Fifty Plus (50+) - What are you riding?

I am 60 years old 5'9" and weight in at 172 and have been riding a Trek 7.5 FX for the last 7 years. I try to get in 16 miles a day. Here lately I am in need of speed and would like to get a road bike. I would appreciate to hear from you and what you are riding. I would like to stay with a flat bar but the more I read the more I am beginning to understanding you can get used to the drop bar. Thanks in advance.

I'm 54, 5'-10" and 175 lbs.

I love road bikes.

I started six years ago with a bike path hybrid and before a year was out, I had my first road bike. Now I have four.

Road bike integrated brake/shift levers are such the cat's meow that I can't conceive of ever going back to flat bars. Upshift, downshift, and brake all from the fingertips without needing to move my hands at all. Just tickle the lever with a finger a bit.

Drop bars can be intimidating, particularly if you have flexibility issues. I have a bit of arthritis in my upper spine. It took me 3 weeks or so of daily riding to get my shoulder and neck muscles in shape for the drop bars, due to the different position. My spine hasn't been an issue.

Many riders in our demographic prefer a bike with a slightly "relaxed" front end position. Two examples are the Specialized Roubaix and the Cannondale Synapse. Trek makes many models in two different front end fits, and change the names of them every year, but it's worth a trip to your Trek store. The phrase "relaxed front-end geometry" will get you there. If you don't have flexibility issues, then your choices are much wider.

I'm on a budget, so three of my four bikes I bought second-hand. I also have a strong preference for the aesthetic of traditional road bike frames, so that also puts me in the second-hand market.

Most sellers either haven't a clue as to the size of the bike they're selling, or they quote manufacturer "sizes" which aren't consistent between brands or frame styles. After measuring my bike, I take a tape measure with me knowing that anything with an effective top tube length of 565mm ±5mm (22¼" ±¼") would fit with appropriate adjustments to the saddle and bars.

Those are generalities from my experience. You can count on many others to chime in here as well.

And welcome to 50+!

If you need speed than you need a road bike with drops. They are actually very comfortable. Ride some til you find one you like. I have a Cervelo S3, love it.

I am 56, 4'11" tall and 110 pounds and have been riding any more than tooling around only since this past spring. I started with a comfort bike that was too big. I was very uncomfortable on rides over 3 or 4 miles. I bought my Cannondale hybrid and it was the first bike in my life that actually fit me. I rode a lot when I was a kid, always on bikes that were too big. I learned to ride a bike standing up because I could not reach the pedals if I sat on the seat!

I rode the hybrid for about a 1000 miles. I ended up putting slicks on it to do a 50 mile charity ride. Basically, I was trying to make my hybrid into a road bike when it is not a road bike. The ride felt harsh and somewhat uncomfortable. So, I bought a Trek Madone. It feels light and fast compared to the Cannondale. I really like the drop bars because of the ease of shifting and most importantly, the different options for hand positions. I like being able to move around.

I converted my hybrid into a quasi-mountain bike and gear hauler. I put on knobby tires which I run at a fairly low pressure. Now I love both bikes, each used for different types of riding.

When we're not riding our daVinci tandem I ride a road bike. Just replaced my Giant OCR 1 with a Volagi. I'm 66 y/o, 6', 200 lbs. The Volagi is a 57cm which is suitable for my longer legs/shorter torso; I was just too stretched out on a 60cm. There is a bit of drop, but I'm finding the bike very comfortable and the ride over our increasingly terrible roads is great (CF frame/fork, CF handlebars). I did find on the daVinci that CF handlebars made a big difference on chip seal. BTW, I love the disc brakes at my weight and with some of the long downhills we have.

Full road bike with drop handlebars seems to be the way to go but I started off on Mountain bikes and when I did change----I had problems. First of all get the size right. Too large a frame will cause problems but so can a frame that is too small. In changing from the upright position of an MTB- I went one size too small and it did cause problems. Back ache and I did the usual trick of raising the bars. THAT DOES NOT WORK FOR EVERYONE. I found out later that the longer lower position is better for me.

