From drops to flat bar bike

I have riden a road bike, the Trek 1500, for the past three years. I love the speed and the ability to climb hills. I was even able to put a rack on it and commute on it. But after every weekend beach ride, my shoulder and neck hurt and I need to see the chiropractor. I am 50 and so I am now thinking of getting a flat bar road bike. I also want to see more around me since I travel in Los Angeles traffic.

I had an old 2001 Trek 7200 fx, which was super slow and I hated riding. I'm hoping that there have been improvements in hybrids or flat bar road bikes. I really don't want to give up speed. I have researched the following bikes:

Jamis Coda
Giant Dash
Kona Dew
Marin Fairfax

Any thoughts?

Ride them.

This may have nothing at all to do with the drop bars, but rather your overall positioning/fit issue on the bike. (when I say "fit" I do not mean "this bike is the right frame size for me", but rather the whole picture which involves many possible tweaks and modifications once an approximate frame size is chosen, and most importantly is DYNAMIC. So fitting perfectly 3 years ago, if it did, doesn't mean it fits correctly for you now).

There are now relaxed fit bikes with drop bars, in addition to several easy modifications that could potentially be made to the Trek that could make a world of difference.

My recommendation would be to go talk to an experienced, respected fitter, either with fixing your Trek or a new bike in mind (but ideally with both). A good solid fitter will be able to see why your Trek is hurting you and either offer suggestions to fix it, or tell you that indeed it is likely not going to work and then recommend bikes that should fit better (drop and flat bar alike). You should also be able to walk out of there with numbers for an "ideal bike" to compare with stock frames. Keeping in mind "ideal" will be different for flat vs. drop due to the different bar widths and reaches.

If it's really just the bars, and the rest of the bike you love so much is a fine fit, you could just replace the bars.

Most moustache bars are the same diameter as drop bars, so you don't have to switch brakes and shifters (unless your shifters won't work horizontally, then you just pop a pair of barcons on)

I switched from drops to moustache, and am very pleased.

Knot, what are mustache bars?

I'm having a similar issue. When I ride my road bike, my hands go numb up to my elbows. Remember those long 30- to 50-mile rides I used to do? Those were on my 37 lb steel frame mtb. I'm now riding a 17 lb carbon Ruby Comp and I love the lightness and the handling, but the handlebars just hurt. I mentioned getting a flat bar to DH he basically said, "Oh, f*ing h*ll no." But in a nice way. He said the same thing when I said I wanted a kickstand.

I still do.

Roxy

Roxy, I bet you lock your elbows for some reason. Check the reach/fit, strengthen your core, and really focus on being relaxed: slight bend to your elbows--they should absorb the shock. Shoulders down. Hands light.

Deerblue--same thing. Flat bars might be fine, but they might not solve the problem if the problem is with bike fit, core strength, and whether you lock your elbows or if you relax. Drop bars offer more hand positions than flat bars, and flat bars force your wrists into an unnatural angle.

I switched from drops to moustache, and am very pleased.

So, could hubby do that on his Trek Pilot? He had neck problems. He would have to change out the stem, wouldn't he?

He wouldn't have to change the stem, because it would be the same diameter. (if the bars as a whole need to be lifted, he'd want to change to a stem with more rise, and maybe more reach to keep the bars from crowding the cockpit.)

My moustache bars are on my commuter. I like drops fine (one of my other bikes has drops) but wanted a bit more leverage and height and control (you have a fistful of bar when you hoick on the brakes, and you don't open your hand to shift placement on the bar) for riding in traffic.

The moustache has a bit less variety for hand placement, and it's a bit harder to stretch your back out, but I'm very happy with them. (I even managed to find narrow-ish 50 cm STEEL ones, and the road buzz is just GONE from that bike)

Channlluv- moustache bars look like drop bars that have been run over by a steam roller. The drops are slightly down and very out to the sides, rather than very down and slightly out to the sides. But I agree, it sounds like you are locking your elbows, and it's a good idea to check your fit and your posture before you change bits of the bike.

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Originally Posted by KnottedYet

Channlluv- moustache bars look like drop bars that have been run over by a steam roller. The drops are slightly down and very out to the sides, rather than very down and slightly out to the sides. But I agree, it sounds like you are locking your elbows, and it's a good idea to check your fit and your posture before you change bits of the bike.

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They also make "off road drop bars" that are somewhere in-between traditional drops and moustache bars.

Seen here: http://salsacycles.com/components/woodchipper/

(haven't ridden them and can't vouch myself, but sounds like a good concept)

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I really don't want to give up speed.

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That is going to be tough to do while riding a flat bar road bike. Most on the market that match that description are fitness bikes, with heavier components and frames. Much heavier. They are not built for speed.

