Jeff12345

I have a bad neck and cant ride a mountain bike
Anyone have any experience riding offroad with an upright position?
I found a adjustable stem called the ez-ride that allows a rider to adjust the stem while riding.
Any experience or thoughts would be appreciated.

canklecat

Sure, if off road means reasonable terrain -- gravel roads, groomed chat trails, moderately rolling fields, single track without heavy technical demands.

When I resumed cycling in 2015 after a long break I was recovering from neck and back injuries after my compact car was t-boned by a full size SUV. Persistent neck and shoulder pain made it impossible to ride my old drop bar road bike. I got a used Globe Carmel comfort hybrid. Compact frame with sloping top tube, long wheelbase, upright riser bar, padded saddle with springs, fairly large tires. It was perfect for easing me back into shape. I rode it for a year before putting it on short hop errand bike duties. Still a great grocery store bike. And it handles really well on gravel roads and chat trails. Very stable and secure, soaks up rough stuff and rolls across sandy washouts without drama. The long wheelbase helps.

After a year I was able to ride a rigid frame/fork hybrid, but still needed larger than stock tires and a riser bar rather than the stock flat bar. Rode that for another year. It's still my preferred bike for most casual city and group rides. It's more nimble than the comfort hybrid but demands more attention on gravel. Must be careful to keep a reasonably light touch on the handlebar to avoid over corrections, while not letting the bar getting away when I hit sandy washouts. Not sketchy, just not as surefooted as the comfort hybrid.

Another year -- and with a lot of conditioning, especially core work, back and neck -- I was able to ride a drop bar road bike again. Took a few months to get comfortable with it. Still a challenge to ride comfortably beyond around 30 miles. It's on an indoor trainer at the moment while I'm recovering from a shoulder injury.

If I had to pick just one it'd be the rigid fork/frame hybrid with 700x38 or bigger tires. I might still prefer a slight riser bar over flat, although arced or low rise albatross or North Roads bars might do.

But almost any good comfort hybrid with simple spring front shock suspension should do for starters, and might become your preferred bike.

jefnvk

First off, what do you mean by "off road"?

If you mean dirt paths, rail trails, etc, sure. If you mean cross country, or single track, not really, plus I'd question how your neck would hold up to the impacts you would absorb anyhow.

Jeff12345

It is rough terrain but I wont be going that fast (mostly for transportation fishing camping) (I live in rural Wyoming next to rocky mtns.)
anybody used an ez-ride stem?
I aslo have some stomach issues so im pretty sure I will have to be upright,

Also anybody used a thud buster seat post?
Aslo anybody used a realseat (mesh seat kinda like a recumbent seat) (?)

jefnvk

Have you considered a fat bike with some more upright handlebars? Sounds like it could be a good idea for your usage. Fat tires will get you over more terrain, and provide you a bit of cushioning.

Bill Gem

Jeff12345

Yea I don't know if they make a comfort frame for fat tires or not?
I wonder if a thudbuster (suspension seat post) and a front shock would obsorb more bumbs vs a fatire bike?
Ive never ridden a fat tire.
I tried putting cruzer bars on my old mtb, I felt like the bars were going to stab me if I wrecked. (I think a comfort frame would be best).

Jeff12345

I sat on a specialized roll ( It almost felt stretched like a mtb) Im sure a different stem would help , but im not sure it would be enough.
Giant iguana dx, I like the geometry and look of the frame on the Raleigh venture (does not have disk brakes.) Might have to add that later.
Im thinking maybe a venture with a thudbuster and maybe that ez-ride stem. I also came across a seat called the realseat that looks kinda funky but interesting.
It looks like it might be comfortable and definatly keep your butt cool.

jefnvk

This would be the most "comfort" one I can think of: https://www.momentum-biking.com/us/iride-rocker

Remember, you can change out handlebars rather easily, to something more swept back and upright.

kingsting

If off road means gravel nature trails then a comfort bike will be fine. We sold lots and lots and lots of them (Trek Navigators) after a rail trail near the shop was completed. One of the posters mentioned the Specialized Roll. I just got one and it was a blast around town and on rail trails but I found the layout to be a little too relaxed for some tree root-filled single track I tried it out on. The bike was a little too squirrelly on that type of trail.

MRT2

Jeff12345

I was going try post the youtube video of the ez-ride stem.
Not sure how to do it.
anbody care to talk me through it?

Jeff12345

For me the specialized roll is too far stretched. I liked the raliegh venture I sat on. (pretty upright).
I probably will just have to buy a bike and give it a try I suppose.

Someone look at that damn ez-ride stem and give me some flipping feedback already!

canklecat

That EZ Ride stem does look interesting. Never heard of it before, no idea how practical it is, but this video demo indicates it works as the maker claims.

02Giant 

I can't think of any time where I needed to jack the height of my stem while out riding. Besides that, I like my cables to be the right length. The excess cabling needed to go through the range of adjustment of that stem, would be a no-go for me.

MRT2

On single track, that looks dangerous.

Jeff12345

If it worked it would be perfect because I a have a bad neck and need to be upright most of the time.
when u climb or get into a rough section you could lower it.

Why do you think it would be dangerous?


(Thanks for posting that video canklecat) (I was having a hard time with that.)
What is a canklecat? A cat with fat legs or something?

Metieval

fat bike or (half fat 27.5x3) with jones bars !

get the cushion from the tires and let the jones bars sit you up. if needed, add a stem riser. not like your going to be riding hard anyways.

fietsbob

A coaster brake cruiser on the gravel farm roads has been fine for half a century,
and then some...

FlMTNdude

Darth Lefty 

I don't think your goal is impossible. But an adjustable stem is just a really bad idea for going over bumps. That's the first and biggest reason why bike makers ditched threaded stems.

A good trail hard tail mountain bike is really pretty comfortable, more than you might think. Try one before you skip the idea. Something in the $1000-1500 range with a 120mm fork travel on a 29er or 27.5+ tire. The big tires and long travel make the handlebars quite high to begin with. They also make for a really smooth ride. You can get handlebars with a little more sweep to make your wrists neutral (Jones bars are a bit too much for me, and expensive, but there are lots of other options) and you're all set for hours in the seat. This description pretty well fits a lot of bikes, Trek Roscoe, Salsa Timberjack, Surly Karate Monkey, Giant Fathom, Cannondale Beast, Specialized Fuse.

Jeff12345

Im probably not familiar enough with bikes to know how a threadless stem related to that ezride stem. I emailed the inventor to see what he said about off road use.

browngw 

Great suggestion! My Fat Bike is comfortable to ride upright and the low pressure tires absorb a lot and are great for back country. I put a shorter taller stem and riser bars on my Felt DD70 and equipped it with bar
ends and a good rack.

Jeff12345

Nice looking ride!
My brother in law has a fat tire bike and really likes it.
I put cruiser bars and a stem riser on my old mtb. (I want to be almost completely upright) It felt like if I wrecked I would stab myself with the bars.
That's why I was saying a comfort bike like the Giant Sedona or the Raleigh Venture with some mods might be the best for me. Are you aware of a fat tire bike with a comfort frame? ( might be an option).

Metieval

Boom, buy it and be done with it!
https://www.electrabike.com/bikes/cr...ux-fat-tire-7d

your only issue is you may need a smaller chainring depending on your fitness and locale