But I could not get into the drop position. 10seconds and I was in agony. Had to use the drops for downhills to be able to cover the brakes properly but it was not comfortable. So I practised on the ride getting into the drops. On the flat and I was down. Gradually the pain got less but it did take a while to ride with my head between my knees. This was on one of the "comfort" frames in a Giant OCR but that bike was never really comfortable.

1 year on and I had outgrown the capabilities of the OCR and test rides and shopping got me a full race spec lightweight aluminium frame and forks to build up. The shop built it and set it up-with the bars 4" below the saddle. Had my doubts but that bike is comfortable. Correct size frame and correctly set up for my body that had adjusted to road riding.

On sizing--I am the same as TSL. Top tube length is the critical measurement- Not frame size. I use a 535 and 5mm either way is comfortable but no more. In fact on my 3rd road bike I did not look at any measurements except T.T. length and sorted the bike from there. The mere fact that it was another race geometry frame and the bars have inched themselves down to 4" below the saddle is co-incidental. + the fact that I test rode that frame before I bought it.

Nothing but road bikes here. My latest is a single speed Specialized Langster. If you want a good workout, a single speed can't be beat. It really has two speeds, in the saddle and out. A twenty mile ride, which is my usual distance with some good hills give me all the exercise I need. When I want to tackle longer distances with some really steep hills, I'm on a 2004 Trek 2300. I also ride a 2010 Novara Randonee touring bike when I go to the store or just want to cruise around at a leisurely speed. I do have a mountain bike, but it's from my working days when I used to commute. I rarely ride it. I love road bikes.

Road bikes or a cyclocross bike for me 100 percent. IMO you cannot beat drop bars for comfort, even if you aren't in the drops very often. I'm 63.

In the winter in Ohio. A tank. A mid 80's Le tour with heavy wheels. I figure if I wreck I should have something substantial.

72 years old, too short or too fat - have 2 road bikes, you don't need to use the "drops" much at all, if you don't want to. Age is not a factor.

In a Fair and Just universe I would be riding this:

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x40/TWLBA/ttbike.jpg

In the real world I'm riding this:

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x40/TWLBA/IMG_0057.jpg

I might put some Zipp wheels on the Giro, get a fairing, and wear a skin suit and an aero helmet.

It might help.

When we're not riding our daVinci tandem I ride a road bike. Just replaced my Giant OCR 1 with a Volagi. I'm 66 y/o, 6', 200 lbs. The Volagi is a 57cm which is suitable for my longer legs/shorter torso; I was just too stretched out on a 60cm. There is a bit of drop, but I'm finding the bike very comfortable and the ride over our increasingly terrible roads is great (CF frame/fork, CF handlebars). I did find on the daVinci that CF handlebars made a big difference on chip seal. BTW, I love the disc brakes at my weight and with some of the long downhills we have.
I just got a Volagi last week and I'm really liking it. It won't replace my Seven custom build but with fenders and the discs it makes a great off season bike. Since New England is getting more rain these days and the high end Italian components on my Seven are adverse to road grit, I anticipate using the Volagi a lot. The 130mm rear disc hub scared me a bit when I first heard about the bike but since it came out another hub maker is making a disc hub with that spacing so no worries. Nice bike!

a Volagi


I just got a Volagi last week

I don't want to hijack the thread, so maybe you could reply in a new one.

I'm interested to hear a review of the Volagi. I've been riding a disc-brake road bike for several years now, so that's not a biggie to me. What I'd like to hear about is the ride and handling. The geometry seems about right to me, but I'm wondering if the frame design lives up to the hype, or if it's similar enough to other carbon bikes that its quirkiness doesn't matter.

