Please help an old man whose struggling.

[12boy]

You know, if you rode a better bicycle you might find it more fun than you think. BTW, some suspended bikes can lock out the suspension which could help a bit. You could also visit a recumbent dealer and try a tadpole trike. Certainly a lot safer in terms of balance than either a motorcycle or a bicycle. There are ebike tadpoles you can get here that can go 30 mph, which when your butt is 3 inches off the ground is fairly quick feeling. Just sayin.

 

[Cycleops]

Well, at least they got one thing right with your BSO, the name, Rhino. I'll bet it feels just like one

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I did, for a few days, start with a hybrid, but I felt like a circus clown on a monkey bike so I quickly changed that and the Rhino was the only one available for tens of pounds rather than hundreds. One slight problem is, at my age I have difficulty getting my leg over, no tittering at the back please, so an old fashioned frame with a horizontal crossbar would probably not be the best option.

In what way was the hybrid no good, was it way too small for you? Hybrids are my go-to everyday bikes, and I have a couple of good old Raleighs that are anything but clown bikes to ride. Availability and pricing is not good ATM, because of the coronacycling craze, but when the virus calms down the secondhand market should normalise both price and choice-wise. I ride MTB's as well, but you really would be better off with a road-oriented frame without any suspension.
If you have trouble getting your leg over the crossbar, there's nothing stopping you getting something with a Ladies frame, so long as you aren't so tall you can't find one big enough. I quite regularly see an old boy who must be at least 75 round my way riding a Ladies framed old Raleigh 3-speed. He doesn't go very fast, but he's still getting around on it. I was talking to him one day, and he told me he rides that frame for the same reason you mention - it's easier for him to mount and dismount it without the crossbar.

 

[DRM]

In what way was the hybrid no good, was it way too small for you? Hybrids are my go-to everyday bikes, and I have a couple of good old Raleighs that are anything but clown bikes to ride. Availability and pricing is not good ATM, because of the coronacycling craze, but when the virus calms down the secondhand market should normalise both price and choice-wise. I ride MTB's as well, but you really would be better off with a road-oriented frame without any suspension.
If you have trouble getting your leg over the crossbar, there's nothing stopping you getting something with a Ladies frame, so long as you aren't so tall you can't find one big enough. I quite regularly see an old boy who must be at least 75 round my way riding a Ladies framed old Raleigh 3-speed. He doesn't go very fast, but he's still getting around on it. I was talking to him one day, and he told me he rides that frame for the same reason you mention - it's easier for him to mount and dismount it without the crossbar.

The above is good advice, an old ladies framed Raleigh will be a far nicer ride, and being a "ladies" frame will be cheaper to buy and maintain

 

[simongt]

difficulty getting my leg over,

I had the same issue for some time after I had a broken hip after an accident. Fortunately, one of my bikes is a Brompton,, so with the seriously low 'top tube', I was still able to get about ( subject to the reluctant agreement of my physio - ! ) until that wonderful day when I could once again 'get my leg over' - ! About the same time as when no longer having to rely on crutches, I could go upstairs on a bus - !
So Tony, a Brompton may be an option for you.

 

[a.twiddler]

Respect to you for wanting to get out on two wheels. The idea of using a "ladies'" frame is a good and practical one. It has often been said that as you get older, riding a bike is not the challenge so much as comfortably being able to get on it. Being on the short side myself I have often pondered the benefits of going for such a frame but haven't reached the tipping point yet.

A thought occurred to me about your bike's handling. No bike ought to be so difficult to ride, even the most basic budget one. I wonder if there is a problem in the steering such as a tight head set or even a mis routed cable causing interference in turning the bars? If the rear suspension is adjustable, you might try softening it which will cause it to sag more and might give slightly more self centring effect to the steering. It might be a bit more bouncy as you pedal but you can stiffen it up when you get more confident. Alternatively, is it the bounciness that is upsetting your balance when pedalling one handed? You could try stiffening it up. If there is a lock out to stiffen up the fork, that would help too.

Just looking for a simple solution which doesn't involve spending much money, especially as you are wanting to use it as a stepping stone to build up your confidence. Finding an alternative bike as suggested by other posters is also likely to be a challenge as bikes are harder to find at present.

