Bummer Dude

Howdy. I used to be somewhat active on this board, but have not been on it for several years. I'm in need a different bike and would like to hear some thoughts/suggestions on comfort bikes. We only ride on green-ways/rail trails. Mostly packed limestone. Right now I ride a Gary Fisher mountain bike. I'm sneaking up on 60 and I just can't handle the MTB any longer. I've tried different handlebars and stems, but I just can't make it comfortable. I suffer from terrible neck & upper back pain for a week after we go on a ride(10-20 miles). I need a bike with a more upright riding position so I don't have to hold my head up/back. Would also like to get a bike that is lighter than the MTB. My wife's hybrid seems like it is 1/2 the weight of mine.

I've been browsing the major player's websites and have come up with three candidates that I'm leaning toward. I'm not dead-set on anything at this point. I also looked at Giant, Trek, Raleigh...but these three below stood out to me. Would just like to see some pros/cons and comments on what you all think might be my best bet. Any and all comments welcome. Thanks in advance.

- Cannondale Adventure 1
- Specialized Crossroads Elite
- Fuji Crosstown 1.1

Rollfast

I'd get a fat seat but they don't wear as well as old Troxels.


I don't MTB though. I have a middleweight twin bar late 50s Rollfast, a lightweight 50s-60s Rollfast cantilevered (like Flyers of B-6 Schwinns) with an aftermarket springer (recommending that, it rides like a Buick) and a 1995 Schwinn with a 1951 Rollfast ballooner in the works.

SHK

Your best option will be going in and trying those bikes out at a local bike shop. We are all shaped and built a little differently.

Id imagine comfort hybrids wouldnt be SUPER light but you'd hit the 25-35lb range easily. Id really not be too concerned with the bike weight.

Hybrid will offer higher PSI tires as well so you'll cruise with less effort

BobbyG

Lightweight recumbent or crank forward?

blakcloud

I would look at the Rivendell Clem Smith Jr. for an upright bike that is comfortable to ride. Super long chain stays, bars higher than the saddle, big cushy tires and wide bars make a comfortable ride. It is more money than the bikes you listed but it is a bike you keep forever. Plus if you hate it, Rivendell's have great resale value.

fietsbob

My LBS has a Fat tire Recumbent tricycle in stock.

Crank forward Cruisers Like Trek Pure are super comfy, almost a Recumbent.

https://archive.trekbikes.com/us/en/2...k/pure/details

For more gears a Rear wheel with a Hybrid, ie, cassette + 3 speed .. hub will work super.





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Chipbyrd 

Hi, my wife and I both have the Specialized Crossroad Sport. It was my first bike in decades. It was extraordinarily comfortable, reliable, and a lot of fun to ride. I ended up buying a dropbar bike when my distances got over 30 miles, but I give the Crossroads high marks!

RonH

Have you visited a spine doc to see if something other than cycling is causing the neck problem?

VegasTriker

Have you actually weighed your bike and your wife's bike so you have a reference point? That's a good place to start. Some bike shops will weigh the bikes for you but if that isn't possible you can get within a pound if you weigh yourself on a bathroom scale and then repeat it holding the bike as steady as possible. Very few manufacturers list a weight even for a single size frame in their specification list so you will have to ask the bike shop about the weight and hope they are knowledgeable (or honest). You are in the entry level price range. Really light bikes are rare in that price range.

If you are suffering with the pain you describe sometimes nothing you do will give you complete relief with a conventional bike. That's what drove me to try a recumbent bike in 2000 and it has been my main type of bike since then. It wasn't the severe, long lasting pain you describe but just being uncomfortable while riding for more than a half hour or so. You will not find a decent new recumbent in the $470 to $750 price range for the three you listed but used recumbents sometimes are in that range.

rydabent

The obvious answer.

10 Wheels

Get in good shape and any bike will work for you.

Bikes are Exercise Machines, Not Recliners

Leebo

Get a hybrid that fits you, with a pro fitting. Start there.

canklecat

The three bikes the OP mentioned are pretty close to what I started with in 2015 when I resumed cycling -- a Globe Carmel comfort hybrid with suspension fork. I still ride it on days when my neck is aching (permanently damaged C2 vertebrae). And it's better suited to errands than my rigid fork mountain bike -- longer wheelbase and chain stay, so I don't get heel strike with panniers.

For chronic neck pain, assuming the bike fits properly, I've found that either a suspension fork or softer tires help. I run the wide front tires on my bikes around 40-50 psi; the rear a bit more, 50-60. I can manage the handlebars close to saddle height but slightly above is usually more comfortable. I doubt I'll ever be able to ride far again with drop bars.

Cushioned springy saddles can be comfortable but will cost a little in pedaling efficiency. My comfort hybrid has a thickly padded spring saddle; the mountain bike has a gel pad saddle that's a bit firmer. I average about 10-12 mph on the comfort hybrid; about 12-14 mph on the mountain bike with rigid fork and somewhat firmer saddle. I'll often get some neck and back aches after 40-60 mile rides on the mountain bike, but that's an improvement over this time last year. Takes awhile.

But if you enjoy the ride more it doesn't matter. 8-12 mph is about right for the paths the OP mentioned, and a little difference in speed won't matter as much as enjoying the ride.

