jamesdak 

Ok, searched through the various threads and found lots of hate but not much for how to deal with the stuff. Since I ride on it daily I'm looking for some ways to up my "comfort" factor. Sometimes the vibrations get going so bad I think my teeth are going to shake out. Not to mention I have to avoid the roads they did recently because they really suck. So, who's figured out ways to make it better. 20 miles on it aren't too bad but those 50 -70 mile weekend rides can begin to suck.

I guess I should mention my current setup. Schwinn Circuit steelie with a Brooks B17 saddle and newly installed Grand Prix 4000s ran at 115-120 psi.

RUOkie

use 25mm tires, loosen up on the bars, wear gloves. HTFU

10 Wheels

28's, run a low psi.

datlas 

Also, do not ride on freshly done chipseal, there are loose stones everywhere and it is dangerous.

Two cyclists in my club went down on some chipseal yesterday, stupid PENNDOT did not sweep away the loose stones and it was hazardous, one of them now has a broken hip, the other is lucky and just has bad road rash.

Chipseal totally sucks but with budgets as tight as they are, since tar/chip is so inexpensive, it's not going away.

My next bike may be a CX.

valygrl

I find it helps to whine a lot.

Seriously though - lower PSI.

My first road bike was a Schwinn Circuit - with Shimano Sante with Biopace. Does yours have that?

kaNUK

I try to avoid chipseal that is less than one year old. A winter's worth of snow plowing here in Upper Canuckistan (land of chipseal) goes a long way to removing the loose crap. Lower tire pressure* is a good suggestion, but watch out for the larger chunks as pinch flats are a what happens when PSI gets too low.

When it's time to upgrade the bike I'd recommend a carbon frame. My last frame was a Trek aluminumm and the new Carbon six is a huge improvement in comfort. So much that I'm contemplating a set of carbon bars.

KaNUK

(* I'm about 160 lbs and run 105 psi/rear, 100 psi/front in 23 mm tires)

MrTuner1970

Depending on your weight, you could perhaps lower the pressure of your tires. Maybe to 105 PSI? Again, depending on your weight.

I ride about 85-90% chipseal -- it's what we have here. Most of it is decent. Today I rode 50 miles on the stuff (out of a 60 mile ride). I have two Ti bikes, which apparently help absorb the vibrations that negatively affect other bikes. It must be true as I haven't felt jarred much at all. My older Dean bike has 25mm Gatorskins at 120 PSI. This bike rides like a Cadillac -- plush. My Lynskey R330 has 23mm Hutchinson tubeless tires at 106-109 PSI. Both bikes I'd consider very comfortable.

Do you have a carbon fork?

jamesdak 

Nope, mine is a 1999 packing Shimano 105 mainly but with a Ultegra RD. I got it as a backup after my Trek 4.5 CF bike broke. One month later and I'm still waiting to get the trek back from repairs.

jamesdak 

LOL, I'm on a steelie because of a CF bike. Rear derailleur broke on my Trek and took out my seat stay, totally shattered it. Brand new 4 month old bike that has been at the LBS for about a month now awaiting warranty repair. Needless to say, I'm a little down on CF bikes...

idcruiserman

+1

StephenH

35x700's on my bike. And if that's not cushy enough, my Worksman has 26x2.125's. And there's always the Puggsley if you get too desperate.

colinmcnamara

+2 on the 700x25c gatorskins at a lower PSI

caloso

Bend your elbows, as light a grip on the bars as is safe, and as fat a set of tires as will fit. You can also double wrap your bars.

mazdaspeed

Riding on big tires is awesome.

banerjek

Big tires are totally unnecessary. In fact, decent racing tires in 23's will give you a far better ride if you just drop the pressures a bit than riding large flat resistant tires that some guys in this thread are recommending.

You don't mention your weight, but try dropping down to 100psi or even a bit lower if you're not too heavy.

KD5NRH

Get rid of the teeth. They don't help you ride, and you'll gain .000000000027MPH from the weight savings.

pdedes

having a nice and relaxed grip on your handlebars is good. if the surface is loose you have to let your front wheel have a bit of freedom. also, gear up and use a slightly lower cadence, sit back if traction is tenuous.

rm -rf

Yes. GP4000 tires can flex and absorb the rough surface, but not if the air pressure is high. I'm 170 lbs and I usually run 95 psi front, 105 psi rear. If I rode chipseal all the time, I'd try 90 and 100. With low air pressure, you have to be careful not to pinch flat by hitting potholes.

jamesdak 

I weigh in at 185 right now, what pressure should I try? I am running 700 x 23 Grand Prix 4000s. Should also mention I love going fast although "fast" for me is a relative term, LOL!

guadzilla

I am now 170lb and have switched to 700x25s. Am waiting for Marathon Plus 700x32s - when they arrive, I'll be riding my cross bike with those tires mounted instead.

I cant just lower the pressure, as I have the double whammy of chip sealed roads and gonzo, car-swallowing (almost) potholes. Already wiped out on the potholes 6 weeks ago and got a fractured rib. No mas.

jamesdak 

Anyway to "isolate" the saddle against vibrations? While my Brooks is comfortable it's not perfect. I can feel the vibration all ride long with it. Wonder if some rubber can be safely used between the seat clamp and top of the seat post to dampen the vibrations. Has anyone tried anything like this? Would the sprung version of the B17 help?

Just trying to work this out the best I can. To get to normal pavement from where I live is at least a 30 minute drive and farther if I want to get back to roads without much traffic.

pdedes

htfu or get a suspension seatpost.

bfree

+1 The more weight you can put on your legs, the less you'll feel through the saddle.

valygrl

I think mine was a '91 or so.

carpediemracing 

Seatpost - you could try one of those Specialized elastomer-insert posts. A friend tried one and thought it took the buzz off of things.

Brooks - I'm not a fan, esp if it has steel rails. Steel is really good at transmitting vibration - like when you break loose a tight bolt, your hand can go numb due to the shock transmitted through the wrench. There's a very good reason we don't see steel bars on regular bikes - it's like trying to ride a bike with a jackhammer front end. In thinwall tubing steel has that springiness (tubing for example) but for the smaller spans (stems, posts) it's not as kind to the body.

The Paris-Roubaix technique is larger tires, hands loose on the bars, and more speed. Even slightly larger tires really increase air volume. In the old days we all raced 19c tires. Then 21c. And now 23c. This winter I talked to some guys that train on 25-28c tires - this on reasonably decent road surfaces.

Hands loose on bars - biggest tip. Let the bike move around under you. By simply guiding the bars, you avoid transmitting all that shock to your hands. This makes the assumption you have carbon or aluminum bars. This alone will take care of a lot of the front end vibration - the larger front tire at a lower pressure is key too.

Speed - the harder you pedal, the more force you're putting on the pedals. Focus on the downstroke. This unweights your saddle a bit.

I personally think lower cadence works, esp if it gets you onto the big ring. Two reasons. First, you can focus on downstroke longer - so you have less weight on saddle. Second, you want the chain tension of the big ring so it doesn't bounce around too much. However the clips all show the guys pedaling really fast.

Speed works well seated - you glide over everything. When you get tired, stand, stretch, rock the bike back and forth, recover. Then go again. Bonus: you can imagine you're in P-R. Another bonus - you get to work your sitting and standing leg muscles.

hope this helps
cdr