Question for a our bigger riders.

[EsPeGe]

Hi guys I hope everyone is well and getting excited about the upcoming summer. I know I am.

Anyway I have a question for our bigger riders on behalf of a mate of mine. He is 193cms (6'4" in old speak) and around 115kgs, probably will be closer to 120 all kitted up, think Sully from Monsters Inc hence his nickname. He is looking at getting into riding again after a long hiatus. We are curious if the bigger guys out there can suggest bikes that deal better than others with a heavier guy on board. In your experience does one suspension platform/bike give you better support than others? Also what type of riding have you done with the gear you suggest so we can get an idea of how it may relate to us? Any help or suggestions are much appreciated.

Cheers Scott.

 

[EsPeGe]

Oh and one other question in relation to the above, how do you guys find 29er wheels, strong enough for you or 27.5 better?

Cheers again, Scott.

 

[Tubbsy]

I'm 193cm and XL 29ers work well for me.

One thing to look out for is the variation in size of XL frames - some brands are much longer than others, and if he ends up on something too small for comfort/stability he could be left with awkward stem and seat post fudges to get comfortable.

 

[nathanm]

I fluctuate between 115-125 and am fat, but pay no consideration to what I'm riding, including racing DH (a few years ago) on a Kona Hoss with 120mm Reba's.

It will all depend on how you ride as lighter riders who plough will be harder on gear than bigger riders who float.

I've never destroyed a wheel, or cracked a frame etc so I wouldn't be worried about what he buys, just make sure they get the fit right and run correct pressure in the tyres.

 

[nathanm]

did forget to mention though that I've always run Fox shox, but have to crank them up high around 280-290 psi so would be nice to find a shock that didn't have to be so inflated.

 

[Binaural]

I'm about 195 and 115, so a similar size. I ride 27.5, but the choice will tend to be made by the amount of travel he wants. The main caution I'd give him is to be aware of the fact that large frame sizes are highly variable - keep an eye out for brands like Canyon that specify size and also recommended ranges of rider height.

 

[EsPeGe]

I'm 193cm and XL 29ers work well for me.

One thing to look out for is the variation in size of XL frames - some brands are much longer than others, and if he ends up on something too small for comfort/stability he could be left with awkward stem and seat post fudges to get comfortable.

Thanks mate good to know and excellent advice. Muchos gracias!!!

 

[EsPeGe]

did forget to mention though that I've always run Fox shox, but have to crank them up high around 280-290 psi so would be nice to find a shock that didn't have to be so inflated.

Thanks mate. Yeah I know Fox is always up high for the bigger guys. I'm 80kgs and run my X2 on my dh bike quite high so for a big guy it must be annoying!!! And good point re lighter riders ploughing (pretty much what I do) vs bigger guys floating. Thanks heaps.

 

[EsPeGe]

I'm about 195 and 115, so a similar size. I ride 27.5, but the choice will tend to be made by the amount of travel he wants. The main caution I'd give him is to be aware of the fact that large frame sizes are highly variable - keep an eye out for brands like Canyon that specify size and also recommended ranges of rider height.

I'm trying to get him on an enduro rig. He's looking at a Fuel but I know that within a few months he will have outgrown it and will be looking for something with more give. He has a moto background (in the long distant past) and loves to jump stuff so I think an enduro rig will be a better fit for him. Thanks for your help.

 

[slowmick]

I am 120 kg+ and 192cm from memory. for fit i think you need to sit on a few things to get a feel for what your like. People can be tall in lots of different ways. long legs, long torso, long arms - so many variations outside the "normal" proportions as people get taller. I'm odd proportions which makes set up hard.

I am a bit of a plow and tend to break things. I have a 2015 enduro and wouldn't recommend it for a heavier rider. NSD got my shock feeling good recently with lots of spacers and a tune but i have blown the damper a number of times (blew the oil out, no dampening) riding places like Falls Creek and Mt Buller. Seems the high leverage ratio on the Enduro makes the shock work really hard. One of the guys on here swears by coils for larger riders.

I gave up taking my Enduro to Buller and bought an alloy Glory to feel a little more secure in the bike staying together. much more comfortable.

I'd suggest staying away from carbon for bars and cranks. Hell I've had seat rails collapse when i fell on it.

