I am a big fat guy that needs to get in shape. I am on a serious diet and have completely quit eating fast food. I would like to get back on a bike and cruise around on the back streets until my weight drops. Can anyone on the list recommend a good sturdy vintage road bike that is strong enough to carry 265 lbs? Everytime I go into the shops around here, all I see is a bunch of strange bikes made out of plastic that have 12 spokes in each wheel. Not only that, some of the mountain bikes have tags on them saying "maximum weight 250lbs."
I did ride a small (60's?-70's) lugged Motobecane that I own and I must say it was fast! Is has the old Stronglight 93's, Huret derailleurs, and a decent set of wheels. The only problem I had with it was that the seat came loose on the post thus dropping me onto the rear wheel and causing me to crash into a parked car.
Are lugged frames stronger than welded frames? And what kind of tubing would be best to go with? I do own a 1966 Peugeot PX-10, but do not want to risk damaging that frameset with my weight.
Starving as I write,
Ted Baer
Palo Alto, CA