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05/12/2015 07:19:07 PM · #101 |
Originally posted by vawendy:
Do you have any thoughts on this? I'd like to go harder/faster/longer, but have bad neck and shoulders. Have you had success with anything and can give any input? |
I prefer drop bars because I have problems with numbness on upright bars. If this is the same for you, and the problem is that you are leaned over too far there are drop bar bikes that can be set up more upright. Next time you go into the shop, ask about a Gravel Grinder or a touring bike. They have wider tires and a much smoother and more comfortable ride than a performance oriented road bike. Also lots of braze on mounts for racks, bags and gadgets. My Volpe and Crosscut are a good examples of Gravel Grinders, though they are both older bikes.
 
The Surly Straggler keeps making winky eyes at me everytime I go into the bike shop, but the Volpe was 1/10th the price from a Craigslist ad..
Message edited by author 2015-05-12 19:20:37.
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05/12/2015 07:31:28 PM · #102 |
Originally posted by vawendy:
They ride 14-16 mph and say that really you need a road bike to keep up with them. |
I found that once I had the right tires on the Volpe (NOT knobbies) it became nearly as lively and speedy as my road bikes with a lot more comfort.
Handlebars can also make a huge difference. I have these Nitto B135's on three bikes and they are super comfortable because of the way they make the brake hoods angle out a little. These are a variety of handlebars referred to as randonneuring bars.
The Crosscut has Salsa Woodchippers, which have a very similar outward tilt. These are part of a class of bars called dirt drops, a drop bar intended for a mountain bike.
Message edited by author 2015-05-12 19:38:39.
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05/13/2015 12:02:36 AM · #103 |
I recommend this one.
You tube, Gissy Bike.
But I ride an old 27" Schwinn World Sport. It seems to fit me perfectly, and cruises nicely in Florida's flat terrain. I bought it used in 1976.
Message edited by author 2015-05-13 00:06:30. |
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05/13/2015 12:42:29 AM · #104 |
| Wendy, I started with a hybrid and eventually moved to a road bike. I say road bike, but make sure you get it fitted! I also have neck and shoulder issues. I try to change positions, move my hands around, sit up now and then, etc. On a really long ride, you'll still get sore. Ibuprofen. :) |
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05/13/2015 09:55:52 AM · #105 |
Originally posted by vawendy:
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Originally posted by vawendy:
I'd like to go harder/faster/longer, but have bad neck and shoulders. |
Have you considered one of those weird-looking recumbent bikes? Pedaling is like doing a leg-press so there should be no strain on the neck and shoulders other than to steer. |
Naw -- The thing is I want to go faster to be able to ride with groups, etc. They ride 14-16 mph and say that really you need a road bike to keep up with them. Some say the fitness will work. But either way, the comfort bike can't begin to, because you get a lot more power when you're leaning over. Recumbent would be even slower. |
A road bike gives you the least resistance to going fast, usually at the expense of comfort. Bent over riding position vs. relaxed upright position, narrow high pressure tires vs. wider cushy tires, wide padded seat vs. narrow hard seat and so on.
You don't get more power when leaning forward, you get less wind resistance. Same power pushing less air. |
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05/13/2015 10:26:50 AM · #106 |
200+ mph on a bicycle? That looks scary as all Hell... |
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05/13/2015 10:48:27 AM · #107 |
A little astray from the current thread, but it's interesting to note that 3 out of the top 10, and 4 out of the top 15 finishers in the Selective Desaturation III challenge have bikes in them. They make pretty interesting subjects.
On the subject of upright v a leaned over position on the bike, I've always heard that on long rides, the leaned over position is better. Riding upright causes more compression to your spine as you hit bumps on the road/trail. Riding upright, however, does seem to be easier on the neck and shoulders.
Going faster is about rolling resistance, and wind resistance. A road bike with drop bars, and skinny tires pumped up to 110-120 psi is the best on both counts. That said, I sure have a lot of fun on my mountain bike! |
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05/13/2015 01:22:48 PM · #108 |
RIGHT! (good points) When I was choosing and then was fitted on my most recent bike, I was under the impression that I wanted to be more upright - but the gentleman who was fitting the bike indicated that an arched spine was more balanced and better on the spine. It was literally a stretch for me to get properly low in the drop-bars but it has proven to be beneficial and probably added to my flexibility. And as I mentioned previously in this thread, regular riding has improved my troubled back noticeably! =) I highly recommend getting properly fitted for your bike!
