How much does comfort matter to you?

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victorduraace
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by victorduraace

due to my sciatica, comfort is my primary objective. 28c tyres, comfy saddle, Endurance frame keep me from abandoning cycling due to bad back. I might be bit slower but I don't care

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Mr.Gib
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by Mr.Gib

TimF wrote:
Fri Mar 22, 2019 12:13 pm
...in fact I will flattly reject frames and wheels that are poor in this regard.
Comfort is everything to me, and it can be had with no comprimise in weight or performance.

Perhaps you looking in the wrong place just a bit. There is some research that basically says that a frame can provide 10 times as much compliance as a wheel, and tires can provide 10 times as much compliance as a frame (my numbers are sure to be wrong but that's the basic idea). So buy yourself good solid wheels and find your comfort in the frame and tires.

Today there is no performance comprimise when buying a comfortable frame. They can resist twisting and climb and sprint as well as a full on dedicated race frame. Alternately there is no reason a full on race frame can't be super comfortable.
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AJS914
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by AJS914

I had a Calfee Dragonfly that I had to sell because it was so brutally stiff. It was a little sad because on super smooth pavement that frame felt faster than any other frame I've ever had. (I bought that frame used and I suspect that it had been custom built with stiffer tubes or something. I'd like to try another Calfee some day though I'll probably buy an aero frame next.)

I moved to New Mexico last year and the roads are rough chipseal. I used to think that my C59 was a forever bike but now I've had my eye on Madones and Domanes with ISO speed. A Madone with with wide rims and 28-30mm tires would be awesome for the roads around here. It's also very flat around here so aero + comfort would be a double bonus.
Last edited by AJS914 on Fri Mar 22, 2019 5:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.

mattr
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by mattr

It's always been comfort for me, any weight weenie stuff that wasn't comfy got taken straight off and back to the shop or sold on to mates.

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Mr.Gib
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by Mr.Gib

AJS914 wrote:
Fri Mar 22, 2019 4:47 pm
I had a Calfee Dragonfly that I had to sell because it was so brutally stiff. It was a little sad because on super smooth pavement that frame felt faster than any other frame I've ever had. (I bought that frame used and I suspect that it had been custom built with stiffer tubes or something. I'd like to try another Calfee some day though I'll probably buy an aero frame next.)

I moved to New Mexico last year and the roads are rough chipseal. I used to think that my C59 was a forever bike but now I've had my eye on Madones and Domanes with ISO speed. I'd love a Madone with with wide rims and 28-30mm tires would be awesome for the roads around here. It's also very flat around here so aero + comfort would be a double bonus.
Nothing wrong the the C59. The problem of course is the tires you can fit, or can't fit as the case may be. How would a C59 feel with 30mm tires and latex innertubes at 60psi? Bloody great I imagine. Can a V2R fit 30mm's?

And if you are thinking Domane, I dare say the Synapse Hi-mod is every bit as comfortable without the complications and depending on model, a lighter bike, and for the racier set, a better geometry as well. I was expecting nothing special but was blown away by the Synapse in every respect.
wheelsONfire wrote: When we ride disc brakes the whole deal of braking is just like a leaving a fart. It happens and then it's over. Nothing planned and nothing to get nervous for.

kode54
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by kode54

I can't stand rough chip seal...almost as much as a poor road patch job. DOT or utility just can't seem to make a patch that has a smooth transition. Most of the ones are a complete failure...which adds to the discomfort over long rides.
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spdntrxi
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by spdntrxi

hand vibration is a killer for me.. so I like comfort in that region.
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none
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by none

Depending on the ride.. Racing, TT when saddle time is shorter, I can sacrifice comfort for more speed.
Casual ride, centuries, comfort takes priority... Pick the right tool for the right job.
Last edited by none on Fri Mar 22, 2019 5:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Calnago
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by Calnago

TLN wrote: I think that weight and comfort come together. Lightweright components are more compliant and aero frames are beefier and stiffer. There're only a few things that you can update on complicated aero bike to make it more comfortable, since most of the things are propietary now (seatpost, stem, handlebar).
Kind of disagree that light weight equates to more compliance. It really depends on the construction, layup, what types of carbon and resins are used, or other materials if not carbon. If it’s both light and compliant, it’s generally a noodle in the handling department. To get frames both light and not feeling like a noodle, they are generally very stiff, and every bump in the road is transmitted right through to your body. At least that’s been my experience. Back when I got my first C40, I also rode a trek carbon something or other. The Trek was harsh and rigid. I didn’t like it. I ordered the C40 without even trying it, mostly because I just like the looks so much more (the Carbon Treks back then had this awful “weblike” layup between the top tube, headtube and downtube, which looked particularly bad in a larger size frame). When I got the C40 I was amazed at how good it felt because I was kind of already expecting something akin to the Trek, I mean they’re both carbon and all. Since then, Trek (and most carbon bikes) have come a long way in really honing the feel of their bikes. It’s more about differences in the geometry now than the material differences. But I do hate noodles. And I do hate harsh. Tires and wheel choice can make a huge difference. But for sure I want a bike that I can ride all day, special purpose bikes like TT aside.
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mortirolo
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by mortirolo

Before you buy a new expensive frame for wide wheelset and 30mm tires, replace your butyl tube with latex.
Far better and cheaper solution, than any other.
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fromtrektocolnago
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by fromtrektocolnago

Never understood the rationale of harsh riding frame and then solving that problem with wider tires. It's like fixing a noisy engine with the radio Get the right frame and then choose the right wheels. Tires should not be compensating for a problem bike. I suppose if i had a bike that i was trying to make the most of, perhaps but not to start off that way.
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Calnago
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by Calnago

^but with the right tires and wheels, it’s not “harsh” anymore... it’s a solid feeling bike, firm and planted. Versus a noodle, which is still going to be a noodle no matter what tires and wheels you choose.
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fromtrektocolnago
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by fromtrektocolnago

Calnago wrote:
Fri Mar 22, 2019 5:54 pm
^but with the right tires and wheels, it’s not “harsh” anymore... it’s a solid feeling bike, firm and planted. Versus a noodle, which is still going to be a noodle no matter what tires and wheels you choose.

that's just it, did you get those tires because it provided the right grip and handlng or because the frame was too stiff and would you chose a different inflation or width if you didn't have that issue to begin with?

If you're starting off with a problem, you're immediately locked into a solution
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PokojniToza
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by PokojniToza

I am not that sure that stiffer necessary implies harsher. For instance, the Specialissima is stiffer than the Sempre I used to ride, and yet it is more comfortable by far.

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Calnago
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by Calnago

I get everything as a well designed “system”. There are no afterthoughts. I hate compromise. And I choose stuff for my use, my weight, my riding style and the roads I mostly ride on. I’m not going to get a gravel grinder because there’s a 2 mile stretch of gravel in a 60 mile route I like to do... I’m just going to barrel over that road on the road bike I’m riding and put up with it for a couple of miles, rather than put up with a gravel grinder on the other 58 miles of nicely paved roads on the route.
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Unlinked Builds (searchable): Colnago C59 - 5 Years Later; Trek Emonda SL Campagnolo SR; Special Colnago EPQ

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