Heavy Newbie Help.....

[kazvet]

Hi,

So to introduce myself. I am a 51 year old female, not been on a bike for 25 years, 145kg but going down rapidly in weight (diet and walking), 172 cm tall

Whilst researching into getting an e-bike suitable for my weight (eg Whoosh Big Bear etc), I came across a 4 year old Gazelle Orange C7 + HMB on eBay. Frame size 53cm, lowstep. It is in pristine condition, has only done 234 miles. Been stored in a garage and the 400wH battery has been charged regularly.
Bosch active line mid frame motor, shimano 7 speed hub gears, hydraulic rim brakes etc. All the bells and whistles really, was 2k new (have receipt from seller). And on the spur of the moment and ignoring everything I had learnt during my research, I made a cheeky best offer that was accepted!

So I now own this lovely e-bike, but when I rode it for the first time, the tyres flattened with my weight whilst riding it- oops. It has Schwalbe city Lite tyres on it (which are like new) and when I looked a the maximum inflation pressure on the sidewall of the tyre it give 4.5 bar as the max. (65psi) On 65 psi, the tyres still squish quite a bit with my weight and so I would be very nervous of hitting even small lumps or bumps in the road and damaging the rims.

Do I need to change my tyres or is it safe to pump them harder than 65psi and how high should /can I go? Looking online there is mention of pressures much higher than 65psi....
Have I made a mistake buying a regular ebike being so overweight? I am a complete clueless newbie when it comes to bicycles.... Please help!

Any help

 

[RoadieRoger]

Kazvet you have a very nice Ebike there . I wasn`t familiar with this machine, but have just googled it . I don`t know where you are situated, but Electric Bikes , Guildford are Agents . On their Site I notice they say the 2020 model has now gone to wider tyres which would be a move in the right direction for heavier people . I notice on American Sites the figure of 300 lb. and 330 lb. quoted for maximum weights for Riders`.
I would not want to ride the tyre on an Ebike inflated to 65 psi . Normally the ride would be very hard and for the risk of damage if you went over something sharp and the Innertube burst .
This does not solve your problem however .
You say that you are losing weight rapidly and I think that you should continue with this good work for a bit longer . In the meanwhile I would give the Guildford people a call and ask their advice and beforehand look at the size information on your tyre sidewall and have this to hand before you inquire .
I am sure the thought of riding that lovely bike will spur you on even more . Good luck .

 

[Andy-Mat]

Hi,

So to introduce myself. I am a 51 year old female, not been on a bike for 25 years, 145kg but going down rapidly in weight (diet and walking), 172 cm tall

Whilst researching into getting an e-bike suitable for my weight (eg Whoosh Big Bear etc), I came across a 4 year old Gazelle Orange C7 + HMB on eBay. Frame size 53cm, lowstep. It is in pristine condition, has only done 234 miles. Been stored in a garage and the 400wH battery has been charged regularly.
Bosch active line mid frame motor, shimano 7 speed hub gears, hydraulic rim brakes etc. All the bells and whistles really, was 2k new (have receipt from seller). And on the spur of the moment and ignoring everything I had learnt during my research, I made a cheeky best offer that was accepted!

So I now own this lovely e-bike, but when I rode it for the first time, the tyres flattened with my weight whilst riding it- oops. It has Schwalbe city Lite tyres on it (which are like new) and when I looked a the maximum inflation pressure on the sidewall of the tyre it give 4.5 bar as the max. (65psi) On 65 psi, the tyres still squish quite a bit with my weight and so I would be very nervous of hitting even small lumps or bumps in the road and damaging the rims.

Do I need to change my tyres or is it safe to pump them harder than 65psi and how high should /can I go? Looking online there is mention of pressures much higher than 65psi....
Have I made a mistake buying a regular ebike being so overweight? I am a complete clueless newbie when it comes to bicycles.... Please help!

Any help

You should be fine with the maximum pressure, and unlikely to damage the rims, though you are probably over the recommended weight!
Companies like to play safe.
You may want to insure yourself, just to be safe....
The bike will become part of your "Losing weight Regime", and you will also have a lot of fun.
Forest roads may be a no no till you have got down close to 100Kg, but who cares.
It sounds like you were lucky with your purchase, though I have not actually seen the bike myself anywhere....!
Have fun.
Regards
Andy

 

[Bonzo Banana]

I think for tyres I would go with the maximum size tyres that the bike will take and choose heavy thick tyres with thick sidewalls not tyres that sell on lightness and speed. A tyre normally states half the pressure it will fail at as its maximum pressure, i.e. 60PSI would be around 120PSI where it failed either by damaging the rim or just the rubber itself tearing.

Bosch motors have a fairly poor reliability reputation especially older models and can have huge repair bills. I would see this as the main factor for waiting until you lose more weight before using the bike but there could also be weaknesses in the frame, forks and wheels for such a high weight but the motor would be my main concern. I would google the exact model of Bosch motor to see what is stated about it. Some Bosch motors are more reliable and more durable than others, the internal design can vary quite a lot and you may find advice how to treat the motor well to prevent motor failure. The best motor for heavy riders is often a direct drive hub motor because of its size and simplicity. Not always the best motor for getting heavy people up hills though just a more durable simple design.

Don't let me worry you though. If the bike is in good working condition and you treat it carefully it should be fine and at 145kg you are only just outside the 136kg/300lb limit of many bikes.

 

[vfr400]

Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres are hard as nails. You won't get any problems with them. They're puncture proof, which is a big advantage, and they last forever.

 

[WheezyRider]

Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres are hard as nails. You won't get any problems with them. They're puncture proof, which is a big advantage, and they last forever.

And get the widest ones you can get away with.

 

[D C]

Don't let me worry you

I think you just have

 

[kazvet]

Not that worried apparently. After reading all the replies, I decided to just go for it and enjoy the bike. Pumped tyres up to 65psi, avoided as many rough bits in the road as I could and all seems fine even, with the tyres still looking a little squished. No big hills planned in my near future, just gentle inclines. Mainly on eco and went 10 miles #jellylegs Battery says it still has enough juice for 30 more miles, so I must have been putting in some effort. If spokes, rims, tyres etc give uo the ghost, I will replace them with the widest toughest ones I can, but for now, I am just going to have fun and cycle this weight off... Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it and glad I found this forum. I am sure you will hear from me again soon enough!

 

[Greenpotterer]

Hi Kazvet
As another new convert to ebiking and also looking to lose weight, good luck on your journey. Firstly I'd say it's difficult to eat anything substantial whilst riding. So even the act of cycling helps beside the loss of a few of a few calories and the release of the endorphins. On the tyre front I was under the impression that the higher tyre pressures reduced the likely hood of " pinch punctures". I had more punctures on my mountain bike running 2.25in at 45psi than my road bike running 1in tyres at 100psi. Was a lot lighter then though only 100kg.

 

[Gavin]

@kazvet and @Greenpotterer, please don't stress too much about the weight thing. If you get a pinch puncture....so what. You fix it. If you ping a few spokes....so what. You replace them.

Granted, you should take it easy and maybe avoid the downhill routes, but in my opinion the most important thing is that you're out enjoying your bikes and improving your fitness.

Welcome to the fantastic world of ebikes