reynolds101

I've been looking for a vintage bike lately, something I can just cruise around with and maybe ride to work on occassion. I came across a Free Spirit on craigslist for pretty cheap so I bought it. I do need to take it and get it tuned up because the front derailleur/chain/rear brake all have minor issues. But one thing I noticed is that going over a bump is pretty rough and uncomfortable, even with a nice padded seat I put on from a previous bike. Is this abnormal or is this common among all older 10 speeds?

RaleighSport

My Le Mans feels like it's a smooth ride to me. But being as I'm not privy to the feel of high end bikes maybe I shouldn't type?

Capecodder

No, they are not bumpy, but I guess that depends on what you are comparing it to..... A Free Spirit is a VERY low end bike.

RaleighSport

Cape not to thread hijack but I've been wondering a while, is that a peugeot named Amy?

Capecodder

No... It was my yellow lab (my avatar) that we had to put down due to a brain tumor.

reynolds101

Man, that stinks. Is there anything I can do to help it or am I stuck with it?

RaleighSport

My condolences, labs are my favorite dogs. And Reynolds, maybe spend a little more on a better bike or buy a junker and get some wrench time in?

rookgirl

If you're comparing it with some sort of upright bike, hybrid, or even a mountain bike, I would say the answer is yes. Road bikes (10 speeds) are designed for speed and not butt comfort. A Free Spirit is a low end bike. You might be happier with a 3 speed bike with a more upright riding position.

lostarchitect 

Reynolds101, If it was really cheap and you can get it tuned up cheaply, I'm sure it will be a fine around town bike for now. And riding it will get you familiar with this style of bike, so when you go looking for something better you'll have more of an idea what you want. I wouldn't sink any money into it, except for something (like a better saddle) that you could transfer to a better bike later.

If you keep an eye on this forum you'll see all kinds of interesting bikes, some that could be had fairly cheaply and some very pricey. It might also help you get an idea of what you're eventually looking for. I'm also pretty new to vintage bikes but I have learned a TON on this forum.

reynolds101

No i assumed an old 10 speed wouldnt compare to the comfort of a mountain bike with solid suspension on it but I didnt really know what I was getting into when I bought this specific bike. Kind of an impulse buy really. Maybe I'll resell and go for a mountain bike or hybrid.

Velognome 

With a good quality larger volume tire and steel frame you can achieve a pretty smooth ride on a road bike. Without getting into some big $s, I'd say look for a steel frame with 700 tires ( not 27x 1 1/4). That will give you the most options for good tires at a reasonable cost. Then check the frame clearance to see if you could fit a wider tire, say 32cm. The steel frame will dampen the ride and the larger volume tire will help suck up the bumps. Skip the padded saddle if you plan to ride more than a mile, instead learn to unweight the saddle on bumps. A good set up and proper riding style goes a long way.

By the way...welcome aboard!

Chombi

Remember, some of the plushest rides come from the cheapest diamond framed Peugeot C&V bikes, so do not lose hope!

Chombi

rhm

Yes, they are bumpy; this is mostly a function of the tire pressure (higher = bumpier) though other aspects of design (frame geometry &c) cannot be excluded.

That said, it sounds to me it's your riding style, rather than the bike, that's causing your discomfort. When I ride, I typically have a lot of weight on my arms/hands, and a lot of weight on the pedals. Of course the saddle gets a lot of weight as well, and indeed almost all of it sometimes, but not for extended periods of time. When I go over bumps, I usually see them before I get there and lift myself up on my legs so I have no weight on the saddle when I actually hit a bump. Padding on the saddle does not add comfort, the way I ride. Padding interferes with blood circulation and adds discomfort, at least the way I ride.

I keep saying 'the way I ride' because I am being careful to speak for myself only here. Well, I know there will be plenty of people on this forum who agree with me, because they ride more or less the same way as I; but also plenty who don't, because they ride differently.

Free Spirits are pretty low end, as was mentioned (though the top end Free Spirits aren't bad at all), but I don't really think that's the reason you're experiencing this discomfort.

Mountain bikes are not, in my opinion, comfortable. And don't get me started on suspension!

reynolds101

Thanks for the tips guys, really appreciate it. I plan on taking it to a bike shop next week to see if a tune up will add some mojo to this bike.

reynolds101

Yeah this is what Ive been doing since Ive had it, but I would still like to be able to just cruise sitting down without having the family jewels squashed after every bump. And if you dont mind me asking why do you feel that mountain bikes are uncomfortable?

reynolds101

I also feel that if I were to hit the wrong rock or bump that the tires could easily shoot out from underneath me, mainly if I were going faster. Do they sell wider tires for these things?

RaleighSport

Reynolds, when's the last time you rode any kind of bicycle at all before this, and you've never ridden a "road bike" before right?

reynolds101

When is the last time I rode a bike before this or what is the last kind of bike I owned? If its the first then it would be last week on a friends mountain bike, and if its the latter then it would be a Dyno nsx, bmx bike. Keep in mind Im 19 years old. And I have ridden a road bike but just once for a little while, few years ago.

