Comfortable bike
12-11-19, 08:42 PM
#1
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Comfortable bike
a friend of mine sees me riding and already know what type of bike he wants not able to understand how we ride. long story short, he wants a straight bar (comfortable bike) Does anybody have any subjection? since i know, it will only last a season before he changes his mind and want something else. at least top 5 for a guy complaining about pain before he gets the bike. thanks everyone.
12-11-19, 08:45 PM
#2
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12-12-19, 08:50 AM
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12-12-19, 08:54 AM
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12-12-19, 09:30 AM
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.lol
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12-12-19, 09:43 AM
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Have your friend at least look at recumbents. The whole point is that they are ultra comfortable. Think lazyboy with pedals. 
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12-12-19, 12:43 PM
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Your friend is a mature man? Take him to a bike shop and let him talk with the floor salesman and determine what he wants to test ride. He's paying, right?
12-12-19, 12:47 PM
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Does he ride where there are hills? Will he ride on the road or trails?
The recumbent suggestion is a good one if your friend is receptive to that. For a decent straight bar bike, the Cannondale Quick series bikes are nice. I helped a friend pick one out years ago and she loves it. My wife got one in 2012 and still over it as well. I have even considered one though I don't really need another bike like that. https://www.cannondale.com/en/USA/Pr...9-b13aff601fab
The recumbent suggestion is a good one if your friend is receptive to that. For a decent straight bar bike, the Cannondale Quick series bikes are nice. I helped a friend pick one out years ago and she loves it. My wife got one in 2012 and still over it as well. I have even considered one though I don't really need another bike like that. https://www.cannondale.com/en/USA/Pr...9-b13aff601fab
12-12-19, 01:14 PM
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For an older man that is not a speed demon, absolutely a recumbent bike or trike is best for comfort.
What I have seen so many times is an older person wants to ride for exercise. A bike shop will sell him some sort of a mountain bike. After a few rides he finds his rump is sore and riding it is really no fun. That 3 to 500 dollar mountain bike get hung up in the garage, and 5 years later it is sold for $40 at a garage sale. OTOH a bent or a trike is not painful to ride, and the buyer will continue to ride it.
Note
The gung ho up right riders will dispute this and try to sell you on the "right" saddle and proper fitting. That of course is simply wrong. NOTHING comes even close to the comfort of a trike, or a recumbent bike.
What I have seen so many times is an older person wants to ride for exercise. A bike shop will sell him some sort of a mountain bike. After a few rides he finds his rump is sore and riding it is really no fun. That 3 to 500 dollar mountain bike get hung up in the garage, and 5 years later it is sold for $40 at a garage sale. OTOH a bent or a trike is not painful to ride, and the buyer will continue to ride it.
Note
The gung ho up right riders will dispute this and try to sell you on the "right" saddle and proper fitting. That of course is simply wrong. NOTHING comes even close to the comfort of a trike, or a recumbent bike.
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12-15-19, 08:40 PM
#11
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12-15-19, 08:42 PM
#12
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I was thinking about the same thing. he thinks he's riding with me and my friends. I don't know how to explain that they leave me behind at 23mph
12-15-19, 08:44 PM
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12-16-19, 08:51 AM
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If you were to talk him through these things, it might be offensive to him. If a shop does it, it's a professional service to him. That was what I was getting at...
12-16-19, 09:51 AM
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Don't know what you consider "older". I'll be 69 in a few days (still don't feel "old"), consider myself more of a recreational rider. I don't want to, nor could I, keep up with your friends at 23mph, even on my LeMond road bike-I'm fit and a fairly fast rider, but not 23mph fast. Before he goes bike shopping, I feel you owe it to him to explain that he may not be able to maintain pace he with you and your friends, regardless of the bike. That is, assuming that he won't be able to keep that pace. For comfort, he probably would do well on a hybrid. The hybrid section on here is good reading. If he isn't going to be riding with you due to pace, maybe he could find a Meetup group or bike club in the area with those that he would enjoy riding with, at his pace.
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12-16-19, 10:53 AM
#16
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The point of my question wasn't the money, actually. It was his personal responsibility to find his own answer. If he tells the shop that he wants to keep up with road riders at 23+ mph, then that changes the answer significantly. The shop employee can also help him to set reasonable expectations for himself based on his honesty/realism about his current shape, physical capacities, willingness to commit to work hard, and timeline for success.
