I grew up with a mountain bike, which kicked the bucket a week ago. I have been riding 10-20 miles on it daily and really, the bike couldn‘t handle it. Because of the distances I‘ve been riding and the fact that I‘m scared of the super thin tires on a road bike, the local bike shop fixed me up with a performance hybrid. It‘s a beautiful bike with every feature I wanted.and I know it will do better with the distances, but i hate how I can feel every tiny bump in the road. Is this something I will get used to? are all bikes with thin tires like this, or is it because road bikes don‘t have shocks? I‘m really having buyers remorse and am worried I‘ll continue to be upset about the jarring sensation of hiting cracks in the pavement. I spent a great deal of money on this bike and want to make sure I did the right thing. Does anyone have advice? If it helps, the bike I got is a Trek 7.3 FX.
You seem to be dealing with the trade off of getting a bike with narrower tires and no suspension that does not absorb shock well. (I doubt, though, that your mountain bike had suspension if you grew up with it since suspension was only widely available within the past 10 years.) There's not much you can do about the jarring you're experiencing that won't defeat the purpose of having selected a bike with lower rolling resistance thanks to the narrow tires. The upshot of the lower rolling resistance is higher pressure in the tire (mtb tires max out at about 60 psi; road bike tires max out around 115 psi). That translates into almost every bump being transferred through the tires and into the frame and, ultimately, you. You could lower your tire pressure for a smoother ride, but there's two problems with doing that: (1) you lose a lot of efficiency that is the whole point of having a hybrid bike instead of a mountain bike, and (2) you may damage your rims or be susceptible to pinch flats. Here's a few other ideas in order of ease and least expense: (1) avoid cracks and road obstacles as much as possible, (2) rise out of your saddle when you can't avoid a bump and take weight off the handlebars as those parts of the bike pass over the bumps, (3) hop the bike over the bumps, (4) buy a seat post that has a built in shock absorber, or (5) install a carbon fork that absorbs vibrations better than aluminum (this is costly).
im not sure how much money you spent but there are hybrid bikes that do have shocks and slightly larger tires that i think would better suit you. for instance specialized makes a bike called the crosstrail that has a front shock and is perfect for what you are describing. also if you havnt had the bike that long, take it back. most bike shops can work with you to get what you really want. if the bike store you went to doesnt sell specialized , im sure they sell something similar in whatever brands they sell.
Remember that on a bicycle without suspension, YOU are the suspension system. If you look ahead and see a stretch of bumpy pavement, you need to stay light on the seat (don't put all of your weight on the seat) and use your legs to flex and absorb the bumps. As a matter of fact, those mountain bikers who ride hard-core trails and do 3-feet drops have to use their legs to absorb the hits too. Using your legs as a suspension system to absorb shocks is nothing new. Check out skiers going through moguls or snowboarders landing after getting big air-- They are using their legs as shock absorbers too. As long as you learn to use your legs as a suspension system, you can be just as comfortable on a road bike as a mountain bike.
