Advice: First Real Bike, Back Problems

Biomech

Hello!

I'm sure this topic has been beaten to death. I have been reading over some of the posts here (What Road Bike etc) to get some idea, but am starting from scratch and just wanted to see if there are any things I specifically should/shouldn't be doing.

I'm after a bike for commuting and fitness (low mileage 5-20 miles for fitness). I won't be racing or competing. I currently have an Apollo mountain bike (I know :P) which does the job, but is a bit of a hinderance when using it for distance due to the fat tyres and suspension. So I'd like something more suitable to the job.

1. I do have a bad back - 2 slipped discs - so I can't do impact sports/running etc. I've found riding the bike is good and doesn't make it worse. My concern is with a road bike that I'll be bent over a lot more than with my mountain bike (which I'm sitting up quite straight on)

2. The other main query I had was the pedals. I'd like clip on shoes for the fitness but not for commuting. Are there pedals available that are easily interchanged? Like a push click system? I don't want to have to unscrew the pedals just to go to the shops etc.

3. I'm budgeting around £550 for a bike and small accessories (lights, water bottle holder etc). Am I better doing a lot of research and buying online / second hand (if so suggestions?) or doing a bit of research and buying from a local bike specialist? I appreciate the specialists (used to be one myself) so there are benefits, but didn't want to end up buying a bike that I could have got online £200 or cheaper or last years model that was £1,000 but now £500 online, you know.

Any advice you have would be fantastic, thank you for your patience as I know forums get the same posts recycled a lot and it can be pain for regs.

Edit: Forgot to mention, there might be some offroad use, such as gravel tracks etc (c roads?) I went down one the other day that was riddled with holes and stones. Although I'm happy to cut those "roads" out if they would compromise my purchase

kajjal

The sales now are the best time to get a good deal on a new bike, giant defy's have big reductions at the moment and are good bikes.

The riding position on a road bike is entirely up to you. Touring riders have a very upright shorter reach position, where as racers have more stretched out head down position. Keep this in mind and read up on the web about road bike setup. The key is to get the saddle at the right height and also fore / aft position on its rails. After that the bar height and reach is your choice.

gethinceri

You can get pedals with a flat side and a clip side.

Biomech

Ah excellent, thank you, that definitely helps!

I'm not adverse to a lower position in the future but my back problems at the moment mean it would be unwise.

I'm heading into town now to have a look at some bikes, I'm not a fan of taking peoples time up in shops without buying anything so this will be a first :P

I swim with dopings

Back problems can occur in the lower back if the saddle is too high. It then forces you to lean further forward, putting more pressure on your arms and shoulders and then forces the lower back to over-extend.

Check the saddle height and make sure its not too high. Even 5mm can be enough to put extra pressure on the back.

Biomech

Thanks, the back problems are actually from work with the slipped discs, I've had them for about 10 months. But I find cycling doesn't make it worse so using it for fitness.

So this is where I'm at. I went into 2 local shops.

Shop 1 only seemed to carry road bikes over £700 and said they never really had a sale or "last seasons" bikes. BUT, they were helpful. They never asked a budget and focused more on me - my body shape, offering tests, adjustments and really focusing on fitting the bike to me above all else, from seat angle to stem height etc. They stocked Giant, Cube? and Cervelo that I noticed. Anything under about £1200 had standard v-brakes

Shop 2 seemed more bike orientated, but that did have a nice looking bike at £550, which was "last seasons", it didn't have drop handlebars with those crazy stumps for gears (I'd never seen those before). But was aluminium from, disc brakes, 24 speed (a Marin Fairfax SC3). Which I really liked the look of.

Biomech

Is the "cassette" just the back cogs?

I'm seeing bikes listed as "Cassette 8 Speed", but seeing 2 on the pedals, so that would make it a 16 speed right?

northpole

I have recurring lower back problems and my osteopath recommended cycling as a great form of exercise (running used to be my main thing - alas no more!).
There are several road bikes marketed specifically for the middle aged/ less flexible folks including the Specialised Roubaix - I think all the main manufacturers have an equivalent model with the tell tale taller head tube (the vertical bit between the front forks and handlebar stem).
Any decent bike shop should be able to advise on suitable frame size and then taylor the set up to reflect your degree of flexibility - mainly achieved by saddle rail position, height of bars (using spacers or flippoing the bars) and length of stem. As you progress you should become more flexible and the variables could be adjusted to suit.
I'd recommend a road bike over a hybrid particularly as the varied profile of the handle bars allows you to shift about a bit and adjust the angle of your back during a ride. I see this as a significant benefit compared to the hybrid bars single point of hand placement which effectively locks your seating/ back position. The click shifts on road bike ergos become second nature in no time and, in my opinion, much better to use than a mountain bike set up.

Peter

MichaelW

If you have a good position on your mtb, you can replicate it on your commuter.
A decent flat-bar, non-sus hybrid wih disk brakes is good for a more upright style, eg Boardman Comp.

Biomech

Thanks for the input.

I'm looking at the Giant Defy 4 at the moment, retails for £599.00. I did a lot of watching youtube and reading last night and concluded the drop bars would give me more flexibility - especially if I add inline brakes to use the flats at the moment. I also concluded that being a road bike the V Brakes would be absolutely fine over discs.

I'm wondering, the bike comes with toe clip pedals and I'd like SPD's (see, I'm getting the lingo now as well!). So is it a case of I select SPD's in the shop, they swap them and I pay any difference or do I pay for the toeclips and then have to pay extra for the SPDs even though I wouldn't be getting the toeclips? Or is that shop dependant. Just seems a bike wrong to have to pay for something I'm not getting :P

Here's the bike/shop in question:
http://www.climbonbikes.co.uk/store/gia ... -2014-info

Biomech

Absolutely gutted.

Went to buy the Defy 4 2014 today to be told it's now out of stock permanently and impossible to get
That was literally THE bike.

And the shop was amazing, telling me about the machines and data they use to fit the bike properly about seat bones, knee angles - everything that corroborated an hour long lecture on bike body mechanics I watched last night. They are "ok" with me buying online IF I can find one and then getting them to do all the work and fitting - but obviously if I buy from them the fitting, stem and bar changes are all free, fitting inline breaks, SPD's all included. If I buy online I have to pay for everything on top

Couldn't be more disappointed right now

iga

If the shop was good, stick with it. I see they stock Giant, Trek and Specialized - that's the big three covered and you should be able to get something suitable in your price range.

Biomech

The trouble is, and it sounds completely stupid and you won't agree :P, but I work as a photographer and I'm a very visual person, when I look at something it "feels" a certain way, if the look of the bike doesn't feel right, I find it really off putting. I know it shouldn't be the case, but you know how it is, it could be the best bike in the world, but if it doesn't feel right, you're not going to enjoy it.