Need expert advice on parts

Tw00sh said:

I am really new to cycling. I have a Wellington 1.0 bike that I purchased about 8 months ago to give it a try. I have a real bad back so I can only ride about 15-25 miles a day at about 15 - 20 MPH. I do find it very rewarding an would like to upgrade the bike a little to cut down on the road vibration. I considered getting a whole new bike, but I just not sure that it is worth it with my current distance and speed.

I want to purchase a new carbon fork but have no idea what size is on this bike. There is no mention of size on the page I linked above. If I cannot get the original size, can I get a different size and matching stem in the same size. If so, what would be the recommended matching set size.

I also want to get new wheels. Are the hubs of the wheels all basically the same size or do I have to look for a certain width. I realise the diamater is 700c, but what about the hub in the middle.

My saddle is not very light. Should I go for a smaller saddle with the cut in the back. Is this cut even worth having, or is this mainly for riders who want to go long distances. Also, I tend to slide up on my saddle, should I adjust my saddle up in the front slightly to prevent this? If so, I would need an adjustable seat post.

I want to purchase the parts online as they are much cheaper. I plan to have my local bike shop install the fork.

IMO, probably the only benefit of a good carbon fiber fork over the steel fork you have on your bike is that you will reduce the total weight of the bike by about 1 lb.

LARGER tires & a lower PSI will go further toward lowering road vibration than most other changes you may otherwise make to your/(any) bike.

If possible, mount 700x28 tires-and-tubes on your bike & inflate the tires to ~85PSI ... larger tires (e.g., 700x42 ... which means you can inflate them to an even lower PSI) would be even better, but most ROAD frames cannot accommodate tires larger than 700x28, and some can't cope with tires larger than 700x25.

MEASURE the distance between the outer circumference of the rim and both the brake bridge & inner/lower edge of the fork's shoulder to get an idea of what the largest tire your frame-and-fork can accommodate may be.

If your bike already has 700x28 tires, then you may want to consider a different frame.

Since a bad back manifests itself in different ways, I don't know whether you would be more comfortable with a more upright position OR if you were stretched out more ... if you go with the more stretched out riding position, it means that your neck will be bent more ...

TEST the forward leaning position the next time you are sitting in a chair & watching TV, lean forward and then hold your head up so that you can see your TV screen (I'm presuming that you watch TV ... use a kitchen chair if you sit on a couch when you normally watch TV ... if you don't watch TV, then look at a spot on the wall that is about three-or-four feet above the floor & 8 feet-or-so away) ... hold whatever position is comfortable for several minutes. Compare that position to what you think your current position on your bike is.

If you are comfortable (back & neck) leaning forward, then adjust your riding position on your bike, accordingly.

YOU WANT TO GET THE BEST RIDING POSITION YOU CAN TO ALLEVIATE OUR BACK DISCOMFORT BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING (beyond changing the tire size) ON YOUR BIKE.

Is your current saddle uncomfortable? I think that different saddles are probably more comfortable in some riding positions than others, so you really want to nail down your riding position (i.e., either more upright OR with more forward lean OR unchanged from what it is now) before spending money on a new saddle.

Why do you want to get new wheels at this point in time?

A HYBRID frame can accommoate 700x42 tires, BTW ...

The tires I have now are 700 x 23. They are not very wide and accomadate about 130PSI. So my ride is pretty rough if the road is not smooth.

The 700 x 28 would be a good option if I can lower some of the PSI on them. I will look at seeing if I can possibly get these. Will these cause the ride to have more friction and slow me down?

I been told that the carbon fiber fork will lower some of the road vibration, this was the reason I was interested in getting one.

I am pretty comfortable on the bike right now. I place my hands on top of my bars though. I cannot learn over to the extreme of using the lower bars or triathlon bars. I thought the smaller lighter saddle would help me lower the weight alittle and If I can adjust it up slightly will keep me from sliding up the saddle.

If road shock is a major factor causing you back pain while cycling, you might consider a single-rail spring-mounted saddle such as the Brooks Flyer (see photo at Brooks Champion Flyer Bicycle Saddle at www.wallbike.com ). A selection of such saddles may be found online at Brooks Single Rail Sprung Saddles at www.wallbike.com . The (most probably unnoticeable) incremental weight of such a saddle may well be inconsequential in comparison to the level of comfort provided. Note that there are double- and triple-rail spring-mounted Brook saddles available also; however, it is my understanding that (a) they, of course, weight somewhat more; and (b) they require a special adapter (presumably comes with the saddle when new) to mount on a standard seatpost.

