Code Monkey

i hear some road bike riders say that comfort bikes are not comfortable for longer rides (~>15 miles)... what exactly is behind this...? when i think about it, if the saddle height of a comfort bike is set properly for the rider, it sould be comfortable for more than a couple of miles... i'm asking this question without regards to going fast...

khuon

The upright position puts excessive load on your lower back and the saddle really isn't designed for most of those who have developed proper bike-butt. You might have to also replace the seatpost in order to get one long enough to position yourself in a less upright position. And then you'll have excessive post showing which may not be a good thing. You might have to play with the handlebar height too. In the end, the geometry of the frame might fight you to the point where you couldn't establish the correct (close to a road-bike) saddle-bar relationship without throwing off something else or you may not be able to do it at all. Also, comfort bikes are usually characterised by their 26" wheel size which usually come with wider balloon tyres. Compared to 700c tyres , they don't roll as fast or smooth. You can probably replace them with semi-slicks however. Out of the box, I think a 700c hybrid is a better choice for those who don't want the roadbike position initially but still want to ride longer distances as its geometry is generally closer to that of a roadbike. Another option would be a flatbar roadbike or one of the sport/recreational roabikes like the Specialized Sequioa.

Sparrow

Yep, I think khuon nailed this one. I found that on the comfort bike, as my back muscles started to develop, my body naturally wanted a less upright position. When the saddle was as high as it could go and the handlebar was as far forward as possible, the choice was to either start replacing bits or buy a road bike. If I had known when I bought the comfort bike what I know now, I'd have gone with a hybrid simply because it would have lasted me longer.

On the plus side, the comfort bikes are a less expensive and fairly non-threatening way for people to find out if cycling is something they'll enjoy and want to continue long-term, and have a bit better resale value than an XMart bike.

Rich Clark

Yes, all of that.

The saddle is soft and wide. The longer you sit on it, the more it compresses your soft tissues and chafes your thighs.

The riding position puts all of your weight through your spine.

There is only one place to put your hands. After several hours, they will hurt.

Your body is a sail, and on a bike the wind is always a headwind.

The bike is heavy, and the hills are steep.

The tires are soft and wide, thus slow.

Pedaling energy is absorbed by the springs in the seatpost and the fork, and not translated into forward motion.

Yes, some of these things can be compensated for through retrofitting, but mostly you'll end up with a comfort bike that costs as much as the flat-bar road bike or entry-level touring bike you should have bought in the first place.

RichC

NW NJ Biker

I ride a Raleigh SC30 comfort bike. My typical ride is from 25-30+ hilly miles and honestly I do not have a problem with discomfort (and I do have lower back problems). The only discomfort that I experienced was from the original super-soft saddle, which was corrected by replacing it.

The issues that are currently pushing me to want a road bike are: the bike is too heavy, the gearing is too low, there is no way to get out of the wind, and limited ability to use thin high pressure tires. All of this has to do with my desire to go faster and farther, not so much to do with comfort.

A comfort bike is a good way to get a descent bike at a relatively low cost. Plan on replacing the saddle, and if you will be riding on the road a lot replace the tires with thinner slick tires.

Code Monkey

thanks for the replies... i was asking because i just got my first road bike a week ago... the last bike i had was given away 6 years ago when i was 18... it was a Huffy mountain bike... i'm not over weight but i am not in great physical shape either... cycling is not at the top of my priorities but i try to ride at least 4 miles per day since i got the bike... but on rides that last for more than an hour, i find my back sore... it's not the bones that are hurting, it's the back muscles... so i don't know if it's just my body trying to get in shape... the bike is actually becoming more and more comfortable as i use it... at first i had the saddle set really low since i wasn't used to a road bike, but then my butt started to hurt, so i raised it up considerably and i could tell a major difference... i was just asking because everytime i ride the road bike at the park, i see all these people on comfort bike looking all relaxed...