Bummer Dude

Thanks for the replies. I just need to take a day and go to some shops and see if the bikes I mentioned are really what I want. I have not weighed our bikes, but I did have that thought. I will do that tonight. I realize that I am not in great shape right now and that in itself(getting in better shape) may help. It's just to the point that the neck pain is so annoying that I don't want to ride at all. So it's sort of a catch 22 I guess.

Snuts

This can be done to any Hybrid. Simply buy a set of city bars. Really helped to get me sitting upright, inexpensive $25.
I had them on a Hybrid that I toured on 2450km this past summer. That bike is now sporting a set of trekking bars. But I really love the way these work, now on my town bike. Funny thing is it is an old drop bar touring bike.

Hope this helps.

-Snuts-

rekmeyata

Bummer dude about your back, no pun intended...I don't think! anyways, due to the condition of your back I would not buy any bike until you have a pro fitter analyze what you need to make you comfortable on any type of bike. You don't want to buy a comfort bike only to find out later you're still not comfortable, you'll just be throwing away money. The fitter may find that you might be better off on a bent instead of a standard bike, I don't know, I'm just throwing out thoughts, but hopefully a fitter can lead you into a more comfortable bike.

Be careful of fitters though, a lot of them are nothing more than college kids trained on program design to sell you stuff that will cost a lot of money that you may or may not need, or may or may not work for you, or may hurt you worse. So get a referral to one from a local bike club, the fitter should be knowledgeable enough to understand your back situation and find a way to get you on some sort of bike, which after a test ride on a recommended bike adjusted to you, you should be able to tell if it will work for you or not.

Bummer Dude

LOL...thanks for the ...uhm...warnings I guess. I know at least one shop that I have dealt with for many many years and they are good at pointing you to what you really need and not selling you something just to be selling another bike. I plan on checking out several shops though.

While I was trying to come up with a name to register with(since I couldn't remember my old one), my wife sent me a text to tell me she had been shopping and couldn't find any bargains. My reply was "bummer dude". New name found.

Bummer Dude

Not saying I would buy a bike online, but does anyone have any feedback(good or bad) on the bikes that "bikesdirect" sells? Motobecane, Windsor, Gravity, Dawes, etc.

rekmeyata

All I know is that is seems that the lower the cost of the bike from Bikesdirect (BD) the worse the quality seems to be; but as you go up the price scale the better they seem to be especially their top of the line carbon and titanium bikes. But I don't think the Windsor, Gravity, and Dawes are that great, I would stay with the Moto, but maybe someone here can dispute what I said about those 3 other brands, I just haven't been impressed by those from what I've seen. Also keep in mind too that BD's customer service is sorely lacking, but if you buy a more expensive bike from them you save so much money it's a moot point. No matter which bike you get from BD try to assemble it yourself, then if you're not sure about how to properly adjust things take the bike in and pay someone to go over it with a fine tooth comb. There was a person here that bought a bike from BD and the chain was flawed, on his first ride the chain instantly stopped and broke the rear derailleur in half; and there was another guy who's bike didn't have any grease in the bottom bracket. So if you don't know how to check all that sort of stuff take it a LBS, it might cost $75 or so but it will be worth it.

Rockhitter

Check out electra townie. They are flat foot upright ride bikes.

coominya

Beach Cruisers - Bike Forums
Hybrid Bicycles - Bike Forums

Good places to start.

Chuck Naill

I am looking at the Kona Dew Plus for a family member. The price is $700 for disk brakes and a bell. .

ColonelSanders

I haven't ridden any of the above, so keep that in mind, but . . . . .

I would automatically rule out the Cannondale, it seems to have the lowest running gear and has grip shifters.

The Specialized Crossroads Elite looks like an outstanding choice to me, a bike that for many people, would make more sense than a Trek FX, yet one hardly ever hears much talk about the Crossroads.

The Fuji is an interesting bike.

I'm not sure you need the suspension fork, but it is there in case you do and due to it having mechanical brakes, you have the ability to dramatically upgrade the quality of the brakes if that sort of thing interests you down the line.

The Specialized Crossroads ships with wide 45mm tyres, so this should provide plenty of comfort and whilst the Fuji Crosstown only comes with 28mm wide tyres, I would imagine it would take significantly wider tyres than that.

BlazingPedals

Your symptoms scream "recumbent!" Look for a used RANS anything and finagle a test ride or two. Stay away from Sun if weight is important.

nick64

I have the 2016 Crossroads Elite and I love it. At 61 yrs. old, and after a lifetime of riding drop bar road bikes, I too desired a more upright and comfortable position, and this has it in spades. In spite of the upright position, though, it is still quick and nimble. No race bike, to be sure, but still a joy to ride recreationally. Positive points that put it ahead of the competition, in my view are that it has a carbon fork instead of a heavy and unneeded suspension fork, and it has a smooth shifting 9 speed triple drive train, which will give you any gear you might possibly need. A couple of caveats...I switched tires from the stock 45 mm Boroughs to 28mm Vittoria Rubinos for more speed and less rolling resistance. Also, this bike has a very long wheelbase and top tube and is generally a very big bike, so make sure you have room to store it. Of course, the long wheelbase also contributes to a very stable and comfortable ride. If weight matters to you, stock, it weighed about 28 lbs. After the tire change, it weighs just under 26.5 lbs. Hope this helps.