Evaluating comfort

[etu]

I've noticed that even the stiffest bikes feel great when you're in shape and at the beginning of a ride. It seems that it's at the end of the ride when you're tired that you can really tell how comfortable a bike is. When you're no longer absorbing the bumps with your legs and your arms, you get to see how much your bike dampens them.
I recently switched from 28's (75/80psi) setup to 23's(95/100). On the way out there is a stretch of rough pavement, but the new setup felt good and not all that different from the old one, but after three hours and 50mi, man did I feel rattled on the way back in.

[1centaur]

Yup, a lot of things get revealed when you're tired, including frame comfort and your form. Maybe your character as well :)

[eddief]

I did 50 miles yesterday. A challenging ride for me in 90 degrees and with 4000 feet of climbing. I noticed some of the factors about which you speak. The Roubaix with 25mm tires pumped to 85 along with whatever the heck makes the Roubaix the Roubaix made me not hate cycling when the ride was over. Also have given up on chamois glide and now back to the butt'r applied liberally before...and reapplied about every 15 miles if I can make it happen. seems to smooth out everything.

[oldpotatoe]

I've noticed that even the stiffest bikes feel great when you're in shape and at the beginning of a ride. It seems that it's at the end of the ride when you're tired that you can really tell how comfortable a bike is. When you're no longer absorbing the bumps with your legs and your arms, you get to see how much your bike dampens them.
I recently switched from 28's (75/80psi) setup to 23's(95/100). On the way out there is a stretch of rough pavement, but the new setup felt good and not all that different from the old one, but after three hours and 50mi, man did I feel rattled on the way back in.

Why not use 25s then with 90-95 psi?

I always say 'all bikes feel great when ridden around the block', what mostbikeshopsusa do on test rides. Why our test rides can be all day, for free, if you wish. Only way to really determine if the frame material is right for you.

[Charles M]

I would add asking folks to bring their current bike and swap the same wheels and tires and pumped to the same pressure too...

Thats probably not reasonable, but I simply don't get how many folks can tell what they're riding unless they have comparable wheels (and run the new bikes wheels on the old bike...)

[etu]

I am using 23's mostly because I have a few I bought a while back. I'd feel guilty letting them go to waste. 25's might be something to try later. Right now the 28's are my favorite size but are now on my other bike.

I've realized that I am not very good at judging bike performance. Too easily swayed by marketing and hype, and not sensitive enough to really understand the differences between bikes and parts, even the not so subtle ones. But at least this insight about comfort and fatigue is something I feel I can hang my hat on.

[Chance]

I've realized that I am not very good at judging bike performance. Too easily swayed by marketing and hype, and not sensitive enough to really understand the differences between bikes and parts, even the not so subtle ones. But at least this insight about comfort and fatigue is something I feel I can hang my hat on.

Don’t think it’s just you. Most bikes aren’t different enough (given proper fit), particularly if you factor out wheels and tires and air pressure as suggested above.

In my opinion if you want more than subtle differences in ride you have to have a bike with more than subtle design differences. To think you can accomplish major ride differences with minor design mods seems a little too optimistic to me. Real change requires real change. We can’t have it both ways. Had a chance to test a bike that was truly different and it was different from the get go. Any rider with a pulse could tell the difference from the first mile.

[redir]

That is why I prefer pliant frames. I've been riding and racing bikes for 25 years now and have gone through all kinds of frames. I never bought on to the whole stiff bike power transfer baloney. My current race bike is a Moots, TI of course, but my best all day rider is my noodley steel '83 Guerciotti. I love to feel a frame flex over bumps, is why I prefer steel on my cross bikes too.

[Z3c]

Why not use 25s then with 90-95 psi?

I always say 'all bikes feel great when ridden around the block', what mostbikeshopsusa do on test rides. Why our test rides can be all day, for free, if you wish. Only way to really determine if the frame material is right for you.

Also why a proper fit takes ~2 hours..

[zennmotion]

I
I've realized that I am not very good at judging bike performance. Too easily swayed by marketing and hype, and not sensitive enough to really understand the differences between bikes and parts, even the not so subtle ones. But at least this insight about comfort and fatigue is something I feel I can hang my hat on.

Or maybe just trust your experience to be true- for you and your riding. Most differences are just differences, not better or worse. I'll go out on a limb and say (within my experience anyway) that the differences, even if real and discernable, don't matter much except at the extremes where most of us seldom if ever ride- like elite level racing and extreme endurance riding, expedition touring etc. Most of the endless marketing, analysis, and reviews is just chatter. Fun to engage in, but not as much fun as going for a ride. Unless you're old, fat and/or out of shape so that the passion for cycling morphs into a passion for the gear more than the activity*. There, yep I said it. Get your contact points set to work for you, choose your color, go ride.

Edit: *Nothing wrong with that!

[zennmotion]

Had a chance to test a bike that was truly different and it was different from the get go. Any rider with a pulse could tell the difference from the first mile.

Different than what? Similar bikes?:fight: Sorry, couldn't resist:)

[tannhauser]

Different than what? Similar bikes?:fight: Sorry, couldn't resist:)

I got what he was saying but for a guy with Zennmotion as a handle you sure stir it.

[Chance]

Different than what? Similar bikes?:fight: Sorry, couldn't resist:)

Yes, should have used a few more or different words.;) Good point.

Different bike than all other bikes because it was one of a kind when made. Not sure now. As a result it rode quite a bit different than any other bike in my experience. However limited that may be. Hence different design equals different ride. Whether that's good or bad is up to each rider. But in my opinion same equals same. And mostly same equals mostly same. Don't see a way around that except in marketing hype.

To be clear before getting antagonistic replies, not suggesting that most of us can't tell the difference between materials, tube diameters, butted tubes, and so on. But those make very little difference when viewed from a mile up. Agree with others that differences get magnified as the rider gets tired. Which of course also raises the question of whether a much better riding bike (in comfort sense) keeps the rider from getting as tired (in a beat-up and not exertion sense) than a harsher bike. That’s a different topic though.

[bluesea]

Roadbikes have evolved in a similar manner to the luge, which is to say neither are designed for comfort. Start with the current SOTA racing bike, and keep adding compromises to ease discomfort. Hopefully one will stop short of transitioning to a hybrid design, or becoming a ranting Grant Peterson advocate.

[djg]

I would add asking folks to bring their current bike and swap the same wheels and tires and pumped to the same pressure too...

Thats probably not reasonable, but I simply don't get how many folks can tell what they're riding unless they have comparable wheels (and run the new bikes wheels on the old bike...)

Yep, change the wheels, tires, and psi and the very same bike should feel pretty different -- lose 20 percent or so on tire width, and raise the pressure by 25 percent, and things might very well feel faster on smooth pavement and a good deal rougher on rough pavement (depending on the particulars, it might feel subjectively faster on rough pavement, while actually being a little slower, but I digress). The difference should be pretty stiking back-to-back, independent of what one might get used to or like in the long run. Heck, keep every darn bit of kit the same, and change the tire pressure a bunch, and you should notice the difference. Maybe folks won't bring wheels (and post and saddle) to most demo rides, but the shop should at least try to get the pressure close, supposing tires are comparable.