Any good ?

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torover

New Member
Hi I'm very overweight 50 year old looking to get fit and do a bit of cycling
A friend of a friend has a bike for sale a Carva Milano road bike
Now question is I'm 5 11' and 19 stone do you think I'm too heavy for a road bike and more specifically this bike ?
 
You might need to get stronger wheels but the stock ones won't fold under you, you might just find you're breaking spokes quite often.

I don't know the bike brand so can't comment on that, but frames are usually fine TBH.

If you like it and it's the right size I'd get it, ride it as it is, and see how you go.
Then if you are having spoke issues just bang a pair of 36 spoke wheels on and you'll be sound as a pound.
 

DCLane

Found in the Yorkshire hills ...
It's from Muddyfox so won't be light. Downtube shifters rather than more modern ones (or since the 1990's).

It's a very basic bike tbh, but might work as a starting option.

Note re. upgrading wheels: the ones on this bike will be 7 speed and it's harder to get a 7 speed cassette.
 
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torover

New Member
Yes I understand it's not a top bike but for an old bloke like me to start off I thought it would do a job
I'll maybe still go for it it's cheap so if it's no good it's no big loss just don't want wheels buckling under the strain that's all
 

SkipdiverJohn

Deplorable Brexiteer
Location
London
Given the weight of the OP, I would have thought a used 26" rigid MTB from the 1990's would be a better choice as the wheels should not need to be replaced, and if a 6 x 3, 18-speed freewheel transmission is chosen there will be no cost or availability issues with things like freewheels.
Downtube shifters are fine if you grew up riding bikes fitted with them, but if you are new to them as an adult they are not especially user-friendly and there is a tendency to take your eyes off the road and look down to use them, which might not be a wise thing to do in some situations.. We have been spoilt in recent years with indexed, thumb operated gear changers.
 
Ah ok I'd assumed it was an ok brand, now I know it's a BSO I wouldn't advocate either buying it or spending any money on it if you did.

Second hand would be a good way to go, (more bike for your buck), and don't be put off the road bike option if that's what you want, (just not the Carva though), and bear the wheels in mind like I said.
 
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Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
Please please don't buy anything from Sports Direct. It's not a bike shop and if anything goes wrong which it probably will they don't have the necessary expertise to deal with it.
If your want buy from a national chain Halfords or Decathlon are much better bets in fact Decathlon have some of the best value bikes out there and I think they let you try them out.
Most bikes over £250 should have decent enough wheels to support you.
Try to get a saddle that suits you even if that means buying a replacement.

Edit: sorry misread your post you're buying used but advice still stands. If you want to dip your toe second hand can throw up a few bargains. Try to buy one that hasn't had much use. Sometimes bikes are bought on a whim then thrown in a shed.
Make sure you get the correct size which will be around a 56cm - 58cm in your case.

Just to translate BSO stands for Bicycle Shaped Object! In other words not a proper bike.
 
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DCLane

Found in the Yorkshire hills ...
Yes I understand it's not a top bike but for an old bloke like me to start off I thought it would do a job
I'll maybe still go for it it's cheap so if it's no good it's no big loss just don't want wheels buckling under the strain that's all

That's fine - value-wise it's worth a maximum of £50 if everything works. Good as a starter so long as you recognise the limitations.
 

SkipdiverJohn

Deplorable Brexiteer
Location
London
Just to translate BSO stands for Bicycle Shaped Object! In other words not a proper bike.

The term BSO is very much overused in a derogatory manner in cycling circles, often to demean bikes that are merely cheap, not absolute junk. Don't fall into the trap of believing that every cheap bike is a BSO; some are, some are not.
As a general rule anything ultra cheap built with suspension will be junk, but a lot of cheap rigids are perfectly functional machines. Muddy Fox also used to make some pretty decent bikes before they became a cheap retail brand. I've got a 25+ year old Halfords Apollo rigid MTB which definitely isn't a BSO either, or it wouldn't have lasted as long as it has.
I also know of a £95 Muddy Fox 26" rigid MTB bought from Sports Direct that has clocked up a lot of commuting mileage, with nothing wearing out apart from the cheapo knobbly tyres that all such bikes come with. I wouldn't buy any of their suspension stuff though, since Ashley bought the brand name.
 
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If you're a cycling novice, a good place to go for a used bike is a bike co-operative. These places fettle and sell on bikes relatively inexpensively, usually as part of a community project. You'll get advice on choosing the right bike, just like you would in a bike shop, and, if it's your cup of tea, they may well run basic maintenance classes and such like.

Do a search online, there may well be one near you.

A bad bike (heavy, ill-fitting, unreliable) will put anyone off cycling. A good bike (the one that's right for you) will be a smile a mile. :smile:
 
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