If you were to talk him through these things, it might be offensive to him. If a shop does it, it's a professional service to him. That was what I was getting at...
If you were to talk him through these things, it might be offensive to him. If a shop does it, it's a professional service to him. That was what I was getting at...
you're making a great point. as of right now he's thinking of fast riding and you 're right maybe if he hears it from someone from the shop it makes more sense. I'm putting too many things in his head, thanks
Last edited by Homebrew01; 12-18-19 at 08:17 PM.
12-16-19, 10:58 AM
#17
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Don't know what you consider "older". I'll be 69 in a few days (still don't feel "old"), consider myself more of a recreational rider. I don't want to, nor could I, keep up with your friends at 23mph, even on my LeMond road bike-I'm fit and a fairly fast rider, but not 23mph fast. Before he goes bike shopping, I feel you owe it to him to explain that he may not be able to maintain pace he with you and your friends, regardless of the bike. That is, assuming that he won't be able to keep that pace. For comfort, he probably would do well on a hybrid. The hybrid section on here is good reading. If he isn't going to be riding with you due to pace, maybe he could find a Meetup group or bike club in the area with those that he would enjoy riding with, at his pace.
12-18-19, 06:53 PM
#18
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a friend of mine sees me riding and already know what type of bike he wants not able to understand how we ride. long story short, he wants a straight bar (comfortable bike) Does anybody have any subjection? since i know, it will only last a season before he changes his mind and want something else. at least top 5 for a guy complaining about pain before he gets the bike. thanks everyone.
There are plenty of endurance bicycles on the market that are comfortable, some even have suspension, or systems that absorb bumps.
If he must have flat bar, Trek FX series, Canyon Roadlite, or similar bicycles... Tiagra 10 speed is fine, no need for something more on that kind of bike. If he want to be "different", Cannondale Badboy (Lefty fork)...
12-18-19, 07:24 PM
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12-18-19, 08:21 PM
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The point of my question wasn't the money, actually. It was his personal responsibility to find his own answer. If he tells the shop that he wants to keep up with road riders at 23+ mph, then that changes the answer significantly. The shop employee can also help him to set reasonable expectations for himself based on his honesty/realism about his current shape, physical capacities, willingness to commit to work hard, and timeline for success.
If you were to talk him through these things, it might be offensive to him. If a shop does it, it's a professional service to him. That was what I was getting at...
If you were to talk him through these things, it might be offensive to him. If a shop does it, it's a professional service to him. That was what I was getting at...
Point him in the right direction, but he should make all the decisions.
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12-19-19, 07:51 AM
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Ultimately, the question is what is he capable of riding right now, if he gets something that might work better for him later, but doesn't work for him now, he'll just stop riding.
One thing I think BF posters underestimate is how intimidating it is for someone who knows next to nothing about bikes to talk to a salesperson. We who know bikes can generally see when we're being handed sales pitch bs, the newbie can't, and is afraid of coming home with a white elephant or an unsuitable set of wheels.
Go with him to a LBS while he test rides some stuff. Sounds like he's worried about the salesperson selling him what he really doesn't want (a cruiser), and you can bring a different perspective when he has questions. I'd also avoid telling him what should work for him, no one really knows until they try.
One thing I think BF posters underestimate is how intimidating it is for someone who knows next to nothing about bikes to talk to a salesperson. We who know bikes can generally see when we're being handed sales pitch bs, the newbie can't, and is afraid of coming home with a white elephant or an unsuitable set of wheels.
Go with him to a LBS while he test rides some stuff. Sounds like he's worried about the salesperson selling him what he really doesn't want (a cruiser), and you can bring a different perspective when he has questions. I'd also avoid telling him what should work for him, no one really knows until they try.
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12-19-19, 08:31 AM
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"Perpendicular" straight bars may feel "comfortable" at first, but for some of us 50+ "parallel" drop bars are more comfortable in the long-run...or at least "swept-back" bars.
Homebrew01 is right...send him to an LBS and avoid putting yourself in a position that may incur future recrimination.
Homebrew01 is right...send him to an LBS and avoid putting yourself in a position that may incur future recrimination.
12-19-19, 09:19 AM
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him- "I am going to ride with your group."
you- "That would be really fun, but they ride frequently and are really fast and I am often left behind. Riding with the group is something you should work towards, but wont happen right away."
Pretty simple.
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