Age 60 - All road bikes:
Independent Fabrication Titanium Crown Jewel
Colnago Master XL
Specialized S-Works Roubaix
Trek Gary Fisher Lane
1980s Specialized Sirrus
Jamis Eclipse
Habanero Titainum Team Issue

To me the key factor in picking a bike is if the cockpit (seat, top tube, bars -both drop & reach, stem, head tube height etc.) is correct for the type of riding. Flat bars and drop bars can both work. However, all mine are dropbars, because it gives me more choices in body position while on the bike. Let me give you three examples of what I mean by different cockpits:

1. The Indy Fab is my go fast - all day bike. Hence, it is built for all day comfort at a reasonable cruising speed. The head tube is a bit higher and the reach is a medium reach compared to my other bikes.

2. The Colnago is my go fast - short ride bike. The cockpit on this has me stretched out and in a much more aerodynamic position. After about two hours, I've typically had enough and want something a bit less aero.

3. The Trek Gary Fisher Lane is my commuting bike. It has the shortest cockpit and keeps me in the most upright position, something I find very useful when navigating in heavy commuter traffic.

I got my first bike back in 3rd grade with a trek 220 mountain bike i didnt ride it too often until last year at this point the bike was way too small for me so i upgraded to my dads old bike a schwinn impact mountain bike it was one of the roughest rides i had ever had two weeks ago i finally got the bike that i have now a gt gtr series 3 road bike with drop bars shimano tiagra components if you really plan on getting into cycling i recommend a road bike you wont regret it btw i am 16 5'11" and 170 lbs so you would probably be on a 56cm frame

I don't want to hijack the thread, so maybe you could reply in a new one.

I'm interested to hear a review of the Volagi. I've been riding a disc-brake road bike for several years now, so that's not a biggie to me. What I'd like to hear about is the ride and handling. The geometry seems about right to me, but I'm wondering if the frame design lives up to the hype, or if it's similar enough to other carbon bikes that its quirkiness doesn't matter.
I would compare its ride to a Specialized Roubaix (sp?). It's comfortable, light and stable in corners. Unless your into racing (you'd want a more aggressive position for racing), this bike does it all. At 17lbs I see no penalty with the discs only positives. And I love that it is all ready for fenders, no Mcguyvering necessary.

Welcome 'Gpaw44'. We are about the same height only I'm built more like quasimoto without the hump. If you dont have any limited mobility I think a road bike would be great for you. I'm 55 and have been riding road bikes exclusively since the 70's. Drop bars are your friend, as you have more options for hand placement than simple flat bars. Even for people who do have back problems, a correct fitting road bike can actually help as your back will be flatter and you will be more centered on the bike.

Another thing too is you dont have to ride in the drops. The drops are an option if you really want to crank on it and get aerodynamic for some real speed, otherwise most of us just ride the top bar, or the hoods for general cruising. With the many hand positions drop bars offer they will give your hands a needed break that will make your riding much more enjoyable.

As to what I am riding, I have two road bikes, both with drop bars. One is a classic Tommasini with Columbus SL and the other is a Centurian Elite RS with Tange-2 and Shimano 600. The Tommasini is all campy Chorus/Record mix and is my 'grail' bike. I love them both.

:thumb:

I would recommend you think about a cyclocross bike. You can put road tires on it and ride the snot out of it on the road, or go off-road with the CX tires. There are several CX bike available for a good price out there - under $1K - with 105 shifters. Mine was my only bike till I bought a road bike last October - put many road miles, commute miles, and actually some cyclocross miles on the rig.

The geometry is a bit more relaxed than the aggressive road bikes - I have ridden several metric and an imperial century on it. If climbing is an issue, then get a different cassette mounted to give you some lower gearing. I commute on my cross bike now and use it for winter riding on the road, and plan to purchase another for (egads!) actual cross racing. VERY versatile bikes, and fulfill the road riding job very, very well for most of us earthlings.

