Road vibration

Vent
Vent Posts: 15
edited December 2013 in Road beginners
Hi all first time poster!
I've just returned to cycling on the road after 20+ years and have dug out my old Denton 531 and scraped off the rust and reinstated this old classic.So I've put new wheels and tyres 700x25c took off the gears and bio pace chainset and now run as a single speed my pace is ok 15mph average over 20 ish miles but it's the vibration from the poor road surface that gets me ,I loose a lot of momentum and my peddling rhythm goes is this normal? I'm getting off the saddle to get my speed back up
I've tried altering tyre pressure with little effect,bars up / down to see if more or less weight on front end helps .
A friend has told me it's my bike !!! And I need a new one "modern alloy frame and forks soak up a lot of road vibration" he tells me is this true ? I've road his bike but it's a bit small and cramped for me. Or is he embarrassed that he can't keep up with a 25 year bike with no gears lol.

Thanks Adrian

Comments

  • marcusjb
    marcusjb Posts: 2,412
    There's slightly more to it than purely the material things are made from - but here are some generalisations:

    A nice old steel frame is generally a pretty comfy ride- especially steel forks

    A 'modern' alloy frameset is generally a little harsher than the above

    A set of carbon forks can be comfier than either of the above.


    As I said, generalisations - there are exceptions to every part of that. Geometry and build of the frameset make as much, if not more, difference than the material it is made from.

    What pressure are you running the tyres at (and how much do you weigh)? What tyres are they? Road buzz is uncomfortable, but shouldn't slow you down too much.

    Equally, you've just got back on a bike after 20 years off - unless you've kept up your fitness in other ways, give it time.
  • marcusjb
    marcusjb Posts: 2,412
    And as for the mate who can't keep up - tell him he needs a nice old steel singlespeed......
  • Vent
    Vent Posts: 15
    I'm running 90 psi front 110 rear, the tyres are Michelin dynamic sport and I am 90kg I've ran lower pressures but picked up punctures the lower front pressure seems to help but that could just be physiological .
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Couple of years ago my son tarted up an 80's Peugeot Triathlon. Steel frame and fork. Weighs a bit, but with 25mm tyres it soaks up road buzz better than my good alloy frame / carbon fork.

    Now harbouring a desire for a steel framed bike myself. Genesis Equilibrium possibly...
  • JayKosta
    JayKosta Posts: 635
    If the trouble is mostly vibrations on your hands, then try some bar tape with additional padding.

    Also think about whether the saddle still works for you.
    After a long layoff from cycling, I switched to a wider saddle and it is much more comfortable and gives better support.

    Jay Kosta
    Endwell NY USA
  • There isn't much that cant be addressed with tyre pressures , correct fit and appropriate contact points. Assuming all of that was perfect I would look at fatigue induced by lack of fitness and low cadence? Slow down to 13 mph average, spin a gear don't push it and see if you can increase the distance - spin to win!
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    brownbosh wrote:
    There isn't much that cant be addressed with tyre pressures , correct fit and appropriate contact points. Assuming all of that was perfect I would look at fatigue induced by lack of fitness and low cadence? Slow down to 13 mph average, spin a gear don't push it and see if you can increase the distance - spin to win!

    He can only do that downhill; he said it's a single speed....
  • Vent
    Vent Posts: 15
    So do you think a tooth or two more on the back will help me ? Lower speed but spinning faster to keep up momentum until my fitness improves or buy a bike with gears !!
  • keef66 wrote:
    brownbosh wrote:
    There isn't much that cant be addressed with tyre pressures , correct fit and appropriate contact points. Assuming all of that was perfect I would look at fatigue induced by lack of fitness and low cadence? Slow down to 13 mph average, spin a gear don't push it and see if you can increase the distance - spin to win!

    He can only do that downhill; he said it's a single speed....



    Uuuuugh, yes he can.

    £5 for another screw on cog.
  • Vent wrote:
    So do you think a tooth or two more on the back will help me ? Lower speed but spinning faster to keep up momentum until my fitness improves or buy a bike with gears !!


    Sorry missed this one addressing the negative post.

    I would say its worth a go. I have three single speeds of various gears. You will find a "lighter" harder on heart but with less muscular fatigue. Concentrate on form and go as slow as it takes to keep tidy. See how you feel afterwards.

    Id also take a spirit level to a plank of wood balanced across the length of your saddle and ensure its not nose down which will overload neck and arms and tire you out quickly. Let us all know how you get on.

    My recommendation is one change followed by a good week of riding at a time otherwise you will never know what was better and what was worse.

    Good luck!
  • unixnerd
    unixnerd Posts: 2,864
    What are you wearing? Padded lycra shorts or tights and gloves with a padded palm make a lot of difference.

    Also what about bar tape? Some types of bar tape give a cushier feel than others. A lot of really good quality tapes such as Cinelli are pretty thin and don't offer much comfort. Try asking your bike shop to recommend a tape that's thicker and easier on the hands. But one of the biggest changes in the last 20 years much be clothing, the modern stuff really does work well in all regards.
    http://www.strathspey.co.uk - Quality Binoculars at a Sensible Price.
    Specialized Roubaix SL3 Expert 2012, Cannondale CAAD5,
    Marin Mount Vision (1997), Edinburgh Country tourer, 3 cats!
  • Vent
    Vent Posts: 15
    Thanks for all the help I've gone up a tooth on rear and got some gel bar tape to see if spinning faster helps to keep my momentum up over the poor road surfaces near me and tape to help with vibration
    Asked in a bike shop near me and was told only lunatics and kids ride single speeds !!
    Thanks Adrian
  • and me!....wait I fall in the former