Persist

I'm female, 38 years old, 5'8" and about 230 lbs (down a significant amt. from my highest weight). I have been walking for years now and enjoy it, but was looking for something different. Last year in June I bought a Townie. I put quite a few miles on it over the summer and fall. Things I love about it are I can ride it without any hand or wrist pain, I feel stable on it, the saddle discomfort I would rate as definitely quite uncomfortable after an hour or so but tolerable, being able to put my feet down flat is a blessing (I am an extreme KLUTZ) and was terrified of how "high up" I felt when I first tried riding my husband's Trek hybrid.

Towards the end of summer and into fall I started feeling like I was outgrowing the bike. I was riding about 10 hours a week and felt like the bike was holding me back. I live in a hilly area and going uphill on this bike is really tough. I have the 7 speed, wish I had bought the 21 speed although I'm not sure if that would make a huge difference or not. On my husband's Trek I can't believe how much easier it feels to peddle and how much easier going uphill feels, sometimes on the Townie it feels like I'm peddling underwater or like I have two flat tires. It's a slow bike, I'm certainly not looking to win any races but I can't seem to get my speed much up above 11 to 12 mph on this bike and some days sit around 10 if hills or gravely/sandy trails are involved. The Townie has been more versatile than I imagined, it's probably not advised but I do take it on sandy trails and trails with some loose gravel and rocks and roots and have done fine (nothing extreme obviously, very wide well ridden trails that get slightly rough in places is as rough as it gets). I just started doing more 30 and then 40 mile rides and wanting to increase it more as fall ended and winter set in and was struggling on longer rides on the Townie.

So I looked up loads of information online and ended up buying a Giant Anyroad without really trying out many different options and without trying it out more than a few quick spins. I bought it in January and right after I bought it winter set in so I never really had much chance to ride it except a bit on the odd warmer day until spring. Well, I am in so much pain and so miserable on this bike I don't know what to do. I think I waster 1000 dollars unless I can figure out what the problem is. First is the pain. The pain in my wrists and hands gets unbearable very quickly. I bought gloves, I vary my hand position, etc. but it's just so painful after maybe 20 minutes or less. One day I decided I was going to get used to this bike no matter what and rode for 1.5 hours and my right hand just locked up to the point I could barely squeeze the brakes. It feels like the brakes are probably too big for my hands anyway...

Then there's the crotch pain. I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but instead of my weight falling on my sit bones it seems to fall squarely on my crotch. I don't know if I'm leaning too far forward or what but it's nothing like the "normal" discomfort I get on the Townie. It quickly becomes unbearable and hurts for days afterward. I tried changing out the saddle and there's really no appreciable difference.

The other issue is just that I plain and terrified of feeling like I'm sitting up so high when I have the saddle adjusted properly. I'm super wobbly whenever I have to start riding with no curb and every time I feel my heart jump in my throat as it feels like I'm about to just fall right over. I seem to have an issue with the jumping up onto the saddle and peddling technique...I think I got SO used to being able to be flat footed on the Townie that I'm having a really hard time not being able to touch the ground on the Anyroad and it really scares me.

The good thing about the Anyroad is wow, it feels so much lighter and faster. Going uphill is like a completely different experience. I can get out of the saddle sometimes uphill which is a huge help too. Sure, of course I use my lowest gears uphill but I can spin up the hills at a decent cadence instead of just trying to grind up them so slowly on the Townie.

So..I don't know what to do. The Anyroad is so incredibly uncomfortable (I also typically have very sore neck and shoulders for a few days after I ride it) that I've been taking out the Townie instead. I have to really psyche myself up to get on the Anyroad and it's just not fun or enjoyable at all. I did expect a period of adjustment, I knew it was a very different bike than the Townie obviously and would feel incredibly different, but I didn't realize there would be this much pain involved. However, I did spend 1000 dollars on it and I hate looking at this really nice bike in my apt. that I just can't seem to ride. Also, all the issues with the Townie are still there.

I've been thinking maybe I am just one of those people who is going to have to ride a crank-forward, maybe I just wont be able to manage a regular bike. Is there a crank forward option that would be a tad better for uphill/longer rides? Would a Townie 21 be any better for this? Or is there some way I can make the Anyroad work out after all?

