College Bike for Someone with a Back Problem
 

I'm leaving for a 1,200 acre campus later this year and need a bike. Since I have a few bulging discs, I need a bike with front and rear shocks. I want a good quality bike that will last me for 5 years, even if it means spending more. There isn't really a price range, just the cheapest bike possible that's still well built with quality parts. What would you guys recommend?

I'm not familiar with bulging discs, so take this with a grain of salt.

The two biggest issues here are: "College" and "Good full suspension"

Most nice bikes don't last long on a lot of campuses so people resort to beater bikes. From the small searching that I did about bulging/herniated discs, it seemed several people were able to ride comfortable when sitting totally upright as opposed to a bent forward mountain/hybrid position. I would suggest giving something like the Trek Navigator 2.0/3.0 a try. Upright bike with a front suspension, cushy seat, and a seatpost suspension.

A good full suspension that will last 5 years of heavy use will be at least a grand new. The used market often has a few gems at decent prices, but the right fit is more important if you have back issues.

I don't know that suspension is really necessary to smooth out your ride. You can get a sprung saddle (I ride a Brooks Flyer and love it) and also use fat slick tires like Schwalbe BIG APPLEs or Fat Franks. Most of all, you need to find a bicycle with geometry that agrees with you and your back. I can tell you that my old british roadster bike with large fat tires smooths out the front end bumps much better than my mountain bike with front suspension fork was ever able to. I don't like riding suspension bikes on roads since they absorb a lot of your pedaling effort and have extra unneeded weight. I sold my mountain bike long ago.

Look into the Giant line of bikes for a " hybrid." Well made bike for the money. I have buldging discs as well & a hyrid get me into a more comfortable upright position. Raise or lower seat handlebars, to get the most comfortable for you. Buy a good lock, too.

Does your back hurt more from bending, or from shocks?

If it is from bending, the important thing is to get a bike on which you'll sit pretty straight.

If it is from shocks, you should get a cheaper comfort or bike path bike from the bike shop, add a sprung seat and suspension seatpost. The suspension seat post makes a big difference.

By the way, welcome to Bikeforums!

Another thing to consider, if it is bending that hurts you, would be a recombent bike. I bet no one would steal one of those, hehehe.

When you visited the college, were people riding beater bikes and using urban-level bike chains/locks, or riding good bikes and locks are an afterthought? (I have seen both extremes.) Are bikes kept outside (typical of most dorms) or can you store them indoors? I'd seriously plan on going cheap, just because many college campuses have chronic bike theft and it's not worth losing a good bike to theft or weather. Maybe even a garage sale Wal-mart bike to get started; you can learn wrenching to keep it maintained and get what you really want once you have a better handle on the situation (like move into an apartment or other housing as many upperclassman do and have a better storage situation when you are not at classes).

Depending upon what's bothering you, I'd look at MTB-style bikes or maybe hybrids that take wider tires than a road bike. Rather than rear suspension (more money), go with a hard tail but a suspension/shock absorber seat post. Keep tire inflation pressure towards the lower end of acceptable (don't want pinch flats) as further bump-attenuation, and try to get a more upright seating posture. get bum off saddle going over bumps to use legs as shock absorbers.

Most people on campuses seem to use backpacks; these may be too uncomfortable for your situation - look at a rack (another reason for a hardtail MTB) and pannier that can be converted to backpack.

Many large campuses have some sort of bus service or shuttle. Check the times (or ask other students) they run - it may be faster to take the bus than to ride, lock bike up, then get to class. Or multi-mode it if longer distances are involved - most of these shuttles have bike racks.

Just to throw another one out there, I bought a Raleigh Passage 4.0 (hybrid) a few years ago. I had to have a bike that would keep me in an upright position, since I have degenerative disc disease and had a ruptured disc in 2001. Plus it had to be under $500 and support a clyde. I haven't taken any major rides, and my longest ride at one time has been about 10 - 15 miles.

That said, it has been a great bike and I haven't had any issues with back pain. I had to have the shifter cables adjusted once, but that was my fault from laying the bike down in the back of our van to transport and got the cable hung up. I've since bought a rack and had no other problems.

I would question that too. Really, the cracks the between the concrete slabs that you're likely to encounter on a college campus are going to give so much less shock to your body than the walk from the bike rack to the classroom. Get something with a comfortable seat, comfortable riding posture, and enough rack or basket space to hold your books.

these are all great responses. Fatter, lower pressure tires, and a seat post suspension should be enough. Front suspension would be even more, but you shouldn't need the rear. I have some back problems as well (4 years ago bulging disc), but i have too much of a need for speed for a soft ride lol. Riding a bike will help keep your hamstrings loose which can really help too. good luck!

I definitely don't have as bad a back as the OP, but as someone who recently purchased a used bike that needed some break work and the like, I can attest that a mountain hybrid with a good seat does wonders for you. I had a mountain bike before this (must cheaper) and it hurt my back. Yesterday, I rode 10 miles to get the thing home over some pretty steep hills and am not hurting at all in my back, as I was used to as a teen riding around on my old bike. No suspension, nothing fancy. The frame fits me really, really well, which I think was the difference.

Go look and find a bike that fits. I went to an LBS and was fitted for a frame the day before I got the bike. They were super helpful and didn't pressure me to buy the bike there. I bought enough accessories otherwise to work on the bike I did buy! Altogether it cost me $200.00 with a basket for commuting and I am truly happy I did it. Spend money and find a bike that will properly fit you and then add in a better seat perhaps better tires, etc.