cplager

Cruzbike Vendetta.

Campag4life

Actually with the bell curve of top tube/head tube and sta angle production frames out there...almost every permutation you can think of, custom frames with the exception of riders smaller than 4'5" or taller than 6'6" are generally for those that don't know any better.

halfspeed

Should I go with the snarky response, patiently explain the obvious, or simply marvel at what I have just read?

Campag4life

If you have to ask, you can't afford it.

leeinmemphis

Just thought I would put up a small update. I had another back surgery last week. I regained almost all of my feeling back from numb areas and I've also got control of my feet again. Doc has me working getting up to a 2 mile walk each day by six weeks. I walked 1.3 yesterday so I'm hopefully going to be up to 2 miles well before the 6 week period.

As far as a bike goes I am probably going to give a road bike a chance. I haven't decided which one yet because honestly I haven't been able to swing a leg over one. Tried to one day and I looked like an idiot trying to get on the thing with my disc ruptured in my back. lol. I was probably one sight to see. The recumbents are great and a lot of people switch to them after having back issues. I went to them for that very reason years ago. Now I'm wondering if sitting down in a seat on a couple of the recumbents I have are possibly increasing my back issues to a degree since it's sending a lot of the road shock to my core. The LBS I prefer to deal with is trying to steer me towards a Giant Defy and that's a possibility but I also want to try a Roubaix as well. They are a Specialized dealer but don't plan on ordering any more Roubiax's until the next years models are released. Other possibilities are Bianchi, Cervelo, Orbea.

rms13

All of those brands have a model that is their equivalent of Roubaix so go ride what they do have in stock and maybe you'll get a better deal on a bike they are trying to move to make room for new models

Up North

I have a Bad back as well. Ruptured/ herniated etc. You must try a Trek Domane prior to making your decision. The most comfortable bike Of all I tried. My back feels best when I'm putting 300-400kms a week. Stop riding and ache returns.

Pedalocity

Don't discount the Giant Defy until you've ridden it in comparison to the equivalent offerings from Trek, Specialized, Bianchi, Cervelo, etc. If you are one of the lucky people who finds the Defy at least as comfortable as the others, Giant's are generally the best bang for the buck.

delcrossv

No, but we are watching with interest.

banerjek

It always blows my mind how few 'bent riders advocate DF's for bad backs. I own two 'bents, and while I love them both, I don't consider either to be easy on my back (I have a couple fused vertebrae and scoliosis has been a PITA for as long as I can remember).

If I want my back to feel its best, give me traditional racing geometry. Between the different muscle sets that get worked and being stretched out, I'm way more comfortable on a race bike. So as others have already suggested, play around with different setups and see what works. You may well find that bikes that are supposedly designed for comfort are anything but, and that an aggressive setup feels great.

MNX1024

Why not go to a place that offers a fit with a tool like this?


It would allow you to find some sort of ideal position and give you an idea if you can survive on the bike with that bad back of yours. Once you have your report, bring it to shops that carries the bikes you want to test ride. Explain your situation with your back and have them set up the bikes based on your report. This way it would insure that you will not be testing a bike that may be ideal for you, but you're being deterred by a bad fit.

delcrossv

That's completely understandable. I'd think adding aerobars might work even better.

Shuffleman

That advice is rock solid and dead on. I was training for Boston in 2011 when I injured myself running. I will give you the short version. The Doc were not sure if it was my hip or back causing the pain. After multiple MRI's and Injections I was diagnosed with a torn hip labrum. After a few more rounds the docs were still not sure. It seems that I have been running for years on the torn labrum and the compensation caused me to rupture 2 discs. In the end, both Docs were right. My PT had me get on a bike since my running was going to be hindered. I bought a hybrid bike and started doing 12 miles per day. It killed my back though. My neighbor asked me if I could help him inflate his tires on his new road bike as he had never seen "these valves" before. I did it and I even borrowed it a week later for a ride. It did not bother my back at all. His bike was a Trek Madone, which was more traditional. Thus, I started trying road bikes. I ended up with a Felt Z95, because it had a relaxed geometry. I rode the bike for almost 3 years and had zero issues with back pain. The seat did not bother my hip much either. A few weeks ago, I bought a Colnago CLX, which was more traditional than my Felt. I liked my Felt but wanted to get into a higher end carbon bike so that I could dampen any road jilts that may give me pain once in awhile. This bike is even more comfortable than my old one despite the more agressive geometry.
There are different types of back injuries and the have different responses to different movement. For my injury the more traditional geometry was better. It sounds counter intuitive but it is my experience. I still ride my MTB or my hybrid when I tool around the neighborhood with my son but it hurts after about 10 minutes. I think it is the larger seat and the upright position.
I would recommend that you try out a few bikes and see what works for you. I bought the Felt knowing that one of two things would happen. I can ride or I will not be able to ride. If I could not ride, at least I would limit my loss. If I could ride and enjoyed it, I would just buy another bike in two years when I know more about what I am looking for.
My advice is to try a few bikes out. Some traditional and some relaxed bikes. LBS guys give great advice but don't assume that you need a relaxed geometry just because you have a back issue. It is sound advice but not always true. When you find the one that you like best go for it. I would stick with entry level bikes though as you really want to see if you like the sport and if your body can handle it.
Good luck.

leeinmemphis

MNX.....what is that called? I've never seen anything like it before.

leeinmemphis

you guys may think I'm nuts but what about a Surly Cross Check? I had one before my back stuff and it was a fun bike. Being steel with little wider tires should provide a nice ride....right????

