Bought a bike on c2w & I dont like it.

[NeilnrLincoln]

I've always done more mountain biking than road biking but recently have been using the tarmac more. I have a boardman hybrid for road use but recently thought that maybe a proper road bike would make it easier & quicker so I bought a Boardman Carbon Team on the cycle to work scheme.
I brought it home, set it all up & I've done about 30 miles on it. I just don't like it.
It feels twitchy (compared to the flat bar road bikes I'm used to), despite flipping the stem & adjusting the bars it's uncomfortable, my hands are hurting within a couple of miles.
I guess the fact I'm overweight & not used to drop bars is just putting too much weight on my hands, but what to do? Apart from converting it to flat bars I don't see what else I can do to the set up to make it comfortable and I don't really need two flat bar Boardmans.
It's an expensive ornament to have sitting around doing nothing but selling it is a bit of a grey area as technically being purchased on cycle to work scheme means it belongs to my employers (but who ever checks?)
What to do?

 

[dr snuggles]

I've always done more mountain biking than road biking but recently have been using the tarmac more. I have a boardman hybrid for road use but recently thought that maybe a proper road bike would make it easier & quicker so I bought a Boardman Carbon Team on the cycle to work scheme.
I brought it home, set it all up & I've done about 30 miles on it. I just don't like it.
It feels twitchy (compared to the flat bar road bikes I'm used to), despite flipping the stem & adjusting the bars it's uncomfortable, my hands are hurting within a couple of miles.
I guess the fact I'm overweight & not used to drop bars is just putting too much weight on my hands, but what to do? Apart from converting it to flat bars I don't see what else I can do to the set up to make it comfortable and I don't really need two flat bar Boardmans.
It's an expensive ornament to have sitting around doing nothing but selling it is a bit of a grey area as technically being purchased on cycle to work scheme means it belongs to my employers (but who ever checks?)
What to do?

I feel your pain, I had a Cube for a couple of years and never really got on with it. It was far too aggressive and twitchy when riding. I recently sold it (for a massive hit) and now have a much more appropriate bike (Look 765).
I would suggest before dissmissing it altogether that you get a proper bike fit done as this really can help a great deal. Even if you are able to sell it, you'll lose a boat load of money on it so I would try to have it fitted correctly before making that decision.

 

[AndyRM]

If you've gone from a flat bar hybrid to a drop bar road bike you're going to need time to adjust to the way the bike handles, I know I did and learned the hard way losing some skin and Lycra along the way. Oh, and a tyre when I massively misjudged a corner and hit the kerb...

My advice would be to take it easy, make little adjustments to saddle height and bar position, perhaps experiment with stem length, and check out videos on YouTube to understand the differences in position and fit between a hybrid and a road bike.

 

[andrew_s]

Twitchy is something you'll get used to, but you need a bit more than 30 miles before it starts to feel normal. I get it when I come back if I go on tour with a flat bar bike, or with front panniers.
For too much weight on the hands, moving the saddle back is more effective than bringing the bars closer, though you may also have to bring the bars back until your back gets trained up for the lower and more stretched out road bike position.

 

[al-fresco]

As a kid any bike I found was rideable, (even the one where the crossbar repeatedly smashed me in the nuts) so I've remained pretty open to the idea that most bikes can be made useable. These days any bike arriving at my secret bunker can expect to have the saddle, stem and possibly the seatpost swapped out after its first ride. Only one (a £500 Specialized Langster) remains exactly as it came from the factory. I'm not knocking proper 'bike fits' but I've never bothered to have one done. Remember that just because your handlebars have drops you aren't contractually obliged to use them - I spend much more time on the hoods and on the tops. The drops are there for headwinds or catching up with the guy in front.

 

[Milkfloat]

My suggestion - come back when you have done a thousand miles, slowly building up time in the saddle. Learn what is needed to tweak your position, but most of all get used to a different position. For a shortcut you can try a basic bike fit or post some photos up of you riding the bike (side on), so people can help. Ultimately, either the bike is a really bad fit, or you need to get used to a totally alien position.

 

[NeilnrLincoln]

I don't think I could manage 1000 miles on it. I've changed the seat & tweaked the position to suit me as best I can but I find now I don't even want to go out on it, when the opportunity comes for a ride I jump on the hybrid or my touring-ised Trek mtb as I know I'll enjoy it rather than be tortured by the road bike .

 

[vickster]

You might want to check whether you can convert the bike given you are only hiring it from the company and not the owner yet. Possibly no one will check, but HMRC certainly could. You cannot sell it as it's not yours to sell s you say

There's not too much you can do unfortunately as it's not yours until paid off. Got any friends who might like to use it? Otherwise, lock it away safely until it's paid off and then sell

 

[Salty seadog]

30 miles is nowhere near enough riding to form an opinion. Ride and tweak what feels necessary, you'll know if you're an experienced cyclist and listen to your body.

 

[jonnysnorocket]

Before splashing out on a bike fit, a cheaper route to give you a starting point, might be to download a couple of apps.
I did this a year or two back,........ Downloaded two bikefit apps,split the difference between the two sets of answers (which wasn't a great deal)
And came up with a pretty comfortable set up.
The whole exercise cost me less than a tenner & a couple of hours faffing about with a spirit level, plumb Bob and tape measure.

 

[NeilnrLincoln]

I'll look into that, thankyou. On all my other bikes I've managed to get the set up pretty much spot on by myself but with the road bike it just doesn't seem to suit me.

 

[potsy]

I'll look into that, thankyou. On all my other bikes I've managed to get the set up pretty much spot on by myself but with the road bike it just doesn't seem to suit me.

Is the bike too big or too small?
Is it just about getting used to a slightly more stretched out position?

 

[NeilnrLincoln]

I'm pretty confidant that the bikes the right size. I'm 5ft11", I bought a 55.5cm, the size below felt too small. My mountain bikes are 19 - 20". As I said earlier I am overweight which is probably exasperating the problem of too much weight on my hands.

 

[Crackle]

Ride it. Force yourself out. Those initial instincts that made you buy it are probably still valid. You've done nowhere near enough miles to adapt and when you do you'll find it a joy and your hybrid will feel a little dull and cumbersome. Get the train somewhere so you have to ride back. Start at John O Groats

 

[NeilnrLincoln]