pcrx

Great! A lot of you all are making me much more comfortable and helping me realize - what matters is what's fun fur me.

I havd very similar feelings when I had to re-take my motorcycle license exam after letting it lapse for many years when I didn't have a motorcycle - except the second time I took it on a Vespa versus a Ninja ZX750.

I thought I was in for a nice round of laughter and stick poking by all the "real" motorcyclists when I pulled up to the test site. Wound up that one burley guy there on his bike owned a smaller Vespa and another after sizing up my scooter said it bluntly, "It doesn't matter, man, as long as your on 2 wheels and having fun its all good...."

Crank It Up

Ride what you want, when you want, where you want, while wearing whatever you want.

catatonic

IMO, the "comfort" bike, is just a forgery of the european "city bike", which is more of a cruiser/touring hybrid than anything else.

That being said, it's not a half bad attempt...but I'd rather build up a 26" touring bike if I wanted something comfy, as it could do literally anything short of intermediate trails, all while carrying actual loads on it.

Given I have a road bike and a XC mountain bike, and the closest to a "comfort" bike I have ever gotten was putting a serfas Rx saddle on my old DB outlook.

Anywho, ride what you like, it's not about what you ride, it's about riding....just don't be one of those "once a year riders"....those people drive me nuts...swerving every which way, etc. Seriously....it drives me nuts seeing tons of people who can't ride a straight line. I don't know why, but it does. And by "once a year rider" I do mean those who don't ride enough to have learnt basic handling skills....it's not tough at all...about by mile 50 it's down pat.

Seriously though nothing wronng with a hybrid... this coming from a guy who when I started, got passed on a climb by an old man on a beach cruiser.

jur

Heh, some months ago I passed a young chap on a Cervelo on a climb, me on my 15 year old Giant Innova, which is the Giant hybrid flagship and a pretty sweet ride.

GCG199

Well, I have a Raleigh CS 40 comfort bike and it works just fine for me. I use it for both commuting and exercise. I will have to replace the slick tires with regular MTB tires. The front tire already has two holes in it from glass bits.

Maybe later on I will get a real mountain bike, but I have to get in shape first!

mrchristian

I have a Marin Stinson comfort/mtb bike from my mom who never used it. I put new tires on it and have subjected it to some pretty nasty offroad (Chumash trail, Simi) and 700 or so miles of road riding before I got my road bike. I chucked the big seat (stuck on a nice NOS vetta saddle) almost immediately since all the padding hurt during anything longer than a couple miles, plus the shock absorber on the seat is pretty worthless. The big seat is very counterintuitive because you think that its more comfortable, but it really isn't. Comfort bikes aren't really THAT much more comfortable when you ride more than a couple miles, but I am very impressed with mine considering what its been though.

Can't say enough about Marin. Obviously the geometry on the bike is nice, but its very light considering how cheap the bike was, plus its durable as hell as I subject it to pretty scarry 3-4 foot drops fairly often. Even the generic Marin suspension performs alright, even against a Judy setup. Commute on it now to the hospital I work out around the corner, along with more MTB when I can get around to it.

stonecrd

I just switched from a mtb to a Pilot 2.1 specifically for the more upright geometry. I was in a bike accident a couple of years ago and managed to break the heads on both my radius bones in my arms (torque going over the bars is something). After healing up I could not ride more than 15mi on the mtb due to the pressure on my elbows. With the more upright geometry and having my hands vertical instead of horizontal on the bars I now can do 30mi with little discomfort. There is a bike for everyone, go with what fits your style best and don't worry about others

cydewaze

I guess I'm probably guilty of a little comfort bike hatred myself, but it's probably due to ignorance on my own part. When I first saw one, I assumed it was just a marketing thing that didn't serve any purpose that a touring bike did not already serve. I guess it does have it's niche though, so I'm trying to appreciate them for what they are.

Nicodemus

Just because they're happy voicing their disdain for "comfort" bikes doesn't mean they're in the majority.

SoonerBent

Ditto. Could'nt be said any better. It's not about what you ride. Just that you ride. I really get tired of every bike having to be put in some category. And some categories being looked down on. If you like it and feel good on it then that's what you should be riding.

SS

jabike

When I bought my first bike as an adult, I bought a mountain bike and basically turned it into a comfort bike because most of my mileage was on the city streets and paved paths. At that time there were only two choices. I rode many centuries and even rode 176 miles one day on that bike. Today I have a mountain bike, a touring bike, a road bike, a comfort bike, and several others that are in various states of disrepair. I use them all. When I go on trips to other states and plan on doing some bike riding while there, my wife and I normally bring our comfort bikes. It is probably the closest to an all purpose bike available. Is it the most efficient? No, but it get the job done. I don't care what others think. The real bike forum members only care that you are pedaling down the road/path/trail one pedal at a time with a grin from ear to ear and a peace in your heart that surpasses any of the problems others may see in your choice of vehicles. Hey, I'll ride with you anyday no matter what your choice of bikes is. In fact, just the other day three of us were riding - me on my road bike, Don on his recumbent, and Amanda on her comfort bike. We started together and we ended together and that's what made it enjoyable.

naane

Ride what suits you and your purposes the best. It's your money!

