comfortable road bikes

Dr M

i posted a few days ago about buying a new road bike. I havent ridden on the road really for about 10 years, but would like to get back into it.

The reason i stopped riding so much previously was that i got more into mountain biking and also when i moved to the lakes i found some of the smaller the roads pretty harsh on my old 531 frame as they didnt seem too well surfaced. I also suffered a bit from some back / neck ache on the old bike, but i guess this may have been as i built it up myself when i was a student so maybe didnt select the right size stem / frame. (althought just measured top tube and it was 55cm centre to centre so not a lot different from the specs of the Roubaix / Alez i have been looking at - i'm 175 cm)

Anyway, there is a point to this post! I'm thinking of getting a comfort sort of bike, like a roubaix. (discounted a tricross bike as i just want out and out fast road bike). I can get a roubaix elite for about £960 if they can get my size in and i order by sunday so am tempted by this...but just wanted to know if there are other makes i should research. I've just been reading about the Canondale Synapse carbon 105. I know its a bit more...and i havent seen it mentioned as much on forums so wondering what opinion is on this...and also any other bikes i should look at. I'm budgeting upto £1200. I'll be using it for some pretty hilly rides and hopefully the Fred Whitton challenge next year if my training goes to plan!

sorry for the rambling post, - just basically opinions on Canondale Synapse carbon, and alternatives to the Roubaix!

Thanks in advance

meanwhile

A bike with room for really wide tyres *might* give you even more comfort than a Roubaix. Especially if it has a spring cromo frame.

Modern high quality tyres can be fast rolling and wide - Marthon Supreme 38mms being probably the best example of all. You might consider 32 or 28 Sports Contacts for narrower tyres. Good bikes to take them would be the Cotic Roadrat and most Surlys. Yes, an athlete on a R'x would probably beat an athlete on a Surly or a Rat (unless the surface was poor, or there was traffic to let the greater braking power of the other bikes give them an advantage) but you're not an athlete and you're not racing, so travelling at 21.5mph instead of 22.3mph probably isn't a disaster, especially if you can ride 8 hours a day instead of 6.

The Roubaix looks a great bike. But - and I haven't ridden one - while it is a comfort bike by modern road standards, designs have got pretty extreme. The Rx might not be any more comfortable than your old 531. Otoh, I am certainly that a super fast rolling 32 or 38 tyre on a well sized frame would be (unless your old bike has wide touring tyres).

You could also consider one of those Brookes saddles with springs: some people still feel they beat the hell out of carbon, zertz, and suspension seat posts.

scapaslow

I've got a 2006 version of the Cannondale Synapse carbon 105 compact. I've been delighted with it. I can't compare its comfort levels to that of the roubaix or giant scr as i've never ridden any of them.
It certainly soaks up the bumps - i use size 23 tyres, you could put 25's on for extra comfort. Apart from altering the stem which was too long for me i've not yet had to change anything except the saddle (i've still not found the perfect one yet - will i ever?). This doesn't mean you won't feel bad surfaces coming through - we're not talking suspension here! I also have an old steel framed Raleigh with 28 tyres on it and that is superior at damping the road surfaces but much much slower especially on the hills.

My longest rides are around 100km and i don't feel beat up at the end. So i can't tell you how it is after a 100 miler - yet! The bike is fast enough and responsive for me - but if it's pure speed you are after i doubt you'll find that a "comfort" bike is the best bet.

Its a good bike IMO and has certainly been well reviewed in the past in the cycling press. I think virtually every make offers a sportive bike these days so you ought to be spoiled for choice and could widen your horizons to other manufacturers. At the £1K price point i doubt you'll find a bad bike.

It would be best if you could try them out before you buy, if possible. In practice, i found this difficult to achieve and ended up ordering one via the web.

meanwhile

scapaslow wrote:

I also have an old steel framed Raleigh with 28 tyres on it and that is superior at damping the road surfaces but much much slower especially on the hills.

Ahah. That's what I suspected.

My other thought is that the OP should look at a Pashley Moulton. Moulton designs have small wheels and suspension systems designed for road riding. They go as fast as 700c bikes, but are said to have an incredible ability to absorb road noise and even pot holes.

http://www.pashley.co.uk/lists/pashley-moulton-tsr.html

www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/u ... t-08-31641

Some Dahon's have road suspension and are designed to keep up with 700c bikes too.