MNX1024

It's called a Retul Muve Dynamic Fit Bike. A tool developed by Retul to fit people who do not yet have a bike. This will allow one to know what kind of geometry to aim for since this would tell you your position on the bike. I highly recommend you do this first before looking at bikes since you have no idea what your position is and what kind of geometry to look for in a bike. By the way, this probably won't be a cheap process though, minimum cost would be around $300. Most dynamic fit cost that much anyway and is something you should do because of that back of yours.

Another thing you should consider is getting wheels that have wider rims, specifically wider internal width. Run some wider tires with those wheels, such as a 25mm, at a lower PSI. That would smooth out a lot of road buzz and bumps won't be as jarring. A good candidate would be building up a custom set with Pacenti SL23 rims.

njkayaker

There are two common elements for this: posture and "shock absorbing".

Some people do better with an more upright posture and others do fine with more of a "racing" posture.

It might not be reasonable to expect large differences in "shock absorbing" between fairly similar bikes.

You might consider using wider tires with lower pressure (which probably has effect on "shock absorbing" than anything else on a road bike).

leeinmemphis

MNX not to sound spoiled or anything but $300 is literally a drop in the bucket for what I've spent the last 10 years in medical expenses not to even mention the pain that went along with it. I googled it and I was surprised to find that there is one of their fitting machines here in town. I have just sent them an email asking when and how much it would cost.

MNX1024

Well, $300 is only a drop in the bucket in the cycling world anyway. Just saying it so you won't be surprised as I don't know your financial situation. Some cyclist does think $300 is expensive, especially for a fit since that may be the lowest of their priority. Ironically within that group, some of them spend well over 5 digits on a bike....... Glad that I was able to introduce you to something that helps!

leeinmemphis

yeah most people wouldn't probably want to spend the $$$ on the fit but given my medical situation it may be the only way to find the right bike for me.I will post up the results when I get them.

MNX1024

Good luck! Hope to hear back the good news!

rm -rf

Yes, get a fitting. And there are other bike fit machines with all the same adjustments that Retul has. On any of them, they can move the saddle and bars to try different fittings. Then do a longer ride session on the machine to see how it feels.

Rough roads
A lot of bikes are marketed as reducing bumps and vibrations. But switching to 25c tires from the narrower 23c and getting a good flexible tire, like a Continental GP4000, will really make a difference on any bike. The wider tires allow 10 psi lower air pressure to help soak up the bumps, and the flexible sidewalls help with rough road vibrations.

Jaeger99

A "bad back" can encompass many different evils. The only way to know which road bike will be most comfortable for you would be to take a number of them out for as extended a road test as the vendor will permit. I do somehow very much doubt that you will find comfort in the ass-in-the-air, teeth-on-the-bars position of an aggressive race bike. A great many people with perfectly healthy backs find those less than tolerable over a long haul. Conversely, you hear few cruiser riders complaining that their back is killing them after riding. I expect that the (only comparatively) more upright riding position of an endurance-oriented road bike will suit you, and they are many to choose from. But ride them and decide for yourself. Who knows. An aero TT bike may be the answer. Probably not, though.

MNX1024

He doesn't have to be in a super aggressive position, but a more upright position will put more weight and pressure on the lower spine and sit bone, which is not something ideal for his situation.

On a side note, I have a perfectly healthy back. Prior to my fit, my lower back always felt tire after 60-70 miles on my rides. After my fit, which the fitter dropped 2CM of handlebar height from my already some what aggressive positioning, I was much more comfortable and never had that nagging feeling on my lower back. Of course there was other things done, but the handlebar height was the most drastic change.

BKSams

In 2008 I had a ACDF done were my C-3,4, and 5 vertebrae was fused. I brought a Trek 7.2 hybrid, then a Felt F95, but my rides where very painful. I then test rode a Specialized Roubaix and been loving life ever since. Having equal time in the saddle with the Trek Domane and the Specialized Roubaix, the Roubaix gave me a better overall fit and had a more relaxed geometry, being 6'2" and having longer arms than most made it a easy choice for me. UpNorth I'm the same way, the longer I ride the better I feel.