Road Cycling - Graduated to a road bike

Since 'comfort' bikes aren't so comfortable after about the first ten miles and they're really not made for the kind of distance riding I'm planning on doing, I spent a lot of time reading the forums here and elsewhere and working out what kind of bike would suit me best. In the end I settled on a touring bike, and luckily my LBS had a Trek 520 hanging on the wall that happened to be just my size. After a couple of test rides, I brought it home last night, set it all up, and had my first ride this morning. Whee!

http://www.jenweb.net/jen/image/trek1.jpg

Great, Sparrow!

I am currently pushing a comfort bike, a Trek Navitator 300, 200+ miles per week. The hills are really becoming tiring and I can't wait for my birthday next May when my wife is giving me a new road bike, hopefully a Trek 2200/2300 or LeMond Buenos Aires/Zurich.

My average ride on the Navigator is 20 miles and you are spot on that anything beyond 10 is not that comfortable. I think they were designed for jaunts around the neighborhood, perhaps 2 or 3 miles on a bike path, and back home. Definately not what I am subjecting it to.

Congratulations and many happy riding miles!

Nice bike Sparrow! 2 things though; How easy is it to get at the bottle mounted under the downtube? And what's that pillow doing there where the saddle should be???

Sparrow,

Nice bike.
I agree with Bikerchas55. Get rid of that plastic and goo saddle.
If you're going to be touring, and doing real distance
get a Brooks, B17 would be my choice.
your butt will thank you for it.


Marty

Originally posted by Sparrow
Since 'comfort' bikes aren't so comfortable after about the first ten miles and they're really not made for the kind of distance riding I'm planning on doing, I spent a lot of time reading the forums here and elsewhere and working out what kind of bike would suit me best. In the end I settled on a touring bike, and luckily my LBS had a Trek 520 hanging on the wall that happened to be just my size. After a couple of test rides, I brought it home last night, set it all up, and had my first ride this morning. Whee!

http://www.jenweb.net/jen/image/trek1.jpg
Get rid of all those bottles and get a camelbak.

I have this theory, TrekRider, that comfort bikes are built for middle-aged, overweight, haven't been near a bike in twenty years but think it might be a good idea, just want to pootle around the neighborhood and try it out, those other bikes look scary sorta people (me, in other words). Congrats in advance on your future road bike ... what a world of difference!

bikerchas55, it's next to impossible to get to that bottle while riding ... just nice to know it's there on longer rides because I'm sweating a storm out there. If I'm planning to be gone more than a couple of hours, I also drop a liter bottle in the rack bag for good measure as there aren't many stores out where I'm riding.

As for saddle, guys, you should'a seen the sofa the other bike came with! :eek: I've a picture around here somewhere if you're curious. It's awful! The pillow you're lookin' at is a Terry Liberator X, which some of the gals here seem to rate. It worked really well with the more upright posture on the comfort bike, but now that it's on this bike and I've had a few rides, I'm not so sure about it.

I've thought about a camelbak, shokhead, and I'm still thinking about it, but I'm not sure it's a great idea for me. Y'see, I started riding because I have a deteriorated disc (it's almost gone) at the base of my spine and there are very few forms of exercise that my lower back will tolerate. Any pressure against the supporting muscles down there will send them into spasms. I'll probably borrow one at some point and see how it goes, but I'm a bit leery of trying to carry anything on my back at this point. We'll see.

In the meantime, it's time to put in some miles! :D

Would it work to put a camelback on the rack and have an extended tube? I've never used one so I don't know.

Originally posted by Sparrow
I have this theory, TrekRider, that comfort bikes are built for middle-aged, overweight, haven't been near a bike in twenty years but think it might be a good idea, just want to pootle around the neighborhood and try it out, those other bikes look scary sorta people (me, in other words). Congrats in advance on your future road bike ... what a world of difference!

That was me last year! 6'3", 290lbs, 56 years old, and so far out of shape that watching someone walk up three stairs exhausted me. I was getting sick of myself. My wife bought me the bike and I started very, very slowly. Now, I am down to 240lbs and heading towards 200, average 20 miles per week day and 50 miles per day on the weekends.

Can't wait until my 58th birthday and me new roadie!