Bikepacker67

I have the LX, and no one has dared call me either loser, or girlie man!

geeklpc1985

Ha Ha Ha, $2000 road bike, I have a $5000 comfort bike, when fully loaded. I still pass them with easy.

GEEK

royalflash

It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks- if you like it just ride it-

I just think that as you get more into cycling you will see the shortcomings of the comfort type of bike and want something a bit more efficient and faster- I have a friend who is looking for a bike at the moment and I went with him to the shop last week. He is a bright guy but knows nothing about bikes. He went straight for a comfort/city bike. I was just horrified. He started looking at an 18+ kg aluminium framed (why oh why!!!) monster bristling with chainguards, suspension bits, kickstands and and huge great bendy handlebars. It was all I could do to not to break down and shout "no please for the love of cycling no...". I think a few sobs still forced their way out.

He is the one that has to ride it. It's just that I think he would get so much more out of a lighter and more efficient bike.

As You Like It

I got into it with a girl on another board some while back, who was mocking people who rode mountain bikes on the street. At the time, all I had to ride was my old Trek mountain bike, and by god, I rode the heck out of it, on the streets, mostly. I told her I was the run-what-ya-brung kind of chick and wasn't about to get too hung up about whatever anyone else thought of my ride. It's not like I'm asking anyone else to ride it! I also suggested that I probably had better legs than she did, on account of the workout I got out of riding a 40lb behemoth of a bike at speed. Because I'm a brat.

I think I'd say the same thing if I was a comfort-bike rider and someone was razzing me. "My bike, not yours." That being said, I don't think I'd buy a comfort bike, not when I've got a perfectly nice road bike and a complete beast of an old mountain bike. I ride the roadie when I want to go fast, and the MTB when general toughness is of the essence. But in the thread about "is compact geometry ugly" in the road-bike forum, I opined that I didn't really give a rat's about how my bike looked--that was the last thing on my mind when I test rode it and it was so perfect for me. Who cares how it looks or how it is classified, if it does what you want, it's the bike for you!

bobn

I couldn't agree more with the "Do your own thing" crowd and not worry about what the snobs think-

When they start paying my bills I'll give some thought to their opinions-

I ride a big old Columbia Superb dashboard bike-I ride for exercise and just to enjoy the day-Talk about a big old cruiser!!-I really don't give a $h@#-what anyone thinks-

I'll make a bet that if my bike and snobs high end racer were parked side by side that my bike would draw the crowd-

I get smiles, thumbs up, and lots of questions where ever I go-

My beater is a girls, yes girls Mango Kia single speed coaster brake oldie-Anyone ever hear of a Mango?-I hammer this bike on a regular basis and I feel no threat to my manhood at all-

To hell with what others think unless you sleep with them and/or they pay your salary/bills-

Just my .02--End of rant

Regards-Bob

HWS

I'll echo what a lot of others have said. Ride what you like and screw everyone who sneers or chucles at your hybrid/comfort bike.
I get sneered at by roadies all the time as I'm dropping them on my C-40. (especially the three in Discovery kits I dropped last night).

galen_52657

Bike companys are looking for new markets and ways to sell more product, hence 'comfort bikes'. Not being privy to the marketing meetings, you could guess they might have gone like this....'we have all these fat forty-to-fifty-something baby boomers out there with plenty of money who won't ride a bike. Their asses are to large for a regular bike seat - maybe if we take a low-end mountain bike, bolt on a set of shock forks and seatpost, and a huge farm-tractor saddle, they might ride it?...yeah...lets do that..we will sell millions of them...!!!!'

IMHO, you don't need a shock fork or seatpost to ride on the road (or off-road). If you take the time to learn, you can lift your butt off the seat for large bumps and just ride over the little stuff.

A 'comfort bike' could be easily converted from an old obsolete road bike - flat bars, wide tires and low gearing is all it takes.

Ride what you want. It's your money.

Marylandnewbie

In addition to some of the legitimate shortcomings cited above about speed and weight, I think comfort bikes get a bad rap for 2 other reasons.

Part of the animosity may stem from cheap Xmart comfort bikes that slap any old thing together in any old way and that tarnishes the whole class of bikes. In a similar vein, many riders of comfort bikes have never had them properly adjusted so they look like an uncomfortable ride to a passing biker. A decent quality comfort bike or hybrid from a bike store is a world apart in quality and rideability.

