Comfort on long rides
04-15-18, 11:56 AM
#26
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I was riding my Townie 21D Electra for 50-75km a day, very rarely did I pedal, all electric. I loved the seat, until it broke, 375lbs here. Now I got me an older springy seat and will see how long that lasts. I plan to ride this bike from AB to BC, then BC to East Coast, charity run.
04-17-18, 11:50 AM
#27
Uber Goober
I think I did five centuries, including a 200k, on my Worksman cruiser.
I had straighter handlebars on it, used the stock saddle, worked okay. The stock handlebars, if you lean into them, your hands can slide down the grips, and it helps if the grips are at more of an angle.
I wouldn't assume that olden-days long-distance rides were on the equivalent of today's cruisers. For example, the normal Raleigh rod-brake bikes use 1-1/2" tires, not the 2-1/4" balloon tires, and you'll see a lot of the old pictures where people used bigger frames (zero stand-over clearance, or less), use the mustache-style handlebars, etc. Even in the "all steel" days, people did make some effort to minimize weight, too, so they weren't all as heavy as the heaviest ones now.
Here's Tommy Godwin back in the 30's doing long-distance riding- and that ain't no beach cruiser he's on.
I had straighter handlebars on it, used the stock saddle, worked okay. The stock handlebars, if you lean into them, your hands can slide down the grips, and it helps if the grips are at more of an angle.
I wouldn't assume that olden-days long-distance rides were on the equivalent of today's cruisers. For example, the normal Raleigh rod-brake bikes use 1-1/2" tires, not the 2-1/4" balloon tires, and you'll see a lot of the old pictures where people used bigger frames (zero stand-over clearance, or less), use the mustache-style handlebars, etc. Even in the "all steel" days, people did make some effort to minimize weight, too, so they weren't all as heavy as the heaviest ones now.
Here's Tommy Godwin back in the 30's doing long-distance riding- and that ain't no beach cruiser he's on.
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05-15-18, 09:02 PM
#28
The Huffmeister
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I appreciate this thread. I've wanted to get more of a 'cruiser' type bike, as I mainly just have older 10 speed type bicycles right now.
The picture above is interesting. My thought was always that a cruiser would be more comfortable because it is more upright. Well, I suppose that's right, at least for a while. How someone can keep that posture (in the above picture) for 100 miles boggles my mind. I hold that position for a few minutes and my neck starts feeling strained. So naturally, a cruiser seems more apt to be comfort-oriented. But even just today, having my seat adjusted a little too far back (on a regular double triangle frame), I could feel it in my knees, from having the cranks farther forward. Also, thinking about an extreme upright position, means that so much more weight is placed away from the hands and more towards the seat. So it makes sense that when I sat completely upright on my B17, whoa...a LOT more pressure. So I guess a balanced approach would be wise.
Again, thanks for this thread and shedding some light on the 'cruiser comfort' topic.
The picture above is interesting. My thought was always that a cruiser would be more comfortable because it is more upright. Well, I suppose that's right, at least for a while. How someone can keep that posture (in the above picture) for 100 miles boggles my mind. I hold that position for a few minutes and my neck starts feeling strained. So naturally, a cruiser seems more apt to be comfort-oriented. But even just today, having my seat adjusted a little too far back (on a regular double triangle frame), I could feel it in my knees, from having the cranks farther forward. Also, thinking about an extreme upright position, means that so much more weight is placed away from the hands and more towards the seat. So it makes sense that when I sat completely upright on my B17, whoa...a LOT more pressure. So I guess a balanced approach would be wise.
Again, thanks for this thread and shedding some light on the 'cruiser comfort' topic.
05-16-18, 06:41 PM
#29
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If it's the legs and back hurting it's definitely fit. Your legs are probably cramped. I used to ride my schwinn cruiser 20+ miles all the time so it is not the cruiser idea itself either.