FrenchFit 

My wife wouldn't ride a standard road bike for $1m bucks, but she rides about 6 hours every weekend. Her two bikes are a crank forward '05 Giant Suede with a hilltopper e-assist and a '14 Electra Mixte 20D Ticino (aluminum). If we go on an adventure, expecting serious hills, she take the e-assist. She is very comfortable cruising at 12-14mph with no desire to go faster, she seems to handle a 20-30 mile roundtrip with good humor.

Frankly, I think you made mistake. You will never be comfortable on that bike in a rotated position, and there is no good reason to try. You can find a lightweight mixte with 20/30 gears I think you would be very happy. You could also put an e-assist on your townie, they are a lot of fun: Hill Topper Electric Bike Kit, Electric Bike Batteries: Electric-Bike-Kit.com

10 Wheels

Nice Bike.

Did the Bike Shop FIT you to the bike?

hammond9705

Take it back to the shop where you got it and get them to look at the fit. Hand and wrist pain may be from putting too much weight on your hands. Crotch pain may be helped with saddle adjustment

It shouldn't hurt that much

Johnny Mullet

Sorry to hear that. I went through the same thing, but after a proper fitting and weight loss and building my core the road bike is more enjoyable.

chaadster

Yeah, the Anyroad is a huge departure from the Townie, and was probably an unwise purchase. You could undertake to make it more comfy, but switching out bars and shifters-- which are where I think you should go first-- would be pricey. So probably selling, cutting your losses, and getting something you'd acually ride is the best ldea.

iTrek

I know it has already been mentioned, but it really sounds like you need a proper fit.

americanrecluse

I get you on the fear. I almost started with a Townie because of the fear of being up high and feeling all teetery. I wound up getting the Trek FX 7.3, which felt like too much bike at first, but feels pretty good now. Just a suggestion of something to try if you decide to swap out the Anyroad.

I work on my fear by turning circles in a big parking lot near home. I just do little challenges like "ride between those two concrete barriers" because riding a narrow path spooks me, or I try to tighten my turns and spin smaller circles, that sort of thing. It's good for confidence building.

MRT2

Just from your description, it sounds like instead of using your core muscles to support your upper body, you are rotating forward at the hips and putting too much weight on your hands. Take the bike back for a fitting, maybe raise the handlebars a bit while you work on your core strength and flexibility, and do some core work off the bike 2 or 3 days a week.

Edit: Don't give up on the Giant just yet. It looks like a fine bicycle and with a few tweaks, and maybe a better saddle, hopefully you will get comfortable riding it.

sstorkel

As others have mentioned, you probably need to get your local bike shop to help you with the fit. Honestly, they should have done this before they let you take the bike home. You might need a shorter stem with a steeper upward angle. If the fork tube hasn't been cut, you could also get them to place more spacers underneath the stem. If the stem has been cut, you could look into using a fork tube extender (though I'm not a bit fan of them). Both of these things will put you in a more upright riding position which should take pressure off your wrists.

If you're not feeling pressure on your wrists then the problem may be that the position of your controls or handlebars needs to be adjusted. Keep in mind that grabbing the flat, horizontal portion of the handlebar is generally puts your wrists into the most unnatural position. Resting your hands on the brake levers is generally the most neutral/comfortable position (assuming the levers are properly positioned).

The first thing I do when I buy a new bike is remove the stock saddle and throw it in the garbage. I dunno why, but stock saddles are almost universally junk. Find a saddle that works for you. See if your local bike shop has a "demo program" that will allow you to try different saddles; you may have to go through several saddles before you find one that works.

The riding position for a road bike is very different than the riding position for a townie. It may take time before your butt gets comfortable with the riding position and firmer saddles that are typically found on road bikes. With that said, while you might eventually get comfortable on a saddle that causes some initial discomfort a saddle which is downright painful will never become comfortable in my experience. Saddle need also evolve over time. While the general wisdom is that firmer saddles work well for long rides and cushy saddles are to be avoided, you may find that a wide cushy saddle is a benefit during the first few months of ownership as you adapt to the new bike.