I'll let you know how she hold together after McKayos and a day of shuttles at Bright.

 

[fatboyonabike]

I think SM is onto something
get a Glory or Reign, something built like a brick shithouse..put the biggest brakes you can afford on it and go have fun
carbon is for racecars!

 

[EsPeGe]

I have a 2015 enduro and wouldn't recommend it for a heavier rider. NSD got my shock feeling good recently with lots of spacers and a tune but i have blown the damper a number of times (blew the oil out, no dampening) riding places like Falls Creek and Mt Buller. Seems the high leverage ratio on the Enduro makes the shock work really hard. One of the guys on here swears by coils for larger riders.

As an aside (hijacking my own thread here) but The enduro from 2015-2017 is notorious for destroying shocks. Due to the length of the yoke there is lateral movement on the shock and it's super common to blow them out. I have a mate that had a 2016 Enduro and went through 7 shocks replaced under warranty before spec finally gave him a coil. Since then he's been fine. He's a pretty solid unit too at 105kg and is very hard on gear.

I'd suggest staying away from carbon for bars and cranks

Totally agree here.

 

[EsPeGe]

I think SM is onto something
get a Glory or Reign, something built like a brick shithouse..put the biggest brakes you can afford on it and go have fun
carbon is for racecars!

Yeah I'm suggesting the Reign 29er. Harder to kill than a cockroach and big enough to suit him. Also the Alu Meta 29er and the Alu Capra 29er.

 

[Ultra Lord]

Not the shorter travel commencal? Cronulla isn’t known for it’s Hills.

 

[EsPeGe]

Not the shorter travel commencal? Cronulla isn’t known for it’s Hills.

Nope I know. My mate who is buying the bike lives down near Mittagong. I'm suggesting the 160mm travel jobby.

 

[Ultra Lord]

Nope I know. My mate who is buying the bike lives down near Mittagong. I'm suggesting the 160mm travel jobby.

Fair call.

Beware the giant though, I’ve always had trouble with getting enough pressure in the shock to stop it from bottoming all the time. On the older models atleast, I’m 95kg after a solid dump now, was 90kg back when I ran that frame. Same with the older glory’s I ran.

It might be abit different now with new frames, but I’d wait for reviews to pop up online.

The spitfire and tranny scout I’ve got are much better in that regard, albeit less travel.

 

[Oddjob]

I'm 6'3" and 150kgs on a really good day.

The key to happy mtbing when you are heavy is a low leverage ratio and a long shock length. This keeps the shock pressure to less than 300 psi. Which is a very good thing.

To that end I would be advising a 150mm+ travel bike with the longest shock possible. Stick to alloy if possible and a beefy build with no bushings or alloy linkage bolts. Look at Norco, Kona or Banshees.

I wouldn't bank on any oem wheel lasting long. Even the dt swiss wheels use alloy nipples which won't last. Hope or dt hubs laced to dt swiss ex471 or ex511 rims with double butted spokes and brass nipples are the way to go.

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[Oddjob]

Ps to my above post. I have Fox and RS products on a variety of bikes (Pole Evolink, Focus Sam, Banshee Legend) and they have been fine. Dvo forks are fine but the Topaz needs to be beefed up for heavier riders. Cane Creek shocks I'm yet to really test.

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[Tim_the_Clyde]

I’m 195cm and probably well over 130kg. Like to think I’m fat and strong.

I like a bike with a fair bit of anti squat in the suspension as it bobs less under me. Given shocks are not designed for my part of the bell curve I find selecting by suspension design is more important. Had to try a few bikes before coming to this conclusion.

Also like twin link designs as I find it’s stiffer than the 4 bars I’ve ridden with the solid rear triangle. Had good times on a pivot and now banshee.

Don’t care about weight but run carbon rims for stiffness on 32 hole 350 hubs. Only dropped 1 spoke in 2 years (touch wood) riding twice a week plus multiple thredbo trips etc.

Love the Lyrik I just put on over the fox 34. At my size I can’t notice the weight but love the plusher feel and stiffness. Settings took a while to dial but really happy at the moment.

Put XT 4 pots and 200mm rotors on last year and they have been good to slow all my mass down a little faster. Would look into DH brakes next time even for trail riding.


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[Tim_the_Clyde]

...and yes always a 29er for me.


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