A few years ago when I was 30 lbs. heavier and had a bad back, I bought a Giant Cypress DX with a comfy seat with shocks in both the saddle and fork. I was very happy even though I moved slowly. Now I am transitioning into a serious bike commuter. Here's what I've been thinking about doing to make my ride faster and more comfortable for my 16 mile roundtrip rides:
- Exchanging my 700c/40 tires to 700c/35 or 700c/32. Is there a big difference?
- Switching out my Giant handlebars with something like the Nitto North Road brand or another albatross style. The current handlebars put a strain on my wrists after only a few miles. I'm thinking this switch will help with the wrist pain. I need to sit straight up due to back problems, but noticed that when testing albatross style bars, I had more leverage going uphills than the Giant bars.
I spoke to my local bike shop about exchanging the handlebars and they said it could be done, but they may have to extend the cabling and the hand shifters will have to stay put.
Anyway, that's what I'm thinking of doing. I think the smaller tires will give me a little more speed and the bars some further comfort.
Would love to hear from anyone else who has made this type of overhaul or if anyone has any comments/suggestions.
Thanks! Maryanne
Forums:
pmackay
July 27, 2012 - 8:40pm
Permalink
Narrow tires will make a
Narrow tires will make a difference in handling and rolling speed for sure, but realize the higher pressure will make for a less cushioned ride. You may also need narrower rims if you want to go much thinner, and brake adjustments (unless they're disc). And of course your skills (and fun) will (need to) improve with the added speed and nimbleness.
The handlebar swap sounds like it would sit you upright more, but there comes a point when you need to think of the bike 'holistically', as they are designed and packaged that way for the most part. The shop is right that the cables and even housings, brake levers, etc. may not work once the new bars are set up. And at some point in your tweaking, if you keep riding more and increasing skills and strength, a custom bike fit may be worth it.
You may also find the seat itself may become uncomfortable. It's counter-intuitive, but more padding doesn't always mean the softer or more comfortable ride - for a very upright position like the Cypress they tend to be OK though. Just make sure the width is compatible with your sitz bones. Also double-check your thinking that sitting straight up is the right thing for your back problems - sometimes that seems right but can drive more pressure (and bumps) into your spine. A more important factor is your hip angle, and of course handlebar placement (not just shape) will dictate (or alleviate) shoulder and neck strain.
The shops are the experts. I wish I could tell you which shop to trust the most and which to stay away from but I mostly do my own builds and maintenance. In doing my own builds I've learned that the frame dictates most of the fit, feel, and handling, and having built a few hits and misses for my girl I can say that there's more to the female fit than just scaling a men's bike. They really are purpose-built (touring bikes for instance lengthen the chainstay to avoid heel strikes into panniers), so consider at some point in your progression you'll be better off upgrading than tweaking (it's a downward spiral ;).
Good luck, have fun, and rubber side down!
maryanne
July 30, 2012 - 11:21am
Permalink
What about rigid fork?
Hi,
Thanks for your comments/suggestions. I just got new 700c x 32 tires and already I can feel a bit of a difference. Am holding off on other changes right now. One thing I read was to swap out the suspension fork for a rigid fork which will increase speed, maybe some handling. At what point though do I say, "upgrade to a new bike" v. tweaking? Yes, there is a lot to think about!
pmackay
July 30, 2012 - 3:02pm
Permalink
"at what point do I say
"at what point do I say upgrade to a new bike?" - You'll know it when you're riding enough and loving it and you feel like the equipment is just holding you back significantly. But I'm the wrong person to ask because I (needlessly) ponder that question way too often. Personally I'd say that if you don't absolutely love your bike(s) it's time to change.
The suspension fork adds weight and if you're riding paved roads and trails is likely unnecessary compared to, say, a carbon fiber fork which will lighten the load while adding some shock dampening. The caveat here again relates to the holistic design of the bike - changing the fork 'rake' (angle) will change the handling characteristics, and in your case the handlebar height is likely a function of fork + suspension so it may drop uncomfortably if you swapped in something like a Nashbar road fork.
I see you're already heading down that long, slippery 'gear-head' slope... :-)
Erik
August 7, 2012 - 11:30pm
Permalink
Tires
I guess you already have new tires now but if there is one thing I have learnt about tires and commuting then that is to get puncture resistant tires. Myself I am using Armadillos from Specialized. Have not had a single flat since I started using those. Had many before. Lots of debris out there. Also, if you don't already have a rack and panniers I would think of getting that. Makes carrying stuff a breeze.
Add new comment