been using some on one bike and love them. But I commute and need fenders, so that wouldn't work for me with larger tires.

The older frames I have are standard gauge tubing (Columbus SP, etc.) and probably wouldn't work for a rider over 220 or so -- too much flex.

On another thread Shaun Meehan has a photo of his 64cm Long Haul Trucker, which has a long top tube, long steerer on the fork, and can take huge tires and racks - might be perfect for your purposes. I've thought of getting one myself. Only downside for me would be that it has a lot of bottom bracket drop, which might make putting long cranks on it problematic, and it has larger diameter (oversize) tubing, which I don't like for its ride characteristics (but I'm 6'6" and only about 190 lbs.)

All in all, I'd recommend the Long Haul Trucker - not too expensive, big enough, and a very strong frame.

 

Art

[Leonard]

Thanks Art, I think the LHT is a great suggestion. I was ready to order a 747, but decided to hold off a bit mainly because I found the larger LHT. Right now it's between the LHT and the Flite. I'll just keep riding my mountain bike in the meantime, I suppose until that gives me the incentive I need to pull the trigger on a road bike.

I am curious to hear from others about their 747s. Would sure be nice to be able to try one before ordering it.

Later,
Lenny

[samh]

>68 Ram available. $1900.00<

What color?  Do you have any pictures?

Thanks.

[robert zeidler]

send you email to zeidler...@gmail.com