spinconn

At 74 I am just now getting back into riding after a couple of years away due to medical issues. I need to be particularly careful about falling as I am on serious blood thinners for a good while. When I last did a lot of biking it was on a Trek Marlin 7 MTB, though I had stopped riding off road and was using it mostly on MUP's with pavement or concrete surfaces. I am enjoying the Marlin again, doing just under 100 miles a week, but at a very slow pace. As I get conditioned, I am eager to increase my speed but not to the point of going back on a true road bike. I am not talking about racing or even setting personal goals on Strava, just the fun and enjoyment of a little speed and more nimble handling. I am looking at fitness hybrid bikes, but it occurs to me that among the other attributes of a MTB, they are very stable, and falls are less likely. But I could be wrong about that. I would appreciate any comments on how much less stable a hybrid, say like the Trek FX, would be. I took a Giant hybrid for a short test ride at the LBS and it seemed very stable, but it wasn't much of a test.

pdlamb

You may not like this idea, but I think you're barking up the wrong tree. Except for a few special types of bikes, they're all about equally stable (or unstable). You, the rider, have to keep the bike (and yourself) upright. So pay attention to your riding all the time, including watching the path ahead of you, any other people, pets, and bikes or cars, and drive the bike to stay out of trouble.

You might want to look at a mixte style bike so you can dismount quickly if you're getting trapped between two strollers, a dog leash stretched across the path, and a young family learning how to ride bikes. If you can slam on the brakes, stop, and step down without falling over from your current bike, that's about as good as it's going to get.

big john

What would you gain by switching to a hybrid? If you like your Marlin maybe you could try some lightweight slicks or even spring for some light wheels and tires?

Carbonfiberboy 

Yes, definitely try slicks. Big difference. And also yes, bikes are all about the same in terms of stability. If you want to improve your stability and bike handing, like seriously, get a set of rollers with front guards or wheels so you won't fall off while you're learning. Something like these: https://www.amazon.com/Minoura-Foldi...dp/B00CSIYLUC/

Minoura also makes an add-on resistance unit for these...

joesch

Use some wide pedals that provide good foot contact like old school "bear trip" version.
If you use clipped or clippless pedals and your feet/foot get stuck when losing balance then there is a much better chance of falling. Wider tires also help provide stability and better road contact to prevent slipping.

Velo Mule

I think you are plenty stable because we don't loose our sense of balance (unless we have a specific problem). There is always a chance of falling either because of other riders, walkers, skaters, dogs or some other thing popping up. I wear gloves anytime I ride a bike because I fell once without gloves and gloves would have helped.

You will have to weigh out the risk. I think if you stick to trails and multi-use paths you should be ok.

Chuck M 

I can’t speak for the OP, but I suspect that they may have more concerns about bike control/handling than stability and perhaps used the wrong wording. And if that is not accurate, I think handing may be a bit more important in this case.

He is already slowing down and has changed his environment he rides in which is a good start. I would visit a local bike shop if possible to see what other bike options there are or as suggested what tire options might help. A good bike fit may be in order as well.

spinconn

Thanks for the input guys, much appreciated. My question was not well phrased. I am not concerned about my handling skills or balance. It has been a long time since I rode a bike with skinny wheels and tires. I am thinking of a new bike for the same reasons everyone likes less weight on their bike. But until I get off blood thinners, I need to be careful about impacts and I simply can't recall how thinner tires felt with regard to close calls and sudden maneuvers. I don't think I ever thought about it before. But, thinking about a new lighter, skinnier bike got me thinking it might be a little safer to stay on the MTB. I think the tie breaker will turn out to be how great a new shiny bike looks. No sense being totally rational.

big john

I'd guess you could take pounds off your bike with a switch to a light wheelset with slicks, and not necessarily skinny tires. Your bike has a 69 degree head angle which gives it stability on rough ground and makes the bike more forgiving.

I ride a skinny tire road bike most of the time. I used 23s until recently switching to 25mm tires. It has a short wheelbase, steep head angle, and stiff chassis which makes it turn quickly. I enjoy riding it a lot but when I switch to my mountain bike it's a different world. Cracks in the road, bumps, uneven surfaces can be ignored. It's actually a longer travel enduro bike but even a lighter hardtail with slicks will be calmer and require less attention.

My question in my first post was to point out that while a hybrid may be fine for your needs, your hardtail might actually be better for stability and shrugging off problems with the surface.

Joe Bikerider

I’m 71 and have had similar concerns. But I am doing well by thinking that if things are going wrong I can always put both feet down and just stop. Like this morning on my favorite path I came across a couple with two little kids in strollers in an awkward situation. I had seen this in advance so it wasn’t a surprise. I just stopped and smiled and made a nice comment. Then we all went on our way. Hope you can have similar encounters.

skidder

If you have a date/date range for getting off or cutting back on the blood thinners how about walking until then. I had a nasty vertigo incident last year and found it easier to walk a few miles while recovering than trying to ride a bicycle. if you've got a hill nearby try walking to it, then doing a few up-and-down (or down and up!) repetitions to get a little extra workout boost. When you feel comfortable enough to get back on the bicycle you'll have a good base level of fitness. From there use your existing bicycle for a while to get used to riding, THEN move to another bicycle if you feel like it.