I am 60 years old 5'9" and weight in at 172 and have been riding a Trek 7.5 FX for the last 7 years. I try to get in 16 miles a day. Here lately I am in need of speed and would like to get a road bike. I would appreciate to hear from you and what you are riding. I would like to stay with a flat bar but the more I read the more I am beginning to understanding you can get used to the drop bar. Thanks in advance.

Salsa Campion (aluminum road frame with a carbon fork and full Shimano 105 group)
Pake FG/SS (fixie)
Fisher Opie (aluminum Mountain bike setup for freeriding and urban assaults
Redline Monocog 29er (SS mountain bike)
Serrota T-Max (steel mountain bike frame with XTR drivetrain and carbon everything else)
Santana Arriva Tandem (currently in rebuild phase)
Whatever I happen to have picked up to rebuild then pass on down the road....)


I am 55 years old and have been riding road bikes since I was ten. I love bikes, any bikes, and have been carfree for 23 out of the past 28 years, and I ride daily. Currently I am riding the fixie or the Serrota on clear days and the Opie when conditions are questionable.

I build and modify bikes for friends and friends of friends all the time and your post reminded me of a bike that I modified for a friend who wanted to do sprint triathalons but she had bought a Specialized hybrid (essentially a road bike with flat bars and slightly wider tires) and didn't want to buy a second bike. We set her up with 700c road tires, modified gearing, and bar ends and a "tri-type" center handlebar extension (she can put drops on later and effectively have a relaxed road bike). She was extremely happy and competitive in local events. What this experience proved to both of us was that no matter what you start with, you can make changes slowly that are more in line with whatever your current needs are. No need to shuffle through several bikes on your way to what works best for you, just make small adjustments as you progress. Ride Safe.

I did my first century on a mountain bike, a '85 Ross rigid (all MTBs were rigid then!) that weighed 35 lbs. My road bike's frame had broken and I was already signed up. Even though I was in my 20s my back and shoulders hurt so much afterwards that I vowed no more riding flat bar bikes on the road. After a few hours the inability to change position becomes torture. I spend the second half of the ride desperately trying to find a different position.

When riding a MTB off road flat bars are not a problem because you are always moving around on the bike to handle the terrain. At one point I converted the Ross to drop bars- for MTB you set them up higher and closer than you would for road riding because you want to us the drops when descending or in technical terrain.

Drop bars don't make you faster- lower (and narrower) bars do. It's aerodynamics. Lower bars mean you have less frontal area. Narrower bars move your hands in, reducing frontal area more. You could build a bike with low narrow flat bars and get the same effect. But it'd suck to ride far because you would not have any alternate positions.

If you want to ride farther in comfort, get a bike with drop bars, set to an appropriate height for you.

I mostly ride carbon road race bikes now but I also have MTBs and trials bikes.

I am 60 years old 5'9" and weight in at 172 and have been riding a Trek 7.5 FX for the last 7 years. I try to get in 16 miles a day. Here lately I am in need of speed and would like to get a road bike. I would appreciate to hear from you and what you are riding. I would like to stay with a flat bar but the more I read the more I am beginning to understanding you can get used to the drop bar. Thanks in advance.
You're just a kid. ;) You NEED a road bike. :thumb:

I started riding when I was 55. This (http://web.me.com/ronhorne/Site/Rons_Bicycles_files/Raleigh-right.jpg) was my first bike. Loved it. :thumb:
Then in 2001 I bought this (http://web.me.com/ronhorne/Site/Rons_Bicycles_2_files/DSCN0205.jpg). I really love it. :love: I have ~35,000 miles on it so far.
I'll be 67 next week and bought this (http://web.me.com/ronhorne/Site/Rons_Bicycles_2_files/PICT0988.jpg) for an early birthday/Christmas present in October. :love:
All my other bikes (http://web.me.com/ronhorne/Site/Rons_Bicycles.html) I've had since 1999/2000 have been road bikes or cyclocross bike, all with drop bars.