Secondly even though many serious cyclists are somewhat to very anti-car they are not immune from the general competitiveness of who owns the best toys. For example, a minivan is a very functional vehicle that serves many families well, but owners are unlikely to draw admiration from passersby. It is the same for the comfort/hybrid bike -- utilitarian, dependable and a good general performer -- just not the stuff of drooling daydreams.

So ride the bike you want that best fits your needs. I think buying a bike that best fits your needs and your body is the bst way to spend your money. As you grow accustomed to the bike then make modifications that will better tune it to your needs and riding style. Comfort/hybrid bikes can be pretty adaptable so they can extend their utility as your abilities grow. They'll never replace a road bike or touring bike for their respective tasks, but then most riders don't do those things.

qmsdc15

sorry, I overlooked the part about your spinal condition. I still think you could convert the Schwinn, 1.25 or 1.5 inch tires with road tread, and a riser handlebar, maybe new stem, voila comfort bike without the stigma. Can't you replicate the position of a comfort bike by changing a few parts? Get a really good suspension seatpost. That will be better for your back than the cheap stock suspension post on the Raliegh.

To those riders who are strong enough to chase down and drop roadies on their comfort bikes, you have my admiration. That sounds like fun! That's one good reason to have a comfort bike, to bring the snobs back to reality.

It's not about the bike. A bike is to ride. Whichever bike you will ride is a good bike for you. Thanks for taking my previous post with the humor I intended. Yes, I was joking, but I really would hate to ride one of THOSE bikes.

Schwinn Moab is a nice bike, it can serve as mountain and cruiser. Tip; every time you go to change the tires or once a week, wash the wheels. Then you won't get so dirty when changing the tires or fixing a flat out on the road.

richardmasoner

When she's not looking, I'll raise the seat on my wife's comfort bike and borrow it for a quick spin to the grocery store/coffee shop/video store. It has a step through frame and big wicker basket on the handlebar. I look like a complete dork but nobody cares, least of all me.

RFM

BJ Ondo

After being off bicycles for 20+ years and being 50 years old, my wife and I just couldn't decided weither we wanted a "Road or a Mountain" bicycle. The LBS, suggested a comfort/hybrid bicycle, especially for my wife as she is "very short legged". We ended up with the 2005 Fuji Monterey comfort bike's, 27 speeds, more "road gearing", (48/38/28), than the normal mountain bicycle and set up with proper placing holes for racks, front and rear. They were affordable at $400 each and I've really enjoyed the machine, It's great to have a bicycle that if it turns to "dirt" or gravel on the trails, you just keep flying down the path!

I just completed a paved road, 1/2 century for my 50th. birthday on August 5th. and was surprized how well my "comfort" bike went down the road. On the way back down a "two lane" road a dump truck decided to take all the "paved road", I got pushed out into the bumpy dirt, gravel, the "comfort bike", handled it with ease, if I'd been on a thin tired road bike, I'd have crashed, no doubt in my mind!!! I've followed all the "pure mountain bikes", everywhere except for the ultra-narly singletrack and that's only because of the "traction limits" of my "snakebelly tread OEM tires". Been thinking of putting on a "bit more" agressive knobby and I'd be able to follow the MTB riders anywhere. The best thing about buying the "Comfort/Hybrid" bike is now I know for sure, I don't want a better road bike, I want a full suspension MTB to go play in the Narly Singletracks.

I'll having a set of "road wheels" and high pressure almost "slick" 1.5 road tires put on my "Fuji Monterey" and it will become all the "road bicycle" I'll ever need, JMHO!

Solarion

a hybrid might also be an alternative to a comfort bike. although the hybrid is a bit more straning on your back, its not THAT bad, and you can go pretty fast on them, becuase they are a cross between mountain and road

Keith99

Lots of times it seems people get directed towards comfort bikes when it is NOT the right thing for them. Some characteristics of comfort bikes are actually far from comfortable when one is going any distance. Seats that are wonderfully padded to sit on and sometimes even sprung seem nice. But in some cases rub the insides of the thighs raw after 10 miles and have someone bouncing like a yo-yo when they try to go fast. The nice upright position means more wind drag and more work to go the same distance at the same speed.

BUT

For what you describe as what you want to do a comfort bike seems the right choice. Trying to stay with the kids on a racing bike can be very frustrating, much less so on a comfort bike.


Even if a comfort bike did not fit in general for what you want, your back trumps every other argument. Comfort bike = back Ok at least to start, Other bike = back hurts from the start, means comfort bike is the only rational choice.

My one caution is that comfort and Mtn bikes have fewer positions and thus less ability to change position and relieve stress on some body part that builds up on a 'long' ride. With that in mind if you can try to take a 'long' test ride before buying, just to be sure you are still comfortable after 5, 10 or however many miles you think will be a long ride for you. But even if after 5 miles or so having the same position means that your back gets stiff and sore and you need to get off the bike for a while that is still better than your back hurting from the start.