more relaxed upgrade

bonk_king

I currently have a scott CR1 triple 2014 model. I'm fine for up to 3 hours riding and then the aches start. By the time I get to the 4 hour mark which equates to about 100 kilometers at my usual riding speed, my neck and shoulders are usually shot at and i'm ready for home. I don't have any set training regime, I just ride for fun to keep my heart healthy. I'm not a club rider, I just go it alone. The only cycling goal I have currently is to do my first metric 100. My fitness will certainly allow me but my current bike won't. A metric 100 will be a little over 6 hours which I know will not be comfortable on my CR1.

I'm due a bike upgrade anyway so I was thinking about an endurance bike, a more relaxed geometry, thicker tyres for lower pressures etc. If I kept with the scott theme I believe that the addict is their endurance offering. My question is, would the addict be a good choice? I started looking at other endurance bikes and to be honest I was lost. I've no doubts that there are probably several bikes in my price range that are better than the addict, or maybe the addict is one of the better endurance models, I don't know, hence this post. My price bracket is around the £2000 to £2500 mark. Any info would be much appreciated.

slowmart

First step- Try a bike fit to see if you can eradicate the issue.

If that doesn't work pay a visit to your local bike shop and test ride some options, geometry is subjective to the rider so a real world ride is the best option.

Enjoy the process, choosing a new bike based on your needs is a great journey and should be savoured

Enjoy!

neeb

bonk king wrote:

I currently have a scott CR1 triple 2014 model. I'm fine for up to 3 hours riding and then the aches start. By the time I get to the 4 hour mark which equates to about 100 kilometers at my usual riding speed, my neck and shoulders are usually shot at and i'm ready for home. I don't have any set training regime, I just ride for fun to keep my heart healthy.

An alternative view - why not go for shorter rides at a faster pace? It will be better for your cardiovascular system and (in my book at least) more fun.

It's a mystery to me why so many people who cycle for health and enjoyment prefer to ride for hours and hours at an endurance pace. Look at runners - OK, there are many who run marathons and train accordingly, but most keen runners just go for a nice fast blast for an hour or less. An all-out 30 mile ride three or four times a week will keep you in much better shape than one or two 100km slower paced rides at the weekend. And after you've been doing it for a year or so you'll be able to do 100km in comfortably under 4 hours and so avoid the neck and shoulder pain..

webboo

Is 100k not a metric century, have you got your imperial and metric mixed up.
Also have you tried riding your 100k slower with stop half way, you might find you don’t feel so beat up.

bonk_king

neeb wrote:

bonk king wrote:

I currently have a scott CR1 triple 2014 model. I'm fine for up to 3 hours riding and then the aches start. By the time I get to the 4 hour mark which equates to about 100 kilometers at my usual riding speed, my neck and shoulders are usually shot at and i'm ready for home. I don't have any set training regime, I just ride for fun to keep my heart healthy.

An alternative view - why not go for shorter rides at a faster pace? It will be better for your cardiovascular system and (in my book at least) more fun.

It's a mystery to me why so many people who cycle for health and enjoyment prefer to ride for hours and hours at an endurance pace. Look at runners - OK, there are many who run marathons and train accordingly, but most keen runners just go for a nice fast blast for an hour or less. An all-out 30 mile ride three or four times a week will keep you in much better shape than one or two 100km slower paced rides at the weekend. And after you've been doing it for a year or so you'll be able to do 100km in comfortably under 4 hours and so avoid the neck and shoulder pain..

If you lived in our house you'd fully understand why I want to get out for longer rides, haha.

bonk_king

Webboo wrote:

Is 100k not a metric century, have you got your imperial and metric mixed up.
Also have you tried riding your 100k slower with stop half way, you might find you don’t feel so beat up.

Yeah you're right, metric century I can do no problem other than the mentioned aches. It's the 100 miler which I want to get under my belt (around 160 kilometers i believe). But like I said it's quite a jump from 4hrs in the saddle up to over 6hrs. Maybe a coffee and cake stop at the 3hr mark may help to keep the aches at bay. To tell you the truth, once i'm on the bike it's very rare I stop until I get back home. I didn't really think that shorter rides warranted a pitstop but maybe it's what I need to help with the aches.

neeb

Neck aches are just due to the muscles that keep your head cranked up getting tired / cramping. You can stretch them when on the bike - just let your head drop down so your chin is on your chest. Helps a lot if you do this every now and again once your neck starts to get stiff. Just make sure you have a clear bit of straight, quiet road and don't do it for more than a few seconds at a time.. ;-)

Shoulder aches probably due to too much weight on the arms and/or too long reach. You should be able to ride with elbows slightly bent and only light weight on the hands. Look at the way the pros can just lightly rest their forearms on the middle of the bars despite ridiculously slammed positions.. That's due to core strength, but you could maybe a shorter stem if you are very stretched out.

bonk_king

neeb wrote:

Neck aches are just due to the muscles that keep your head cranked up getting tired / cramping. You can stretch them when on the bike - just let your head drop down so your chin is on your chest. Helps a lot if you do this every now and again once your neck starts to get stiff. Just make sure you have a clear bit of straight, quiet road and don't do it for more than a few seconds at a time.. ;-)

Shoulder aches probably due to too much weight on the arms and/or too long reach. You should be able to ride with elbows slightly bent and only light weight on the hands. Look at the way the pros can just lightly rest their forearms on the middle of the bars despite ridiculously slammed positions.. That's due to core strength, but you could maybe a shorter stem if you are very stretched out.

I don't think my riding position is that bad and i do stretch and change position once in a while. I think the two major issues I have which are attributing to my aches is that I hardly ever stop riding once I set off from home, no cake stop or sitting on a bench or anything. I do my drinking and eating in the saddle. Also running 23mm tyres at 100psi can't be helping but I used to get a lot of pinch punctures at lower psi, hence current high psi. That's why I thought an endurance upgrade with fatter lower psi tyres would help no end.

I think a good starting point would be to take a break off the bike at the 3hr mark for 20 min or so and then get back to it.

webboo

I find that if I ride a 100k on my own only stopping for a pee, I feel pretty beat up. When I go out on a group ride with a cafe stop even though the speed might be higher and distance longer. I don’t feel anything like as battered.
I suspect it’s to do with riding hard to get the head wind bits over and trying to get lower and lower.

Poppa Wheelie

I ride a Giant Defy and I’m using 28mm tubeless tyres. Having read some much about the Giant TCR, bike of the year and all that, I decided to test ride one. Whilst the riding position was more stretched out I was totally stunned how much more road buzz I got from the TCR. It really put me off the bike. Now having thought about that experience it might have been due to the shop inflating the tyres to maximum pressure whereas I am able to run the 28’s at 45 and 60 psi.

So what’s my point, wide tubeless tyres can make a big difference to the endurance comfort of a bike. I can’t recommend them enough and they needn’t be expensive, Pro One’s can be bought for £33.