Comfort VS Performance for Commuting ?
 

Ok, I just got a road bike and it is really nice about 2k WORTH of bike but the seat is super hard and a little painful. Anyway, I have a mountbike as well.

For some reason i like to ride on my mountaing an road bike up high in a not so efficient manner. I tried this on my road bike an it actually is more relaxing than my in the Drops feel or even in my aero bars look. I mean the other ways are nice but it appears that my best position is sitting more upright. It feels easier on my legs, back an neck. So my question is should I buy a different cheap comfortable bike or convert my mountain bike with smaller tires, clipless pedals.

I Commute 18 miles each way for a 36 to 40 mile commute to work. I was talked into the guy at bike rack into getting a road bike for such distances. Since my seat hurts so much and the position of biking over the last 2 months is not as nice as my Mountain bike an different bikes made for comfort does it seem reasonable to bike that distance with a bike that is made for comfort vs speed. As of now it take me 55 to 120 minutes to get to work. If i bought a folding bike or one that is more upright would it hurt my speed ? Would I be more comfortable to ride it longer distances ?

Thanks jay

There are some simple and inexpensive things you can do to make a bike more comfortable.

Try some different seats. Everybody's rear is different and there's a lot of different seats available. Many bike shops will let you try a seat for a day or two if you keep them clean and tape the rails so they still look new after a short test period.

You can also try different bars or maybe just a higher rise stem. Getting the bars up an inch or two can make it feel like a totally different bike.

Old Fart has some good ideas. Also try bike pants with better padding. I think a folding bike would be too slow for those distances. A more upright "comfort" bike would be slower, but less slower than if you had to give up cycling to work because it's too uncomfortable.

Also, if you have the bucks to drop on another bike, look at cyclocross and touring bikes. They have dropped handlebars you can use when you want to go fast, but they also have a more upright geometry.

I commute on a cyclocross bike, and love it. A touring bike would be even better though I think for distance commuting. Check out different seats though, That might do the trick. Also, at least consider some sort of bike short if you dont already use some. Many people find them more comfortable since they have a layer of integrated padding and better sweat wicking properties. (Ignore the bikeshort threads on this forum as being more or less moronic :D - go with what works for YOU!!) My gut feeling is that you will tire yourself out too much on a heavier bike. Good luck

Why not both speed and comfort;)

So from what I hear you guys are saying is ??
 

So from what I gather is that I can setup my Road bike with a high handle bars and a more comfortable seat? I already wear bike short which does help some but it still hurts. The seat I have is ROCK hard. You guys are also suggesting to have my stem up higher so i do not have to lean over so much an can ride it more like a mountain bike or commutor. I mean not to say that the ride is bad It just seem more relaxing an easier to pedal when my whole body is sitting str8 up.

Any advice

Thanks,

Jay

No one here can tell you what will work for you. We can only give you ideas to try plus thoughts on the tradeoff's of various bikes.

If being upright makes you more comfortable, then you may need to sacrifice some of the efficiency of a road, cyclocross (Surly Cross Check, for example) or touring bike (Surly Long Haul Trucker, for example).

If the hard seat is killing you, then that's an obvious place to start.

on my MTB, I opt for comfort over performance in every decision. You can always peddle home and again tommorow if you're not sore.

I second raising the handlebars and replacing the saddle. I ride a cyclocross bike with the handle bars level with the saddle. It gives me a semi upright riding position. I can get in the drops to get out of the wind when I want to. Very comfortable.

The definitive answer on comfort vs performance is.....what works for you.

If you find the riding position too extreme on your roadie, then there are definitely things you can do to improve it. A tall stem and moustach bars, or trekking bars might be the answer, or even a tall stem and stay with the drops (but use the hoods). An adjustable stem will look ugly, but help you find what's right for you, and you could then replace it with something prettier (I guess if you've got $2000 in the bike, $20 to get it comfortable is not too much to ask). And yeah, try different seats. There are those that love Brooks more than anything.

Perhaps you're not using your legs enough, sitting too heavy in the saddle. When I am fatigued, my saddle feels harder and more uncomfortable and every bump goes right to my butt.

Sounds like you just got the road bike. Based on that perhaps riding the drops for a few weeks will allow your body to get used to the position. I noticed when I added drops to my Trek930 that I had to raise the seat slightly to keep from knee pain. Odd I thought. Anyway try moving the seat around to see if you are more comfortable. Did you get a quality fitting done?

I commute a similar distance in similar time on a folding bike. As far as comfort goes, it's literallywhatever works for you. That said, sitting more upright is less stressful. No reason you can't raise that handlebar up and maybe lower the saddle a little to make yourself more upright on the road bike. I found that for me, moving the saddle back a little helped with butt main more than anything else. I'm about an inch to inch and half further back that the textbook recommendations. Next you might look at a different saddle.

I ride 17 miles to work. I am comfiest with my hands on the drops. The bottom part of the drops point about half way between the rear brakes and the rear hub. I have a suspension seatpost. If I hear it squeeking, it is telling me that I am mashing and not pedaling in smooth circles. Try adjusting seat fore/aft, up/down, bar height/reach/tilt. If you carry stuff on your commute, a saddle bag or rack will be a lot better than a back-pack.

I don't believe that comfort and performance are tradeoffs anymore. I was a skeptic. I always figured a road bike would be less comfortable, but allow me to achieve greater speed. I was wrong.

I bought my first road bike back in february. Giant OCR Comp 3. It isn't as agressive as a racer, but still my handlebars are a little below my seat.

It took a little while to get everything dialed in, but I did a 62 mile ride last saturday. By far the most comfortable I have ever been on a bike. No hand numbness, no back soreness. My rear was a little sore. But I don't think it is possible to have a saddle that is 100% as comfortable as a lounge chair.

So it is definitely possible to be in a more efficient aero position and still be comfortable.

As to the seat. I was also skeptical that those little hard seats could be comfortable. They definitely can be. The key however is that they have to fit you just right. They key to these saddles is they have to hit your sit bones just right. If they do, they can be nice and comfy. too narrow or too wide and they hit you in the fleshy parts and, well, it feels like sitting on a board.

-D

Road bikes are very different from MTB's. As you ride it more, you'll find it more comfortable because you'll gradually become more flexible and get used to the pressure points.

It is possible that you don't have your seat adjusted quite right. If it's tilted a couple degrees the wrong way or if it's too far back/forward by a few mm, it will be much less comfortable. Also, bike shorts vary a great deal in the type and amount of padding they have. The gel shorts are a bit heavy, but they may be the ticket for you

What bike do you have?

It sounds like it was not fitted properly for you. A hard seat is not necessarily bad. Soft can work over short distances, but you need support of sit bones. Have you tried stretching? Part of the problem may be flexibility as well as fit. I'd suggest getting your fit optimized for riding on the hoods and then later get it readjusted for riding in the drops, after you are more accustomized to the new bike.

what did the bikeshop say when you compained about it to them??? a picture of the roadbike would help as well.

a nice highrise stem can do wonders for comfort. looking at the average roadie position it seems a little bent over for comfortable distance riding for me anyway.