Now head over to the bike shop and look for a nice road for yourself. :)

I got my first bike back in 3rd grade with a trek 220 mountain bike i didnt ride it too often until last year at this point the bike was way too small for me so i upgraded to my dads old bike a schwinn impact mountain bike it was one of the roughest rides i had ever had two weeks ago i finally got the bike that i have now a gt gtr series 3 road bike with drop bars shimano tiagra components if you really plan on getting into cycling i recommend a road bike you wont regret it btw i am 16 5'11" and 170 lbs so you would probably be on a 56cm frame

Looky there, a 16 year old in the 50+ forum.
I ride a Gunnar Sport on the road. It has a tall headtube so I can run an uncut steerer without too many spacers. I'm 57 and I like to ride in the mountains.

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u308/bigjohn53/me.jpg

I am 71, and I am on 2 wheels, at least 6 days a week, if not 7. With my gas guzzling F150 being commandeered by my wife, I am on two wheels all the time, and loving it. Some days I take the motorcycle

http://www.cehoward.net/GSXRRAW63_01.JPG
somedays I take one of my 7 or 8 bikes...lately it has been centurions for my choice of commute weapon.. ;)

http://www.cehoward.net/mast310.jpg

And this is what I don't ride any more, the gas guzzler...:(

http://www.cehoward.net/commy41.jpg

I'll reinforce the road bike selection with drop bars. Please go to a good local bicycle store (LBS) and get fitted even if you are going used for your purchase. having a bicycle that you are properly fitting will make your riding more enjoyable. Get a frame that is sized in not only seat tube, top tube and stand over height and a stem that is the correct length and drop for you and the bars need to be the correct width. Depending on your weight and riding choices the wheel construction will be a factor in your choice and price of the bicycle. Get wheels light enough yet strong enough for your style and weight.

I ride a Cannondale R500 with drops and a 36h Shimano RSX hubs and Mavic rimmed wheelset and 700CX25 tires. I am 6'-1" and 239 lbs so I am definitely a clydesdale. Best of luck in making your choice.

Bill

I'll reinforce the road bike selection with drop bars. Please go to a good local bicycle store (LBS) and get fitted even if you are going used for your purchase. having a bicycle that you are properly fitting will make your riding more enjoyable. Get a frame that is sized in not only seat tube, top tube and stand over height and a stem that is the correct length and drop for you and the bars need to be the correct width. Depending on your weight and riding choices the wheel construction will be a factor in your choice and price of the bicycle. Get wheels light enough yet strong enough for your style and weight.

I ride a Cannondale R500 with drops and a 36h Shimano RSX hubs and Mavic rimmed wheelset and 700CX25 tires. I am 6'-1" and 239 lbs so I am definitely a clydesdale. Best of luck in making your choice.

Bill

All good points here. I am 50 yrs old, 6'1" and 210-215lbs and have only ridden drop bar road bikes and will not ride anything else as long as i am physically able. Tje variety of hand positions alone will make riding more enjoyable. I cannot add anything to what has already been said in this thread, other than to answer your question.....here is what I am riding.http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g11/tourmaletguy/DSC_2923.jpg

Cheers,

Brian J

I hate to be the odd man out but, well, I'm a road bike guy. Oh, wait. That's not so odd here, is it? But my bikes are all oldsters.

I'm 63, 162lbs. My bikes a '72 Peugeot UO8 which I bought new, a '73 Raleigh Gran Sport, and an '82 Peugeot TH8 tandem. I'm currently building up an '89 Bianchi Brava, a youngster compared to rest of the herd. I commuted about 1000 miles on the UO8 this summer, but it's set up as a road bike, not as an urban/commuter/hybrid bike. I don't ride the drops too often but I'm quite at home on the tops or brake hoods.

