All things lovely and cool on the bum
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Velvet wrote:
> Now all I have to do is work on the aching wrists
I never completely dispelled those with a riding position leaning a fair
chunk of my weight on them over a few hours. It was tolerable,
certainly, but my happy ride limit on drops or straights with bar ends
but a forward lean was about 60 miles due to wrist and elbow discomfort
becoming too distracting at that point. Good cork tape and padded mitts
helped, but the only real /solution/ is not to lean on things for hours
which haven't evolved to take continuous weight. Which means either
change position to sit up straighter (but that means you catch the wind
more) or... well, you know what the other solution is by now! ;-) (for
me the extra arm/wrist/neck comfort on the 'bent is probably a more
significant comfort difference than the Comfy Chair replacing a wee
perch on a pole).
> (I'm even entertaining vague ideas that I might soon be able to signal
> all the time with the right hand, I can sometimes do it now!, and maybe
> manage signalling with the left before the end of hte year, too!)
Good stuff. Aside from signalling you'll be able to take a drink
whenever you want without stopping, which IME makes a lot of comfort
difference on a long ride.
I actually took a few "action shots" while riding last week, camera in
right hand and control with the left. Will probably find out soon they
weren't any good, but worth a go... It's quite odd doing your steering
while looking through a compact's viewfinder! Not one to try quite yet,
but taking a cool drink while spinning up a big hill is a Really Useful
Thing :-)
Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net p.j.clinch@dundee.ac.uk http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
Peter Clinch wrote:
> Velvet wrote:
>
>> (I'm even entertaining vague ideas that I might soon be able to signal
>> all the time with the right hand, I can sometimes do it now!, and
>> maybe manage signalling with the left before the end of hte year, too!)
>
>
> Good stuff. Aside from signalling you'll be able to take a drink
> whenever you want without stopping, which IME makes a lot of comfort
> difference on a long ride.
> I actually took a few "action shots" while riding last week, camera in
> right hand and control with the left. Will probably find out soon they
> weren't any good, but worth a go... It's quite odd doing your steering
> while looking through a compact's viewfinder! Not one to try quite yet,
> but taking a cool drink while spinning up a big hill is a Really Useful
> Thing :-)
>
> Pete.
Heh, yeah... that's something that gets to me at the moment, though I
find that when I have to stop on the hills, it's normally about right
for downing another sizeable amount of fluid - then I'm ready to go
again, both in the hydration and legs dept ;-) Longer rides on flatter
terrain though, and it gets annoying to have to stop just to drink, so
yes, I'm looking forward to managing that at some point. And being able
to reach round to my back pocket on the jersey for nibbles.
I've managed to signal right a couple of times, though still not all
that confident about doing it, and has to be nice smooth tarmac surface
or the front of hte bike twitches uncontrollably with just one hand.
Mirror adjustment is now a cinch, and I can even manage that while
pedalling. I've also once managed to get left hand off to poke my HRM
mounted on the bars, which was a major and somewhat surprising
acheivement. And it was ace to parp a complete idiot in a car with my
airzound with the right hand a couple of weeks back. I went for the
bell (much easier to reach and can still have hand on bars) then thought
sod it, before I realised what I'd done, good long toot on the airzound,
and I thought blimey, couldnt' do that before, and promptly got hand
back on hood before I fell off in shock ;-)
--
Velvet
Velvet wrote:
> Heheheh, yes, I know I'll be trying it out before I buy, and probably=20
> doing the rounds of several first... I'm certain I want three wheels=20
> though - I'm slow on hills on the upright, and would be even slower on =
a=20
> recumbent, so to be able to twiddle up slowly I want that third wheel s=
o=20
> I don't need to balance - and I'll go downhill MUCH faster with three=20
> than two - again, the balance/stability on bumps issue.
While it's true you can winch yourself up anything on a suitably low=20
geared trike, in practice there can be more to it than that. If you=20
just don't have a hill in your legs then spinning very low gears may=20
still be too much, and in practice walking pace on a bike with a few=20
rest stops may prove easier than constant progess at a total crawl. I=20
don't think a Windcheetah would take a rear geared hub to really take=20
things down monster-low because of the monostay rear, as it happens.
But down a big hill, don't be too sure about balance and stability. A=20
Windcheetah (and many other trikes) don't have suspension where a lot of =
bikes do, and that makes them smoother, faster and more efficient down=20
imperfect surfaces. Soaking the bumps up in suspension is often going=20
to be a better solution than just adding another wheel, or Mad Bastards=20
on descent trails would all be on trikes.
