Help choosing bike for someone with shoulder and low back issues

[gabecascadia]

I have a lot of old injuries and am looking for a comfortable bikepacking bike; a bike with geometry that will put me in a more upright position. Being upright will reduce the strain on my shoulder and lower back. I want a bike with front suspension to reduce vibrations on the shoulder. The Salsa Timberjack and Surly Karate Monkey look like good options based on top tube effective length and reach. Any recommendations would be helpful.

[offroute]

Hey, Gabe. I don?t think you can go wrong with those solid choices, and you can set it up to your liking.

I?ve been using a PMW Components Coast dropper post with 40 mm of suspension, and it has enabled me to actually ride a hardtail. (Bad L5 here.) One might question a dropper for a bikepacker; it does make long days easier.

The Thudbuster line by Cane Creek is another suspension post, not a dropper. They work as advertised but don?t pair so well with a seat bag.

Both of these products make a dramatic difference in the forces coming from the bike to the spine. Carbon fiber handlebars dampen vibration more than impact, but they also make a difference. Add appropriate saddle and grips, done.

Bikes: The steel frame might be more forgiving than the aluminum one, but try to ride them before buying. I had a very stiff steel frame that was a challenge. I went to titanium and got a little more comfort. Could be other factors than just the material, which is why I reco trying the bikes.

[gabecascadia]

offroute thanks for your reply. I decided to go rigid steel and bought a Surly ECR and am very happy with it. I'm 6'0 with a 33" inseam and the Large fits me well. There really wasn't an opportunity to try many other bikes. There is a huge demand right now in the Pacific Northwest for bikes due to COVID. I had the bike shop leave the steering tube at full length and set the stem nearly at full height. The 29x3.0 tires mitigate vibrations on gravel roads pretty well, which is what I'm mainly riding. Ordered a Brooks Flyer seat for some added cushion, we'll see how that works. My only complaint about comfort are the stock grips, which have minimal cushion. I've only had the bike for two weeks but have found a new obsession. I ordered a frame bag and top tube bag from Rogue Panda, a set of ortlieb gravel packs to put on the rear mount surly rack I have on it, a moloko bar bag, and a few cages to hold a water bottle, fuel for the wisperlite stove, and bear spray.

[offroute]

Sounds like a nice and capable setup! High demand all over as far as I can tell.

A grip with a fin like Ergon's could make a difference. I've used their GX1, GX2 and GP2 grips; would not consider anything else for a weeks-long ride with a semi-conventional MTB bar.