12 bikes in two years. am i being picky?
 

I've had mountain bikes, road bikes, hybrids, fixies, and I'm currently on a foldaway. I can't find anything that suits my riding style. I live a few miles away from the Yorkshire wolds so the road bikes were perfect, but killed my neck and shoulders, even after altering stems and bars. Mountain bikes were just as bad. Fixies were fun, but not when you're climbing hills a quarter mile long. I ride fast and hard, what does any veteran cyclist recommend? I work in a cycle shop as well, which makes this even worse haha. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. I really don't want to give up cycling, not with such a great world for it on my doorstep.

Buy a crappy old pile. Ride it. Every thing else will be an up.

I circulate between 3-4 bikes, a touring bike, hardtail MTB, coaster brake roadster, and whatever is up for sale next from the flipping pile.

Think you have a bad case of being human.

i have limited space, shouldve added that. l can a regular bike and the foldaway fits in the kitchen. just. having a few days off a week, it'd be nice to get up the wolds more often and do some exploring. i thought a cyclocross, but how do their tyres behave on road? are they going to drag like a mountain bike or do they just resist slightly?

aaaah, nice tyre. and you still have sufficent grip when it comes to the slippery stuff?

If you've had 12 bikes in 2 years how much of a chance did you give any of the road bikes? Did you get a professional basic fit? How old are you? How flexible? Any physical issues? You just don't get on a road bike, even one with a relaxed fit, and acclimate quickly; it takes a bit of time.

i did about 500 to 600 miles on each road bike ive owned. im 22, and i do suffer bad neck problems.

with all due respect - hopefully you don't work in cycle sales - cannot figure out what you need.
500 miles is just getting a cycle settled in. imho- you need an effective fitting for rando/touring
style riding - that usually addresses the fit issues of sore neck/shoulders.
Changing stems/bars may enhance a good fit, but it won't fix a bad fit.

I do work in cycle sales, of which I've had no complaints yet, but I just seem to be able to pick major faults with whatever bike it is I ride....

If you do have significant physical neck and/or shoulder issues that prevent you from riding traditional bikes like road bikes, mtbs, or hybrids, sounds like you might consider a recumbent.

Beat me to it. But since the OP rides hard, they might want to look at a mid-racer or high racer. Me, I've got a short-wheelbase, which, for me, is a nice compromise of comfort and speed.

i must admit, I'm not a fan of the recumbents. but i never thought of trying a smaller frame or a mid/high racer....

The common factor could be your posture. Do you lock your elbows a lot when riding? Do you slouch on the saddle, requiring you to crane your neck to see further ahead?

You might need someone to observe you while riding, to get an objective assessment. ;)

not a bad idea. ive never given elbow position a thought, i shall update during the week when i'm at work.

Young and having the shop you work for to flip them and not really cost much , does make that easier ..

Yes, they have good grip on offroad..although I do a majority of my riding on the road. I just couldn't believe how fast they are on the road.

maybe something with a motor?

Touring bikes like the Surly Long Haul Trucker or the Kona Sutra? Still plenty quick but with a more relaxed geometry.

Completely and utterly jealous of your stomping ground. My mother's people are from that neck of the woods (about 80 miles to your NW).

Your neck and shouldwers issue is about your body, work on that..

Taking Hatha Yoga Classes will help on building the strength and flexibility.

It's an ace place to go cycling around. its a shame not a lot of people round here realize this.
Surlys are hard to find in the UK, I'd love one! We have to make do with the Dawes Galaxy. My boss has one, I may have to steal it off him one day....
Yoga? Proven to help anyone on here?
And I shall look into those tyres

Ride more, condition and strengthen your body to particular positions. Stick with one bike for a longer period of time. Begin with a less aggressive riding position, and only alter it as you become comfortable around the neck and shoulders.

So you thought fixies were fun, but you didn't like road bikes because it hurt your neck and shoulders? Shouldn't the fixie also heart your neck and shoulders? Explain why you didn't like hybrids; they're a "do it all" kind of bike.