I know this is a bit of a vague question, so I'll try to explain better.

I'm toying with the idea of a cheap s/h road bike, but I have some past back pain issues and I even riding a relatively light steel HT offroad for more than a couple of hours can get quite uncomfortable.

I wouldn't dream of riding an aluminium HT now, but most cheap road bikes are made from alu – and steel ones seem heavier than I'd like.

So, does riding on mostly smooth roads mean than frame material isn't so important to ride comfort on road bikes?

Bike fit is way way more important than frame material, esp in a road bike.

Oh, and design is more important than material, or can transcend material – my Kinesis is Alu but very comfy.

Sloping designs give you a bit more seatpost flex; use a ti-railed saddle; deep section rims are not comfy; too long is not good for your back so fine-tune with stem and 'bar reach.

Unless the roads are silky smooth, a stiffer frame will make a difference.

NIce light alloy may be comfortable, I'd go for steel though, more likely to be comfy, or just buy a lighter alloy one and sell it when it's too much.

Tell me where these smooth roads are. It's all potholes round here.

More usefully my 531 steel Super Galaxy tourer is way more comfy than my Giant SCR. Bigger volume tryes, geometry will have a big part in that, but the compliance is definitely more noticeable on the tourer.

a proper bikefit (including pedal cleat/angle interface) will be more important than any choice of frame material.

If you get a compact alu frame with lots of seat post showing (pref with a 27.2 post dia) this should soften ride.

You'll also need a more relaxed geometry, something like a Giant Defy.

Hope you sort something out.

I've just got a Giant TCR carbon road bike and I'm amazed at how comfy it is over rough surfaces. I'll never go back to steel or ally on a road bike frame, the Giant is ridiculously stiff laterally so it zings up climbs but it's obviously designed to absorb vibration in a way that you'll never get with steel or ally.

I also have a roadrat for nighttime road duties, winter training and commuting. That has 25mm touring tyres but feels harsher than the Giant running 21s.

That's really useful, thanks guys.

Will definitely factor some of those things in.

Was thinking about a Defy or SCR, or maybe an Allez as there are loads around.

a proper bikefit (including pedal cleat/angle interface) will be more important than any choice of frame material.

+1
Geometry and how you fit the bike are far more important than frame material.
You could have the most compliant carbon frame in the world but if it's the wrong size you'll still be bloody uncomfortable!

+1 on the sizing comments. I made a change from a 110mm to a 100mm stem on one of my road bikes and it made an enormous difference to the comfort levels. Likewise small ( 1/4" ) saddle adjustments made a huge difference in the comfort too. These are little things which you might not bother with on an MTB as you moving around so much, but it is something you notice on a road bike as you're more likely to be staying in the same position for longer periods, exerting more effort in that single position …. so it needs to be right.

Going for a larger tyre can also help reduce a lot of road-buzz which you do get coming through most frames, and goes a long way to softening the little bumps out on the road. OK – maybe heavier and what not, but for touring and enjoy-the-ride days out, the larger tyre wins out for me.

You can't say one material is better than another for comfort – it is mainly down to the geometry of the bike and the wheels. There are many carbon bikes that give an incredibly aggressive and stiff rides, and aluminium frames that give a compliant and comfortable ride.

It might be worth looking for a sportive type bike – more relaxed geometry and larger head tube creates a less-streteched out, less aggressive position. Carbon forks, carbon seat post, decent wheels and saddle will all help create a more comfortable ride.

Also frame size is more important on road bikes – a 56cm frame from one manufacturer may have a completely different feel from a similar sized frame from another brand. Might be worth trying a few different models round LBSs and then trying to get a similar model secondhand.

My cannondale r500 is more comfotrable them my mates trek 1200 by a long way. This is backed up by most magazine reviews, the cannondales are phenomenaly stiff at the bottom brakced but have very compliant seat stays. But this is a minor difference compared to everythig else.

Shimano R-550 wheels are more comfortable than hand built ones on a budget. These made a huge difference in reducing vibration.

700*28c conti gp4season at 85 psi compared to gp4000 at 110psi make more of a difference than just about any other possible change.

So the most comfortable combination would probably be – cannondale frame or another brand with a longer carbon seatpost, just get one that fits. Lower spoke count wheels. Biggest tyres you can get away with.

Lower spoke count wheels have stronger and stiffer rims, so counter-intuitively can work out less comfortable, not more. I'd choose normal handbuilts with shallow rims for comfort (plus other benefits).

25mm tyres is a good idea though.

I've just seen those Genesis road bikes on somebody else's road bikes thread.

Very handsome bikes, and the website makes out that they're quite relaxed too.

Would these be poorly specced compared to the bigger brand offerings?

I had a Cannondale Synapse and that was very comfy.

"Would these be poorly specced compared to the bigger brand offerings? "

check our spec vs anyone elses to find out, but i'd say no unless you're looking at mail-order direct brands.

there's a good write up of our steel road bike on road.cc at the moment too. they're relaxed but not in a lazy way, more in a confident at bomber speeds and steep cornering lean kind of way.

