Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - Tourer or road bike

I have a Jamis Coda Elite, it came with flat bars and I changed them out to trekking bars. The bike is steel, with carbon forks. I'm almost 67 years old, but I would like to try distance riding. The farthest I've gone with the bike is 67 miles, for a birthday ride. I have the trekking bars on a heads up riser and they end up about 1" above my saddle. I have Rheumatoid arthritis, but I have it under control, for the most part. My question is should I go with a Trek 520 or a Cannondale T800 or some other road bike, like the Trek Pilot. I've been riding a year and I have 3340 miles in. I think I could have about 5000 miles in, but we had some medical problems to take care of. We're not completely out of the woods yet, but close I hope. Or should I just wait for a while, to get more miles under my belt. One of the main things I'm worried about is the drop bars. I don't want to buy a road bike and end up not being able to use it, as much as I would like to. That one of the reasons I bought the Jamis with the flatbars. I really like the trekking bars, but a bike mechanic told me, with the riser I have on it, I'll wear the headset out on it faster or it may fail. So if I buy a bike with drop bars and use a riser on them and keep taking spacers out as I get use to it, would that work? I really appreciate any replys, thanks, George

I would keep your Coda elite and set it up for long distance riding and buy another road bike for shorter faster rides. A carbon fiber frame meant for an easy ride would be a good choice. If that's too expensive a good old quality crome moly frame outfitted with newer components will make a good riding bike. Also, if you can find an old good quality steel frame bike with a frame that is slightly too tall by todays standards you can keep the seat lower in relation to the handlebars without having to put on too tall of a stem. More variation is fun. Just my two cents. It's also nice to have a backup bike if one gets damaged, stolen or otherwise out of commission.

You don't really need a touring bike for long distance unless you plan on carrying panniers or loads over 15 pounds.

So if I buy a bike with drop bars and use a riser on them and keep taking spacers out as I get use to it, would that work? I really appreciate any replys, thanks, GeorgeSounds like a plan. My experience suggests that the tire-size used, along with tire pressure, are the greatest factors in relation to ride comfort. You may want to review all the bicycles you are interested in with an eye to the types of tires they can be fitted with. Have you experimented with using "road tires" on your current bike?

I did have 28s on the Coda, but went to 32s for comfort.

I might would recommend trying some different bars before considering a new bike. I am looking at some dirt drops, which have the ends of the drops flared out at an angle. What shifters do you have? Is the lack of different hand positions the factor limiting your distance? Absolutly +1 on the tire clearance.

The trekking bars give me plenty of hand positions and I thought with the bigger tires, and having more comfort, they would help me go farther. The more I think about it, I guess I should work on the engine, thanks for the replys though.

I think you've correctly answered your own question. I think the bike is well suited to your goals, and I don't think there would be any advantage to replacing it or installing drop bars. IMO, the only advantage to drop bars, for most of us, comes from having several different hand positions. The trekking bars offer this advantage as well, so unless you also want the option of being able to put your hands in the drops to lean further over (doesn't sound like that's your thing) the trekking bars should be fine.

In your shoes, I'd save my money for something useful, like liquor or internet pornography.

HTH!

I think you've correctly answered your own question. I think the bike is well suited to your goals, and I don't think there would be any advantage to replacing it or installing drop bars. IMO, the only advantage to drop bars, for most of us, comes from having several different hand positions. The trekking bars offer this advantage as well, so unless you also want the option of being able to put your hands in the drops to lean further over (doesn't sound like that's your thing) the trekking bars should be fine.

In your shoes, I'd save my money for something useful, like liquor or internet pornography.

HTH!



Thank's, I really needed that, I've been on the computer trying to figure out what bike would meet my goals and the more I looked and searched, I kept coming back to the one I have. I looked at so many different geometry on different bikes my eyes are crossed. I know, I do have to work on the engine and I am. Do you think that riser is going to give me trouble down the road. I'm thinking not, or they would be out of business. Thanks again for all the replys.

I've been on the computer trying to figure out what bike would meet my goals and the more I looked and searched, I kept coming back to the one I have.
Judging by the pictures of the model you're riding, along with what you've written here, I think I'd have come to the same conclusion.

As for the rest, I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "heads up riser". If you've simply got a bunch of spacers under the stem, that shouldn't pose any problem. If it's something else, I'm afraid I'd need to know more about it before giving an opinion. :)

HTH!

Judging by the pictures of the model you're riding, along with what you've written here, I think I'd have come to the same conclusion.

As for the rest, I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "heads up riser". If you've simply got a bunch of spacers under the stem, that shouldn't pose any problem. If it's something else, I'm afraid I'd need to know more about it before giving an opinion. :)

HTH!


Yes that what it is 4 spacers and I hope to start taking some out. I can get low enough now, but my neck gives me a little problem.

I have always been a big guy and I beat a really good Mtn bike to death.
The headset was fine. In fact, the headset is one of the few components I have never seen fail on my bikes.

BUT... if you are worried about it, kill the problem dead... Get a Chris King headset.
That sucker will prob still work for your great grandkid's cross country trip 60 years from now :)

I have always been a big guy and I beat a really good Mtn bike to death.
The headset was fine. In fact, the headset is one of the few components I have never seen fail.

BUT... if you are worried about it, kill the problem dead... Get a Chris King headset.
That sucker will prob still work for your great grandkid's cross country trip 60 years from now :)


Thanks Late, would you believe, I had to replace the headset already. It was endexing and I thought maybe the riser may have caused that. From the 3340= miles in a year, only 1500 were on the Jamis. I had a MTB mountian bike headset put in. I'm going to put the next one in myself now that I know what it's all about. Thanks for the tip though, I'll make a note of it.

Yes that what it is 4 spacers and I hope to start taking some out. I can get low enough now, but my neck gives me a little problem.
IMO the bike shop guy was in error. The spacers do put a bit more stress on the upper bearings, and if it was the upper cup that was pitted, then the spacers may indeed be a problem.

But I have never in my life seen upper bearings that were damaged, except through lousy installation, gross neglect and/or extreme age, and in almost all of those circumstances, the lower bearings were in much worse condition than the upper. The lower bearings are the ones that are getting pounded, and again in my experience, they are always the ones to fail first.

IMO, pitting at 1500 miles almost certainly indicates damage from poor installation. Some 17 year old overtightened your headset when he put it in; I'd put money on it.