Used to do a lot of road riding. Now in my late 30s and I don't have time. I do commute by bike, and on a whim I took my road bike for my commute this morning instead of my regular aluminum, flat bar commuter. It's obviously way faster, but brutally uncomfortable without proper shorts.
What can I do to make this a little more commuter friendly?
Would a less aggressive geometry via a higher rise stem be one step? Honestly, I've long suspected I'm a little too stretched and it never bothered me much when I was younger and not having to lug my work stuff.
by Beake
12 Comments
Higher handlebars are definitely a shout. Wider/plusher saddle also a shout. New/softer bar tape might be nice. Something like the Thule tour rack so you can have a rack without needing the lugs preinstalled
* use the largest tire that can fit
* lower tire pressure
* larger and more comfy seat
* higer/closer stem for a more upright position
Having the right length/angle of stem will go a long way though if you’re feeling stretched out with a stem that short the bike might have too long a top tube for you. A saddle that is the right size for your sit bones will also make a huge difference. For added comfort, upgrade the tires to the widest that bike has clearance for.
You don’t necessarily have to go so far as to change to flat bars and an upright position (if that’s what you want a different bike might be a better choice). Just having things sized to you will eliminate a lot of that pain and leave you with a faster commute option when you’re in the mood for it.
No rack mounts. No fender mounts. Those wheels look very low spoke count. And the tire clearance looks very narrow, so you wouldn’t be able to install very large tires.
I personally wouldn’t want to use this for regular commuting, and I’m not sure that there’s a lot you can do to make it more appropriate for that job.
Unpopular opinion: just ride it. If you’re feeling stretched, maybe you need a little shorter stem, but the one you have isn’t particularly long, and you already have plenty of spacers.
There are gravel handlebars with a rise that can give you a more upright position without having to totally change up your stem or fork, yet still give you some drops.
Honestly, if you don’t want to do road riding anymore, I would sell that and get yourself a commuter you would be comfortable on, especially if you have to lug stuff with you.
The stem on that is already mounted upwards and spacers are maxed out. It’s not going to get any more comfortable than that.
Rack, fenders, lights
>What can I do to make this a little more commuter friendly?
Wear bike shorts (either by themselves or under “normal” clothes).
A few other tweaks others called out, but upshot is it probably won’t be a great commuter, so I’d see if you can get it acceptable in atleast good conditions as a “sporty” option.
I would recommend replacing the seat with a comfortable seat.
Raise the handlebars a little… shorter or adjustable stem… and if it’s not enough, change the handlebars for one with setback
The two things together will make you stand up a little more… you will probably need a more comfortable saddle, because by changing your posture, it changes where your weight falls.