James

As advised above stay well away from deep or even mid section carbon wheels. They are definitely not good for your back. Mavic Cosmics are OK as they are a carbon faring on a standard rim rather than a structural carbon rim,

I had a top end aluminum frame and no carbon rear triangle 5 or 6 years ago and didn't really find it uncomfortable. After 5 hours yes but that was probably more down to my fatigue rather than the frame itself. Would I go back to an Alu frame then no, I much prefer carbon – still hurts at around the 5 hour mark though!

I always thought for me and typically rides of 45-50 miles then Alu was OK but carbon just more enjoyable.

Are relaxed steering geometry and relaxed ride comfort getting mixed up in this discussion? You can have a massively stiff and uncomfortable bike (which may well be made worse by stiff wheels, fat/short seat pin, stiff bars and stem, skinny tyres etc) but it could still be very stable steering with relaxed head angle and so-on. Or other way round – a really comfy frame could be made to steer super quick and nervy.

Two different things.

Still think you should research the exact fit first (know what reach you are looking for at the very least) and then frame design (ie for comfort you are looking for a sportif or audax style ride with longer chain stays and decent tyre clearance and slim seat pin and taller head tube) and then frame material.

Do some core strength exercises – it'll help all round including on a road bike. You'll end up with aching neck and shoulders if not and that'll most likely transmit to a bad back as you tense up whilst riding. Build up the road miles gradually as you'll be retraining lots of muscles etc to cope with the different position.

I too have a roadrat but with flat bars and that's not particularly harsh IMO but I also run 26c tyres on the pretty stiff 36 spoke handbuilt open pro wheels (use it for off road/cross riding too). The tyres really help for pot hole smoothing.

Also ride a carbon Bianchi 928 T Cube with race geometry which is quite a lot more comfortable than the ali frame/carbon seatstay version it replaced. Neither had sportive geometry so I ride with the stem flipped to point up and as many spacers as will fit under it. I'm just not flexible/supple enough to cope with it in full on hands by the wheel nuts mode.

Handlebars will make a difference too, Bontrager VR bars are shallow drop and short reach with very tight radius bends. This can be more natural feeling than some of the deep anatomic jobbies. That means you are more likely to actually use the drops.

For comparison purposes I used to have a steel road bike and it felt as stiff as the Ali Bianchi albeit heavier.

Cannondale synapse have a very good reputation as being uber comfy – a friend has one and would back that statement up.

I find that tyres make a really surprising difference to comfort too. More expensive ones with higher TPI and kevlar beads etc tending to be more supple and the thinner they get the more pronounced this is due to the higher pressures they need to run at.

So get a cheap bike but budget for decent tyres and maybe a new bar and stem if needed.

Just saying what I found, r-550's were much bettter at reducing vibration than the mavic cxp21/32spoke wheels they replaced despite being a slightly deeper rim. About half as much difference as going from 23 to 28c tires. It wasn't enough to make unmade roads smooth like the 28c gp4seasons, but its enough to transform a bike that made 40mile rides uncomfortable to one I did 100mile sportives on and rode home afterwards.

Your experience may vary, you'r spokes may be slacker (although the ones in my r-550's are tight as i was getting a little too much flex in their factory build), you may be using mavic askiums or fulcrum 7's which are both heavier (and so presumably harsher).

My head is spinning a bit now.

I think I know what non-MTBers must feel like when I start trying to explain my bikes to them.

No-one here is going to be able to suggest what is suitable for you personally, it depends on your level of problem. But my OCR seems fairly pliable over rough stuff (front end hurts more than rear) but in comparison with a rigid MTB that's no surprise.

glenp – Member
Bike fit is way way more important than frame material, esp in a road bike.

+1, I'm not sure that for recreatiojnal use an "average" rider would tell much difference in "comfort" between steel, alu & carbon fibre or titanium.

I'm also a bit of a glass back at times, but find position and movement on the bike when riding more important.

Agree with commnets re wheels & tyres, I usually use 23 or 25 section tyres, and probably the tyre makes more difference to comfort, using narrow 20 section tyres will be really harsh, and the "fatter" tyres will roll better than the really skinny ones too.

haven't read the whole thread but…

i'd think about an audax type bike. probably nore than useable for what you want and probably steel certainly a slightly more upright position and clearence for 32c tyres.

the bigger tyres still roll fast but make a world of difference. sometihng like a planet x kaffenback or a thorn (not up on models) would be ideal i'd have thought.

Only get an audax/touring bike if thats what you want, I've got

A Touring bike
A racing bike
A fixie (in bits)
A steel racing bike

The steel racing bike is very similar to the aluminium one when built up to a comparable weight/spec, slightly more comfortable, but not enough to justify the weigh penalty to a serious racer.

The tourer is an entirely different beast, even with light wheels and narrow tires its in no hurry to go anywhere, but is comfortable. I generaly don't ride it unless I'm carryign something in panniers. For covering the miles quickly there are much better tools.