Frame advice- rider is 6'8" and 20 stone

Chap at work wants a bike, as you can see in the title he is not small (semi-pro rugby player).

I would not even be able to guess what frame size he would need- and more pertinently who would make a strong frame in such a large size.

The steamroller's largest size is a 62cm which is going to be too small I would think, probably by some margin.

So step forward giants of the forum and dispense advice.

hmm tell him to go on a diet

I'm 6'5'' and need 65cm cc (traditional geo)
Without knowing inside leg length, I would suggest he needs around 66-67cm cc.

Would be worth consulting a frame builder, but steel would be his best bet i assume.

but don't tell him i said that

If brooklyn do large sizes I think that would be a good bet as it has that sloping downtube etc etc

I saw some discarded scaffold poles near Vauxhall.

Jebus that's big, I'm 6ft 3in and 19 stone and the 61cm Fuji Track is perfect but was a bit too small for Ved who's slightly taller than me. I'd guess a frame would have to be built specially. Or, I have seen huge Gazelle frames before (the Dutch do seem to have a propensity to produce giants) on fleabay, like 64/65. But they only come up once in a blue-moon, could be worth asking Jos though at Tour, as he obviously has good Dutch connections and is also a tall bloke?

How about this. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LARGE-DAWES-RACING-TOURING-FRAME-FIXIE-PROJECT-GALAXY_W0QQitemZ140324645205QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR?hash=item20ac002955&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C72%3A1688%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

Build it up with a touring rim in the rear 36 spokes, 28 -32 mm tyre, you can go lighter weight on the front wheel should be strong as fuck. Prob a bit smaller than ideal but hard to find frame much bigger than 65 cm without going custom. Careful choice of bar + stem should get something comfy. Paint it up nice and ride away, geared or fixed.

EDIT: also tell him not to go bumping up and down curbs.:)

How about a field gate?

Big sun of a gun.

I'll keep a look out round here for large sized frames. I've got a 61cm frame he could have cheap. But he's gonna need a whopper. (or lay off them)

pashley make a large frame guvnor. he could get a cheap deal on the bay though as large frames are nearly always dirt cheap. at a guess i would say he needs a 26-7 inch frame with maybe a tandem hub rear wheel.

sorry if i missed something.

Looks like this wouldve been perfect, sold through the forum last year:

http://www.londonfgss.com/thread9008.html

Im sure you can find another on-one or other branded XL cyclocross frame pretty easily.
Should be big & strong enough. That dawes looked way fragile.

62cm steam roller set-up with strong 36hole mavic A719 touring rims, 28+ tyres. ask slamm he has one (not pictured). wouldn't go with modern sloping geometry.

go custom. that way the right tubeset would used to suit his weight. wouldn't be surprised if it ended up with 2 top tubes though to keep the long steerer tube stiff.

go custom. that way the right tubeset would used to suit his weight. wouldn't be surprised if it ended up with 2 top tubes though to keep the long steerer tube stiff.

I'm 6'6" and near enough to 19 stone and am in love with my Surly Crosscheck, 62 cm of course. Fits me great with a stock 100mm stem on it, might fit a 6'8" bloke, really depends on limb length, but welcome to borrow it for a test ride. I got the complete bike (with gears :0) and have been using the stock wheelset for 12 months now including some CX racing and XC rides with out any major issues.

This is apparently only a 55cm, but I think its measured wrong because it look enormous.

£500 on-one

http://www.planet-x-warehouse.co.uk/acatalog/On-One_inbred_track_bike_Pompino_wheels.html

i thought that 62cm might be a tad too small. how much seat post do you have protruding?

sorry if i missed something.

62 would not be ideal for somebody 6ft 8. you only have to look at the surly pic to see the amount of spacers, the long high rise stem and adding 2in to the seatpost means a bigger frame would be better.

i thought that 62cm might be a tad too small. how much seat post do you have protruding?

sorry if i missed something.

I have about 180mm protruding and find it a really comfortable ride. I'm a rugby player too, and unlike some of the bean poles on here I have a long back and monkey arms with comparatively short legs. The Crosscheck is nice and long through the top-tube, and when combined with a decent stem riding on the hoods is sex wee inducing comfortable.

This is apparently only a 55cm, but I think its measured wrong because it look enormous.

£500 on-one

http://www.planet-x-warehouse.co.uk/acatalog/On-One_inbred_track_bike_Pompino_wheels.html

55cm top tube, not seat tube. Good price that.

35" to 36" inside leg- which surprised me as mine is 34" and I'm a dwarf at 6'2".

How long are your legs JDB/Broker?

custom build, plain gauge tubes, 36h wheels, 28+ tyres, steel

all been said already

I'm 6'7" and 15+ stone with arms/legs/back length all pretty much in proportion (by which I mean my height isn't all in my legs or somesuch). It's possible to buy off-the-peg, I just have to shop around. I ride the following and they fit me well:

2005 Canondale R600 road bike (63cm seat tube, 60cm top tube)
2008 Giant Bowery track bike (XL-size which is 58.5cm seat tube, 61cm top tube)
2008 SE Lager for day-to-day riding (62cm seat tube, not sure about the top tube, but the bull-horns give it plenty of reach)
As a point of interest, the largest Fuji Track (61cm seat tube, 59cm top tube) felt like a child's bike to me.

Hope that's helpful...

Chap at work wants a bike, as you can see in the title he is not small (semi-pro rugby player).

I would not even be able to guess what frame size he would need- and more pertinently who would make a strong frame in such a large size.

The steamroller's largest size is a 62cm which is going to be too small I would think, probably by some margin.

So step forward giants of the forum and dispense advice.

giants of the forum...... thats funny.

Some questions for clarification.

What type of riding will he be doing?
[Long distances, or short commutes, or fast riding, or a mixture]

Does he like steel bikes, or no preference? Geared or single-speed/fixed?

What is the budget?

What is his cycling experience?

My preliminary advice is to buy a steel touring bike, or an aluminium framed bike, from a good maker. I'm only 5'9" and weigh closer to 19stone. Therefore the stresses I put through my Bowery and Capo 5, would exceed what your mate will exert (via weight, but not considering propulsive torque generated).

What type of riding will he be doing?
Commuting to work, at least initially, so a short distance- Clapham to Southwark

Does he like steel bikes, or no preference? Geared or single-speed/fixed?
No preference given

What is the budget?
Three to four hundred quid

What is his cycling experience?
Last bike was a huge Specialised Rockhopper back home in the West Country

I think he needs to try a few out, but bike shops don't tend to keep huge frames as they so seldom sell them.

He might well get a bargain on eBay however.

if looking at the lower end of the market then check the frame warranty. giant and marin have decent warranty departments and are (i think) 5 years or lifetime. at least if he does break a frame they will give him a new one.