Illustration by Francisco Caceres
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Raise Your Bike-Q: Products to Make Cycling More Comfortable
By Randy B. Hecht, September & October 2004
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When New Yorkers Leo and Rosie Marcus married almost 30 years ago, he got a
new bicycling partner and she resumed an activity she hadn't pursued since
childhood. Vacations still find the couple, ages 73 and 72, logging 10-12 miles
a day on flat trails they select by consulting topographical maps.
"We go to one beautiful area for three weeks in the fall, and we use
the geological survey map," says Marcus, a retired office manager who
combines the backroads outings with another hobby, nature photography.
For many older Americans, however, so much cycling is a physical
impossibility. Finding flat trails is one way to make biking less grueling, but
the bike itself doesn't have to be so much of, well, a pain in the
butt—among other body parts.
If you don't mind inviting curious stares, an unconventional alternative
such as a recumbent bike—whose riders recline in rather than sit on their
vehicles—may be the first thing to consider. (Read frequently asked questions about recumbent
bikes at the International Human Powered Vehicle Association's site.)
There are even adult tricycles and quadricycles, pedal-powered carriages built
to carry multiple riders. (Check out the list of models and manufacturers on the
Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute's website.)
But the traditional, two-wheeling set isn't shut out of the innovation
picture. There are a variety of product enhancements that you can make to your
existing bike. If you're buying a new model, make sure these features come
installed.
Get a grip
Racing handlebars promote aerodynamics and speed, but they're difficult
to use if you've lost some flexibility. "A simple thing to do is just
to put on a stem that's a little shorter or one that's a little more
upright, or some combination of the two," says Gaynor Collester,
supervisor of technical product support at Performance Bike of Chapel Hill, North
Carolina. "This way you can sit a little more upright, and so you're
in a more comfortable position."
Be on the lookout for new models of road bikes that have flat
handlebars—"what that means is that you don't have to get as far
forward; all the controls are right at your fingertips," says
Collester.
Gear up
"You can't, if you're a 70-year-old rider, expect the same
results you could when you were 30, or 40, or even 50," Collester says.
"For the more ambitious riders, a simple thing they can do is go to a
little bit wider range of gears. On modern bikes you can put on a new cassette
that has a wider range." This can help compensate for whatever loss of
power you experience as muscle mass diminishes.
Tread on me
If balance is a concern, riders may feel more secure on a hybrid bike with
wider tires. That may make the bike less efficient, "but it generally will
be lower pressure, so it'll absorb a great deal more shock. Plus, it'll
put a lot more material on the ground to make it more sure-footed,"
Collester explains.
The bottom line
Shock absorption is a key point of comfort, so if you do opt to ride in a
more vertical position, give some thought to your seat. Saddles are available
in broader models and can come with more cushioning, springs, and even
suspension seat posts to help absorb shocks.
Cycling shorts "make a world of difference" because
"they've moved the seams away from those areas where you're likely
to be chafed," Collester says. If skin-tight spandex isn't your style,
check out baggy shorts, which offer the additional comfort of a cushioned
liner.
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