Hi all,
been looking at softrides lately. Not having a shop in this country that sells them, I can’t get a ride on one anytime soon. I’ve read through the website, but I’m interested in peoples opinions of them. Particularly how you found them going from a conventional frame, what the advantages were, what you liked best about them.
Equally important would be hearing from people who didn’t like them and why.
Look forward to your thoughts,
Cheers,
Justin.
there were a couple of good threads on softrides in the last 14 days. That being said I’ve owned two, an older qualifier and a TT7. Comfort, adjustability, aerodynamics, faster IMO going downhill, you ended up pedalling smoother and fit are some of the pluses.
Some of the negatives are they require a bit more work, are a bit heavier, take some gettinng used to when pedalling and don’t fit on a bike stand as well as some other bikes.
To defend those minuses, weight really doesn’t matter (my older one weighed 23.5pounds and I’d spank people while going up hill when they rode a bike 5 pounds lighter), the extra wrenching is for things like removing chainrings when flying it, and some extra wrenching on the beam vs a seattubed bike. As for pedalling if you only push down you look like a kangaroo on a bike.
All in all I’d give them a serious look at when buying a tri-bike.
I like the fact that I don’t even have to thnk about the minor bumps, just spin right right over them. My butt and back don’t even feel them. It lets you know right away if ytour mashing, because your bounce. (On the other hand, when I’m practicing pulling up, I can feel the beam move down, letting me know I’m working my hip flexors. It’s like the opposite of mashing.)
Changing seat heights and angles can be a bit of a hassle. You’d better bring a small tape measure. When transferring measurements from your other bike, depress the beam, as that is how it will be when you are one it.
Check out the Titan Flex while you’re doing your research…just a thought.
i love my 2004 Rocket TT7.
i also have a OCLV Trek, which before my Softride, was like riding in a Cadillac. Going from a steel frame to a carbon OCLV was unreal.
Now riding my OCLV is a pain in my back. Anything over 50 miles and I’m definitely on my softride. If you have a bad back, there is no other option. When I got off the bike at IMC, my back was as fresh as it was if I had ridden 10 miles on my OCLV.
Good luck!
I’ve ridden lots of bikes, aluminum, carbon, etc…and…BEAM BIKES RULE!!
That being said, I sold my 2003 Softride Rocket SE7 last week. BUT…I’m riding a brand new Zipp 2001. This is my 3rd Zipp 2001 and its the greatest bike I’ve ever owned. I love 'em! The Softride was close! They both have their negatives and positives. If you want a tough bike to maintain, try the Zipp! The Softride is a breeze in comparison. If you are going long distance, the Softride is the bike of choice. Those who comment about the negatives of beam bikes (pogoing, wieght, etc.), have probably never ridden one for long enough to understand the positives of the bike. Everytime I pass a biker in a race going up hill…I’m bad…I know…I comment that beam bikes don’t climb well!! I pass tons of people going up hill. I’ve never had any problem on my beam bikes with climbing hills. Now mind you, these are Florida hills not the Rockies, but hills none-the-less.
Thanks everyone. Gives me some things to think about. I’ll see if I can find a dealer when I’m back in Europe in a couple of months and try one.
My goal is IMNZ in 18 months and it sounds like the roads there are quite harsh, softride might be a good option, plus the roads here aren’t the best either.
Cheers,
Justin.
I bought a Classic TT two weeks ago. My primary motivation was comfort. My saddle/wheels felt pretty much the same on every conventional bike I tried, from stiff aluminum frames to 100% carbon frames. My Softride was the only bike I found that offered a MARKEDLY more comfortable ride.
That said… beam bikes aren’t for everyone. They are bit heavier than other bikes, they take more work to get the fit dialed in, and some folks simply don’t like the “bouncy” feeling of the bike. I don’t mind the weight, I don’t mind spending time fiddling with my bike fit, and I have a smooth pedal stroke so I don’t notice much bounce… all of which make Softrides a good choice for me.
I rode a Softride for four years and four Ironmans and am thinking of going back to a beam bike for long distance racing. Biggest advantages for me were adjustability, comfort, and pedaling feedback. I never had much trouble with the classic style beam once I got a good socket wrench that fit properly and Softride replaced the seat clamp after the original broke on one of the two clamps.
I happen to be selling two beam bikes for friends, as the domestic market for tri bikes is tiny and my friends can’t cope with English. One is a Softride Powerwing 650 and is fairly small; the other is a Zipp 3001 that was purchased in late 1997 or early '98 and never built or ridden. I believe it’s a large frame and small beam, but I’d need to check. Send a private message if you’re interested. The Softride can be had for around US$350 frame/fork, while the Zipp is worth quite a bit more.
Hi Mookie,
thanks for the information. Being in Borneo, makes buying one at the moment unreaslistic. I’ll try and ride one when I’m back in europe over christmas. If I am going to get a new frame, it’s going to have to wait until next summer to get the cash together.
If I find that I don’t have a problem with the bounce, then it will certainly be high on my list.
thanks for your help,
J.
hi gang-
so i finally got out to test ride the softride rocket tt7. i loved it! i’m definitley a low rpm rider for TT and thought if anyone would bounce it would be me. however, i never noticed any bounce until i really was spinning high rpms…110 or 120+ and that is probably more of my lack of efficiency at those rpms. on flats it was fast and downhills i had no speed wobble like i do on my cervelo.
someone mentioned earlier that crosswinds were an issue but i didn’t find that at all. my coach mentioned that it the only possible downfall could be long climbs in the saddle so i did some long colorado hill climbs and notcied no difference seated. standing it was a bit squirly but that could have been due to the width of the bars i was riding on or something else?
i loved the ride. very comfy and can’t think of another bike i would buy for long distance racing unless a good sponsorship comes along.
thanks for everyone’s help on this forum.
josh
Try it and ye shall believe.
Definitely going to try it, but only get a chance once a year, so I’m investigating and planning. Now to find a UK dealer I can get to over christmas.
Cheers,
J.
I love my classic so much that I just picked up a rocket tt, I imagine it will be better, although it would be tough to improve on such a great bike. Softride is running a factory sale on the classic and rocket right now, you may want to give them a call. www.softride.com They are so adjustable, comfortable, and fast that I am unable to imagine myself on anything else.