Will a cyclo cross bike give a "softer" ride?.

milleman

Strange title for a post but it sums up my problem!.

New to cycling, bought a Specialized sirrus (hybrid) last year and love it, can ride all day and feel fine afterwards. This is very important to me as I have a bad back due to a motorbike accident a few years ago which has left me with fused vertabrae.

Was tempted recently to move to a road bike and after a short spin out, took the plunge and bought a Specialized Roubaix.

After nearly 200 miles on it I have admited defeat-a have I very bad back after 25 miles and numb hands-both myself and the LBS owner agree that its the wrong bike (for me) and I have asked him to sell it on my behalf.

He feels that it may be a combination of the skinny tyres on the Roubaix (the ride was harsh, even though reviews praised the ride quality-FOR A ROAD BIKE) and position. He has mentioned trying a cyclo cross bike with bigger tyres to smooth out the ride.

Before I take the plunge, has anyone else had a similiar dilemma?

danowat

Could you not put wider tyres on the Roubaix and see if that helps?

milleman

There is no room, the 105 brakes and forks are quite close as it is.

pete54

I wouldn't have thought that wider tyres would make much of a difference to back problems. Riding position is likely to be more important.

bobtbuilder

The Roubaix does have very good road-vibe dampening qualities (believe it or not!). I have ridden a mate's Roubaix and the ride is silky smooth compared to my more aggressive Orbea Orca.

If you are having problems with a Roubaix, then the LBS is probably correct in suggesting that a road bike on 23mm tyres is not right for you.

A Cross bike will allow you to fit wider tyres which will definitely soften the ride. Whether it softens it enough to suit your back problem, only you will know. Can you arrange a test ride on one via the LBS?

Heckler1974

Before you give up on the Roubaix, have you explored all the possibilities around changing the fit of the bike, as a bad back isn't neccessarily down to the size of the tyres. You're likely to take a much smaller bath financially if you have a buy a few bits to change your position than selling your bike and buying another.

milleman

Have tried swapping the stem over to raise the bars and then tried a much shorter stem (made the steering quick!). The shorter stem certainly helped but I just cannot ride the bike for the distances that I want.

Another option is to go for the Sirrus pro which has the goodies that I want (carbon frame, 105 brakes etc) but comes with skinny tyres.

danowat

Excuse the ignorance......

What would a cyclo cross bike give you over your hybrid?

Surely if an out and out road bike is too focused, then it may be prudent to stick with the hybrid?

keef66

In case you do sell the Roubaix, what size is it??

amaferanga

milleman wrote:

Have tried swapping the stem over to raise the bars and then tried a much shorter stem (made the steering quick!). The shorter stem certainly helped but I just cannot ride the bike for the distances that I want.

Another option is to go for the Sirrus pro which has the goodies that I want (carbon frame, 105 brakes etc) but comes with skinny tyres.

But then you'd just have a road bike with flat bars so I don't see how that would be better.

What pressure did you have your tyres at? Have you tried 25's at ~90psi?

sungod

numb hands - are you wearing padded mitts? maybe different mitts and/or comfier bar tape would fix it

it could also be down to how you hold the bars, are you holding too tight? or leaning on the bars?

both can cause numbness, if your back is troubling you perhaps you are shifting weight onto your hands? ideally you should have litlte/no weight on your hands

body positon on a road bike is more agressive than on a hybrid, so if you've got less flexibility then maybe that's not a good combination

i used to lean on the bars, bad habit, i had a proper bikefit and some professional advice, it was 2 hours in total, at one point what he got me to do was this...

with the bike supported on a turbo (or with someone holding it steady) sit on the saddle with all body weight on it, arch back backwards a bit (so it is concave) then hold the back position and lean forward from the waist, then reach for the bars and hold them (without leaning on them)

...if a bike is set up correctly i can do this - if the set-up is wrong i can't - it's a lot more comfortable, and because my weight is over the pedals i even go faster

can you do this? if not, is it because of your back? or because the bike isn't set up right? or because the bike is too big for you?

if the problem with your back isn't position, but vibration, then maybe a shock absorbing seatpost would help, for instance...

