PS - I love my road bike - it corners like a dream, it is super stiff and squirts foward when put the slightest pressure on the pedals. It climbs like a dream and desends like a bandit - I feel super confident flying downhill. (Specialized S-works) - soon to be for sale in the classified section.



Cannondale MS4000 - felt very unstable desending and the handling responsiveness was just not there.

Cervelo P3 - same - felt like all my weight was on the front tire and I was about to crash the whole ride.

Soft Ride TT - Rode great till I started climbing a hill -- there are lots and lots of hills where I live.



HELP!!!!!!!

I've heard softride was the best for this. I have the same problem. I have 3 herniated discs and when I really try and push I can feel them and I lose power.

Think beam bike. Softride is a good choice.

Maybe i am an idiot, but i would guess that the fit and positioning has more to do with pain than the bike. I suppose, just basically, that a longer headtube would have you bent over less and thus be more comfortable. The P2SL and Saber are both good bikes and have a longer headtube than most tri bikes. I suppose titanium would probably be more comfy, according to most, over a long ride than AL.

TitanFlex, bro. It's the only way to go.

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<If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough>
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I had to change out my bikes 14 months ago because of my back issues which were sidelining me. I got fitted correctly to a r2.5 and a Kalibur and haven't had any issues since then, don't know if it's the bike or the fit but it's definitely a product of the combination.

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"How bad can it be?" - SimpleS

You've already tried the usual recommendation of a beam bike and that didn't work. Since your road bike is comforable, maybe sticking to the road bike in a big slam position would work best for you.

I agree fit is important.

New question to everyone -- Opinions on the Kestrel Airfoil ???

Softride

Beam bike. I love my Softride TT7. Contrary to prior posts, I have no problem cliimbing on mine. Very stiff BB.

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_________________
Dick

Take everything I say with a grain of salt. I know nothing.

Joana Zeiger used to have huge problems with her back until she started riding a Griffen.

Just curious, but what is it about the Airfoil Pro that makes you think it is a good bike for someone with a bad back???

[reply]Cannondale MS4000 - felt very unstable desending and the handling responsiveness was just not there.

Cervelo P3 - same - felt like all my weight was on the front tire and I was about to crash the whole ride.

Soft Ride TT - Rode great till I started climbing a hill -- there are lots and lots of hills where I live. [/reply]


Another option would be to have a bike built for you that fits AND handles well - say a Yaqui with DE geometry. Then if you feel that suspension may be needed for your back, have Ves design it around a suspension seatpost. Call or email Ves and ask him what he thinks. I can tell you one thing - the problems listed above will certainly not be a factor.

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<If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough>
Get Fitter!
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Get your FIX today?

Great advice Khai -- Thanks.



Zoe's Dad -- Airfoil -- I thought it was supposed to offer a cushier ride - no seat tube and carbon fiber - it is an inbetween steep bike too - not as slack geometry like a road bike and not as steep as a P3 -- so that appeals to me. BUT have not been able to test ride one.

I went through the same thing with back problems. I ended up selling my aluminum P3 and bought a carbon Look 486. I also went with a slacker seat angle and moved my armrest pads out and up a little. Helped out a lot. The other bike that I looked at was the Kestrel Airfoil. It had a very nice ride, but the Look was a bit more ridged when climbing.

Cheers

Another alternative would be an Elite, They make custom and or there stock sizes have a bit higher head tube than most. They may have a dealer near you and if not give them a call I know they are super responsive and helpful when it comes to this kind of thing, My back hurt as well before I found the fit and experience of Elite. search this forum there was a post asking about Elite a few weeks ago, it my help you if you are not familiar with the brand.

Good luck

Trust

   

NEW QUESTION !!!!!!

Does a steep tube geometry relieve pressure in the lower back??

Titanflex! No question about this. I rode my buddies and man was it smooth. I'm thinking about this for when I purchase a time trial bike, but you can also get a road configuration as well.

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"Yeah you point a finger back far enough and some germ gets blamed for splitting in two."

Colonel Saul Tigh from Battlestar Galactica

Something like a beam bike can definitely add comfort if your problems are related to impact or vibration, but I would bet that many if not most of your problems are related to fit and positioning. If you have had problems on numerous bikes with varying fits, you might think to find a shop that uses the Serrotta size cycle. This certainly wouldn't mean that you need to buy a Serrotta, but it allows them to fit you over a very extreme range, up to conditions well outside of what most any stock bike geometry would allow. I was at a Serrotta demo the other day and they found an amazing position for a rider with severe back problems that not only seemed comfortable to him but allowed him to generate very good power (this shop had their size cycle attached to a computrainer). At the end of the fit they determined that this position could not be translated to his existing bike so he ended up ordering a custom from them (his existing bike was also too large), but in many if not most cases you will find that the position determined can be simply adopted on your current setup. The hundred or so dollars you spend on this will be better money than you could spend on any bike or components (yes, including new Zipp wheels!..)

Best of luck

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