out of action.

[Danneaux]

Try a suspension seatpost for the Audax before you sell it on, Anto...I *think* you might have just enough room for a Thudbuster ST or a SunTour.

All the best,

Dan. (...whose suggestion got another back-pain victim riding his road bike again pain-free)

[jags]

good thinking 99

[JimK]

You might just give a try to a good old full upright type bike. Andre sure has the Rolls-Royce in that category. But sometimes you can pick up an old one for practically nothing. Just the good old Sturmey Archer 3 speed will go a long way! It's probably good to try something like that on the super-cheap so you can see how you like it and how your back likes it. Then if needed you can always move to something up-scale. But really if you can get something dusty out of a neighbor's garage... really it's the riding that's the fun, the bike is just a tool!

[jags]

i was set up to go for a night ride (photos of my night time set up now on facebook ) got all my lights on fully charged ,but i feel like i'm after doing a hard days grafting  in need of a good hot bath.
this back pain drains a fella.

jags.
anyway no more complaining 

[Andre Jute]

You might just give a try to a good old full upright type bike ... if you can get something dusty out of a neighbor's garage... really it's the riding that's the fun, the bike is just a tool!

A couple of my pedal pals ride on bikes that they paid fifty bucks for, never more than 75. There are lots of steel bikes in garages, in the local giveaway or village rags, and even if they have drops, it is easy to turn them into upright bikes because many of them have 1in quill stems, so you just slide it out to the limit or buy a longer quill stem and a set of North Road Bars (cheap at most LBS because they chuck them off bikes where they're perfectly appropriate in order to sell people on the government bike scheme expensive drop bars that they will never bend to  -- those bike dealers have the morals of earthworms). A wider saddle is also desirable, but it doesn't need to be a Brooks to start with.

[Relayer]

so plan B.
sell my audax as it stands  i'll post a photo on facebook  and maybe Jim or Dan will post it here.
then buy a thorn  raven sports tour straight bars big fat tyres.i'm looking for a bike that will give me super comfort my audax is brilliant but fat tyres will be kind to my aching back.
man i'd die if i had to give up cycling, wow not worth thinking about.but this back problem has been with me years and only in the past few weeks its gotten worse.

Anto, pics as requested ...









Here's hoping your back gets better soon Anto.

Jim

[martinf]

so plan B.
sell my audax as it stands  i'll post a photo on facebook  and maybe Jim or Dan will post it here.
then buy a thorn  raven sports tour straight bars big fat tyres.i'm looking for a bike that will give me super comfort my audax is brilliant but fat tyres will be kind to my aching back.

I agree with the other posters - don't sell your Audax straight away, get a cheap old bike with a reasonably good frame and experiment with flat bars, North road bars and fat tyres to see if they suit.

Its nice to have an expensive purpose-built bike, but an old bike will often do nearly as well, especially if you're not sure what setup will be best for you.

Example - the bike I used for my Spain tour was a converted mountain bike over twenty years old. Frame roughly the same geometry as a Thorn Nomad, just as heavy but smaller diameter frame tubing and therefore not so stiff and strong, but adequate for the task.

[triaesthete]

Anto, why not try a short'n'high stem like rualexander's?    http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=9693.0

This along with 32mm Marathon Supremes at 60 psi and maybe a B17 would transform the bike you have now.

Good luck
Ian

[jags]

Thanks Jim your a gent.
yes im keeping it change of plan again i'm a geek.
i have a nice set of  mavic 319 eith ribmo 28 in my shed so i'll put these on they will make a difference ,im sitting here in agony  but i think in the next hour i'll chance a spin have a friend calling to me .thanks lads i will also try that new seatpost  as long as it wont affect my reach.

anto.

[alfie1952]

Hi Jags,

Glad to hear it mate, it looks to good to let someone else have the pleasure of riding it, plus you'll need it for your tour of Scotland to meet all your thorn buddies over here. Get better soon and keep smiling.

Regards Alfie

[jags]

Thanks alfie i got a lovely 20 miles in this morning weather here is fantastic 20 deg. me and my buddy bernard went out took things nice and easy enjoyed every pedal stroke.i have photos up on facebook.i sat down while my mate took a photo i couldn't get back up up ten minutes .funny im ok when cycling as long as i stay in the saddle all is well.

yeah scotland gods own country for cycling ireland is still great but traffic is cat balou  its as well i know ever back road in my area mostly car free happy days.
anyway alfie for the good wishes.


anto.