KennethToronto

Comfort Bike Riders and Road Bike Riders are two different breeds

Sparrow

I'm quite overweight (although about 40 pounds less overweight than I was a few months ago) and really horribly badly out of shape. I had the same soreness problem with the lower back muscles on my comfort bike that you're describing. In my case, it was the muscles finding out about themselves and getting stronger after years of atrophy behind a desk. It was bad enough after my first couple of >15 mile rides that I had to take some serious prescription muscle relaxers and spend a day in bed recovering. The muscles did become progressively stronger, however.

Today, after my first really long cruise on the brand-new road bike, my lower back muscles are the tiniest bit tender because I'm asking more of them with this new bike than I ever asked on the comfort bike, but nothing a bit of aspirin and a night's rest won't put right. Now THAT'S progress!

Pat

It really depends on what is meant by a "comfort" bike. I saw a comfort bike put out that was really just a road bike with a relaxed geometry (+ for comfort), slightly more upright posture, bigger tires (+ for comfort), and lower gearing (+ for comfort). It had dropped handle bars, was reasonably light, and had decent components.

So this bike was a bit like what used to be called a "sport touring" bike or a "century" bike. As opposed to those semihybrids that I see touted as "comfort" bikes.

owmynads

Man, I did the MS-150 on a comfort bike last year. Sheer torture. I got a road bike on eBay for $250 (Schwinn Passage- triple crank) and it has made all the difference in speed and comfort. I dread riding the comfort bike, now, because of the crappy average speeds I get no matter how hard I work, and the real lack of comfort due to the fact that the seat is not comfortable at all (even with the replacement)!

When I first got on the road bike this spring, the whole thing felt weird- kinda topheavy. I wasn't used to the reach over to the handlebars. Then I got aerobars. That was a really good way to get used to that stretch, and if you get tired, it's a great place to rest (although your neck will be sore as hell after your first long ride). Now my lower back doesn't bother me at all. 72 miles on Sunday (hilly) at an average speed of 17.7 mph. A long way from the comfort bike.

khuon

I think I know what you mean. I've often heard bikes like the Specialized Sequioa and the Cannondale R800 Sport referred to as "sport-road" or sometimes "comfort-road". The lines are kinda blurry in the crossover segment. I generally think of hybrids as a cross between a roadbike and a MTB with more leaning towards a roadbike. I think of comfort bikes as sort of a cross between a beach cruiser and a MTB with more leaning towards a light MTB. I think of the "sport-road" or "comfort-road" as a cross between a roadbike and a full-on tourer. And then of course you have bikes like the flatbar roadbikes which are simply your traditional roadbikes (with typical roadbike geometry) equipped with a flat straight bar instead of dropped handlebar. I generally regard differences in lineage based on geometry, wheels and drivetrain rather than handlebar type.

Code Monkey

hey owmynads, so are you saying that you had a little back pain too before you got the road bike or before you got the aero bars before your back got used to the road bike position...

Code Monkey

by the way here's a picture of me and the bike... i've put 98 miles on it so far... https://www.pbase.com/image/20089939 ... i don't usually dress like this but on the bike, i'm kinda going for that yuppie, city biker look...

Dahon.Steve

I think the biggest problem with comfort bikes are the poorly made saddles. If only the manufacturer would put on Brooks saddles with springs, it would make a WORLD of difference. My Bianchi hybrid came with one of the worse saddles ever. I decided to add a suspension seat post which made things better but then changed the saddle to a Brooks. All I can say is WOW!

A comfort bike and a Brooks mattress saddle were made for each other. If you're going to choose a cycle where you sit up most of the time, you're crazy not to use a Brooks saddle. In fact, the sit-up position of a comfort bike REQUIRES a mattress saddle!