I eschew knobby tires and straight handlebars. I prefer not to ride with my with my elbows flapping in the breeze. :)

I can't say anything that hasn't already been said. Go for the road bike. Hit all the bike shops that you can and test ride as many as possible to find the one that is most comfortable for you. I like Giant bikes but I don't think that you will be disappointed with any one that you choose.

All good points here. I am 50 yrs old, 6'1" and 210-215lbs and have only ridden drop bar road bikes and will not ride anything else as long as i am physically able. Tje variety of hand positions alone will make riding more enjoyable. I cannot add anything to what has already been said in this thread, other than to answer your question.....here is what I am riding.http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g11/tourmaletguy/DSC_2923.jpg

Cheers,

Brian J

Super Cool! :thumb:

Looky there, a 16 year old in the 50+ forum.

Yeah, but he's on a road bike so he's not on the lawn.

Riding this Masi Gran Criterium S. I'm 65, down to 5'9" and up to 185 lbs. I usually ride 15 mi. TT or 30-40 mi. cruising. I try to mix up the types of rides. The bike is AL frame with CF forks and rear. It's equipped with Dura Ace. I like the fact that the bars allow a variety of positions. I find it comfortable and efficient.

What have I been riding lately....well ....
* it's blue
* it has a 180 gig computer
* it has a very broad and comfortable padded seat
* it has a reclinable seat-back with comfy arm rests
* it has five wheels
* I ride it in my house

Yep, my desk chair! :innocent:

62 years of age. 6'2". 160 - 165 lbs.

I started riding again several years ago. I bought Specialized Hard Rock mountain bike. I found myself riding mostly on roads and packed, smooth trails.

With some degree of trepidation, I bought a Fuji Newest, aluminum frame, drop bar road bike with a Shimano Sora drive train. It felt "twitchy" at first. As I rode it more and more, it felt better and less twitchy. After I had ridden around 7,800 miles on the Fuji, I figured road bikes were OK, and I got the itch for something a little lighter. I bought a Cannondale Synapse Carbon 5 with Shimano 105 components, and I kept the Fuji.

Now, the Cannondale is the weekend bike, and the Fuji is the weekday bike. As of today, I have ridden the Fuji 12,188 miles, and I have ridden the Cannondale 9,518 miles. Neither feels twitchy any more.

During today's ride on the Cannondale, I rode several miles into a head wind, and I rode in the drops to be able to slice through the wind a little easier than I could have otherwise. On the return leg of the ride, I rode sitting up to catch the wind. I rode with my hands either on the hoods or on the flat part of the bars.

For me, the drop bar road bike has been a big improvement over what I had.

Am 79 years old, wife is 76.
Been riding road bikes with drop bars since the early 1970s.
Also riding tandem road bikes (drop bars front and rear) since 1975.
Yes, drop bars give you more hand position choices, and for us, are much more comfortable than flat bars.
Have ridden several mt. bike tandems with flat bars, and after 50 miles of that, butts and hands were not overly happy!
Still ride 100 miles a week, most of it on our tandem.
Pedal on!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

I'm a very compact 56 year old and something of a cycling dilettante; I've generally cycled for transportation and fun, and my current bikes reflect that:
- Marin Point Reyes, a "roadified" mountain bike
- Cannondale F600, my all around trail and local errand bike
- Gary Fisher HiFi Pro MTB, for thrashing around on trails
- Gold Rush Recumbent, for long day rides

Hope to begin putting in some serious weekly mileage now that I'm semi-retired, and
would like to start touring next summer.

230191Picked this up this summer, 2007 Specialized Roubaix, still experimenting with drops. I'm not much good on drops, just not too comfortable down that low but do like the differant hand positions. Last bike with drops I had was in the 70's, a Schwinn Le Tour 10 speed. I also have a Specialized Sirrus Pro which is a road bike with flat bars which I ride a lot.

I am 54 years young and I ride a Trek Transport. This bike has been dubbed ""THE BEAST"" I am not sure if this is because if the sheer amount of accessories I have added or if it's because there are only a couple of them in the area. Either way it IS a fitting moniker. Here are a few photos.....


