Road Bike - Bad Road Conditions

[BrynCP]

I've had my hybrid (Giant Escape) for a couple of months and far exceeded my own expectations in that I have been riding most days and quite happy on 20-30 mile rides. On longer journeys, I suffer a little bit from lack of hand positions on the bars, I basically have two positions now: gripping the bars or resting my wrists on them! I also suffer a bit of upper back/neck discomfort after the ride.

I have in mind over the next few months to look at prices of something more road bike/drop bar orientated for the spring or summer. However, just a few questions on your opinions:

1. Will I notice a lot of difference over my hybrid - it's already quite light, and I can go quite fast and I am still not at a high level of fitness at all. I don't intend to sell or bin this as I think it certainly makes a good winter bike with all the filth if picks up.

2. Road bikes are lighter, with thinner tyres. The road conditions around where I live (therefore unavoidable!) are appalling: craters caused by buses, pot holes caused by weather, and just bad road designs where slabs of the road have 1-2" gaps all the way across or the slabs are raised in sections leading to sudden bumps. My ten week old hybrid has already been out of operation a whole week at the minute due to a broken spoke ( ); are the roads going to cause a lighter bike/thinner tyres/wheels a problem? Would I be wasting my money basically.

3. To fit the bike properly to avoid any discomfort, what are you looking at in ££? This helps on the budget side of things.

 

[Big Nick]

Fit bar ends?

Get a CX road bike?

 

[compo]

Have you considered bar ends for your present bike. Bar ends will give you another hand position and can increase your comfort considerably. Of course if your bike is a long way off in fit you will have problems whatever you do.

 

[BrynCP]

Fit bar ends?

Get a CX road bike?

Have you considered bar ends for your present bike. Bar ends will give you another hand position and can increase your comfort considerably. Of course if your bike is a long way off in fit you will have problems whatever you do.

I can consider that; the bike can't be too far wrong. I have discussed on another thread here, but it's pretty upright and it's odd because the pain only begins off the bike. I still have to see a GP about it.

I like the idea of a road bike in spring/summer, but not if the local roads, i.e. the last and first two miles, are going to wreck it!

 

[Easytigers]

I would also go for bar ends. When I first started, I was getting neck and shoulder pain. It stopped after a friend of mine noticed how rigid I was and how tight I was holding on (hope that doesn't sound dodgy!). It took me a little bit of time to get used to relaxing and not gripping too hard but it sorted the problem.

 

[screenman]

I ride a road bike in rural Lincolnshire without it breaking.

Do you have a daily stretching routine? Gets rid of or stops you getting lots of aches and pains.

 

[vickster]

Full fit including feet seems to run from £150-£300 depending I who and where

Spend a wedge (usually £1k at least) on the bike at some lbs it may be included. What's your budget?

See a sports physio rather than gp about aches and pains unless you are just looking for anti inflammatory drugs and a wait for a session with an nhs physio. May have suggested this before?

I did 30 miles on my carbon road bike yesterday on hideous sw London roads
with no breakages. It even got a little wet and dirty and didn't melt!!!

 

[compo]

if it's only the first and last couple of miles on rough roads I wouldn't worry about it. Bikes are not eggs, going to break at the slightest thing. Years ago before mountain bikes were thought of we used to do cyclo cross on road bikes, then hose them down ready to commute to work the next day. If you fancy a road bike go for it. You can always go easy on the bad roads for a warm up and cool down.

 

[BrynCP]

See a sports physio rather than gp about aches and pains unless you are just looking for anti inflammatory drugs and a wait for a session with an nhs physio. May have suggested this before

You did indeed. The bike has been out of action for a week, unfortunately the pain at the end of the work day hasn't, so I just wanted the GP's thoughts too.

(A GP prescribing ibuprofen? Never! Ok, always, although these days I get free prescriptions it works out more economically beneficial, but I would just bin the prescription)

 

[Banjo]

It takes a while to get used to riding any bike. If the roads round your way are rough consider a bike with bigger tyres (or the space to fit them) 23c road racer tyres may be fast on smooth tarmac but can be boneshaking on rough surfaces. 28c is a good compromise.

The specialised secteur disc brake road bike or similar could be a good option for you. The ride position isnt too extreme and it has 28c tyres as standard.Another one to consider could be a Cannondale synapse which also has a relaxed riding position compared to an out and out race bike.

The drop bar bikes probably wont go much/any quicker than your hybrid, especially until you get used to the different ride position but they do offer much more variety of hand positions and the ability to get your head down into a head wind.

I ride a Scott racer on 23c skinny race tyres on South Wales roads that are pretty rough. You need to keep your eyes peeled for holes etc but the bike will take it if the rider can

 

[BrynCP]

Should probably add another question, I have dropped from 18 stone to just under 16 in the last 2.5 months, that will slow down I am sure, are road bikes likely to have a lower weight limit?

 

[vickster]

Not that low no. Some may have a 100kg limit. More the wheels than frame though