I have a Giant FCR, which is the bike I started out on. It has flat bars. The bike is great for what it is intended for, just riding around. But it is not fast, and for anything over 5 miles I start having hand issues becuase there are not enough options for hand placement. Compared to my road bike, it feels like a beach cruiser though! it's got 35mm tires on it and rides like a Cadilac.

I would try a stem with a rise to it first. Millimeters make a difference! It doesn't have to be a huge change to address a pain issue.

I have a Jamis Coda. While some on this board say there find no difference in their speed on the Coda compared to their regular road bike, I do. Like a 3-4 mph difference in my average. I mean, my road bike weighs just under 15 lbs. and the Coda is close to 30 with my pannier on it.
Now, I use the Coda for the purpose of around town errands, going out to eat by bike, farm markets, and riding with slower friends. I've ridden it for 50 miles on the Cape Cod Rail Trail and my arms were killing me after that. Otherwise, the fit is great and it is smooth. But, I don't expect to go fast. Maybe it's because I am small?
I say go with a regular road bike with relaxed geometry or tweak your fit before you try one of the flat bar bikes.

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Originally Posted by MartianDestiny

This may have nothing at all to do with the drop bars, but rather your overall positioning/fit issue on the bike. (when I say "fit" I do not mean "this bike is the right frame size for me", but rather the whole picture which involves many possible tweaks and modifications once an approximate frame size is chosen, and most importantly is DYNAMIC. So fitting perfectly 3 years ago, if it did, doesn't mean it fits correctly for you now)....(snip)

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+1. I would first see if something can be done to make your existing bike more comfortable. With the drop bar on your road bike, you have the advantage of aerodynamics and multiple hand positions.

As we get older/less flexible-and possibly shorter, a few adjustments could make a world of difference in the comfort level of your ride.

I am 50 and travel in L.A. traffic too (west SF valley, to be exact) and find drop bar works just fine. And I will mirror what was already said, have your fit checked. No reason to suffer on your bike. None.

When I started commuting, my new commuter bike had drop bars but was uncomfortable so I thought I needed a flat-bar bike. I converted my commuter to flat bar. Mistake. It was slower and I now had only one hand position. I had blamed drop bars, when the problem was how that bike was setup. I switched back to drop bar, getting a bar in the same shape I found works well on my road bike- and in the correct size. I got shims for the brake levers to bring them to my stubby little fingers, set the bar height a little higher than on my road bike and used a shorter stem and found it to be much more comfortable than with the flat bar. It was also a world away from how the bike originally was with drop bars. I picked up about 3mph and have multiple positions on the bar which helps with hand/upper body fatigue. The drop position is great for headwinds, I have the hoods for general use and the bar tops to rest/stretch my back on.

Thanks for the advice. I'll have DH help me size the bike again. We went through a pretty exhaustive sizing when I got it -- he's got all the tools and followed the directions on a training Website. At least, it seemed exhaustive to me. We'll see. I'll try the different arm positions, too. I do tend to lock out my elbows. I think it has a lot to do with my size. I don't have a very strong core, and it's a lot of weight to hold up.

Roxy

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Originally Posted by channlluv

Thanks for the advice. I'll have DH help me size the bike again. We went through a pretty exhaustive sizing when I got it -- he's got all the tools and followed the directions on a training Website. At least, it seemed exhaustive to me. We'll see. I'll try the different arm positions, too. I do tend to lock out my elbows. I think it has a lot to do with my size. I don't have a very strong core, and it's a lot of weight to hold up.

Roxy

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Be careful using a fit system like that. Especially on a training type website it may be gearing for an "optimal performance" type fit based around an exceptionally flexible very fit athlete that's looking to race.

That's not a practical fit for an average rider. An extensive fit will also include (and actually start with) an extensive assessment of your range of motion, flexibility, fitness level, gait, etc, etc, before ever putting you on the bike and measuring angles. A good, trained, fitter will use all that info plus the "ideal" fit angles from fitting "systems"/theory/practice to get something that's right for YOU, not trying to shove you into the "if you were Lance Armstrong THIS is where you'd be on the bike" mold ;)

That's not to say you can't work fitting out yourself, but it is quite a bit harder than making sure your numbers and angles match what they "should be" online.

If you can find a general fitting guide geared towards an average cyclist (something like a "performance" fit rather than a "pro" fit) that could be a good place to start. But expect to have to "tweak" it, and don't be afraid to throw it out completely if it's not working for you. There's a reason people train to do this professionally ;)

Thanks for all your replies!. It looks like I should fiddle around with the fit and handlebars of my Trek. I also live in the San Fernando Valley. Any recommendations regarding a good fitter?