Yen

My new Giant Cypress SX arrived home yesterday, but it was too windy to ride.

I'm curious about the longest distance I'll be able to endure on this bike. I don't have any other options (other than a recumbent, which I do not want -- and not riding at all) because of upper-body prostheses (wrist and shoulder) which limit the amount and duration of weight on the bars.

I'm just curious about the distances others have ridden on this type of bike.

Jen

FormerFF

I'm glad to hear you got your bike. I was about to ask if you and your husband had made up your minds. BTW, what did he get?

I can't answer about comfort bikes from personal experience, but one of my friends, who rides a Trek 1500, which is a racing bike, is married to a Townie rider. She doesn't seem to have any problems staying on her bike as long as he does, although she's not nearly as fast.

Y'know, if your tush gets sore you can just get off the bike for a couple of minutes. Usually, that's all it takes.

Sci-Fi

Personally, I don't think anyone can really translate it into some set distance but rather hours spent on a bike. The speed at one travels at varies too much from one rider to another and on the terrain/road condition one happens to be riding on at the time. This would apply to any style of bike that one is using.

Since you are essentially rediscovering bicycling, I would suggest riding short distances as much as possible, not only to get used to your bike and what it is capable of, but to build up your muscles and endurance. Riding a few miles around your area, if not daily then as frequently as possible, is a good start and if something happens (bike needs major readjustment, flats, mishaps, etc) you are close enough to home to walk you and your bike there. It is also a good way to find out if your saddle/seat is up to the task the longer (timewise) you spend riding on your bike in relative comfort. I find many women prefer a seat with a shorter "nose" or length, a seat width slightly larger, and some kind of memory foam padding for more comfort.

The flip side is to ride as far as you feel physically capable of and stop to rest. You are the only one that knows your limits and when it's time to turn around and head back to your car/home. The key thing is to try to not to over do it. Don't forget, the older one gets and the longer the planned ride is, the more liquids you need to stay hydrated...which may translate into a few pitstops along the way.

After saying all that...lol...although I don't own a hybrid, I have used my cruiser bike, which is as upright a riding position there is, on 40-50 mile rides (round trip) without feeling that my seat is assaulting me or having an excessively sore bottom at the end of the day. But that's just me and I do lean/hold on the middle of the bars with my elbows on the grips on relatively long straights...lol (not recommended for safety reasons)... as well as using different hand positions on the handlebar. Plus I have a springer saddle with memory foam on that bike to absorb the bumps and provide more comfort (actually my significant other changed the saddle/seat since she uses the cruiser most of the time...lol).

I_Bike

You do have another and much better option: the RANS Crank Forward line of bikes. I've ridden 2 centuries on mine with no physical effects and I have neck and lower back issues. My daughter has a Cypress and I did 42 miles on it when I visited her last year and that was about it for me. Of course – YMMV.

Here’s some sites to check regarding the Crank Forward bikes:

A review:HERE

RANS Site:HERE

My Bikes:HERE


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cyberpep

I have a Cypress R that I have a rear rack on that I use for commuting daily, light touring and general riding. This bike has about 12,000km on it now with no major problems, just regular maintenance and worn part replacement . When I tour on it I carry 25-30lbs + my 225lbs ( motels, I don't camp ) and will do 120-160km per day for a week on both pavement and rail trails at about 20km/hr. This type of riding requires conditioning and proper bike setup to your riding style. Also with the upright riding position on the Cypress wind is a big factor, I try to ride most of my trip early in the morning to avoid the winds and traffic. Enjoy your new bike.

Mr. Beanz

My wife has done 60 on a comfort. I've done 100. I looked at the specs. Tuires are 700X40. I'd put 700X 35's just to have a higher pressure tire. You'll have a bit lower rsistance if the tires are higher pressure than the 40's (not sure of rating on stock tires, but most aren't very good tires). Upgrade tires.
I've seen riders doing centuries on comfort bikes,mtn bikes, every kind of bike out there. I've seen one legged women do centuries with one leg( no prost?).

Biggest obstacle for most riders is themselves, not the bike.

bh357

My wife has a Trek Navigator comfort bike, and her longest ride to date was 60 miles. She's done a couple other 50 mile days.

Yen

Thanks everyone! Sounds like we'll be able to cover a lot of miles.

I_Bike, we already chose my bike and I've been riding almost daily this week. The crank foward is a good option though and if I find I can't feel comfortable for long rides on this one, I'll look into them.

Jen

late

If your butt hurts after a couple hours in the saddle, come back and tell us.

Yen

late -- Should I expect it to? Or not?

late

Oh yeah,
your butt is gonna hurt. Even the pros have to toughen up their butts in the Spring. But the thing with comfort saddles is that for a lot of people they become
torture devices on long rides.

Give it a few weeks, see how it goes. If it is really bugging you; we can talk saddles.