Another (in my view far less preferable) alternative would be a spring-loaded seatpost.

A carbon fork and/or handlebar will provide a bit less road vibration (most of whichis taken up by your arms, not your back), but I suspect--having some experience with a bad back, and having had two discectomies--that most of your discomfort arises when hitting a particularly bad bump or pothole.

Tw00sh said:

The tires I have now are 700 x 23. They are not very wide and accomadate about 130PSI. So my ride is pretty rough if the road is not smooth.

The 700 x 28 would be a good option if I can lower some of the PSI on them. I will look at seeing if I can possibly get these. Will these cause the ride to have more friction and slow me down?

I been told that the carbon fiber fork will lower some of the road vibration, this was the reason I was interested in getting one.

I am pretty comfortable on the bike right now. I place my hands on top of my bars though. I cannot learn over to the extreme of using the lower bars or triathlon bars. I thought the smaller lighter saddle would help me lower the weight alittle and If I can adjust it up slightly will keep me from sliding up the saddle.

With regard to tire PSI, several decades ago, 700x19/20 tires with necessarily high PSI became very popular as people went overboard trying to get the lightest clincher tire-and-tube on their bikes. I think that it is almost impossible to find 700x19 tires, now ...

As far as whether or not you will go as quickly with bigger tires ... probably not ... but, the reason is because you will be moving more MASS with the fatter tire-and-tube ...

BUT, if the ride is more comfortable, then you MAY ride more quickly ... "fatigue" can have a negative effect on how much energy you can put into your riding effort.

Because some tires & tubes weigh more than others, you want to choose tires that aren't too heavy without compromising durability ...

Most of my clinchers are Michelin ... but, I don't use any which are 700x28 ... yet!

With regard to Carbon Fiber forks ... if your fork is ALUMINUM, then you will notice a difference.

If you fork is STEEL, then you will probably NOT notice a difference, IMO, except in your wallet.

On my "test" bike, several years ago I replaced the steel fork (a good steel fork) with a good CF fork (LOOK). The perceptible ride on the bike did NOT change ... at least, not for me ... at any speed or on any type of roadway.

When I compared my steel framed "test" bike with my high-zoot Carbon Fiber bike on the same roadway (same main-triangle geometry, same components ... basically, only the frame was different), I again am not able to perceive any difference.

Now, I will say that the rear stays on the steel bike are incrementally longer than on the CF frame, so perhaps there was a small difference in road shock absorption of CF ... BUT, I think that it's easier to perceive differences through your hands than your butt; so, because there wasn't a perceptible difference when changing the fork from steel to CF, I will still say that you will only feel a difference if you have a really mediocre steel fork OR if you accept that the emperor's new clothes looks great.

BTW. The even MORE EXPENSIVE carbon fiber fork on my CF frame was no smoother than the LOOK carbon fiber fork.

As far as your saddle ... you should/may be able to adjust your existing saddle (up & down, foward & backward, tilted or not) ... until you dial-it-in, it is really can be a frustrating trial-and-error process. Besides, if you price the lighter saddles, you may experience sticker-shock ...

At some point in time, the cover on your saddle will wear out; and, at that time you can give more serious consideration to a new saddle.

You can raise-and-lower your handlebars, too, and affect the way your saddle 'feels' ...

Tw00sh said:

...My saddle is not very light.

So? Merely looking at the weight of a single part is pretty much pointless. Considering the weight of bike + rider any change brought on by replacing the saddle is marginal at best.

Tw00sh said:

.... Should I go for a smaller saddle

Depends on your butt. Some guidance can be gained by measuring the width of your your sit bones, but ultimately saddles are like shoes. Some will fit and some won't.

Tw00sh said:

..... Should I go for a ..saddle with the cut in the back. Is this cut even worth having, or is this mainly for riders who want to go long distances.

Some claim great benefits from saddles with cutouts. Me, I can't tell the difference. A saddle might or it might not fit me, whether it has a cutout or not.

Tw00sh said:

...Also, I tend to slide up on my saddle, should I adjust my saddle up in the front slightly to prevent this?

Very hard to tell, your sliding might also depend on the bike not quite fitting you, you might be hunching forward to reach the bars better. But by all means, try it. A mile or so should tell you if it's getting better or worse, and it won't hurt anything to try.

Tw00sh said:

.... If so, I would need an adjustable seat post.

Apart from on an old BMX I don't think I've ever seen a seat post/saddle clamp that couldn't be adjusted. Post a pic and we'll tell you if/how yours can be adjusted.