Heavy Tall Guy in USA Introduction

[Transamspirit]

So a quick intro... I had planned on writing a long “Help me find a bike” post, but I was fortunate enough to find a killer deal on a 2020 R&M Superdelite... the demo bike that’s still listed at ebikecentral...

I’ll post now what I had written out while waiting for admin approval.

Tall heavy guy looking to bounce back from covid.





Background: I’m a big guy 6’3 massive frame currently 330lbs but not lard. I owned a Specialized hybrid a few years ago and absolutely despised the derailleur system as my size and power just basically torqued the chain system to death... newbie mistakes vs weak systems...





I was heavy into bodybuilding before I was struck by covid at the beginning of last year, nearly killed me. At the time, I was 260lbs... Long story short, body builder appetite with destroyed lungs and a giant bag of lethargy to go along with it contributed to me blowing up like a hand grenade... With that said....





I’m search for an ebike with “the” criteria of cutting edge. Looking for a mountain/hybrid/commuter... for 10 mile one way work commute and weekend long haul exercise sessions. I’d like 40 miles one way but that’ll require weight coming off of me, I’m sure.





Must haves: Belt drive, IGH, Mid motor with decent torque to get me up a hill if I’m completely drained, massive “range” as my size will chew through batteries. Rack for panniers, current availability or at most a month wait, theft deterrents, class 3.



Wants but not deal breakers:

Hand throttle, ability to all weather and not have an electrical issue (I see no one talking about this. Is this a thing? Are some manufacturers better than others about water damage prevention?) , full suspension, phone charging



Is there a sub $6000 unicorn??? I imagine not with full suspension but that’s just a want... not a must have.



My first intro to ebikes and belt drives was a Stromer ST2. I did my research and am thoroughly convinced even without a test ride that the hub motor and 40 NM of torque will not be enough for me and any kind of hill, especially if my “body batteries” are drained. The frame and integration makes it a gorgeous bike but I can’t justify $6400 base price for a hub... :/



I’ve searched around and liked the Bikonit MD 1000... as I read the 12 page thread here, I began to worry about my experience with torquing on a bike plus a torque heavy motor destroying the IGH in no time... grrrr dope frame though! Can this frame be had and better components added? Rohlhoff? Less torquey motor? Better suspension? I assume suspension and likely rohlhoff can be upgraded.. motor... maybe? I also understand that shifting under a load is a Nope for IGH, I’ll adapt to this shift style to save $2500 for a new IGH.



I came across the Fuell Flluid and that bike looks incredible, but seems like it doesn’t have enough options to justify the price..... hand throttle... no phone charging...



R&M models are a bit steep for what I’m willing to spend & waiting till Christmas isn’t getting me in shape now. Their builds are INCREDIBLE!



I also just came across the FLX Blade 2.0 this thing is incredible competition against the Fuell Flluid but the price is starting to get into R&M range and I don’t know if that Bafang motor with the rohlhoff wouldn’t ultimately torquenuke the rohlhoff... dope looking bike though!



Where should I turn to? My weight issue doesn’t concern me, but I dang sure don’t want a throwaway cheap frame or weak spokes....



Reviews? Suggestions?? Any bikes in this category I may have missed? Ideas and answers to the questions above?



All help is appreciated. Let’s get me back into shape!!!
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Now with the purchase I’m definitely going to be hunting bags, tool kits...
Any advice for this bike??? Any advice for my size?

Is the battery upgradable to the 625? This bike is equipped with the 2020 500w. I’d like to provide the bigger guys some “range data” vs the skinny guy advertised ranges.

im potentially going to start a Youtube for heavy guys wanting to bike.

Picking it up this weekend.

wish me luck!!

 

[Captain Slow]

If you go to the Optibike website I think you can sign up with them and they often send emails to a mailing list for reconditioned bikes that customers have traded in. Sometimes you can get bikes that would be under $6k.

But the whole notion of you producing so much power that you must have a belt drive and a derailleur system and chain can't handle your power, is something I'm not sure I agree with. If you produce that much power then you're producing more power than world tour pro cyclists at the highest level i.e. guys like Peter Sagan, Mark Cavendish, and the retired Fabian Cancellara. If you truly produce that much power then why is an ebike necessary?

I can see that it's one or the other, but not both. Maybe you produce that kind of massive power, but anyone who has that much power has no need for a motor, not even close. If you need the motor then I'm not buying you can produce that much power. I can't produce anywhere near the power of a world tour pro cyclist. I can't even produce enough power to be competitive with an amateur cat 3 cyclist. But I can easily do my commute to work that's about 12 miles each way with about 130 meters of elevation gain. Last week I easily did a 61 km ride with 730 meters of elevation gain with no motor at all.

 

[indianajo]

Welcome to the site.
Yes, throttles quit working in the rain. I've had two of them do it. Carry a grocery bag & a long kale tie if you're going to ride in heavy rain. A hair dryer repairs them.
Sorry Covid hit you so hard. I had the fever for 137 days but it wasn't worse than regular flu, just would never go away. Plus the desert dry nose for 2 weeks and couldn't smell food for 4 days. Being in aerobic good shape probably helped keep up the oxygen levels. No treatment prescribed but tylenol. I kept riding the bike as usual, just a little slower to keep my pulse rate down. My weight program (pilates) involves 5 lb hand weights. My body is designed for deer chasing on rainy WVa mountains. All legs, no torso.
I ride a geared hub motor with 80 lb of supplies up >80 hills up to 15% grade. 330 lb gross. A $221 ebikeling would start the weight unassisted on that grade. Now I have a Mac12t, less watts (500) but more torque. With those, & pedaling unpowered 80% of the time, my 8 speed chain lasts 5000 miles.
But you shouldn't have any trouble with broken spokes or rims on a R&M. My $1900 yuba also came with real steel wheels & real aluminum frame, but most wouldn't want a hard suspension cargo frame. I shop off the bike, the stretch frame balances the load best. With my weight on the front tire, high pavement separators & speed bumps never yank the bars out of my hands & throw me over the handlebars. (5 times on MTB & cruisers)
Hope you build your endurance fast. The body is built to heal, if the bugs don't kill us in the first week or two.

