Road Cycling - Comfort Road Bike

I was wondering what you would recommend.

I went to three places and had the following recommendations:

2 of them recommended Specialized Sequoia (expert or sport)

1 recommended Cannondale R600 sport

I am leaning towards the Sequoia due to price difference, and I may have to get the sport.

Is there another bike you would recommend that is more of a comfort fit road bike like the Sequoia? The top tup is angled to give more clearance and puts you in a more upright position (not the best for racing). But the fact is I will being using mostly for fitness.

I would consider a used bike also like the Giant OCR2?

Hi Zorph,

Sloping top tubes almost never give you a more upright position- they just provide more standover clearance. That's not a BAD thing... just remember that it doesn't necessarily give you a higher handlebar.

If you want some information about what to look for in a comfortable road bike, try the links at the bottom of my post. Lots of good stuff there. Good luck in your shopping!

Ok, I read all those articles and I think I understand the basics. But the problem is when I go get fitted at these stores they always want to sell what they have.

I have short legs 30 inch inseam but tall upper body 6 foot tall.
Arms are pretty long also 34 inches with pretty good flexibility.

They take my measurements but they basically all just conclude that I should get a bike that is design more for comfort R600 or Sequioa. Being new to road bikes I don't know which bikes would feel good to me after riding them for 20 miles.

since you have a longer torso you'd probably need a longer top tube than what is normally found on bikes matching a 30" inseam. If you are leaning towards the Cannondale though, I'm pretty sure you can get them to custom build you a frame with the measurements you require...

Also, do you mean comfort as in "fit" or a "comfortable ride" over long distances...

I've ridden a CAAD 5 for a week and I was sore! lol...it was a great bike and "fit" my measurements great...but really a stiff ride. I've also ridden a CAAD7 R3000 and was a definate improvement in the comfort level of aluminum, but was still very stiff...good luck!

I am looking at something that is comfortable to ride. Ideally I would like to ride atleast 5 days a week for an hour or two at a time minimum.

I will not be racing anyone and don't need a bike to be light at all.

Maybe you should look at a Softride? They are expensive, but they do ride softly. Also, if you want a softer ride, try tubulars.......

I agree you may want to consider a bike with a longer top tube. Lemond would be one choice, There are others. Look at the specs on websites then make sure they are measured the same way, for example, center to center.

Also if you wear pants with a 30" inseam that is not your inseam insofar as bicycles are concerned. Go to www.wrenchscience.com for an explanation and sizing. No cost involved.

Don't underestimate the importance of fit and service when dealing with bike shops. If they try to sell you what they have perhaps they do not have your best interests in mind.

Hi Zorph and welcome to BikeForums.

You say you want a bike for fitness but want comfort too.
Do you mean comfort like a nice easy chair or soft sofa? Then the Softride may be for you.
Or do you mean a comfortable saddle on a bike that has a comfortable riding position? No saddle is going to be comfortable to you the first time you ride. You have to build up the part of your body that does the sitting. This takes time.
You don't want a soft, over-stuffed or gel-filled saddle.
You want a firm but somewhat soft saddle. A soft saddle will get uncomfortable before you've gone 10 miles.
Do a search for saddle discussions on BikeForums to see what others are riding.


Are you thinking you need a comfortable bike because of your age or a health condition?
If you are in good health then age doesn't count. I'm 58 and there are several others here even older. You can read about the saddles we use in the above mentioned search.


But the problem is when I go get fitted at these stores they always want to sell what they have.
If that's the way they do business then it's time to go to another bike shop.


BTW: I'm 6' and my inseam is also 30" so your body proportions aren't unusual.

I hope this helps. If not, post a little more information so we can offer more suggestions.

Thanks for the advise. I was saying 30 inseam as a relative number compared to my height. Both places said I should look at 54cm (medium) bikes.

I am looking for a road bike that is more towards comfort and reliability. Instead of no flex, light and fast.

I road a mountain bike last year for fitness and thought I would be better off with a road bike this year.

The reason being that my hands and wrist hurt riding my mountain bike (99% on the road). With a road bike I can move my hands around more reducing the stress.

Road bikes are much more efficient than mountain bikes on the road. I have been told that they are more comfortable (less pain after you get use to them) for riding long distance.

Again thanks for all the help.

Originally posted by Zorph
Both places said I should look at 54cm (medium) bikes.

FYI: Both my bikes are either 57 or 58 cm. I'm at work right now and can't remember which.


Do as DonTx suggested. Go to www.wrenchscience.com and do the bike fit. It's about half way down the page on the right side. It's pretty accurate.

Originally posted by Zorph


I am looking for a road bike that is more towards comfort and reliability. Instead of no flex, light and fast.

Try some steel bikes.Lemond,bianchi, Fuji,KHS Jamis. and I think Specialized has some

Hi Zorph

A few thoughts on your situation:

1. Comfort on bike is determined in large part by the height of the handlebar relative to the seat. If the bar is too low, you suffer hand pain since too much weight is on your hands. With the bar at or approx. 1 cm above the seat, less weight is on your hands. I believe this is good guidance for riding long distances.

Therefore, get as large as frame as you can, to get as big a headtube as possible. A 56 cm (22") center to top fits me better than a 21" (53.4 cm) & I have a 30" inseam.

2. The LBS should listen to what you want to do on your bike, and see how you ride (this probably entails riding with you), rather than just take measurements. This takes more time, so you may want to look around for a LBS doing this. I got this piece of advice from a LBS when I asked about how he would fit a Waterford or Heron.