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/USE_S ... 110000405/

no disrespect to the chap in the shop, but he's probably not an expert in fitting bikes to people (and i'm certainly not either!), i'm skeptical that it's as simple as harsh ride, given your situation it might be a good investment to get a proper assessment/fitting to see what is really best for you, maybe your roubaix just needs some tweaking

Lillywhite

sungod wrote:

no disrespect to the chap in the shop, but he's probably not an expert in fitting bikes to people (and i'm certainly not either!), i'm skeptical that it's as simple as harsh ride, given your situation it might be a good investment to get a proper assessment/fitting to see what is really best for you, maybe your roubaix just needs some tweaking

I agree. Sounds like he's riding the wrong size bike and/or the wrong set up to me.
Can't see how a cyclo cross bike or fatter tyres will solve his problem.

milleman

Bought a 58 Roubaix, my hybrid is also a 58-I'm 6'2"

Yes, I do wear good quality padded gloves.

My back problem means that i do have a bent back-I cannot fully straighten it so any riding position is compromised.

Maybe a hybrid is best for me and I was just lucky that the first bike I bought just fits me so well but I cannot help but be seduced by all these nice shiny carbon-framed bikes out there!.

Thanks for all your replies.

stokepa31

i got a scott CR1 and the LBS fitted riser bars and flat bar shifters. worked a treat and was uber comfortable. just in the process of going back to drops but the bike was still very quick set up as a hybrid. my LBS did not harge any extra to the conversion so it was win win.

macondo01

If your back has two vertebra fused its going to need to bend more in other parts of your back to compensate. You won't have a smooth curve to your back and at the stress points your nerves may get compressed/irritated causing pain/numbness as perhaps in your hands and back.

A cyclocross bike might help with fatter tyres and more upright geometry (but you may have achieved the uprightness on your road bike already with a shorter stem). I have a cyclocross bike with 30mm tyres on and it eats up pot holes and bumps which could aggravate your back. But it may not be the answer if you want to do lots of miles and certainly wouldnt suggest you go out and buy one yet. My thoughts would be: try something with a really good upright position, borrow a hybrid say and see if that makes a difference? Are you doing too much too soon ie build the miles up more slowly? When going out for a longer ride to get off and stand up and loosen up for a few minutes then get back on the bike and go off at a warm up pace ie break up your ride into several short ride as it were. And make sure you stretch before and after you ride. I would be very careful about taking painkillers before you ride in case it masks pain/enables you to do damage? Its not time for a recumbent yet!

milleman

Bizarrely, my back is better after doing 60 miles than before when I ride my Hybrid!

I know there are a multitude of back complaints and its impossible to give definitive answers to my question but I was just looking for further advice.

My LBS think that a carefully specced bike built around a cyclo-cross frame with the right (road-biased) 32 section tyres MIGHT be the answer.

After taking a bath with the Roubaix I just need to be sure this time.

Pirahna

I'd try a crosser before buying, the brakes might not be to your liking. If you fancy a carbon frame but like the riding position of the hybrid, why not try flat bars on the Roubaix?

sungod

milleman wrote:

Bizarrely, my back is better after doing 60 miles than before when I ride my Hybrid!

I know there are a multitude of back complaints and its impossible to give definitive answers to my question but I was just looking for further advice.

My LBS think that a carefully specced bike built around a cyclo-cross frame with the right (road-biased) 32 section tyres MIGHT be the answer.

After taking a bath with the Roubaix I just need to be sure this time.

get a proper bike fit, after a couple of hours assessment of position and adjustment on a test jig you should end up with the measurements for your ideal bike, they might match an off the shelf frame, or you might be better with a custom frame, but at least it should ensure your next purchase is right for you

if you can say whereabouts you are based you should be able to get some recomendations for where to get a fit done

macondo01

Bizarrely, my back is better after doing 60 miles than before when I ride my Hybrid!

That's good. So what about experimenting and putting narrower tyres on your hybrid and seeing if your back/hands hold up? That may give you a guide as to whether its a shock absorption issue though you won't be able to get down to 23mm on hybrid rims.

milleman

I live in south Cumbria.

I have considered a custom built bike but if its not right then it would be hard to sell on if its specced for me.

Does anyone have any recomendations for bike builders in the north west?

sungod

milleman wrote:

I live in south Cumbria.

I have considered a custom built bike but if its not right then it would be hard to sell on if its specced for me.

Does anyone have any recomendations for bike builders in the north west?

you might not need a custom frame, the point of the bike fitting is to find the correct size/settings, these may well be achievable on an off the shelf frame, even the roubaix

this might be near you...

http://www.hewittbikefitting.co.uk/inde ... ke-fitting

Lillywhite

milleman wrote:

Does anyone have any recomendations for bike builders in the north west?

Terry Dolan has a good reputation and used to build bikes for Chris Boardman..

wiffachip

in response to the original question, in my experience, yes.

slower, but softer