[cyclust]

I'm a big ol' boy myself [290 lbs] and have ridden lightweight racing bikes for years w/o problems. I stay away from superlight wheels and things like carbon seatposts, but most stuff holds up fine. The Touring bike you metioned would be a great all-around bike for a big guy, but it may slow him down a bit. His height may be a problem, I don't know what their biggest size is in that model. A CAAD frame from Cannondale would probably work just fine, if built with good sturdy parts and wheels. Another bike to look at is a Synapse. It splits the difference between a racing bike and a touring bike, sort of a "sport tourer".