dominicnicholas

Hi - can anyone recommend a hybrid bike for someone with chronic arm issues ?
I'm looking for a hybrid to commute on to replace my old mountain bike.
I have chronic arm pain from tennis elbow in both arms, and the mountain bike posture isn't working well anymore.
I'm looking for a hybrid that has disc brakes, front suspension, excellent upright riding position.
It seems that most bikes have either disc brakes, or front suspension, but few have both.
Any recommendations would be much appreciated!
Thanks

drpower

Brodie Quantum

hokiefyd 

Welcome! I think the one your first stops should be to a Giant dealer, to check out a Giant Cypress Disc (link) or a Giant Sedona Disc (link). The Cypress and Sedona are very similar, with the Cypress having the larger 700c wheels and the Sedona having the smaller 26" wheels. Both use Tektro cable-pull disc brakes, and both have basic suspension forks (the Cypress has a 63mm travel NEX fork and the Sedona has an 80mm travel XCT fork). To be clear: neither the disc brakes nor suspension forks are high-end parts on these -- they're basic serviceable equipment. You could upgrade over time, such as to hydraulic disc brakes or to an air fork for better suspension action.

Also consider the Specialized Roll. It's available with disc brakes, but does not have a suspension fork. On the other hand, however, it has 2.8" wide tires on 27.5" wheels, so you would run those at a lower pressure than either 700c or 26" wheels for a soft ride. The Roll Sport (link) would be the model in the same basic price range as the two Giants above.

BrocLuno

OK, what do you have now? You say MTB, but which one outfitted how?

The reason I say this is because they are really a blank canvas to build whatever you want. If it has a 1-1/8" steer tube, you can go any way you want on bars/forks. Seating position is easy to alter too.

I just build our hybrids out of older MTB's

Some build out ideas here: Conversion

There are some nice examples of alternate bars in this thread toward the end: Built

dominicnicholas

Thanks for all of the ideas! Really appreciated!
Dom

canklecat

The right handlebar will resolve problems with hands, arms and shoulders. At 61 with lots of injuries I had to give up flat bars. Not enough hand positions. Even riser bars were too limited. Then I was hit by a car last year, breaking and separating my shoulder. I had to give up road riding for months until a friend loaned me a Nitto albatross swept back bar. Huge difference in comfort and practicality.

Check out something like the Nitto albatross, or various North Roads swept back bars. There's a reason those were popular for decades, long before the 1980s-'90s mountain bike popularity dicated flat bars for everyone. In fact, those early rigid frame mountain bikes would be today's hybrids and often had riser bars, not flat bars. Still too confining.

Swept back bars give you more hand positions. Albatross bars are a bit less aero but so comfortable I like 'em. I can lower the stem and still be comfortable. When I need to get more aero -- like last night, into 20 mph headwinds for 12 miles home from a 30 mile group ride -- I can lean into the forward arced part of the bar. Some folks, like my friend, flip the swept bars, path racer style. No need to have the bar higher than saddle height. It's a good compromise, more upright, less strain from reaching, and still reasonably aerodynamic.

If the length of the swept back portion knocks your knees or seems too confining, they can be cut to shorten the grip a bit. Depends on the top tube length, reach, and rider preference.

My friend still uses the thumb shifters swapped over from his hybrid's original flat bars. I switched from thumb to bar end shifters -- Shimano, in friction mode. Shimano bar end shifters will also handle index shifting with Shimano compatible rear derailleurs and cassettes. I happened to have a non-Shimano cassette with slightly different spacing and it won't index shift reliably across the full range, but I was already comfortable with friction shifting.

Add some ergo grips with palm shelf extensions and it'll be comfy for many miles. Some folks wrap their albatross and North Roads bars with bar tape, like drop bars. I have some tape ready to go but haven't used it yet -- it should be more comfortable in winter and on long rides using the forward arced section for long rides into headwinds.



My '92 Univega with Nitto albatross handlebar and bar end shifters. Very comfortable and versatile. Upright when using the grips, aero when leaning into the forward arced section of the bar.

BrocLuno

Riser bars with back sweep work for me