Picking up ""THE BEAST""
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m279/hbrogan57/THE%20BEAST/THEBEAST-10102011_141332-002.jpg

At home for the first time.....
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m279/hbrogan57/THE%20BEAST/THEBEAST-10102011_172755-005.jpg

Out for a ride.....
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m279/hbrogan57/THE%20BEAST/THEBEAST-10152011_121941-009.jpg

Hampton Coliseum
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m279/hbrogan57/THE%20BEAST/THEBEAST-10172011_145844-022.jpg

Lighting from the rear.....
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m279/hbrogan57/THE%20BEAST/THEBEAST-10192011_194823-027.jpg

Lighting from the side.....
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m279/hbrogan57/THE%20BEAST/THEBEAST-11042011_195130-048.jpg

Downtown Norfolk at the Battleship Wisconsin.....
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m279/hbrogan57/THE%20BEAST/THEBEAST-11052011_132650-061.jpg

Hampton, Virginia
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m279/hbrogan57/THE%20BEAST/THEBEAST-11092011_105656-084.jpg

Fall Colors.....
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m279/hbrogan57/THE%20BEAST/THEBEAST-11142011_115117-091.jpg

Gpaw44, I adopted to mountain bikes after years (decades) on a road bike and had alot of trial and error, both WRT the bike and myself to find what I wanted. Going the other way from a flat bar bike to a drop bar bike might be tougher as there are more fitment options. The top tube length is the critical measurement IMHO. Standover is important, but not critical. Handle bars come in very different designs when it comes to the amount of reach and drop to help with comfort.

Test ride as many brands and models of new bikes as possible, even if you plan to buy used.

Brad

PS I ride Cannondales on the road to answer your question. Many other good brands to choose from so try to be brand flexable.

BeastRider
Nice bike and pics, like the lights. :)

When we're not riding our daVinci tandem I ride a road bike. Just replaced my Giant OCR 1 with a Volagi. I'm 66 y/o, 6', 200 lbs. The Volagi is a 57cm which is suitable for my longer legs/shorter torso; I was just too stretched out on a 60cm. There is a bit of drop, but I'm finding the bike very comfortable and the ride over our increasingly terrible roads is great (CF frame/fork, CF handlebars). I did find on the daVinci that CF handlebars made a big difference on chip seal. BTW, I love the disc brakes at my weight and with some of the long downhills we have.

You like the Volagi? They are pretty bikes! Did Devian set it up? :thumb:

I'm 5"4" and 135 pounds. My primary ride is my 2009 Look 566. Look intended it as a "touring bike", although it has a "racing" heritage. It's a 49CM carbon fiber frame, weighs 18 pounds, Specialized Dolce 155 gel saddle, Shimano Ultegra gruppo and Easton EA90 wheels. I ride about 100 miles a week on it, more in the summer. I recently decided that I need a "lower end" bike to run errands on - the cost of gas is starting to kill me! So, I'm thinking about my (too small) Cannondale M500 mountain bike, a bike that I did ride on the street for a few years before I started riding road bikes. We'll see how that works out!

I have both old and new stuff.

The Cannondale hybrid is the old one and gets used for store runs and shorter rides
The Felt AR4 is the new one and is used on most centuries and longer rides although the Dale would be a great century bike if not to hilly as its a little heavy.

I'm 56 yrs. old, height of 6', weight of 210.

My ride - 2011 Felt Z85.

The only flat-bar bike I've ridden was my old Specialized Hardrock which I don't have anymore. For a "road" bike, I'd only ride drop-bar.

60 here; 5' 9" (well, 8 3/4" tbh!), 2-3 lbs. either side of 150 depending on time of year.

I ride road at home base; mtb at summer place.

'Road bike' is an abomination, an offence against all that is sacred (round these parts:D), a flat-bar road bike: 2010 Sirrus Comp (well, the frame and stock wheels are all that is left of it!); flat-bar/bar ends, full Apex group, Conti GP 4000s tires (25c).

