Tri Bikes for big guys

I've heard/seen carbon bikes that suggest not exceeding 185 or 190 lbs.  I can't point you to that information, so maybe it's just a rumor or bad memory, but I'm pretty confident.

If that's true, I guess the good news is that you will save a bit of money over a carbon frame...

Re: Carbon frames, I've been told the same thing.  I, too, am 6'5", 240lbs, and am currently on a Fuji Aloha 1.0.  I have been tempted by the P3's and a couple of other more aero bikes but it always comes back to the fact that I am still cutting a 240lb hole through the wind and the most aero bike in the world is only going to help so much. 

I did have to upgrade the crank on the bike as I had bent it after about a year of riding but other than that my Fuji has been solid.  I also replaced the stock wheels with Am Classic Victory 30's as the stock wheels did not hold up to the weight/stress that I was putting on them.

That said, your experience may differ.

Carbon is pretty strong in it's own right but it dependes on how it was built. The s32 will have a carbon fork that will take plenty of abuse.

I'm 260ish and have been riding a felt s22 for a few years. (s32 with carbon seat stays) Never a problem.

I ride a Felt B12 full carbon and weigh 260 or so on most days but have ridden it weighing over 270. I was also concerned about carbon but when talking with the owner of my LBS he said there would be no worries with carbon for me. Mainly it came down to how well the bike fit me and my budget with an eye on carbon as it rides smoother for long courses than AL. Currently I have over 2000 miles on the bike with stock wheels and have not had any issues related to my extra large size. I would also suggest geting a fit to find which bike geometry works for you then looking at the bikes. Good luck and hope you enjoy what ever you end up with.

Thanks for the feedback.  I will probably wait until early spring to get a new bike.  I'm only doing one more TRI this year (OBX), and then my training focus will switch to concentrate on the  OBX 13.1 in November.  Thanks for the help. 

I might not be in the range of the 250lb guys but I still feel the pain of "bike and rider should not exceed" warnings as in the off season I hit 205. In season I'm 195. What options should I avoid or consider when I make the shift from aluminum road to Carbon Tri bike?

I have ridden full carbon Felt's and Trek's at well over 225#'s. Put over 5000 miles on the Trek and about 3000 on the Felt and the only issue I have ever had was one broken spoke on the Felt stock wheel set. Not saying there is not validity to the claim but I have never had any concerns.

Interesting question. I ride a Cannondale, so I checked their website. Cannondale lists the rider weight limit for all "high performance road bikes" at 275 pounds (they also list an additional 10 pounds for luggage including seat bags). High performance road bikes include road and triathlon bikes with frames made from both carbon and aluminum.

So, apparently Cannondale does not have different weight limits for different frame materials.

You should be able to find similar information on all manufacturer websites. I would guess that at 240 lbs you would be safe with any major manufacturer. I would not recommend a knock off frame or "china" frame as advertised on eBay.

From a weight perspective? Zero. Not an issue