 

[12boy]

Rivendell bicycles has long been expounding the benefits of ladies and mixte bike frames for men. I wouldn't be surprised if they sold more than their slightly sloped top tube ones. Many mountain and hybrid bikes approach those geometries. The last few months I've been working a lot more stretching and some yoga into my routine and it has helped my posture and flexibility. The focus on deep, slow breathing seems to be good as well.

 

[Tony Norton]

Hello again all,

having taken on board all that has been said, I am fast coming to the conclusion that my best option is to look for a decent hybrid. Trouble is, I have no idea what frame size I should be looking for. I don't even know where the frame size if measured. I know that, with modern(ish) frames the frame size doesn't affect the the height at which the saddle can be set, unlike the older horizontal crossbar machines.

Having said that I guess a smaller frame also means a shorter wheelbase, and a longer wheelbase would tend to suggest better stability.

Is there an expert out there who could advise me what frame size would be best for me? Now I realize the relevant question being asked by you is "What size are you?". If it is any help, I am 5' 8" tall, have a 30" inside leg measurement, and can comfortably reach a straight handlebar that is 24" from the top of the sea post without having to lean forward a great deal. As regards wheel size, I would expect that 26" would be the optimum. Price-wise it would be so for me because I could take the new road tyres I bought, off the Rhino, and put the knobblies back on it. I would expect that the rim width of a hybrid would be near as dammit the same as those of an MTB.

Sorry to keep badgering you guys with questions, but your answers to my previous ones have been most helpful in pointing me in what I have concluded is the right direction.

Cheers

Tony

 

[Tony Norton]

In what way was the hybrid no good, was it way too small for you?

Hi John,
I guess that was actually the problem. Please see my latest reply.
Tony

 

[Cycleops]

Frame size is measured from the middle of the BB to the top of the seat tube.

This chart from Evans give you a general guide, some may differ slightly.
When seated your leg should be more or less straight with the pedal at six o clock.
As suggested you will need a bit 'Victor Silvester' stand over room on the top tube.

Wheels will usually be 700c (28").

 

[mjr]

Frame size is measured from the middle of the BB to the top of the seat tube.

These days, with sloping top tubes and random seat tube protrusion, frame size is measured however the manufacturer says it is!

 

[DCBassman]

5' 8" tall, have a 30" inside leg

Hi Tony, and .
I'm about the same measurements-ish. My road bike is a slightly too large 54cm, my rigid old-school mountain bike has an 18" frame. The road bike works because I am long in the body, otherwise I'd need a 52. But it was free, so...
Hybrid measurements seem to be different again, so who knows, really? Every brand, as said, does its own thing these days.
The other thing to get away from, in my opinion, is twist grip shifters. Appalling.
If you're near here, I'd be happy to help, once this pandemic eases a bit.

 

[All uphill]

I'm a similar size to you, height and leg, and am comfortable on bikes with 54cm seatpost and similar reach, so I'm surprised to see the Evan's chart above.

Sorry that's not very helpful. Is there a community cycle project near you that could help you buy a well-fitting budget bike?

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

According to Evans sizing chart, I ought to be riding a 19" or 20" frame size! That's actually what I rode when I was about 10 years old. As an adult, I mostly ride frames around 23". My hybrids are 22 1/2" and 23 1/2", old school steel of course with horizontal top tubes.
In a proper steel frame, I would suggest the OP would probably fit best on a frame around 21 inches. With the weird modern stuff with steeply sloping top tubes, sizing is anyone's guess. In this case I would look up the geometry charts and take more notice of the virtual top tube length.
Wheelbase on a large non-racing road/hybrid frame tends to generally be around 42 inches, and a Medium about a 1/2 to 3/4 inch less. I doubt many people would notice much between them in terms of stability. Frames get proportionally taller faster than they get longer, because of geometry constraints caused by the wheel sizes and toe overlap avoidance. Stability is a mixture of geometry and wheelbase, not just one or the other.

 

[iluvmybike]

Sorry mate but to be blunt that thing need putting in a skip. It is NOT a full supension bike - that is a misnomer. Get rid and buy a decent bike - second-hand if yuo are buying on a budget. That thing must weigh a ton for starters and handle like an oil tanker. I'm not surprised you are having difficulty. If you are having balance issues then have you had your ears checked out by the GP - might be worth it