Carbonfiberboy 

My engineering analysis suggests that tire width is totally immaterial to one's ability to control a bicycle on the road or MUP. I mean, it's ridiculous. Tires are not rigid and even if they were, it wouldn't make a noticeable difference. The big deal with wider tires is that they are at a much lower pressure so that one does not notice small road irregularities as much. Of course that feels more comfortable. One can have both worlds, 28mm tires on wide rims on a road bike is totally a good choice - as long as they'll fit the frame. Of course this is true only on hard surfaces. On soft surfaces, more tire surface area makes a big difference in controllability and comfort..

I agree that walking is a very good choice for rehab and/or returning to the world of movement. I do a fair bit of walking, hiking, skiing, etc. I use a GPS watch which shows me minutes/mile as I go, sort of a coach, making sure I do the work.

I've been skiing Nordic this winter, partly because of the greater emphasis on balance necessary to float long on one narrow ski which is trapped in a groove. I'm a geezer, so I ski Classic Nordic.

pdlamb

I'm of two minds on this. On the one hand, if O.P. is riding 100 miles a week, I suspect he can control a narrow tire drop bar bike just fine. OTOH, coming back at age 74 after years off, he may enjoy the slow steering of a comfort bike with wide tires at low pressures. Kind of like some older people prefer a Lincoln or Cadillac they can steer with one finger down the highway (neglecting the power steering required to get into and out of a driveway). Will the additional drag from wide tires at low pressures be acceptable, given his weekly mileage? I don't know and can't predict.

I think the best advice I can offer is to hit up the bike shops and test ride a few bikes of different flavors.

Bob Ross

It's been nearly 30 years since I owned a mountain bike, but I have a number of aquaintances my age and older who are still very into mountain biking...and they all tell me that falls are far more likely on MTBs than on road bikes.
(I suspect a good deal of that has more to do with the types of terrain and routes one is riding on rather than any inherant balance/stability differences between the two frame types.)

1989Pre

Get yourself a good Yang-style Tai Chi video. Practice the single-legged stances and you'll never fall again.

It is my opinion that the hybrids are the least-stable of all. They try to do the job of a road bike and a mountain bike, and can be used moderately for either, but do neither well, and there is a price to pay for such dispersion. i have never ridden a bicycle in the woods, so can not speak to that.

Calsun

The more I ride the more stable I become as a rider. As a teenager I would go up the creeks around my house and in the spring I could leap from rock to rock but the first few days after the winter I needed to go slower until I got my skills back to where they needed to be. After a hiatus with my bikes I feel the need to go slower down hills.
What counts for me is the amount of fork rake on a bike with more rake equally greater stability.

If taking any medications that can affect blood pressure or balance I would experiment to find the minimum dosage you can take without problems. I take a blood pressure medication in the evening so as to minimize any impact during the day.

Staying hydrated is also important to keep the blood flowing smoothly through the body.

t2p

yes - falls on MTBs can be more common due to the type of riding / terrain

but generally speaking - an MTB will be a ‘slower’ and more ‘forgiving’ handling bike (compared to a road bike)

t2p

skinny tire road bike might be a great choice if you plan to return to spirited / fast paced road rides and similar

but it appears a fitness hybrid could be a good if not ideal choice for the type of riding you are planning to do

they can be much lighter than an off road bike - and with wider tires can also be more versatile and more forgiving

(but with narrow tires you basically can have a slightly more relaxed flat bar road bike - not bad but not ideal)

(would the fitness hybrid w / wider tires be as forgiving as the Trek Marlin MTB ? not familiar with the Trek Marlin - and it would also depend on the hybrid - but typically the MTB will be among the most forgiving types of bikes )

another option is a ‘gravel bike’ - sorta / kinda a more relaxed road bike with wider tires (and lower gearing etc)

the fitness hybrid - flat bar ... gravel bike - drop bar

Bald Paul

By 'more stable' do you mean a 'less twitchy' bike?
Years ago I had a custom built Romic touring bike (I still kick myself for selling it) with lots of trail in the geometry. Even fully loaded with front and rear panniers, handlebar bag, set bag, and my tent and sleeping bag strapped to the top of the rear rack, I could easily ride no handed for miles.
With my current road bike, with very little trail, I really have to think about what I'm doing, and why I'm doing it, if I have to take my hands off the bars.

LeeG

My $.02 is to go test ride some bikes. There’s nothing about high bb mtn bikes that lends to confidence in low speed handling. Are you simply looking for lighter weight or a handling change? 1.75 or 42 mm tires can be light enough.

Fredo76

The Trek FX2 Disc Stagger is available in RED. fwiw

OldTryGuy

3 wheel racing or off road TADPOLE or DELTA -- stability and comfort

https://www.rad-innovations.com/compare-trikes.html

big john

Why are you posting a medical diagnosis? Did the OP ask for a diagnosis of something?

big john

Did you even read the OP? Did you read the subsequent post where he tries to clarify for those who think he has a balance problem?

He's not asking for medical advice, He does not have a balance problem. You are not a doctor yet you pull some random diagnosis out of your ass, as if you had any idea.

Chuck M 

He used his "medical expertise" to autopsy Sheldon Brown in another thread. Not only did he assail Sheldon's mechanical skills, he made ridiculous statements about his cause of death. When he was called on it, he claimed he was hacked and asked everyone that quoted his senseless comment to delete their posts.

He could use a trip to a couple a real doctors though. A proctologist and a brain surgeon. They could team to remove his head from his ass.