[/caption]I've been swapping back and forth between bikes lately. I've only been riding a road bike (technically it's a cyclocross) for a year and a half. In spite of a lot of adjusting my fit, I'm still having some discomfort. I was able to solve(!) the saddle problem with a Brooks B17. That hard leather chunk of British brilliance has effectively ended my butt soreness and especially the pressure between the legs that never ended with a hard plastic saddle or with a gel saddle.
But I'm still dealing with pain in my hands and occasionally in my neck and shoulders. Seems like I'm riding with a lot of tension, especially on windy or cold days, which is causing the neck pain. But even on a good day I'm having problems with my hands. I ride with gloves, hands on the hoods most of the time. I only go to the drop position occasionally. Having more hand positions has to help, but overall there are still comfort issues.
So I alternate from time to time with my old Schwinn Sierra mountain bike. I've just added a Brooks B68 to it. No neck or shoulder pain, but hands are going numb with this setup. And I don't have alternative hand positions, so this numbness and pain doesn't get better. I still believe that, even after thousands of miles, I'm still "getting used to it." I used to stop and take short breaks every 10 miles or so. Now it's more like 20 miles. So that's progress!
Now I'm having dreams of another new bike -- it always comes down to new toys, doesn't it? I'm looking at hybrids and wondering if one of those might be a good replacement for the old Schwinn. I like the taller frame, the 700C wheels, the 35mm tire width. Maybe a riser bar...any thoughts?
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