What are clydes riding?

I am riding a 2009 Cannondale CAAD 9 R5.  It is the first road bike I have owned and I like it, but not sure about anything else.

I learned, the hard way, that wheel selection for Clydes is of major importance.  I was riding Mavic Askium wheels that came with the bike and later learned from the manufacturer that the wheels are rated for 185# riders.  At the time I was about 90#s over that limit and ended up pulling two spokes clean through the hubs during a bike race.  Just make sure you have a decent set of wheels that are sturdy enough for larger riders.

I've got a 2008 Felt S32. Great bike, even though it is their entry-level triathlon model. I get a lot of comments on it at races. Most people just see the Felt name and assume I spent huge bucks on my bike.

From a clyde perspective, I haven't had any issues with it supporting my weight (ranged from 225 lbs when I bought it to 198 currently.)  After I bought the bike I went in for my fitting, and the tech put it on a trainer. He had me hammering on things for a bit to generate some wattage, and I looked down and could visibly see the aluminum frame flexing. I mentioned it to the tech and he told me there was nothing to worry about: that amount of flex was normal and the frame was plenty strong enough to handle what I was giving it. So I took his advice and stopped worrying about it.

The wheels that came with it are Shimano WH-R500s, which don't have the greatest reputation. They're not exactly lightweight and I've heard of a lot of people having issues with them breaking spokes. I haven't had any problems, and I'm not exactly lightweight either so their performance doesn't bother me.  I am saving up for a fancier set of wheels, but in the meantime I figure I'll just run these until they finally give out.  An additional downside to them is that they don't work with a wheelcover.

I'm riding a 2010 Cervelo P2 Carbon with Zipp 808 (Clyde edition).  I'm 215 and have had no issues.  I've hit a few bumps and cracks in the road that scared me, but it is all holding together well.  I did up grade the entire drive train and brakes to Ultegra for a little more confidence.

I have a Trek 2.1 with some T2 bars and a FF post.  I am worried about the wheels, but can't seem to find any rated for 275, so.... 

There still holding up, and I am just gonna keep riding it.  Love the bike....  Looking at a P2 for next season if I hit my weight goal of 250 this year.

New guy here, I am riding a Giant OCR Limited.  I have upgraded the wheels and most of the drivetrain.  The stock wheels could not handle my weight, 230, at high speeds.  I contacted Ligero Wheels and had their aluminum clincher built up with extra spokes and love them.  That was before getting into tris, and am looking at tri bikes right now.

FYI...I have a friend who is 250lbs, and he swears by his Velocity Deep V wheelset.  He had them built up with 36 spokes and the wheels have remained true for almost 10,000 miles...and the roads in our area are pretty harsh.   

I ride a Scott Speedster S50, all stock stuff.  I've never had any issues at all.  The kindly men at the LBS said it would hold up to my tubby nature just fine, and that was all I needed to be confident.

2010 Cannondale CAAD9 5

Cervelo P3 TT, Felt F75 Road, Specialized 29er MTB.

As for race wheels, HED3's are rated at something like 300 lbs.  I probably average around 235 and 240 and never had an issue.

There are a lot of bombproof training wheels out there.  To be honest, I never had an issue with any of my wheels, ever.

*knock on wood*.

Edited by Kido 2010-05-11 2:43 PM

Hello

Here is mine.


2008 Specialized Allez
Stock everything with Gator tires & added aero-bars.

I did pop one spoke last year and it was a process getting the special spoke to replace it.  I have the bike in the LBS now for a tune-up with repacking of the bearings and getting a new rear cassette (old one worn in the gears I race on) with new chain.

It has been a good bike for me with my weight going down to 230 riding it and it handles 260 just fine.  I just need more time to ride.

Kevin

I have a stock 2009 Specialized Allez with Alex S200 rims on it that do pretty well. Have had no issues yet and had them trued this spring at the tune up. Mechanic said they were still pretty good before he adjusted them. Mostly Sora and Tiagra components.

Just bought a 2003 QR Caliente with mavic ksyrium elite wheels and they seems to be taking a real beating from the roads here locally. The spokes are bladed and my mechanic said he has never trued those before(works out of his garage) so we will see later this summer when I take them in.
Ultegra groupset with a little Dura-Ace mixed in.

So far so good. I'm between 220 and 230.

Edited by danfleck1 2010-05-11 5:20 PM

Tribike is a 2008 Cervelo P3 with zipp 808 (Clyde version).

Road bike is a 2008 Scott Addict with Mavic Ksyrium SL wheels.

6'4" 245. Only good things to say about both rides. Never had a problem with either frame or wheels even after taking a tumble or two.

That said, I would spend your time at a tri-experienced bike shop and narrow down your options to bikes that will give you an optimal personal fit.

If you do get a Cervelo, then you need to dump the stock wheels. The performance difference between those and anything even marginally up market is significant. (Zipps are my third set of wheels on the Cervelo.)

Well, if were doing picture...LOL!!!  Here's mine....  I thought I was ordering the dark blue tires, I have now found out blue is sissy baby blue...  "royal" is dark blue....  still gonna use em..... there paid for.



Edited by tlrmike99 2010-05-11 8:21 PM

Stock Giant OCR2 with aero bars.

I am 6'1" 215 and just starting riding a P2 this season. Loving it. For me it has made a huge difference with my run off the bike.

6'2" 285-90 and I ride a Kona Jake the Snake. lose the knobbies....

Trek 2.1 with Mavic Cosmic Carbone wheels.  Been absolutely spectacular.  I did switch to a triple crank up front so that climbing was a little easier. At 280 lbs it's nice to have the granny gear.

5' 11" 250-260 lbs ride 2010 Felt B12 stock. Very comfortable and fast.

Stock Trek 1500 with aero bars and Mavic Aksium "bomb proof" wheels - 3 years of use and never any trouble at 240lbs. I'm interestede that Hed3 wheels are rated up to 300lbs...could be a new birthday present on my wish list

All I have is a roadbike.  NO Aero nothing yet.

However, it is titanium and I love the ride compared to my old aluminum one.  I have Mavic CXP23 rims mated to Ultegra hubs.  No troubles at all as they took me from 260# to 215#.

6'1", ~215, and end up riding on some fairly crappy roads in and around NYC.

Road bike is a cannondale synapse 6 and tri bike is a QR CD0.1, both are holding up extremely well and I'm not easy on gear.  Popped one spoke on the cannondale (surprisingly on flat roads down in southern new jersey) last year, but that's about it.

6'6 - 260

I ride a Giant OCR 1 that I picked up used. Been a good comfortable bike to begin on...but want to upgrade soon.

This user's post has been ignored.

Edited by alsi071 2010-05-19 12:10 PM

Holy Cow...that's a HUGE bike!!  Was that custom made for you by Cannondale?