Mark Henke said:am looking for something under $1500 that rides well and is comfortable. Those are my priorities.
At that price range you will have a wide choice of nice bikes.
Quoted message said:
I have had some people say: 'get a chromoly frame, because it is more forgiving, and therefore
more comfortable'
Bull-puckie
Quoted message said:and yet others say 'get an aluminum because the carbon fiber or chromoly will flex too much and
you'll throw the chain a lot'.
Double bull-puckie.
One pro shop recommended a road bike -
Quoted message said:the Trek 1200c. Another pro shop recommended a touring bike - a Giant OCR Touring. Given my
weight, the touring bike was recommended because of the wider tires, longer wheel base, and
sitting more upright helps my back.
Well, wider tires (with lots of spokes) is good, especially for someone over 200lbs. But sitting
more upright is not necessarily good.
It's like using software. Do you want something that is easy to learn how to use the first time, or
something that is efficient and flexible, that will be useful for years? Upright seating feels
better at first, but will not be over the long run. When you sit upright, about 75% of your weight
is on your butt. The rest is supported by your legs. All that weight on those two little "sit-bones"
is going to hurt, even with a miracle saddle. If you get a road-bike position with drop bars, about
20% of your weight is supported by your arms. That is 20% less on the butt. It matters. At first
your back will complain, but that will improve.
There is a reason racers and long-distance tourists all use drop bars, and not upright bars. They
are more comfortable over the long run.
Quoted message said:a 50 mile charity ride this weekend on my mountain bike. I kept up with my team, but it was
hard work.
I bet it was.
Quoted message said:I am riding with the same team in a 150 mile ride in 2 months. As I get more involved in long
rides, the road/touring bike will get used more and more. I want to hae the new bike for the 150
mile ride. What do people think?
Certainly, get either a road or touring bike. Don't be put off by the position on a drop-bar bike.
Trust me, you will adjust to it. Make sure you can adjust the height of the bars, and start out with
them fairly high, then lower it as your back eases into the idea. 150 miles on a mountain bike would
be brutal.
Mountain bikes are meant for off-road riding. They are not ideal for riding on roads. Road bikes, as
the name implies, are. Touring bikes (with drop bars) are road bikes. Hybrids try to be all things
to all people, and work as well as most compromises.
--
David L. Johnson
__o | As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not _`\(,_ | certain, and as
far as they are certain, they do not refer to (_)/ (_) | reality. -- Albert Einstein