Another benefit to the drop-bars is that for someone with even mild carpal-tunnel, it allows for more of a handshake position of the hand. Personally, this is much more comfortable and matches-up well my nerdy carpal-tunnel mouse.
Originally posted by twmax:
On the subject of upright v a leaned over position on the bike, I've always heard that on long rides, the leaned over position is better. Riding upright causes more compression to your spine as you hit bumps on the road/trail. Riding upright, however, does seem to be easier on the neck and shoulders. |
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05/13/2015 03:22:56 PM · #109 |
A drop bar allows for a greater variety of hand positions...hands on the top of the bar, hands on the drops or hands resting on the brake hoods...with a flat bar, you pretty much get one position and that's it.
Originally posted by tate:
RIGHT! (good points) When I was choosing and then was fitted on my most recent bike, I was under the impression that I wanted to be more upright - but the gentleman who was fitting the bike indicated that an arched spine was more balanced and better on the spine. It was literally a stretch for me to get properly low in the drop-bars but it has proven to be beneficial and probably added to my flexibility. And as I mentioned previously in this thread, regular riding has improved my troubled back noticeably! =) I highly recommend getting properly fitted for your bike!
Another benefit to the drop-bars is that for someone with even mild carpal-tunnel, it allows for more of a handshake position of the hand. Personally, this is much more comfortable and matches-up well my nerdy carpal-tunnel mouse.
Originally posted by twmax:
On the subject of upright v a leaned over position on the bike, I've always heard that on long rides, the leaned over position is better. Riding upright causes more compression to your spine as you hit bumps on the road/trail. Riding upright, however, does seem to be easier on the neck and shoulders. |
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05/13/2015 03:55:33 PM · #110 |
Originally posted by Spork99:
Originally posted by vawendy:
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Originally posted by vawendy:
I'd like to go harder/faster/longer, but have bad neck and shoulders. |
Have you considered one of those weird-looking recumbent bikes? Pedaling is like doing a leg-press so there should be no strain on the neck and shoulders other than to steer. |
Naw -- The thing is I want to go faster to be able to ride with groups, etc. They ride 14-16 mph and say that really you need a road bike to keep up with them. Some say the fitness will work. But either way, the comfort bike can't begin to, because you get a lot more power when you're leaning over. Recumbent would be even slower. |
A road bike gives you the least resistance to going fast, usually at the expense of comfort. Bent over riding position vs. relaxed upright position, narrow high pressure tires vs. wider cushy tires, wide padded seat vs. narrow hard seat and so on.
You don't get more power when leaning forward, you get less wind resistance. Same power pushing less air. |
You do get more power. When you're on an upright bicycle, you're only using part of your legs. When you're bent over on a road bike, you can not only use a bit of a different part of your legs, more thighs, but the glutes are actually engaged as well. |
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05/13/2015 08:19:24 PM · #111 |
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05/13/2015 08:57:27 PM · #112 |
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05/14/2015 12:50:27 AM · #113 |
| The bike may have zero emissions; the rider not so much. :-) |
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05/14/2015 08:17:49 AM · #114 |
Originally posted by vawendy:
Originally posted by Spork99:
Originally posted by vawendy:
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Originally posted by vawendy:
I'd like to go harder/faster/longer, but have bad neck and shoulders. |
Have you considered one of those weird-looking recumbent bikes? Pedaling is like doing a leg-press so there should be no strain on the neck and shoulders other than to steer. |
Naw -- The thing is I want to go faster to be able to ride with groups, etc. They ride 14-16 mph and say that really you need a road bike to keep up with them. Some say the fitness will work. But either way, the comfort bike can't begin to, because you get a lot more power when you're leaning over. Recumbent would be even slower. |
A road bike gives you the least resistance to going fast, usually at the expense of comfort. Bent over riding position vs. relaxed upright position, narrow high pressure tires vs. wider cushy tires, wide padded seat vs. narrow hard seat and so on.
You don't get more power when leaning forward, you get less wind resistance. Same power pushing less air. |
You do get more power. When you're on an upright bicycle, you're only using part of your legs. When you're bent over on a road bike, you can not only use a bit of a different part of your legs, more thighs, but the glutes are actually engaged as well. |
If you are used to riding in one position and suddenly switch to a different riding position, you will NOT make more power as those other muscles you're now engaging are not conditioned for cycling. The drop bar gives you the opportunity to develop those muscles, but until you do, the sole advantage is wind resistance. |
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05/14/2015 08:20:12 AM · #115 |
You also might want to consider a helmet cam
Especially considering that even the best US states get a "D" for bicycle friendliness. |
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05/14/2015 09:51:09 AM · #116 |
The rain finally cleared so I could try my new bike! It was fun, though I'm badly out of shape and the path we decided to follow had some not-so-beginner-friendly climbs. Came home and decided I definitely was done for the day - so of course, an hour later we took the bikes down to the city centre for an international food market.