Terry is a commonly available, generally inexpensive saddle that seems popular with many of the women I know. Consider saddles from their "touring/endurance" or "recreational" lines. Padded bicycling shorts can also make a big difference in comfort. If you don't want to be seen wearing spandex, and many of us don't, wear them underneath a pair of regular shorts. Shorts won't make a painful saddle comfortable, but they can make an uncomfortable saddle usable.

You'll get used to this over time. After a 5-year hiatus from riding, the road bike I used to love felt wobbly and unstable. After a few rides, however, I was back to being comfortable on it.

Just like the Townie, you should be able to touch the ground anytime you want on the Aneroid. You just can't do it when you're sitting on the saddle. The basic technique is to stand on the lower pedal with one foot and put your other foot on the ground. Starting off uses the same basic technique: raise one of the pedals to the 2 o'clock or 10 o'clock position, stand on that pedal (which causes the bike to move forward), then move your butt onto the saddle. This is much easier if you're in the right gear and the road is relatively flat.

If you're not used to standing on one of the pedals while coasting, practice that. Put one pedal in the 6 o'clock position, then stand-up on that leg while simultaneously pushing off with the other leg. Coast slowly down the street for a short distance with one leg on the pedal and the other leg hanging down but not touching the ground. Brake to a stop, then do the same thing all over again. While you're coasting, make sure you're looking down the road, rather than down at the front tire, so you'll coast in a straight line rather than wobbling left and right.

americanrecluse

Good point about the bike shorts. I am not a wearer of shorts (see: Athena) but I found a cute tights/skirt combo by Louis Garneau that works well. If you want to give them a try - I'm 5'7", a pound or three less than you, and the XXL fit me well.

Cychologist

The bike is fine, and doesn't need any major changes. As others have said, you need a proper FIT from a good bike shop. They should have done this where you bought the bike. It may require a shorter stem so you aren't putting so much pressure on your hands. Yes, by all means ride with cycling shorts/skirt and you may also want a female specific saddle. Terry makes some nice ones.

Don't give up. You should have a good ride.

jimincalif

+1 on all the advice above regarding getting a good fit done and replacing the saddle. Hopefully your shop will let you try some saddles. FYI many of the women in my club, and my wife, use the Selle Italia Diva saddle, so that might be one to try out.

Good luck!

philbob57

I think your best bet is to work on your core strength. I don't know your bike, but to the extent you lean forward, the technique that makes the best use of your back is to roll forward from your pelvis. With a weak core, that forces the shoulders/arms/wrists/hands to hold your weight. With a stronger core, your core holds your upper body weight, and shoulders/.../hands guide your bike.

dr_lha

Pain riding = bad fit or bad bike most likely. To figure out which one, go back to the shop you bought the bike and and discuss it with them. They may be able to sort you out. The Anyroad is a pretty upright riding bike, so you should be that far leaned forward (the cause of your crotch issues), unless you bought a bike that is too large for you. A shorter stem and new saddle may do wonders, if you even need that.

MRT2

Keep in mind OP is going from a Townie, which is about as upright as you can get.

PatrickR400

Your post scream BIKE FIT!!!

I would bet that your saddle is too far back. Could also be too long a stem. Both situations will force you to reach too far an put lots of weight on your hands and wrists.

The levers are adjustable.

Again, your saddle may be too far back. I know many are self-conscious and resist wearing bike shorts (without underwear) but the padding is there for a reason and there are no seams in the crotch for a reason. Remember, you are on a bike and you can leave the idiots behind by just riding away. As a bonus, idiotic comments may actually give you a boost; they sure do for me.

Spinning in the easy gear is the way to go. Eventually, you'll find out that you don't have to use the lowest gears anymore.

Have you had a talk with the people who sold you the bike? What about you talk softly with them and ask why there was no bike fit? Maybe they don't throw one in at that price point but maybe they could give you a break on one now. After all, a bike is a bit like a car; the LBS (dealership) wants to make money off you with maintenance, accessories, etc. and through word of mouth.