As for distance, I did Bike New York which is over 40 miles on a confort bike without the pain I used to have on a road bike. I did the same distance on a three speed last year so it is possible to cover long distance on a confort/hybrid/beach cruiser. But in order to cover these distances, you'll really need a good Brooks saddle

caroljm36

I would say comfort bikes are for people who are overweight, whose backs can't take the leaning over. Simple as that. By necessity the rides should be < 15 miles but that's usually a pretty good way to augment an overall weight loss plan. Probably I say that because that's the way I did it. For a couple years I would do a 12 mile trail ride once or twice a week on an MTB, as well as dieting and fitness walking and weight training on other days. It wasn't until I was within 20 lbs of my goal that I seriously considered a road bike, since they seemed so light and insubstantial when I was big and I probably would have had more trouble staying balanced on them. That said, the comfort bikes were not so comfortable due to all the weight put on the seat, and I found that the big Serfas cutout saddles helped a lot.

khuon

That may be perception more than reality and I suppose one has to take into account their own abilities. But I would have to say that most roadbikes can be ridden quite acceptably by riders of all sizes. I remember the week following the end of the TdF (why does it seem like so long ago?), David Letterman kept doing a funny bit by saying that he had Lance on the show. And when he made the introduction, a rather large fellow wearing a yellow jersey rode through the stage on what looked to be a Trek 5200 in old USPS colours with clip-on aerobars. The rider neatly rode across and off the stage and continued through the aisle and out the back in a pretty smooth fashion while negotiating some rather sharp turns. They repeated the skit at least three times that week.

owmynads

Sorry for the confusion. I experienced back pain when I first got the road bike, but the aerobars helped me get used to the reach on a road bike. Now, I'm just as comfortable on the handlebars as I am on the aeros.

KennethToronto

Omg, that's hilarious haha Nice picture!

TrekRider

That must be the reason that many roadies will not wave back at me! In my area, it is common courtesy to acknowledge other riders, as well as joggers, dog walkers, exercise walkers, etc., with a nod of the head or a wave.

In my neighorhood, as I push my Trek Navigator 300 comfort bike around, everyone waves back or initiates the acknowledgment. But, on the weekends, when I venture far and wide, roadies ignore me as if I am an alien species!

I ride just as far if not farther then these guys. In fact, most of them drive to a bike rfide, unload their bike, ride to the end and back, then load their bikes back on their cars and drive home.

I ride from home to the rides or paths, then ride home. The fact that I am on a comfort bike makes it more of a challenge. I mean, anyone can climb a steep hill on a Trek 5200 that weighs about as much as a feather, but I am pushing an iron stove up that same hill.

I think where and how your ride determines what kind of cyclist you are more than what you ride.

That being said, I am buying a road bike next year! Pushing that stove up the hills is really quite tiring.

TrekRider

I echo the sentiments of Sparrow and Caroljm36. When I first started riding my comfort bike, I was grossly overweight, over 100 lbs. My daily ride was 10-12 miles, then 15-20, but no more. Occasionally on the weekends, I would venture to 25-30, but not as a general rule.

Comfort was hardly the mode I was in, either. It was darned difficult hauling my fat butt around, but as the weight dropped off and my back and leg muscles hardened and got used to riding, it got easier. But, then, half of my hand got numb all the time, and I am still searching for a secondary, safe position on the bars. Haven't really found one yet, except to move them to towards the stem for a few minutes every half-hour.

Plus, it got boring riding the same route day after day for over a year. I have stretched out my weekends to 40-50 miles. After the first hour, it starts to get less comfortable. By the time I finish, 3-4 hours, usually, it is darned uncomfortable. I have taken to stopping mid-way and taking a 10-15 minute break. That seems to ease the discomfort and my butt doesn't get as sore.

I am just biding my time until next May, when I will give myself a birthday gift of a new road bike. I am going to spend between $1500-$2000 including pedals, new shoes, and a Brooks B17 saddle, so I should be able to get a good bike. I am aiming for a Trek 2200/2300, Cannondale R800/R1000, or a LeMond BA/Zurich.

khuon

You may want to consider getting some barends or even some aero-clip-on bars (might be overkill). I remember a few nice aero bar attachments were made specifically for MTB-style flatbars during the mid-90s. I can't seem to find any now. I guess they fell out of style. Longer L-shaped barends (don't get the short ones if you're looking for more hand positions) should give you a couple of extra places to move around into.