Ok, so NOW I'm done for the day... my butt definitely tells me so. :-) |
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05/14/2015 11:04:04 AM · #117 |
Originally posted by wejna:
The rain finally cleared so I could try my new bike! It was fun, though I'm badly out of shape and the path we decided to follow had some not-so-beginner-friendly climbs. Came home and decided I definitely was done for the day - so of course, an hour later we took the bikes down to the city centre for an international food market.
Ok, so NOW I'm done for the day... my butt definitely tells me so. :-) |
//www.cloud9seats.com/ |
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05/14/2015 11:37:37 AM · #118 |
Is that valley in the middle for ventilation? That seems important. |
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05/14/2015 11:46:16 AM · #119 |
Originally posted by aliqui:
Is that valley in the middle for ventilation? That seems important. |
They're for relief so you don't put pressure on the nerves that run through that area. I don't know what the effect is for women, but for guys...let's just say parts can go numb without it |
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05/14/2015 12:02:33 PM · #120 |
Originally posted by Spork99:
Originally posted by aliqui:
Is that valley in the middle for ventilation? That seems important. |
They're for relief so you don't put pressure on the nerves that run through that area. I don't know what the effect is for women, but for guys...let's just say parts can go numb without it |
Definitely the most comfortable seat I've ever owned. The combination of anatomical relief valley, gel-cushions and dual-springs really does make for one heck of a cushy seat. |
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05/14/2015 01:18:32 PM · #121 |
Originally posted by Cory:
Originally posted by Spork99:
Originally posted by aliqui:
Is that valley in the middle for ventilation? That seems important. |
They're for relief so you don't put pressure on the nerves that run through that area. I don't know what the effect is for women, but for guys...let's just say parts can go numb without it |
Definitely the most comfortable seat I've ever owned. The combination of anatomical relief valley, gel-cushions and dual-springs really does make for one heck of a cushy seat. |
The most comfortable bike seat I ever owned was a traditional Brooks leather saddle. It was also one of the most uncomfortable seats I've ever owned until it got broken in.
I prefer a more traditional seat. The "comfort" seats always felt like someone was trying to shove an overstuffed couch up my rear. |
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05/14/2015 01:48:57 PM · #122 |
I've settled on a Cube or Ghost hybrid, like the look of the Ghost X5, Diuk and me will get exactly the same one so as not to have any jealousy issues :-)
Hope the dogs can keep up with us. |
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05/14/2015 02:17:40 PM · #123 |
Originally posted by Spork99:
Originally posted by aliqui:
Is that valley in the middle for ventilation? That seems important. |
They're for relief so you don't put pressure on the nerves that run through that area. I don't know what the effect is for women, but for guys...let's just say parts can go numb without it |
Hm, curtains. |
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05/14/2015 04:50:10 PM · #124 |
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05/14/2015 07:31:11 PM · #125 |
Originally posted by Spork99:
The most comfortable bike seat I ever owned was a traditional Brooks leather saddle. It was also one of the most uncomfortable seats I've ever owned until it got broken in. |
Another Brooks fan here. I have leather saddles on all but one bike, and most are variations of the Brooks B17. Even new I find the B17 fairly comfortable and after about 500 miles they have just enough flex to the leather that everything else aches before my butt does.
For those that have never tried a hard leather saddle, it may seem counter intuitive. You would think more cushiness would be more comfortable, but this doesn't work like an easy chair. Those deep cushy gel and foam saddles tend to compress the soft tissues and nerves in your butt, causing ache on long rides. With a leather saddle however, you sit on your sit bones and the rest of your tush is suspended in the softest thing there is: air.
The best comparison I can can make is to a wooden chair or bench. Are you extremely uncomfortable on a wooden chair?
With usage, they break in to fit your personal anatomy even better. They aren't for everyone, however. If you buy one and don't like it, they are easy to sell on the used market for just knocking a modest amount off of the new price.
I haven't ever needed the relief cutout myself, but I have known some guys that have. Brooks does make several "Imperial" models that have a cutout.
Message edited by author 2015-05-14 19:34:32.
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