Can an excessively stiff frame slow you down?

[OneCogDown]

Thanks for the replies, as I had hoped some useful comments on both bike and rider, sorry if my post was too long.

I wish I could explore wider tyres but the 28 mm tyres are about as wide as the chainstays allow there is less than 2 mm clearance at present. I've played with pressures down to 65psi and it made a slight difference to the harshness but made it even harder to maintain my normal pace.

CougieUK my post was perhaps unclear, it is only the steel tourer that I am finding fatiguing not the other bike which simply is to big but does seem more "springy" and less jarring.

Alex321 & Mustang1 are I think confirming, a steel frame does not guarantee a smooth or compliant ride. I'm quite sure when braking hard on my old Dawes i could see some deflection on the forks or just locking the brakes and leaning on the bars caused some flex, this Columbus fork seems rigid despite a normal looking rake.
Maybe I need to go and test another steel bike but with 531 or similar tubing along with a carbon framed bike to compare. Never ridden a carbon frame so perhaps its time.

Presta, thanks for being so frank.
Up to 2018 commuted 2x25km weekly
2018 - 2019 30-50 +30km weekly
2019 - Sept 2019 30-50km x2 weekly
Sept 2019-Oct 2020 30-50km x 3 weekly
April 2021-Nov 2021 50-80km+30kmx2 weekly

I wound the distance up quite slowly and apart from on hills am generally in HR zone 2&3. When I felt the need to back off or rest I did and I seemed fine until riding the 200 on this bike, since then as posted do feel I'm struggling, when before I was'nt.

Ming, just seen your post, I have tried a set of tubeless Fulcrum 5s but no difference other than punctures.

 

[DCBassman]

There's no such thing as an excessively stiff frame.
It depends on the comparison between your frame and you.
A racing snake will find almost every frame stiff-ish, whatever their power they don't have the weight to start bending things overmuch. Someone 50lb heavier on the same frame will call it flexy.
A frame that is flexy enough to sap serious energy also won't survive very long, IMHO.
BITD, Richard Ballantine said that the then thin-tube alloy frames would last an elite rider for a season of full-on racing. For anyone else, they'd last a lifetime.
Ignore frame stiffness. Unless you're in contention for a Grand Tour, it's irrelevant.

 

[OneCogDown]

Result...

Ming the Merciless suggested swapping the wheels to the other bike which has always felt more comfy, it did not take long before I turned back. The wheels were now spoiling the Enigma's ride.

Back at base and studying the Duranos, it started to make some sort of sense; on the front was stamped 25-622[28 x 1.00-700x25C]....so that may explain the hard ride on anything less than the smoothest of roads but quite marginal over a 28mm tyre, whats on the back.....oh 23-622[700 x 23C]. So I've been crashing about on a 23/25mm combo.

The sun was still out so swapping the tyres for a set of known 28mm Veloflex corsas out I went on my loop.

Your collective comments were spot on..."FIT WIDER TYRES".

Transformed the ride. Just smooth almost silent progress, not constantly looking for another gear and considerably more comfortable to the point I found myself generally 2 cogs down. The bike is now everything I had hoped it would be.
Comfort was the issue for me and I have ordered a set of 30mm tyres and hope they will fit; as DCBassman posted, stiffness was not the problem.
Previous ride v todays, same 50km route with computer in back pocket. Average 154/152HR- max HR 174/174 - Min HR 98/82 and Av speed 22.7/23.9kmh.

Less effort, less fatigue, faster and no need for another bike.
Thank you for your comments.

 

[kingrollo]

I've found a bit of weight training in the gym improves my comfort (if not my speed!) On the bike.

 

[fossyant]

It's 99.9% an issue with the person sat on top of the bike. In none of this do you mention how often and how far you are riding. If it's once a week or less then there is your issue. Little and often is the key.

 

[Alex321]

It's 99.9% an issue with the person sat on top of the bike. In none of this do you mention how often and how far you are riding. If it's once a week or less then there is your issue. Little and often is the key.

He does mention that in post #16 above.

 

[fossyant]

He does mention that in post #16 above.

Ah OK. It's generally the engine though. I switch between 4 bikes, road bikes all being virtually identical to ride, but the MTB's are quite different.

 

[Illaveago]

Result...

Ming the Merciless suggested swapping the wheels to the other bike which has always felt more comfy, it did not take long before I turned back. The wheels were now spoiling the Enigma's ride.

Back at base and studying the Duranos, it started to make some sort of sense; on the front was stamped 25-622[28 x 1.00-700x25C]....so that may explain the hard ride on anything less than the smoothest of roads but quite marginal over a 28mm tyre, whats on the back.....oh 23-622[700 x 23C]. So I've been crashing about on a 23/25mm combo.

The sun was still out so swapping the tyres for a set of known 28mm Veloflex corsas out I went on my loop.

Your collective comments were spot on..."FIT WIDER TYRES".

Transformed the ride. Just smooth almost silent progress, not constantly looking for another gear and considerably more comfortable to the point I found myself generally 2 cogs down. The bike is now everything I had hoped it would be.
Comfort was the issue for me and I have ordered a set of 30mm tyres and hope they will fit; as DCBassman posted, stiffness was not the problem.
Previous ride v todays, same 50km route with computer in back pocket. Average 154/152HR- max HR 174/174 - Min HR 98/82 and Av speed 22.7/23.9kmh.

Less effort, less fatigue, faster and no need for another bike.
Thank you for your comments.

Do you mean 2 cogs up meaning higher gearing as opposed to lower as you suggested ?

 

[OneCogDown]

Illaveago, yes higher up the cassette (eg. 21cog rather than the 25 cog used before tyre change) its a 14-28 cassette.