Answered Am I too heavy for an ebike?

[SolePassenger]

With insurance and gas prices soaring where I live I've been looking into buying a ebike for my commute to and from work and hitting the trails when I can. I used to go biking all the time as a kid and I want to get back into it, This is as much a health thing as it is transportation for me. Problem is I'm currently 128kg and most bikes I see say 120kg max. I've been loosing weight (down 4.2kg so far! Woo) so I don't doubt that I will be under 120kg eventually. But I'm worried my current weight might be too much for the bike.

Anyone have any thoughts or experiences with a rider of my weight?

 

[friartuckshop]

i second that recommendation about upgrading the wheel set. get a set with a decent and strong freehub, and you wont have any issues. I am 136 kegs, and i jump and do some 1m + drops on my giant e-trance no worries, pump the shocks up to the max and get out there.

 

[skullforger]

A lot of completely opposite opinions here...
Some say stick to hardtail if you’re very heavy, others say 140kg is no problem even with full suspension premium bikes that have carbon weight bearing components like the S-works Turbo Levo.
I am 125kg and very worried about maxing out psi on the rear shock. Also, I think I want a 700Wh battery so that basically limits my choice to the Specialized Turbo Levo Expert (which has a weight limit of only 109kg!) I have included soms screenshots from the Specialized Weight Limit PDF. Any thoughts on these concerns? Any insight would be much appreciated.

 

[davarello]

A lot of completely opposite opinions here...
Some say stick to hardtail if you’re very heavy, others say 140kg is no problem even with full suspension premium bikes that have carbon weight bearing components like the S-works Turbo Levo.
I am 125kg and very worried about maxing out psi on the rear shock. Also, I think I want a 700Wh battery so that basically limits my choice to the Specialized Turbo Levo Expert (which has a weight limit of only 109kg!) I have included soms screenshots from the Specialized Weight Limit PDF. Any thoughts on these concerns? Any insight would be much appreciated.

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I weigh about the same and I run my alloy Levo Comp at 250psi on the rear, nowhere near the limit and probably too much sag, but never bottom out. Likewise the forks are at 110 psi instead of the recommended 140 or so, no issues,but I am just trail riding with relatively small jumps and step downs to deal with. As for the 700wh battery, maybe wait to see if any alloy 2020 models come with one?

 

[AndyH]

A lot of completely opposite opinions here...
Some say stick to hardtail if you’re very heavy, others say 140kg is no problem even with full suspension premium bikes that have carbon weight bearing components like the S-works Turbo Levo.
I am 125kg and very worried about maxing out psi on the rear shock. Also, I think I want a 700Wh battery so that basically limits my choice to the Specialized Turbo Levo Expert (which has a weight limit of only 109kg!) I have included soms screenshots from the Specialized Weight Limit PDF. Any thoughts on these concerns? Any insight would be much appreciated.

View attachment 16208 View attachment 16209

Have you spoken to Specialized? I ask as when I querying shock travel on my Levo, I was told the rear shock can “easily take 20 stone”... may be worth a discussion but I suspect you’ll be fine.

 

[SlowNoob]

I bought my Orange alpine 6E Pro when I was 172kg. Not sure what the manufacturer rating is, but I’m sure it will be a lot less than that. Had the forks and shocks pumped up to max at the shop when I bought it. On really rutted ground I was banging my pedals a lot due to too much sag (also probably bad technique) but on anything even half smooth it’s been fine. The only other problem I’ve had is wearing the two smallest rear cogs out prematurely. Again I think this was more due to my riding style, and not wanting to spin my feet at a decent cadence. Now that my rear cassette and chain have been replaced I am so used to doing 15mph in 8th gear that the last two cogs I previously wore out are now pretty much unused.
I’m now 158kg, and the more weight I lose, the more agile on the bike I feel, and the more fun it is becoming to ride. I’ve pretty much decided to leave my suspension on the stiffest setting until I’ve lost enough weight to have it dialled in properly

 

[Rockstar]

I’m exactly at the weight limit for the specialized Levo expert and so far I haven’t had any issues. I’m strictly a trail rider with an occasional smaller hit or drop 1-3 foot. I love this sport and having an ebike has made it possible after surgery and subsequent weight gain to get back on the trail and shed some kilos