Road bike with flat bars?

[bennydorano]

Hi all,

Currently on a fairly ropey hybrid and looking to upgrade, was thinking of upgrading to a much superior hybrid but have been advised I'll still not be able to compete with my road bike using mates.

I have suffered with back trouble since I was a teenager and road bikes dont agree with me but after some serious research I've came across this yoke below (to my shame I didn't realise you could get a flat bar road bike) & I think it might suit my needs .

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/scott/speedster-s50-flat-bar-2010-road-bike-ec020708

Any advice or similar experiences to relay?

 

[Norm]

Being a creaky 46-year old, I sometimes get a sore back but I find it is easier after I've done a few miles on the road bike.

The bit which does hurt after more than three hours riding in a day is the shoulders / neck from having to look upwards all the time.

I would think that sort of issue would be as bad, if not worse, on a flat-barred bike as it is one with drops because the tops of my bars are higher than the saddle and I only have that hands-below-bum thing when on the drops.

Although, of course, "back trouble" encompasses a huge number of alternatives and Your Mileage May Vary.

Hope that helped.

 

[bennydorano]

Being a creaky 46-year old, I sometimes get a sore back but I find it is easier after I've done a few miles on the road bike.

The bit which does hurt after more than three hours riding in a day is the shoulders / neck from having to look upwards all the time.

I would think that sort of issue would be as bad, if not worse, on a flat-barred bike as it is one with drops because the tops of my bars are higher than the saddle and I only have that hands-below-bum thing when on the drops.

Although, of course, "back trouble" encompasses a huge number of alternatives and Your Mileage May Vary.

Hope that helped.

Thanks for the reply.

I'm 6ft 2" and the guts of 16stone which probably isn't helping matters but I've been on a road bike a few times and I know what my body can and cant take and I knew after 2X20 mile stints that it wasn't for me.

Was thinking that this bike with maybe the bull horns attached for variable hand positions could be the answer I'm looking for. I also get the sore neck/shoulder thing, but my road bike riding mate does as well!

Doing 85mile ride tomorrow on my hybrid anyway, this new one is for the future!

 

[HLaB]

I first started at the club on a flat bar road bike, a sirrus sport 06 (newer models have been downgeared but the mine has same gearing to the Scott, 52/42/30 and 12-26). It could cope with the club run although it was a bit of a pain when everybody is freewheeling downhill and I was needing to pedal to keep up. Its hard in headwinds too but with a lot of work it can be there or there about.

 

[Willo]

I'm also fairly creaky, and ride a bike with drop bars. However, if you're after a road bike with flat bars, another option is the Giant Rapid range which they market as road speed with flat bars. Have no experience of this cycle, but did look at it when considering a new bike a couple of years back and just flagging as another option for consider.


http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-GB/bikes/model/rapid.4/4866/38976/

 

[John the Monkey]

Those rapids are REALLY nice looking bike - chap I get the train with occasionally has one.

I'd echo the misgivings about riding position on flat vs drops though, especially on a flat bar bike with fairly agressive geometry you could end up lower than you'd be on the hoods of a "Sportive" type drop bar bike.

 

[Norm]

I'd echo the misgivings about riding position on flat vs drops though, especially on a flat bar bike with fairly agressive geometry you could end up lower than you'd be on the hoods of a "Sportive" type drop bar bike.

This was exactly my thinking. I know that the exact set up will depend on the frame size chosen, as well as body shape, but the photo of that Speedster S50 shows the bars well below saddle height. You could be more upright on something like the Secteur or, even more so, on something like a cyclo-cross bike.

 

[MacB]

I get the impression that a lot of the problem with drop bar bikes isn't the drop bars but the geometry that doesn't match a riders flexibility. Flat bar road bikes are often not much better, especially when it's compact geometry, get the saddle high enough and you have a big drop to the flat bars. Having been really against the idea initially I now wouldn't spec another bike without drop bars. But I also wouldn't spec a full on racing machine as that wouldn't suit me or my riding style. I've tried all sorts of handlebars and variations and nothing else compares to:-

drop bars, with cross top levers added - it doesn't matter to me where the gear shifters are, I use bar end ones, but I do like having access to brakes from all hand positions. The biggest difference I found was on descending, in the drops is far superior to anywhere else.

It's perfectly feasible to do this without being a racing whippet but you need to look at the height of the bars. You can get them higher by having a custom frame, looking for bikes with longer head tubes and more relaxed geometry, looking at fast tourers, getting a bike where you can specify the steerer tube isn't cut, getting an adaptor that extends an ahead steerer tube, using a more steeply angled stem. I think the Spesh Roubaix range recognises this and has a higher front end than a lot of bikes. You can also lower them again if you find your flexibility improving, or even switch between stems depending on the sort of riding you're doing. Swapping an ahead stem is very easy and very quick.

 

[bennydorano]

This was exactly my thinking. I know that the exact set up will depend on the frame size chosen, as well as body shape, but the photo of that Speedster S50 shows the bars well below saddle height. You could be more upright on something like the Secteur or, even more so, on something like a cyclo-cross bike.

It's a line of thinking I hadn't even considered - inexperience I suppose. That bike looks like it could be the job. Would a 58cm frame still be ideal for my height considering the different 'geometry'? (not too au fait with the sizing tbh).

 

[MacB]

It's a line of thinking I hadn't even considered - inexperience I suppose. That bike looks like it could be the job. Would a 58cm frame still be ideal for my height considering the different 'geometry'? (not too au fait with the sizing tbh).

I'm 6ft 1" and 17 stone, I have a Giant CRS Alliance in large which has an effective top tube of 596mm and a Surly Crosscheck 60cm with an effective top tube of 600mm. I could ride a smaller bike but that would mean a shorter head tube and a lower starting point for the handlebar height. I suppose going up a frame size means the bike handles slower but, to be honest, I've never really noticed. Maybe if I lost 5 stone that might start to matter!!!

Worth visiting shops, trying out bikes etc

 

[Chris S]

http://www.evanscycl...d-bike-ec020708

£550 for a bike and you don't even get pedals! What's the story behind that?

 

[MacB]

£550 for a bike and you don't even get pedals! What's the story behind that?

all part of the great shoes ruse


http://www.rivbike.com/article/clothing/the_shoes_ruse

 

[John the Monkey]

Worth visiting shops, trying out bikes etc

Definitely - a proper bike shop will listen to what you want, and spec the bike accordingly.

 

[Norm]

It's a line of thinking I hadn't even considered - inexperience I suppose. That bike looks like it could be the job. Would a 58cm frame still be ideal for my height considering the different 'geometry'? (not too au fait with the sizing tbh).

I'm about 5'11" and 3 stone heavier than you and I ride a 54cm frame. I've flipped the stem to make the bars a little higher but the size feels excellent for me.

This pic was taken before I flipped the stem, so the bars sit a little higher than this now.

 

[bennydorano]

Upon further investigation, why does it look like I might be best suited to a Ladies bike What sort of reaction would that get me on the roads?