Quote:
Originally Posted by FMCoug
Stopped by the shop Mike recommended on my way home. Salesmen was an older guy which was nice. Told him what I was wanting to do, price range, etc. and he directed me to a completely different type of bike than I had considered. It's a class called Comfort Bike and this is the one I rode / liked:
http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkM...d=08Expedition
He recommended this version due to the higher end tires and rims for the weight issue. Double walled rims and "Armadillo" tires that he says can go as high as 100 psi.
I rode this as well as a couple of mountain bikes and these are the things I liked better about it:
- Seatpost shock as well as front fork ... nice ride
- You're seated in an upright position. Most of my weight is in my gut and I tend to have lower back issues due to that so my thinking is that the typical hunched over position could cause issues with that. In a word, it was more comfortable.
- Had smooth tires already. He said they are the bike version of an all-terrain tire. Not as knobby as mountain bike tires but not totally smooth like a road bike. Which will be good for when I take it with me camping and there are rough surface roads, etc.
Anyway, interest on your thoughts on this bike and Comfort Bikes in general. They wanted $470 for it, which I see is MSRP so I'd try to talk them down and/or find it cheaper online (or another bike similar to it).
It's a good thing I sold my pickup or I might have brought it home.  |
That is a nice bike, but I do not recommend it for these reasons.
First, notice how far back the seat is realtive to the pedals? This is a characterisitic of 'comfort' bikes. This means that all your weight is straight down on your butt, which means it will not be as comfortable over distance. Also, becaseu the seat is so far back, you are not able to get much power in your pedal stroke. You will ride this bike very slowly, will be unable to go off road, and will be passed by grandmas, as Mike put it.
Second, this bike is not meant for serious or even non-frivolous riding. You know how in real estate a small house is called 'cozy' to make it sound good but if you understand that you know it means it is tiny? Look at how they describe the prupose of this bike. It is for 'casual exercise.' You need ot understand that bikes are very efficient machines. They move mass very efficiently. This is why Mike sees so many fat guys riding bikes. If you only ride casually, I guaran-damn-tee you will not get enough exercise on this or any bike to lose weight (unless you also starve yourself). A decent but more agressive bike will make you ride more aggressively.
Third, those big fat cushy saddles suck over time. The foam or gelpad will compress against your butt tissue and this will pinch against your pelvis (Mike, what are those points called? I can't remember) and this leads to numbness and serious discomfort. This is exactly what I menat when i said it will feel good in the parking lot but not after an hour on the road. I, too, as a large guy, have comfort issues and my absolute favorite saddle is a brooks saddle, which is a formed slab of leather on a metal frame. It looks horribly uncomfortable but it is great once you and it are broken in.
As to the back pain, I have it too and here is how you solve it: First, do some back and abdominal exercises. Seriously, this will do more to solve the back problem than any thing else you can do. Second, lose weight, alhtough in my experiencve, doing abs and back work is more important. When I have lost weight without the exercise I still have back problems. Exercising without losing weight improves my back measurably. Doing both is the real answer. I once had so much back pain that I could not stand up straight without therapy. This lasted for about a two week period. Yet, during this, I could still ride my road bike. If a road bike fits you properly, you actually will have fewer back probelms, IMO, than if you use a comfort bike (for any ride that is more than abotu 10 minutes long).
This having been said, it you think this is a bike you will ride, then get it. Becasue exercise stuff is only good if you use it. This is a perect crusie around the RV park bike. I do not think it is a great exercise to lose weight bike.
That being said, it is a decent bike overall and would handle your wieght well, I suspect.