comfortable race bike ?
Comments
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Sounds like you want it all. Not sure what you mean by comfortable. Not to many
race bikes are built for comfort, maybe none at all. The stiffness of the bikes triangles,
the shorter(than touring bikes) wheelbase, and high pressure tires pretty much rule
out "comfort" from the frame and tires. In fact high pressure tires, 120 and up, will never
give you that "silky smooth ride" that all the advertisements talk about. You can gain some comfort by proper position on the bike. Weight to far forward on the bike, not "sitting" on
the seat(think about that one), improper seat angle(nose should be level or slightly higher
than the back of the saddle), you should not be supporting your weight on the handle bars(very tiring and this is the seats job), too long a stem(can kill your back, especially
if you're old like me), and handlebar height all affect your "comfort" level. Good rider
position will give you a more comfortable ride than frames, tires, and wheels.
Dennis Noward0 -
Cheers for advice just think geometry of some bikes may be more comfortable, read somewhere that Lemond have reputation for comfort.0
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Cheers for advice just think geometry of some bikes may be more comfortable, read somewhere that Lemond have reputation for comfort.0
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120+ psi in a tyre! Why do people punish themselves so much. I put 90psi maximum in a 23mm tyre and get a very comfortable ride on my race bike. I used to have a Ribble winter trainer which gave a very harsh ride so I ran the tyres at 80 psi with no problems. The last snake bite or pinch flat puncture I got was well over 3 years ago. 120 psi will rattle your fillings out as well as being very harsh on the headset. Maybe if you're racing there's a need for very high tyre pressures, but for normal riding I don't think it's necessary.0
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I was told that Lemond are more relaxing, also read that the Bianchi (868 maybe) was comfortable and still racey.My silly looking GT
WTP Pony flatland bike (maybe 4 sal3)
http://cgi6.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll ... =3&rows=500 -
I know that the "Lemonds" do have seat angles that are more relaxed(laid back)
than what you might call standard race bikes and this might provide a very small bit of extra cushion at the expence of a very small bit of lateral frame flex. It's all a trade-off.
Dennis Noward0 -
What height and weight are you? I find that many small size frames are over-built and when you only weight 65kg, they bounce you around a bit. Consequently, I find many carbon frames feel a bit dead. I agree on lower tyre pressures - run 25mm tyres for a more supple ride too. It also depends on your budget - you might find a titanium frame offers they type of ride you're looking for.Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..0
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I think the Trek is actually a very comfortable bike. Having ridden one, I was really impressed with how smooth it felt, especially compared to my current bike.
I think what you are saying is that the fit on the bike is not to your liking, and for that no one can advise that one make will be better than another. Your best bet surely is to get yourself down to some shops and some different makes, or get on a jig and try a few different positions. The Trek I rode, I actually found too high at the front due to the way it was setup (a 'flipped' stem), but I am suspecting that you are finding the Trek too low?0 -
Ride a few bikes to see which are more comfortable. I have a Lemond Buenos Aires and have ridden the Dragon Ride, this year's UK "Etape" from London to Canterbury and am doing the proper etape next year. It is very comfortable and also quite fast, keeping up with all-carbon Treks, Orbeas, Colnagos etc on club runs and sportives.
At 5'8" with a 32" inseam the 55cm frame fits me very well, whereas with Treks and Specialized I needed 56cm. Try a few from specialist bike shops and you'll find one that fits.0 -
Look 585s are comfortable if they fit you.
as others have said, tyres have a huge impact on comfort. As do wheels. Try steel spokes for more comfort. Something like the neutron ultras given a comfy ride. I also find that carbon deep section wheels are comfortable but also expensive unfortuneately.0 -
dennisn wrote:Sounds like you want it all. Not sure what you mean by comfortable. Not to many
race bikes are built for comfort, maybe none at all. The stiffness of the bikes triangles,
the shorter(than touring bikes) wheelbase, and high pressure tires pretty much rule
out "comfort" from the frame and tires. In fact high pressure tires, 120 and up, will never
give you that "silky smooth ride" that all the advertisements talk about. You can gain some comfort by proper position on the bike. Weight to far forward on the bike, not "sitting" on
the seat(think about that one), improper seat angle(nose should be level or slightly higher
than the back of the saddle), you should not be supporting your weight on the handle bars(very tiring and this is the seats job), too long a stem(can kill your back, especially
if you're old like me), and handlebar height all affect your "comfort" level. Good rider
position will give you a more comfortable ride than frames, tires, and wheels.
Dennis Noward
...speaks good sense!
I was thinking the same as you, and thinking of buying a new bike. Went to Cyclefit and got my position looked at and adjusted (for age, paunch and injuries) - saved me the cost of a new bike as I simply applied the measurements to my existing bike and enjoyed riding more than i ever had done. However, if the measurements had not been possible on my existing bike, I would probably gone with a new frame."There are holes in the sky,
Where the rain gets in.
But they're ever so small
That's why rain is thin. " Spike Milligan0 -
I ride an old alu Principia RSL and a Cervélo R3. I generally keep my tyres between 7 to 8 bar (I think that's 100 to 115 psi). Both bikes are stiff and fast. I find the Principia a little unforgiving on a long ride, but haven't had a problem on the Cervélo.0
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Don't Trek make a range called "Pilot" that are intended to be exactly this? I'm pretty sure oter brands do a similar thing too. Specialised Roubaix and Focus Ergoride spring to mind. Having said that. I would agree with trying some lower tyre pressures. I used to run 120 psi all the time and have dropped down to around 105 even for racing. Reduces skittish behaviour when sprinting too.0