> From that, I like the two-handed braking, and steering, though am=20
> intrigued by the single-handedness of the windcheetah and feel this=20
> could be a definite advantage for signalling whilst careering downhill =
> ;-) On the other hand, it may be that my wrist strength would mean=20
> under such circumstances it's a bit borderline on having total control =
> over it, so I'm quite prepared to have my hopes of a windcheetah dashed=
=20
> when/if I find that out.
On /any/ 'bent the steering is far less affected by one-handedness=20
because you're not leaning any weight onto the bars by default. They=20
just rest/hang there with nothing to do but steer (no weight bearing to=20
do), so taking one hand away doesn't immediately put the steering out of =
balance by leaning on one side and not the other. The only effective=20
difference from one or two handed control a lot of the time is the=20
brakes and gears you have access to at any point. Good brakes,=20
especially hydraulics, mean you can stop with finger pressure so wrist=20
strength should be a non-issue on any 'bent.
> Re the gates and anti-bike measures - I'm no big fan of off-road cycle =
> paths as it is, having discovered that they're sometimes more dangerous=
=20
> than being on the road, and also sometimes a lot more faffing around=20
> than being on the road! I'd be fairly happy to stick to the road route=
=20
> even if it's a bit longer, to be honest, to avoid the barriered routes.=
I agree with a lot of what you say there, but if the alternative is a=20
busy road and I'm not in a hurry I'm less interested in taking it. The=20
safety issue isn't really the main one, I just don't really enjoy being=20
overtaken by streams of nosiy traffic that render side-by side cycling=20
and conversation impossible.
> As yet, my cycling leanings are toward tarmac rather than trail, though=
=20
> I do love the countryside, I'm really not the right disposition or buil=
d=20
> for the mountainbike/trail type stuff, though I thoroughly enjoyed the =
> rattling along the forest way path, but that's really good as off-road =
> surfaces go, I think.
I do very little MTB stuff, but most bikes are quite capable of taking=20
inb a little bit of rough stuff. It just opens up your options more if=20
you /can/ go down that sort of thing. Last week's tour was started off=20
with a couple of days of mainly off-road on old railways and they were=20
certainly slow, but nonetheless enjoyable.
> new one and lots of wonga. However, I really need to hang on to that=20
> money till I've:
<snip>
All very good reasons, to which you can add that you've already got a=20
very nice bike that will do everything you need.
> All of which means a 'bent of any shape of form is still just a pipe=20
> dream far far in the future...
As it was for me, until a chance conversation revealed an ex-dem one=20
going near here for =A3250. It wasn't what I'd outlined the Right 'Bent =
For Me was going to be, but at that price it was Rude Not To and it=20
turned out to be much better for my sort of riding than I'd anticipated.
Pete.
--=20
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net p.j.clinch@dundee.ac.uk http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
In article <cdghkc$b2v$1@dux.dundee.ac.uk>, Peter Clinch wrote:
>Velvet wrote:
>
>> Now all I have to do is work on the aching wrists
>
>I never completely dispelled those with a riding position leaning a fair
>chunk of my weight on them over a few hours. It was tolerable,
>certainly, but my happy ride limit on drops or straights with bar ends
>but a forward lean was about 60 miles due to wrist and elbow discomfort
>becoming too distracting at that point. Good cork tape and padded mitts
>helped, but the only real /solution/ is not to lean on things for hours
>which haven't evolved to take continuous weight. Which means either
>change position to sit up straighter (but that means you catch the wind
>more) or... well, you know what the other solution is by now! ;-)
Tri-bars to lean on your elbows as a change from the wrists? ;-)
Peter Clinch:
>Last week's tour was started off
with a couple of days of mainly off-road on old railways and they were
certainly slow, but nonetheless enjoyable.
And let's not forget some of the roads covered in the early stages of /the/
tour (and to an even greater extent every year in the Paris-Roubaix).
d.
davek wrote:
> Peter Clinch:
>
>>Last week's tour was started off
>
> with a couple of days of mainly off-road on old railways and they were
> certainly slow, but nonetheless enjoyable.
>
> And let's not forget some of the roads covered in the early stages of /the/
> tour (and to an even greater extent every year in the Paris-Roubaix).
>
> d.
>
>
Indeed! I thought of the cobbled sections as I was wobbling bouncing
and bone-shaking across really crap bits of tarmac yesterday, and
reminding myself no matter HOW bad it felt, the cobbles MUST have been
worse... and if they could stay upright then dammit so could I!