Originally posted by TrekRider
That was me last year! 6'3", 290lbs, 56 years old, and so far out of shape that watching someone walk up three stairs exhausted me. I was getting sick of myself. My wife bought me the bike and I started very, very slowly. Now, I am down to 240lbs and heading towards 200, average 20 miles per week day and 50 miles per day on the weekends.

Awesome!!!!! :thumbup:

Originally posted by Sparrow
I have this theory, TrekRider, that comfort bikes are built for middle-aged, overweight, haven't been near a bike in twenty years but think it might be a good idea, just want to pootle around the neighborhood and try it out, those other bikes look scary sorta people

Maybe I need a comfort bike because sometimes I wake up and feel like that. :D I think we've all had our "I'm not fit enough" moments. I still get them from time to time. Sometimes I just want to go out for a lazy little ride... like say on a single-speed beach cruiser. It's possible that comfort bikes were designed for that particular demographic segment but that doesn't mean others can't enjoy them either. IMHO, a real cyclist will be able to find a way to enjoy riding any type of bike... except maybe one attached to a stationary trainer (that's just called work).

However, that said, there is something nice about finally feeling good on a road bike. The riding position isn't for everyone and most people I know have to have a little bit of riding time before they get used to it so congrats on the transition.

Well done, TrekRider .... I'm with ya! It's a long, slow process, but we'll get there in the end. The first of April this year I weighed in at 280 lbs ... down now to 235 as of this morning. I reckon I'll catch you up on distances ...ermmm ... sometime next spring. :p

Would it work to put a camelback on the rack and have an extended tube?
That's an excellent idea ... I'm gonna look into that, thanks!

Sometimes I just want to go out for a lazy little ride... like say on a single-speed beach cruiser.
Amen to that, khuon!

I'm still making the transition on the road bike ... lots of little adjustments. Riding in such a different position still feels a bit awkward, as well as the brakes being somewhere else and the shift-levers are elsewhere entirely, along with still adjusting to clipless pedals, but I reckon this'll just take road-time to get used to. It's certainly a lot more responsive than the comfort bike and hills are a bit less daunting! :D

If you really need brakes in the up position there are some units on the market, specifically for cykelcross. They are small levers that tap into the brake cable and work by effectively shortening the cable housing. If you don't feel secure about braking with RB brake handle positioning it can be detrimental to your safety and overall riding experience. Check them out. They are a bit pricey and unless you are very handy and well equipped, will probably need to be installed by a pro, but they are way better than the "extra brakes" that were standard fare on mid range "racers" and department store bikes of the 70s and 80s.

If you really need brakes in the up position there are some units on the market, specifically for cykelcross. They are small levers that tap into the brake cable and work by effectively shortening the cable housing.
My husband's Specialized came with similar and he claims to never use them, so we were talking about hauling both bikes down to the LBS this weekend and having them swapped over to mine. I'm thinkin' it's an excellent idea.

I don't think your supposed to remove the bottle
from the underside of the downtube while riding, I think
its a "spare", for the boy/girl scout in all of us.

Marty

Originally posted by Sparrow
I have this theory, TrekRider, that comfort bikes are built for middle-aged, overweight, haven't been near a bike in twenty years but think it might be a good idea, just want to pootle around the neighborhood and try it out, those other bikes look scary sorta people (me, in other words). Congrats in advance on your future road bike ... what a world of difference!




What exactly is the definition of a "comfort bike" and what suggests it's designed for overweight, middle-aged people doing tiny distances, rather than fit younger people not just wanting to "pootle" around the local streets?

Originally posted by belfast-biker
What exactly is the definition of a "comfort bike" and what suggests it's designed for overweight, middle-aged people doing tiny distances, rather than fit younger people not just wanting to "pootle" around the local streets?

According to the Cannondale web site: "Comfort bikes defy the notion of "no pain, no gain." Basically, they are a cross between a hybrid and a "cruiser," designed mainly for purely recreational use, not hammering hills like a roadie or trail riding like an mtb. They generally have front suspension, a suspension seat post, and a wide, heavily sprung seat.

If a fit younger person wants to buy a comfort bike, fine, but I would think something on the order of Trek's road/comfort series would be more fitting.

Originally posted by shokhead
Get rid of all those bottles and get a camelbak.

I'd take bottles over a camelbak, anyday. Bottles don't make my back get all sweaty-like, y'know?