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Old 09-05-19, 03:51 AM
  #24  
Jim from Boston
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Newbie questions
Originally Posted by chuckschreiner
Hi everyone, I am 67 - I have a reasonably nice Specialized road bike that is maybe 15 years old. But the drop down handle bars and overall geometry make my neck ache and my hands and nether regions get numb (I have gloves and padded shorts). I used to ride 1-3 hours and do some modest hill riding. But I pretty much have stopped because I just don't like the misery.

I have been trying to figure out how to fix/replace this bike. The only thing I feel certain about is a flat bar.
I seem to have had a similar experience, but not involving the "nether regions":
Originally Posted by Jim from Boston
…For the past few years I have been entirely satisfied with my carbon fiber road bike, aluminum road bike as a beater that accepts 30C studded tires, and a previous moumtain bike beater, now in storage.

This year however has been a bust because this winter I developed a weakness in my neck muscles supporting my head upright (perhaps due to a two month unavoidable layoff) on my previously well-fitted bikes.

I had a subsequent fitting on both, with some handlebar adjustments. I recently got an exercise consultation for neck, shoulder and core muscles, and was given an exercise routine, that takes a big chunk of 50 minutes to perform. Exercise may fix it, but that’s a long-term solution.


All these remedies have barely allow me to ride my minimum 14 mile one-way commute with slight discomfort near the end. By this time of the year I'm doing weekly 50-60 mile rides easily, and even training for a Century. Just yesterday, I rented a hybrid style bike with flat handlebars, and was comfortable on the commute, even with a moderately heavy backpack

So now I’m giving in to the idea of a flat bar bike. I’m in a quandary if I should replace the drop bars on my aluminum beater (with endurance style geometry) with flat bars, see if I can buy this relatively cheap hybrid since it seems to work, or buy a new quality hybrid to my specifications. The Diverge is already set up as a nice all-weather commuter (see photo). I’m going to my trusted LBS on Saturday to make a decision.
Originally Posted by Jim from Boston
Help with choosing a bike.”

Now here’s where I’m coming from. I have described myself as a decades-long, year-round lifestyle cyclist, and my favored bike is a high-end carbon fiber bike costing thousands of dollars..

I also have a aluminum beater road bike costing about $1500, and for me that was a minimal road bike, to be used in bad weather.


FWIW, I also have a Giant Escape hybrid bike that I recently bought for rehabilitation, because I was having trouble with my neck and shoulders riding the drop bars.

That bike cost about $600, and IMO was a good value as an all-round bike, certainly more amenable to off-road riding than my expensive carbon fiber road bike, and sturdy for my urban commute on the mean streets of Boston.

Last edited by Jim from Boston; 09-05-19 at 08:18 AM.
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