I'm around 230lbs. Since I do enjoy biking, I was looking up old school racing bikes on craigslist. Some of the frames are built with "Tange 1" steel which specify weight limits (180lbs). Is it really possible that I might damage the bike if I choose to ride it?
For someone my weight or higher, what kind of bike and/or frame should be used? Is there any concern if an aluminum frame is used? Or does all of this depend on the manufacturing quality (eg, Tange 1 instead of Tange 5)?
Old-school racing bikes (I have two) are not as comfortable as old-school MTBs when you resume riding, especially if you have a bit of a gut. The upright riding position that the vintage MTBs offer (or a modern equivalent) is one of those things that can keep you on the bike until riding a road bike becomes more comfortable.
When I resumed riding (as a middle-aged adult), I was fortunate to get this at a local garage sale for $20:
With the benefit of hindsight, I can tell you that had I resumed riding on an old-school racing bike, I would have certainly quit. I was way out of shape, and the bent-over position required for riding a road bike would have been so uncomfortable that there is no way I would have persevered. But this Peugeot was just what the doctor ordered, no pun intended. I rode it for about 1,400 miles (about 2,250 km) before upgrading to the old-school road bike.
Of course, YMMV, and you didn't mention your height or your age.
BTW, one of my old-school racing bikes has Tange #2 tubes and I am still around 200 lbs. I put about 1,500 miles on that bike, for what it's worth.
Final thought: you may find this subforum helpful. There are (and have been) many folks in the same boat.
When I was racing seriously, I got down to 235 lbs, and am now closer to 275lbs.
I ride a Titanium Litespeed, and classic steel frame bikes. (Have four bikes at the moment).
While I have cracked my Ti frame (and gotten it welded) and broken some steel frames, it is a very rare thing. I.e. Over years of riding regularly, I broke an old steel frame. Replaced it with a similarly old same model frame, and finally just cracked a drop out. Got that one welded, and moved on.
The things where weight matter are usually pedals, since you apply a LOT of force to a fairly small piece of medal. I have broken a couple of seats over the years. I had borrowed my brother in laws Walmart style bike, and I bent the cheap steel seat post (when it was over-extended to make up for small frame size) and I was climbing hard, seated. But that was an extreme example. I bought a cheap replacement from a bike store, of greater quality than the cheapo bike deserved and it was fine.
I'm about your weight. I've ridden an off-the-rack aluminum step-through (Electra Townie, specifically) and a custom steel tourer (also a step-through) and both have served me well. (Step-through frames are not as intrinsically strong as diamond frames; I once read a cycling how-to book that utterly dismissed step-throughs on that sole basis. Whatevs. When that author rides to work in a dress on his diamond-frame bike, he can criticize my step-throughs.) I can't speak to carbon fiber or titanium or exotic frame materials like bamboo, however.
Basically, I concur that you'll be fine. The only thing I'd warn you about based on my own experience is tightening your seatpost clamp; I've had seatposts decide to lower themselves, particularly after bumpy bits of trail. Do also remember to loosen the clamp and move the seatpost every once in a while, so they don't end up forever stuck in place.
Potential bonus: I have never, not even once, been street-hassled over my weight while on a bike. (It's happened while I was a pedestrian, many a time.) I cannot entirely explain this -- it may partly be my penchant for interesting-looking and extremely purple bikes -- but I'm not complaining!
I have a 2013 Trek X Cal and also a 2015 Trek Remedy 9 29er. I'm 6'2", and when I started biking about 8 months ago I weighed 321lbs, now after over a 1000 miles of mountain biking I'm a trimmed down 255lbs. I believe the Treks are also rated at 300 lbs and I have had no problems with either bike. I've also never felt that either frame or rims were being stressed because if my size, and both bikes still feel like race rockets to me, even on my large frame. I've also ridden a couple Santa Cruz and and Kona bikes and they also feel like we'll built bikes to me as well; probably capable of handling larger riders as well.
I have heard from a couple people that the 29er wheels are better for larger people, but I don't really know for sure if that's true?
