the pursuit of comfort.

[ton]

looking to increase comfort on the bike.
i have been doing some longer rides recently, got a 50 mile offroad route that i have done on the mtb, which is fitted with ergon grips and 100mm sus forks. i do this ride with no discomfort at all.
done a couple of 100km road rides and a 90 miler, on my tourer, fitted with ergon grips and same saddle as my mtb, also same width bars. and on the road rides, after 30 or so miles i am proper uncomfy. constantly changing position. aching bum, acing wrists. dead feet using spd's which i dont get on mtb with flats.

so what am i doing wrong?
tips and ideas greatly appreciated.

[redefined_cycles]

I'd defo get some dropbars with double wrapped (specialized and cannondale do so gravelly tape that both work well but dont last tooooo long before losing bounce) tape as the first port of call. You see the mtb has alot more shuffling if weight hence naturally relieving of pressures whereas road riding is dead (is that described right ) and a bit static. Drops would give alot more hand position...

If you can get carbon (not crappy 3T please but specialized seem to absorb shocks well) in an aero guise you'd do yourself even better as the flat tops do wonders to relieve hand pressure.

Don't forget to have a loose grip wherever you can though Ton... thats my 2 pence worth

[Bearbonesnorm]

Could it be that you're standing up more when off-road Tony ... thus giving everything a bit of a break? I find my body gets bored on long road rides and decides to alleviate the boredom by playing up. Doesn't happen off road.

[ton]

i thought about trying some drops Stu. the position on the hoods is quite nice iirc.

seem like a good choice on wider bars now so will order a set.

[Dave Barter]

Could it be that you're standing up more when off-road Tony ... thus giving everything a bit of a break? I find my body gets bored on long road rides and decides to alleviate the boredom by playing up. Doesn't happen off road.

Adding to what Stu said. Road rides keep you in the same position a lot longer. You're not reacting to bumps and features as much and shifting position less. I'm not convinced you will find a panacea in new gear, it's more about adapting to it. I don't think there is one answer for all. I shift about a bit in the saddle, move my position on the bars and stand up/readjust bits/sit down quite a bit.

[Bedmaker]

I'd agree with the above, moving around more on the MTB makes a big difference I reckon.
I find I can do a huge day out SS and remain comfy as it forces even more movement.
As far as kit goes, for me, a high front end makes a huge comfort difference. Along with Jones bars, this allows plenty options.
I think if I was ever to do a long gravel race (unlikely) I'd keep the high Jones setup but add Tri bars for crouching into the wind.
I reckon having the dropper on the MTB makes a difference too, being able to drop it a little when spinning along easily makes enough of a change to give the bum/hands a break.
I did a 90 mile / 2000M climb day out recently and got home with no nerve pain in my hands or cold/numb foot. I'm prone to both.
Selle SMP TRK saddle is the comfiest ever for me, by a long way.

[jameso]

Sounds like different bike/frame geometry is positioning you differently on the bike so you're in balance on one but not the other. A great bike is a 2-part balancing act - you need your 3 points of contact to balance you in the right / comfortable way and then those 3 points need to put your C of G between the wheels in a way that enables good, natural handling. It's complex, there's no formula to it (despite what many fitters might say) and it's hard to get right. It varies with every bike ime and with some bikes it's just impossible to get the result you want. I think some of us have a feel for what changes are needed, others don't. If you don't it's so difficult as it relies on feedback and feel that's hard to communicate or explain.
£250 spent with a good fitter who doesn't use generic formulas may be money well spent. Anthony Corke at Torke Cycling is brilliant, worth looking him up if you're struggling with all this. He's based down south but may be able to recommend someone using his methods in your area as he trains other bike fitters.

[boxelder]

Larger volume tyres at lower pressure helps. Lots of riders seem to go for silly high pressure in road tyres. It's definitely a lot to do with not changing position as much. The term 'stiff back roadie' has solid roots.

[JohnClimber]

Have you tried a Thud Buster seat post.

Got one from Keep Peddling last month and just ordered my 2nd one.

Sooo comfy even on a Ti frame with fat low pressure tyres

[ton]

Sounds like different bike/frame geometry is positioning you differently on the bike so you're in balance on one but not the other

my bikes are a 62cm surly disco and a xxl trek xcaliber. both bikes are fitted with the same saddle, same width bars, same stem. i measure everything when i set up my bikes. all measurements are the same. so the geometry may be doing what you say, putting me into a different position.
i ride the disco whilst touring with days up to 60 miles, with stops, and never have any issues. yet 30 miles trying a bit harder has me in pain from wrists and backside. it may be just the fixed position.
tyres on the bike a 40c marathons so plenty comfy enough there, i dont run em hard.
i tried a thudbuster when i had the jones. didnt get on with it. like most bike things, there are not designed for a 20 stone + rider.
i am gonna put some 520mm drop bars on for a while and see how i get on with a few more hand positions.

[Moder-dye]

As others have said the difference with road could be that you're just so much more static, like the difference between road and turbo.

I use drops on all my bikes due to knackered wrists, double wrapped and have got a Redshift shock stop stem for my gravel/general purpose bike which has helped a lot. Also got slick 38mm panaracer gravel kings for the road for some more cushion with lower pressures. It's made a massive difference, but not as much as the steroid injections make

Brooks cambium (carved) C17 saddles have also been great for road and turbo for me.