Big guy looking at CrossCurrent S

[john peck]

Congrats on losing 80 lbs. that's quite an accomplishment.

I'm shooting for #110. I'm 6'3" & what's left is mostly muscle, but I'll be 70 in a few months. I need to reduce stress to my
embattled joints.

 

[Chris M]

John thats awesome, congrats on the hard work!!

 

[john peck]

I wouldn't recommend what I did to most people. It's dangerous if you have health issues. Much of the time
I was treading a thin line on the verge of passing out from hunger while riding. When I was much younger, I
lost 45 pds. in 24 days. It's a matter of limiting intake to 700/1500 calories while burning 3000 to 4000 daily.
The average white American my age is in no shape to do that. Even at #337 I was riding 40/50 miles
a week. I've easily doubled that with the CCS, and I rarely use the throttle.

 

[Burp]

Old thread, but if you have the same concerns, here's my take: When I first took an interest in the CCS in july. I weight #337.
I wanted something that would haul a bunch of stuff. With a #350 limit I was inspired to lose weight, kissed carbs & sugar
goodbye & began exercising like a fiend. It's now Christmas: I'm 80 pounds lighter, and I love my CCS
P.S. Tires have not been an issue, the stock Kendas perform well on asphalt. CCS is not
really an off road bike, but fine for 'moderate' trails. If I wanted something more substantial,
I'd go with 700/50 schwable mondials or regular marathons. The pluses just don't feel right
for me.

Hi John - thanks for your response.

I received my bike a few days ago. Its a little cold for riding right about now, but I do plan to fight through the cold!
Did you ever go over the 350 pound limit? I am trying to figure out what I would need to carry on my commute and I am a little worried about what additional items could add significant weight. Also, did you ever have a problem with spokes breaking?

I am very motivated by your weight loss story, and hope to report back with similar results as well as a new appreciation for biking and the outdoors!

 

[john peck]

I'm just over 500 miles, never exceeded 350 pds, & cold can be a hassle. Get a ski mask & wear multiple layers + some
sort of eye protection, 'good gloves' a must. The high humidity here seems to treble the chill factor
A stick got flipped into my spokes, broke 2 & bent the derailleur a bit as well. I managed to repair the spokes without removing
the wheel. It's tricky; you can't just put the spoke thru the hole & thread it into the old nipple because the nipple
threads are stripped. What I did was to break the tire bead a lever, & pull the tire & tube out of the way. Here's where it gets tricky. You need
needlenose pliers to insert the new nipple into the hole. If you are not very careful, the nipple will fall inside of the hollow rim. Then
you'll have to jiggle the rim around to get it to drop out at the bottom. Once it's held in place you can thread it onto the spoke.*
As for gear, I ride all the time with panniers, an inframe, & a handlebar bag. I do 90% of my shopping on the bike.(see pic)

*Using the same technique,you can patch the tube without removing the wheel.

 

[Rooster]

Thanks for yet again another insightful post. I have been debating what size pack (I think I have pre-range anxiety, I don't even have a bike yet!) and was expecting to buy a bigger battery any way.

When you + the bike weighed 350 lbs do you feel that you were at the max the bike could handle? I haven't weighed myself + gear +travel accessories and I know I'll be pushing the manufacturers weight limit. I think I'll be ok buy I am not sure.

I am in the same boat as you mentioned - similar distances and evevation to climb. When i order the bike I will plan to order the 11g spokes because I'm expecting to break a few due to amount of riding and weight.

I don't think you need to go to 11 ga spokes,that's a bit of over kill but what ever floats your boat. A good sapim 12 ga installed right should do just fine but I guess if that's what you want I would do the research first. Good luck

 

[john peck]

Just an after thought, If you look closely at my bike you'll see I have a double footed kickstand as well as the stock one.
Using it allows me to lift the rear off the ground. the battery weight will hold it that way so I can work on the wheel
or derailleur. Put weight on the rack & it will rock back lifting the front wheel.