Road bike or hybrid? & Tingling hands

loco020

For the first bike I’ll have bought for nearly 30 years I only have a budget of £200 to £300 until I work out what I really want and upgrade. All and any suggestions will be much appreciated: -

I’ve had my old bike for about 27 years. It’s a steel framed 10 gear Raleigh drop bar. When bought, it was fairly low budget for the time. I stopped riding it after a few years when I got my first car (Dad dissuaded me from getting a motorbike because brother kept falling off his.) About 15 years ago I rescued the Raleigh from my parents’ shed and overhauled it but only really started riding it again a year ago, about once a week to keep fit.

Cycling’s just as good as it ever was. I started on roads then discovered some riverside paths and woods. Ace.

Naturally though, my old bike has problems. Firstly, some of the trails are surfaced with sharp-looking 1” loose stones and I’m frightened of tyre damage, so I get off and walk it. Also, my old brakes hardly work in the rain. Rain’s great when you have some protection and don’t care whether you get wet anyway. But, having too crawl downhill with brakes on, because you won’t be able to stop at the junction ahead otherwise, ain’t fun. (I should explain that when this happened last week they sort of worked but when I pulled the lever a bit harder the rear brake cable snapped). I need a new bike.

So, I want a bike that I mostly ride on roads but also on very gravely paths. Cost £200 to £300 but I might go higher if I think I can get the right bike. The guy in the local shop showed me a Giant CRS 4 FS but that’s because I walked in spouting “hybrid” without knowing any better.

Also, I get tingling and numbness in the hands and wrists after an hour or more cycling. So maybe the CRS’s front suspension would be a good idea but I also like the look of the varying positions available with flat bars. What do you good people think? Anyone gone through similar?

Thanks,
Dave

on2wheels

Can't really help you regarding what bike to buy, you have to decide what kind of riding you want to do, road or off road

Numbness in your hands most probably is due to excess leaning on the handle bars, try easing off and just hold them

Hope this helps

Rich Hcp

Getting a bike that fits should solve the tingling problem.

A Hybrid will have flat bars and restricts you to one hand place, unless you put bar ends on and this needs consideration.

With the right tyres, the stones may not be a major problem.

You need to explain to the shop exactly where you are riding and see what they say.

Don't feel complelled to buy there and then, although it is tempting!

Say that there is a lot to think about and you'll come back.

If the attitude is 'Come back any time and we'll help you" then you have picked a good shop

If they are grumpy about this, then go somewhere else.

It sounds like you're tempted by paths and roads, if you decide the roads are for you, then a roadie is best a hybrid will feel slow.

If you get a roadie, you'll needanother bike for trails...

If you genually will be riding both, then a hybrid is the one.

Let us know what your thoughts are and how you get on

loco020

Thanks Rich & On2

You've hit the nail on the head regards tingling. Maybe I can't lean back a bit because my bike doesn't fit. The cross bar's too long. And, that's why I've never been comfortable on the drop bars, nearly always holding their tops. (Which is, perhaps, another reason for the tingling)

For a new bike I think I'll go for the hybrid. My wife's getting interested in cycling but she's frightened of roads. She has an unused MTB in the garage and wants to try some trails. I fixed my brake cable but I'll need better brakes to stop for walkers and dogs.

Back to the shops then. The one I visited seemed the good type you talked about. The guy gave me the Giant brochure to go away and think about it. Giant have a good range to choose from, and prices look reasonable for the specs but I'll go to some more local shops before I decide.

Dreams of speed and distance on roads will have to wait for now. But I'll let you know how I get on in the meantime.

Cheers,
Dave

Nuggs

loco020 wrote:

You've hit the nail on the head regards tingling. Maybe I can't lean back a bit because my bike doesn't fit. The cross bar's too long. And, that's why I've never been comfortable on the drop bars, nearly always holding their tops. (Which is, perhaps, another reason for the tingling)

It may just be a case of remembering to bend your arms. I can cycle for miles with my arms locked straight (usually when going over rough bits of road or scary descents), which hurts my hands and shoulders.

I'd really think twice about whether a hybrid's right for you, especially given the problems you've had regarding comfort.

On a flat bar, you get only one hand position, so fatigue sets in that much quicker. On drops, there are myriad positions, which helps retain comfort. I think the best thing about drops is that when using the hoods, your hands and wrists are in a very natural position (put your arm by your sides and your palms naturally face inwards, just like they do on the hoods).

cyclinggirl

I used to get really numb, tingling hands after riding until I bought a decent pairof padded gloves. I was wearing the cheap ones from Aldi but invested in some Specialized ones which where around £20 and I don't suffer anymore or get any numbness.

loco020

Thanks to everyone for the advice.

To prove whether or not I can use drops, and to keep within budget, I've decided to go for a 2nd hand road bike that fits me. I had looked at tourers and cyclocross bikes but my trail-riding isn't that harsh and there's more choice on ebay of low-end, good quality racers.

Thanks again,
Dave

phillarrow

Does tingling hands not also have something to do with a lack of core strength? I don't mean any disrespect by that as I also get tingling/numb hands but am getting them less and less now that I am working on my core strength.

meanwhile

phillarrow wrote:

Does tingling hands not also have something to do with a lack of core strength? .

Having sat through lectures on ergonomics, etc, no. Tingling can be a symptom a trapped or irritated nerve - or other things.

Advice:

- Forget suspension forks; the standard ones aren't designed to cope with road noise.

- Fit reasonably wide low pressure tyres - 38mm's on a 700cc bike is about right. Most "racers" won't take this. Even better would be something like "Big Apple" slicks on a mountain bike. The best suspension system is still the air in your tyres.

- Don't use either regular drops or flats, each has its problems. (Which I'll detail if you want me to.) Look at fitting the bike with Moustache bars or Midge bars. These align your hand so that the arm bones at the end of the wrist put less pressure on each other.

loco020

I think you're right about the irritated or trapped nerve. I had a similar sensation down the whole arm a couple of years ago (not cycling related). My GP diagnosed nerve damage that would self-heal and it did so within a couple more weeks. The cycling problem only lasts until I get off the bike.

I'm fairly sure Richard's right about bike size. My old bike's too big such that I hardly ever use the drops; prefering to hold the bar top, which leaves the wrists in fixed, angled postions for most of the ride.

Once I've got a new bike that fits, I'll try the standard drops at first. If the problem persists, I'll look for the alternative bars you suggest Thanks for the advice.

Dave