RaleighSport

Then you probably should just get it tuned up like was said before and try and get a feel for it, you'll figure out quick if it's just you or a bad fit.

Giacomo 1 

I think you have to be more aware of road conditions with a road bike. You can't, or should I say, shouldn't, just plow through potholes, ruts and bumps. You have to learn to pick yourself up off the saddle when you see something in the road you can't avoid. In other words, try and get light when road conditions get rough.

If you stick with it, I think you will get better and get used to the ride of a road bike, because pushing a heavy steel MTB through city streets is not really a bargain IMHO. I know, I did it for quite awhile....

rhm

Well, lemme rephrase.

First off, get this please, I'm really not an athlete. I don't do much sports of any kind. But I do ride a bike a lot. Nothing extreme, unless you count a century ride every month.

Mountain biking, that is riding a bike on the mountains, over hills, up steep and down steep and over nasty rocks and whatever, is pretty extreme sports stuff. Heck of a lot of fun if you're up for it. To do this, you need the right bike. The bike that's suited to doing that stuff is not really that well suited to cruising around town and on flat dirt roads and such.

Why? Okay, I'm not a mountain biker and I will probably get some of this wrong. With luck, someone will correct me. But here's my take. The characteristics of mountain bikes, and the logic for it (for mountain biking) and against it (for non-mountain biking) is as follows:

Fat knobby tires and low pressure. Fat tires with low pressure give good traction on soft surfaces, such as sand; the knobs dig in and add to this. The knobby thing is a real bummer on paved roads, unless you like that bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb feeling. Fat smooth tires with low pressure is a pretty good compromise, if you can get a supple enough sidewall. If your tires are just heavy and thick, like most cheap mountain bike tires, you don't get the benefits of low pressure. I haven't put this well, I know.

Low gears. Okay, low gears are a good thing. I won't complain about that. I like spinning along in low gears.

Insanely long crank arms. These give you the leverage you need for getting over boulders the size of file cabinets and suitcases. The problem is if you aren't going over obstacles like that, you want to spin your pedals to make up for the low gears, and the long crank arms will kill your knees.

Long top tube and long stem. You want this on a mountain bike so you can move your weight forward when climbing lest you tip over backwards, and lift your weight up off the pedals on the rough stuff, and keep your center of gravity as low as possible while letting the bike take the abuse. For cruising around on roads, the handlebar will be too high and too far forward to allow you to take much weight off your seat.

Straight handlebar. If you were steering around some nasty obstacle and pedaling hard and your knee hit your handlebar, you might lose control and fall over. So a mountain bike has a straight handlebar that keeps hands well away from your knees. Excellent. Now, close your eyes, please, and drop your hands to your side. Relax! Now bend forward and swing your hands forward, and hold them a couple feet in front of your hips. Good? Now look at your hands. You will see immediately that your hands, at rest, will be angled away from each other, as if they were holding on to a semicircular bar, not a straight one. A comfortable handlebar would put your hands in this position. A straight bar isn't exactly murderous, but it's not comfortable either.

Suspension? Oh, good suspension isn't so bad, but bad suspension is just extra weight. Aside from that, you have knees and elbows, which are (in my humble opinion) all the suspension you need.

Bottom line, I really have nothing against mountain bikes for their intended purpose; my problem is that they replaced good comfortable utilitarian bikes like the Raleigh Sports, which is probably what you want.

dahut

Im guessing this is not your regular ride?
This is pretty normal. Such bikes are where we get the expression, "HTFU" (harden the f**k up)

Arrowana

Totally agree with this, and that was with the stock 700x25 tires. I imagine one with something wider must be amazing.

I would be on the lookout for a different bike. Some department store bikes are worth tuning up and riding, but a low-end Free Spirit generally isn't worth it. They tend to have incredibly heavy frames and wheels, to the point where I would not be surprised if the rear triangle was made of solid bars instead of tubes. They also have plastic shifters that must be replaced, which might add a considerable cost if you have a bike shop do it.

Mountain bikes can be comfortable for road use if you switch out the tires, bars, and maybe stem. I don't know how well this applies to newer ones, but older ones might just be the best base for a city bike out there, and converting them to touring bikes isn't unheard of. Out of all the bikes I've owned, I've put the most miles on my '95 GT Pantera MTB with the tires and handlebars switched out, and have been fairly comfortable, though a different stem and saddle might have made it a bit better.

Mike Mills

Every bicycle ever made comes with computer controlled, active suspension. When you see a bump you raise your butt up off the seat a little, also get your weight off the bars and let your legs soak up the deflection. Riding is not a spectator sport. There are techniques you need to use to ride well.

sillygolem

I have a Free Spirit 10 speed, and while it's not as cushy as my more relaxed bikes, it certainly isn't uncomfortable.

Make sure there's enough air in the tires. If they're low, they'll transfer bumps to the wheels more easily. Fill them up to the max pressure on the sidewall, and then slowly remove air until it feels right.

Go for a 1 1/4" width tire. Cheng Shin (CST) makes a great one in this size that's dirt cheap.