 

[Transamspirit]

If you go to the Optibike website I think you can sign up with them and they often send emails to a mailing list for reconditioned bikes that customers have traded in. Sometimes you can get bikes that would be under $6k.

But the whole notion of you producing so much power that you must have a belt drive and a derailleur system and chain can't handle your power, is something I'm not sure I agree with. If you produce that much power then you're producing more power than world tour pro cyclists at the highest level i.e. guys like Peter Sagan, Mark Cavendish, and the retired Fabian Cancellara. If you truly produce that much power then why is an ebike necessary?

I can see that it's one or the other, but not both. Maybe you produce that kind of massive power, but anyone who has that much power has no need for a motor, not even close. If you need the motor then I'm not buying you can produce that much power. I can't produce anywhere near the power of a world tour pro cyclist. I can't even produce enough power to be competitive with an amateur cat 3 cyclist. But I can easily do my commute to work that's about 12 miles each way with about 130 meters of elevation gain. Last week I easily did a 61 km ride with 730 meters of elevation gain with no motor at all.

Maybe you’re right. I honestly don’t have an answer and assumed that me torquing on the bargain chain system and just blew threw the derailleur and gears and the chain slipped completely off. It happened most frequently when I was applying torque. It also happened enough to discourage riding, even after an upgraded gear system and derailleur. It could have been ignorance of fear systems in general. I honestly don’t know and just assumed my size did the damage... it wouldn’t be the first time


That plus the idea of lower maintenance of a belt is just appealing.
Please excuse my ignorance.

 

[Transamspirit]

Welcome to the site.
Yes, throttles quit working in the rain. I've had two of them do it. Carry a grocery bag & a long kale tie if you're going to ride in heavy rain. A hair dryer repairs them.
Sorry Covid hit you so hard. I had the fever for 137 days but it wasn't worse than regular flu, just would never go away. Plus the desert dry nose for 2 weeks and couldn't smell food for 4 days. Being in aerobic good shape probably helped keep up the oxygen levels. No treatment prescribed but tylenol. My weight program (pilates) involves 5 lb hand weights. My body is designed for deer chasing on rainy WVa mountains. All legs, no torso.
I ride a geared hub motor with 80 lb of supplies up >80 hills up to 15% grade. 330 lb gross. A $221 ebikeling would start the weight unassisted on that grade. Now I have a Mac12t, less watts (500) but more torque. With those, & pedaling unpowered 80% of the time, my 8 speed chain lasts 5000 miles.
But you shouldn't have any trouble with broken spokes or rims on a R&M. My $1900 yuba also came with real steel wheels & real aluminum frame, but most wouldn't want a hard suspension cargo frame. I shop off the bike, the stretch frame balances the load best. With my weight on the front tire, high pavement separators & speed bumps never yank the bars out of my hands & throw me over the handlebars. (5 times on MTB & cruisers)
Hope you build your endurance fast. The body is built to heal, if the bugs don't kill us in the first week or two.

You sound like you definitely torture test your equipment! Bravo! Thanks for the reply.

what parts specifically should we cover in the weather? This R&M is peddling only, no throttle. I assume Bosch and other motor manufacturers are smart enough to at least put some IPS standard on their motors, if not, this whole industry is in trouble.

 

[Captain Slow]

Oh yeah the lower maintenance of a belt and IGH is attractive, that's for sure.

btw - is that a picture of you in the first post? Wow, would never guess you weigh over 300 lbs. - You look like you could be an NFL linebacker.

 

[Transamspirit]

Oh yeah the lower maintenance of a belt and IGH is attractive, that's for sure.

btw - is that a picture of you in the first post? Wow, would never guess you weigh over 300 lbs. - You look like you could be an NFL linebacker.

That pic is about 300. I’d have been a nasty LB had youth health issues not happened.

 

[Transamspirit]

If you go to the Optibike website I think you can sign up with them and they often send emails to a mailing list for reconditioned bikes that customers have traded in. Sometimes you can get bikes that would be under $6k.

But the whole notion of you producing so much power that you must have a belt drive and a derailleur system and chain can't handle your power, is something I'm not sure I agree with. If you produce that much power then you're producing more power than world tour pro cyclists at the highest level i.e. guys like Peter Sagan, Mark Cavendish, and the retired Fabian Cancellara. If you truly produce that much power then why is an ebike necessary?

I can see that it's one or the other, but not both. Maybe you produce that kind of massive power, but anyone who has that much power has no need for a motor, not even close. If you need the motor then I'm not buying you can produce that much power. I can't produce anywhere near the power of a world tour pro cyclist. I can't even produce enough power to be competitive with an amateur cat 3 cyclist. But I can easily do my commute to work that's about 12 miles each way with about 130 meters of elevation gain. Last week I easily did a 61 km ride with 730 meters of elevation gain with no motor at all.

I promise I didn’t take it as a dare…. https://electricbikereview.com/foru...lite-with-a-heavy-rider-problems.43061/page-2

 

[Captain Slow]

Wow, that is pretty amazing.

It would be cool if you got an indoor trainer and got on Zwift, it would be interesting to see your power numbers. Of course now I'm questioning why you even ride an ebike. I mean with power like that you have no need for a motor. Even if you weigh 300 lbs, your power to weight ratio still has to be really high.

 

[DBK]

Look at the Sondors Rockstar It is a great bike Is does not have a belt drive though.