If they play ball, you are golden. If they don't want to play ball, walk away making sure they understand that they won't like the publicity. And then find a good LBS through word of mouth.

jimmie65

Echoing some of the other comments -
You're leaning forward too much. Get a stem riser and a shorter stem (ask your LBS; and I would talk them into installing it for free since they didn't fit you properly.) This will help with the crotch and wrist pain.
You need a different saddle. You could try tilting your saddle forward a bit more; that works for me when I have to ride a bike with a normal saddle - but my sensitive parts are a bit different from yours.
Have you tiled the brake levers at a different angle?

So you know where I'm coming from - I'm 6' tall, 240 lbs (down from 330), 50 years old, and prefer an upright riding style. I usually add a riser to my bikes and I much prefer a noseless saddle. My wife (no longer overweight) used to prefer a noseless saddle but now uses padded saddle tilted a little forward.

FrenchFit 

Alright, I am going to get up on the soapbox alongside Mr. Grant Petersen. this is for anyone thinking about the bike they are thinking of buying, and if you are a hardcore roadie just pass this bye and no insult intended.

I don't disagree with the posts above, but I sort of think they miss the point. If you have to get a pro fit for the bike you bought, you bought the wrong bike. If you have to go buy new stems, riser adapters, grips, saddle for the bike you bought, you bought the wrong bike. If you have to buy special clothing / shoes for the bike you bought, you bought the wrong bike. If you have to go to the gym and go through a program of core development and flexibility to ride your bike, you bought the wrong bike.

All this Lance wannabe stuff is not positive for getting people into bike riding & it doesn't make people healthier. Afterall, if you are riding a bike for fitness why in the world would you buy a sub-20 lb bike, while pedaling in a aero position? It makes no sense. A 30+ lbs bike sitting more upright will cause you to have a much better lower body and cardio workout, and I suspect your core will be much more involved than riding in a rotated, laid-out position.

And if you are riding for fun, riding a modern road bike is fairly ridiculous unless you define fun as fast. Look at the faces of these Lance wannebe's blasting down that smooth asphalt, they ain't smiling. Most of the time they seem angry and fairly miserable. Those silly riders on their upright bikes are smiling, talking, buying stuff a the farmer's market - in harmony with their environment. We can go a step further getting into social behavior and anti-social ****** behavior, ... but I digress.

Anyway, ask yourself why you are riding. Are you riding for the thrill of speed, fancy yourself as a racer? Or perhaps, you are a devil's mountain hill climber, a weight weenie? Or you are a club rider, and you live to avoid getting dropped by other riders, or to drop other riders? All good reasons to buy the modern road bike.

I guess if you identify with the roadie below you are on the right bike :

dr_lha

For sure, it's a big change. I perhaps should have said that the Anyroad is "pretty upright riding" for a drop bar bike.

Perhaps the OP is better off trading the bike in for a hybrid, but I think it's worth while for them to talk to their LBS to see if the bike can be made to work for them, before giving up.

MRT2

Isn't the AnyRoad basically a drop bar hybrid? It has been a year or two since I saw one up close but my impression was very positive. At last, a drop bar bike from a major manufacturer with clearance for wide tires, a relatively upright riding position, versatility of drop bars, and real world gearing. Sure it is a couple of pounds heavier than a true road bike but well worth the trade off for versatility you get.

jimmie65

Can't give this enough thumbs up.

dr_lha

Cut most of this because it sounds like you have a huge chip on your shoulder about people who ride and enjoy road bikes. Most roadies I see out and about seem pretty happy, they're not like joggers who perpetually look on the verge of suicide to me.

But honestly, does that guy really look like a "roadie" to you? Those shorts say "no" to me.

Regardless, I wouldn't base a bike purchase on what a model looks like riding it.

mapeiboy

How much time did you spend on your husband's Trek ? 20 minutes or morre . Did you experience the pain on your hands/arms and butts after 20 minutes on his bike . My point is if the answer is no then copy his bike setup onto yours .

FrenchFit 

A. I might be the guy you saw blasting down the road in a FDJ kit, in the drops, white clipless, blowing snot rockets; I like my road bikes and fast rides. But, I do not consider it my better nature.

B. I think the picture of the guy on an Anyride sums it up nicely, I wouldn't change a thing.