I've put just shy of 14,000 kms on this bike since purchasing it April 2010. That includes two 'centuries' (solo 100 mile rides; I don't race, or "train", or do group-rides) and a metric century or two.

I'm considering making the switch to drops (Giant Defy), but so far my hands haven't fallen off (nor have I gone blind) as a result of using flat bars.

I think drop bars (or not) is a combination of personal preference and the application of the bike in question. I use flat bars on my mountain bike (GT Zaskar), my 3-Speed Touring bike ('57 Hercules) and my communting bike (DaHon Curve SL).

I use drop bars on my Calfee Tetra, my Titanium GT Edge, my GURU Proton and my 853 (steel) GT. I use bull-horn on my Masi fixed gear bike. All types of handlebar work, as do many others I haven't mentioned, with or without add-ons (aero-bars, bar-ends, etc.).

I am 61 and 162lb, if that matters, and use different bikes for different purposes. Your mileage, and purposes my vary!

Rick / OCRR

I am 52 and ~200 lbs.
I agree with those that say drop bars just for the ability to have many hand positions. I had ridden my mtb for ~1800 miles in around 5 or 6 months before getting a Giant Advanced. Unless I am going to be on dirt or a trainer I won't get on the mtb.

I will probably be replacing the mtb, which has served me well in losing 65 lbs, with a cyclecross next summer.

I'm 50, 5'9" and about 155lbs. I have 5 bikes

55cm Vitus Aluminum road bike
20" Diamondback Apex mountain bike - rigid fork but I swapped in a Softride suspension stem
22.5" no name road bike used as commuter/tourer - matches materials and geometry of Trek 510 frame from 1981
medium Softride Powerwing 700 road set up in triathlon configuration
54cm Trek OCLV 110 road bike

I am 53, 6'3", 200.
I have a blue 1995 (100th Anniversary) Schwinn Searcher Express 27-speed hybrid bike with 700 x 38C tires. I tend to ride on gravel and dirt bicycle paths as well as paved roads. The bike has perfomed well on the Ohio & Erie Towpath, Great Allegheny Passage and other trails.

Right now I ride a Diamondback Edgewood LX(Comfort/hybrid) bike. As soon as I recover enough(to confidently ride a roadie) from the hand surgery I'm having in mid-January and I get some funds together(had a few unexpected expenses come up), I'm getting a Giant Defy 1 and will be riding that.

@BeastRider,
Haven't seen you riding. I ride in the James River/Hilton area.

I am 60, 5'6" and 150 lbs. I ride drop handle road bikes the majority of the time. I have also gone almost exclusively to carbon for the quiet, comfortable, and responsive ride. Bikes include:
Trek Madone 5.5 (52 cm)
Fisher Cronus Pro (52 cm)
Kestrel RT1000 (50 cm)
Raleigh Supercourse (52)
Specialized TriCross Expert (48cm) (cyclocross)

I hate to be the odd man out but, well, I'm a road bike guy. Oh, wait. That's not so odd here, is it? But my bikes are all oldsters.

I'm 63, 162lbs. My bikes a '72 Peugeot UO8 which I bought new, a '73 Raleigh Gran Sport, and an '82 Peugeot TH8 tandem. I'm currently building up an '89 Bianchi Brava, a youngster compared to rest of the herd. I commuted about 1000 miles on the UO8 this summer, but it's set up as a road bike, not as an urban/commuter/hybrid bike. I don't ride the drops too often but I'm quite at home on the tops or brake hoods.

I eschew knobby tires and straight handlebars. I prefer not to ride with my with my elbows flapping in the breeze. :)

You are NOT the odd man out -- see my signature. :) Steel frames, drop bars on the road bikes, bar extensions on the mountain bike. Old-fashioned toeclips and friction shifting all around.