3. Look at the Waterford site at their Adventure cycle model (T1900). It has a good discussion how a sloped top tube helps in raising the handle bars.

4. Finally, your long arms may require a long stem. Stem length is usually the adjustable parameter to get the correct saddle to handlebar length.

Good luck in your search

John Hawrylak
Woodstown NJ

I think that even after you are "fit" to a road bike, compact frame or traditional frame, it takes some time in the saddle to adjust to the positioning. I did not feel "comfortable" on my road bike until almost the 6 month mark. Initially I felt like I was falling on my face, my back hurt, my hands, arms, and shoulders were numb, my fanny was sore all the time. As I rode more, I settled into some kind of adjustment and no longer had these symptoms. I found myself sliding my saddle back and comfortably assuming a relaxed position on the bike. After a while it seemed natural.

As far as "smoothness", steel/carbon offer a smooth ride, but adding a carbon fork or seatpost to aluminum can also smooth out the ride. Tire tread and width can also add to the comfort of the ride as can good padding (gel or cork) plus good gloves on the handlebars. Of course, the saddle selection will be a high priority as well in getting comfortable. You could even add a suspension seatpost if you wanted to go that far, say for touring or commuting.

If you look at what long distance endurance/touring riders use, most of them put the bars about 1" or so below the level of the saddle. Going lower will be more aerodynamic, but this matters less at lower speeds.
If you put the bars higher than the saddle, you may put too much weight on your butt and you will lose some bike control.
As far as length goes, even bikes the same "size" can vary in length. Chose a model which is proportionately long for its height.
You can also achieve a longer bike by getting a larger frame. Most road bikes have plenty of crotch clearance, and compact-style bikes are designed to give a normal length, with 6" of clearance. By getting a slightly larger size, you still have adaquate crotch clearance , but more length.

If you still have your MTB, you can use that as a guide for fitting. Measure the length from saddle nose to bar grips, and compare with saddle-nose to brake hoods of drop bars, when your saddle is in the equivelent position.

Do you need or want a triple chainset for easier pedalling, and fenders for riding in the rain ?

Sequoia expert is a good choice.You know they have a second set of brake handles on top of the bar for more upright riding but still has the drops to use to.Pretty cool.

STEEL ( STEEL ALLOY) FRAMES FOR COMFORT!!!!!

Ride Smooth
Pat

Many people in my club are showing up on new Sequoias. They have the extra brake levers for a touring type hand position on top of the bars. They also have a suspension seatpost. They have all the threaded holes for racks, too. I would get the model with the Shimano 105 group, or the "Elite" with Ultegra.
My Lemond Zurich is a very comfortable ride after having an aluminum bike. It really depends on how each bike feels for you. Ride as many as you can, and determine what you want based on the one that feels the best for you. You can make changes to your riding postion with a different stem. I like a "touring" position, so my Zurich has an 80 cm, 17 degree stem.

I dont think the suspension seatpost do much if anything on paved roads.

An alternative to suspension seatposts is the Brooks saddles with springs. The popular B17 is available with springs. These should absorb shock from normal road bumps at a lower cost nad higher reliaility than a suspension post.

John Hawrylak
Woodstown NJ

To heavy.

The Sequoi also has a carbon fiber fork fully adjustable stem. I bought one and it's great! I bought the expert.

I have the Giant OCR 3 and absolutely love it!

I wouldlike to hear back from people who have bought a Specialized Sequoia. ALso considering a purchase, currently ride a Cannondale Hybrid on trails and roads, will be doing longer rides this summer 50-100 for first time, thought that htis may be the ticket. Do not want a true road bike which sacrifices comformt, want some comfort, lighter, faster tha my hybrid. Still looking at options Trek, Cannondale, Giant, but always go back to the Sequoia ...........seems to be built for the roadie who wants some comfort ...............any advice?

Wigman sounds like you and I are looking for the same thing.

I'm just piggy-backing on this thread since my question is kind of related. Whats a good stem/bar combo to get real upright on a standard roadie... thinking like priest bars or someting. Any help?

If I didn't have my '01 Sirrus Pro, I'd spring for the Sequoia. Looked at one today .. nice setup and pretty comfy ta boot. Hmm.. still may get one :) .. and an MTB :D
So, I vote Sequoia, if that matters at all. :)

What's the going price range on the Sequoias?

The Sequoia Expert is around $1000. It has 105 components.

Oh yeah. Well, MY bike has one hundred and SIX components. So there! HA!! :=)

I was looking for similar qualities in a comfort road bike. This was after initially considering a light(er) weight hybrid such as the Trek 7700 FX.

You can look at the following thread for some helpful feedback:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=21314

Good luck in your search.

Yesterday, I bought the '03 Specialized Sequoia Expert! :D

Rob

I linked to the other thread and noticed many riders referring to hand numbness. I'm not an expert in this area, but I had been using a set of Trek gloves with three very thick gel pads, and still getting hand numbness with drop bars. I needed a full finger glove, and picked up a pair of the Performance brand. They have a very thin layer of gel and were much more comfortable. I got a pair of Performance Century gel short finger gloves for my warm weather riding this year, and so far they are great. Most of my hand numbness was caused by my gloves, since I move around on the bars about the same amount. I think a combination of a drop bar and good gloves will eliminate numbness for most people. Notice that I didn't find relief from an expensive, high end brand. Try switching gloves with buddies on rides to see if you like other brands better.:D