Browntabby

Hello everyone, I test rode a Link Uno on wednesday and liked it a lot but my scoliosis had become an issue . The saddle gave me low/mild pain in my sit bones as I rode over small bumps in the road. I had low/mild pain in my spine, chest and sit bones for about 3 days. Could a new saddle or thudbuster fix this? I am not interested in a full size bicycle or Recumbent. Thank you for any help.

invisiblehand

I think you'll only know by testing one out. You might also consider wider tires with lower tire pressures.

What does your doctor/physical therapist say about riding?

chagzuki

The curvature of my spine isn't normal and I seem to be particularly sensitive to shocks through the rear end (!). I wouldn't want to ride a Dahon without a thudbuster, it does a great job of absorbing impacts and unevenness. Having tried both the LT and ST versions for extended periods I'd recommend the ST version potentially with a softer-than-recommended elastomer, the arc of travel is better suited to road usage (rather than mountain biking) and it fits a folding bike better.

Of course if your scoliosis means that a riding posture causes problems then a thudbuster or rear suspension won't be a solution. Finding a posture that puts least stress on the worst affected regions of your back will be imperative.

graywolf

Brooks makes a range of sprung saddles ranging from the B66 with coils in the back through the B135 with double coils in the back and hairspring coils in the front and some inbetween models. https://www.brooksengland.com/catalog...+&+heavy+duty/

kamtsa

Brooks springs are very strong. From my experience (B67S), they are harder than a Thudbaster or a Brompton standard elastomer.

Have you consider bikes with suspension? Here is one example https://www.origamibicycles.com/Mantis.php , there are others.

fietsbob

I have a friend with that situation, he rides is bike with a fairly short reach, to compensate for that.

of course how spinal bones grew as a result is not known ..

I have a thud-buster LT , there is a variety of different spring rate elastomers , for rider weight.
you can mix them. to get the right feel.

Another clever component, PanTour hubs .. they use an elastomer in between the axle and hub-shell ..
A small company in California..

they even have a popular folding bike model, for the 74mm wide forks they use..
Bromptonauts like them , takes out some chip-seal surface buzz ..

Dynocoaster 

Would padded riding pants help?

Browntabby

Thank you for the responses. I have not seen a doctor or physical therapist about my scoliosis, because I don't have back/spine pain. I have only gotten pain from running for long periods (which I don't do)and when I test rode the link uno. I don't get pain from jumping rope. I still want the link uno I really like the way it looks, what kind of suspension do pantour hubs provide compared to a thudbuster?

cplager

Hi,

As has been pointed out, a saddle won't make that much difference, but maybe a thudbuster or full/rear suspension might.

My advice in general is that if somebody is having issues riding an upright bike, they should consider a recumbent. I know you explicitly say you're not interested in a recumbent, but depending on your scoliosis, that may be your best option. Or, it may be absolutely horrible for you. (I'm assuming the former is more likely, but I'm not that kind of doctor... ).

Given your preference to folding bikes, here's one of my favorite recumbents, our own Sesame Crunch riding a Downtube converted to a Cruzbike:




Good luck!

Charles

bargainguy

Scoliosis is lateral deviation of the spinal column. The normal S-shaped curvature of the spine is somewhat distorted because of this, and that curvature is what allows the body to absorb shocks from activity.

The fact that you don't get it with an activity which requires relatively little lateral movement (jumping rope) means you're not being asked to do much except up and down. Now introduce any activity where lateral movement is in play. Believe it or not, there's a fair amount of lateral movement of your upper body on a bike, as your hands and arms counterbalance the force of your legs working the pedals. Bingo.

So for you, bike fit is critical, and choosing a bike is critical, to get one that fits your dimensions and lateral movement tendencies. I know you're really hooked on the link, but I'd try as many different folding bike designs as I could to see what works best for you, rather than trying to get the link to do something else suspension-wise.

Don

chagzuki

Another factor is whether it's wise to go for a single-speed bike at all since lack of gear choices imposes a style of riding that necessitates the utilisation of the upper body in a way that might not suit.
If you can get hold of second-hand Dahon Boardwalk, Speed Uno or Tern Link Uno, plus thudbuster and try it for a while you can always sell it on without a loss if it doesn't work out.

Browntabby

The only folding bikes that are sold in my area are Dahon Tern and Montague. I think i'm going buy the Link Uno and trying it with thudbuster/saddle/big apple tires. I will see if that works, if not I'll sell it and buy a Downtube Fs 9sp and see how that works. Thanks again for the responses everyone.