Suggestions
for a buying a road bike that rides comfortably & that
is responsive.
These a the six
major components that effect how comfortable a bike
rides:
1 & 2-The frame & fork, these are the foundation of
a bike. The combination of the materials, size, and angles
create good or bad riding frames. These must be correct for
each rider and their type of riding.
3-Wheels
4-Tires
5-Saddle
6-Handle bars
These components are
covered
above.
Frames
types and generally how they ride
Good steel welded frames are
often smooth riding but a little rigid, about 6# with fork
Good steel lugged frames are often smooth riding and more
lively/springy, feels faster than welded, about 6# with
fork
Aluminum frames-roughest ride about 5# with fork
Carbon fiber frames - Often are fast and light, the ride is
a little dead, woody feel, about 4.5# with fork
A larger frame will
generally act in the following way:
A-A larger frame will allow the handle bars to be higher.
The closer to seat level, the better for comfort. (Seat to
handlebar ratio)
B-Larger frames flex more than smaller frames, more
comfort, but are less efficient than a smaller frame.
C-High quality steel rides much better than a no-name steel
frame. Frames that use Reynolds 853, Reynolds 531, and
Columbus steel tubes generally ride very nice.
What is a larger frame? The rider should be able to
just stand over the top
bar. That is about 2 to 3 cm larger frame size than what is
generally recommended.
Seat
to handle bar ratio
It is much more comfortable to have a small seat to
handlebar ratio, less than 2" is good.
Forks
The larger the rake, the fork has the smoother the ride. A
large rake will ride smooth but is less efficient.
Straight forks ride rough.
A steel fork will ride smoother than an aluminum, and a
carbon will often ride better than a steel fork.
Wheels
High quality standard 3 cross 32 spoke wheels ride smooth
and have a long life. These will have sealed bearings and
reinforced spoke holes. These wheels can be rebuilt and
will last a long time.
Areo low spoke count wheels are faster, lighter, and more
lively than standard wheels, great for racing. These wheels
have a much shorter life (about 1/4 the life of standard).
Tires
Thin (23x700) racing tires are fast and have a short life
1000 miles rear, 2000 miles front, also have more flats and
are generally difficult to change. The higher priced tires
do ride better and hold the road better.
Mid-size (28x700) tires generally have a longer life span
and have fewer flats. "Panracers - Pasela" are an old
favorite of many. They ride very nice and have a longer
then normal life.
Wide (32x700) tires provide the best ride (if this size
will fit on your bike), longest life 3000 miles rear, and
few flats and are easy to change, but are heavy and slow.
Tires with Kevlar belts work great and reduce flats.
Foldable tires are lighter and normally ride better than
non-foldable.
Handlebars
Extra-wide (48cm) drop style handbars with a flat top are
quite comfortable.
This style and size give extra room on top of the bar for
more hand placements, a little more leverage for better
control, and a little flex in the bar due to the width for
more comfort. The extra width also allows your arms to be
spread out a bit farther allowing your lungs to work more
easily.
Flat top
handlebars
Standard drop handle bars
Brake Levers and
shifters
The all in one SIS shifter/brake levers are very easy to
use, comfortable in the hands and quite a bit more costly
than standard brake levers and downtube shifters.
Brake levers made by Cane Creek are inexpensive and
comfortable with a quick-release button built into the
lever.
The Dura-Ace downtube shifter with a Dura-Ace rear derailer
is a great combination. This setup shifts better and has
lasted longer than any other shifter & derailer I've
used. The down side to down tube shift levers is shifting
is less convenient and can be difficult to use when
climbing hills
.
Front
Derailer
On my every day bike I prefer to not have a front derailer,
for these reasons:
1 - I found myself only using 3 to 4 gears of the 16.
2- The front derailer rubs the chain in a cross chain
gearing selection, making several of the gears pretty much
unusable.
3 - The single rear derailer setup simplifies the bike for
less repairs.
4- The front derailer, cable and shift lever weigh in at a
extra 1/2#.
Saddles
The Brooks B17 is by far the most comfortable saddle I have
for standard upright riding. The higher your handlebar to
seat ratio, the more comfortable this saddle will be. The
down side of the B17 saddle is it is heavy, pricey, and it
doesn't like to get wet. (link to the Brooks site below)
My
Bike Specs
This 1994 carbon fiber racing bike, very fast bike, climbs
very well, has always felt to small.
Every now and then I still ride this bike, it has about
8000 miles. This bike weighs in at 20# as shown.
This 1985? Italian lugged steel frame bike was the best
climbing bike, due to short chain stays, it also felt very
responsive, due to the Columbus steel tubes.
The 2nd hand frame was retired with just over 10,000 miles
+ the original owners miles, I needed the parts for another
bike. This bike weighed in at 21# as shown.
This 1980? British lugged steel Reynolds 531 frame bike was
the most comfortable, rode great and could do most anything
from race, to tours, to double centuries, etc...
This 2nd hand frame broke with 23,530 miles + the original
owners miles. This bike weighed in at 24# as shown.
This 1999 American welded Reynolds 853 steel bike, it is my
most versatile bike to date. It is very comfortible. It is
not a good climber but is great on rough roads due to the
long chain stays and large folk rake. It is very good on
the road and in the trails, a good commuting bike and
century bike.
The below picture is how it was setup for Iceman races and
24 hour rides.This bike weighed in at 22# as shown. This
bike is a Gunnar, Crosshairs a old school Cyclocross bike,
just add some knobby tires to this type of bike and you can
easily go off road.
This is the current setup for pre-dawn rides. This bike
currently has over 22,000 miles. This bike weighs in at
25.6# as shown with lights, rear rack, areobars and empty
bag.
The tandem is a fun bike. Over 5000 miles on this bike.This
bike weighs in at 39# as shown.
This 1993? aluminum is a single speed bike, used for winter
roller rides. It is very fast. Without brakes or derailers,
it is only for outdoor use. This bike weighs in at 19# as
shown.
Over 7500 miles on this bike + the original owners miles.
This Taiwan 2008 welded steel bike rides very stiff due to
poor quality steel (no spring in this steel frame, it rides
like a aluminum frame) and the straight folk doesn't help
the ride. It climbs poorly, due to a longer chain stay and
wheel base. This bike is good for short, hard workout rides
of 20 miles or less on smooth roads.
This is my newest bike with about 700 miles. It is a fixed
gear bike, my 4th. These bikes do require about 25% more
effort, ( no coasting allowed ). This bike weighs in at
19.8# as shown.
Here are some links to bike shops and manufactures:
Link to a great local bike shop
http://www.breakawaybicycles.com
Link to good quality steel bikes
http://www.gunnarbikes.com
Link to higher end steel bikes
http://waterfordbikes.com
Link to cool and unusual bikes & parts
http://www.rivbike.com/products/list/bicycle_models
Link to the best bar end bike mirror
http://www.aspirevelotech.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=RBM_1001&Category_Code=MIRROR
Link to Brooks Bike Seats - these saddles are very
comfortable.
http://www.brookssaddles.com/
All of the photos are images of my past or present bikes
and the opinions expressed are just that.
Always test ride as many bikes as possible before buying.
I hope this information is helpful,
Kirk