--
Velvet
On Mon, 19 Jul 2004 13:04:15 +0000, Velvet wrote:
>
> not to get one quite yet. Though if anyone does feel the need to donate
> one, I'm sure I can chain it to the iron stairs and construct a tarp
> shelter for it somehow... ;-)
I sposted the tale on this group of the 'bent which was nicked from
southwark Park. The thieves cut through the railings rather than the lock.
Not mine, I hasten to add. Bikefix staff member spotted it for sale
in a Brixton second hand shop, and it was retrieved.
So, sorry to be such a nanny, but if outside, get a ground anchor and a
motorcycle type chain, or a STURDY shed.
I know to my cost that ordinary garage doors can be opened with a swift
boot. That cost being my lovely black Trek 820. Bastards.
John Hearns wrote:
> On Mon, 19 Jul 2004 13:04:15 +0000, Velvet wrote:
>
>
>>not to get one quite yet. Though if anyone does feel the need to donate
>>one, I'm sure I can chain it to the iron stairs and construct a tarp
>>shelter for it somehow... ;-)
>
>
> I sposted the tale on this group of the 'bent which was nicked from
> southwark Park. The thieves cut through the railings rather than the lock.
> Not mine, I hasten to add. Bikefix staff member spotted it for sale
> in a Brixton second hand shop, and it was retrieved.
>
> So, sorry to be such a nanny, but if outside, get a ground anchor and a
> motorcycle type chain, or a STURDY shed.
> I know to my cost that ordinary garage doors can be opened with a swift
> boot. That cost being my lovely black Trek 820. Bastards.
Oh, I was planning looping very substantial mbike-like chain around not
the railings, but the actual side wall of the stairs - a large lump of
metal in itself.
--
Velvet
in message <XZNKc.3152$3F4.29826144@news-text.cableinet.net>, Velvet
('velvet@not.a.valid.domain') wrote:
>
> I'm still not convinced about them, especially not the bit where you
> have to wear them in ;-)
That's a myth. They do improve with age, but I've always found mine
comfortable from day one (and I expect that if they're not comfortable
from day one it's because they aren't right for your **** anyway).
--
simon@jasmine.org.uk (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
;; I'd rather live in sybar-space
On Mon, 19 Jul 2004 11:09:43 GMT, Velvet <velvet@not.a.valid.domain>
wrote in message <XZNKc.3152$3F4.29826144@news-text.cableinet.net>:
>I'm still not convinced about them, especially not the bit where you
>have to wear them in ;-)
No, no, you've got it all wrong. The saddle stays the same shape,
it's your bum that gets broken in :-)
(a serial Brooks owner writes from experience here).
Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk
88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University
Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
> On Mon, 19 Jul 2004 11:09:43 GMT, Velvet <velvet@not.a.valid.domain>
> wrote in message <XZNKc.3152$3F4.29826144@news-text.cableinet.net>:
>
>
>>I'm still not convinced about them, especially not the bit where you
>>have to wear them in ;-)
>
>
> No, no, you've got it all wrong. The saddle stays the same shape,
> it's your bum that gets broken in :-)
>
> (a serial Brooks owner writes from experience here).
>
> Guy
Yerrrrs, and how's that different to what I've just done with my
existing non-brookes saddle? ;-)
I'll stick with my <purrs> oktavia </purrs> I think.... Now my bum's
used to it I'm not about to go through all that again. I've been
considering buying a spare while they're still made, actually. Just in
case anything ever happens to it. The faff trying to find a saddle that
fitted nicely is something I really could live without experiencing a
second time.
--
Velvet
Simon Brooke wrote:
> I expect that if they're not comfortable
> from day one it's because they aren't right for your **** anyway
I totally agree. I gave up on my Brooks this year; my rear end is either the
wrong shape or too big! It's going on eBay in a few days (the saddle that
is, not my rear end...) once I get some photos of it.
I tried on and off for several years, and for me it never fulfilled it's
promise. I can either sell it, or use it as a spare hammer!
Regards,
Pete.
On 19/7/04 11:18 pm, in article cdhhap$75o$1$8300dec7@news.demon.co.uk,
"Peter Connolly" <newsgroupsdemon@removethisbitacutecomputing.co.uk> wrote:
> Simon Brooke wrote:
>> I expect that if they're not comfortable
>> from day one it's because they aren't right for your **** anyway
>
> I totally agree. I gave up on my Brooks this year; my rear end is either the
> wrong shape or too big! It's going on eBay in a few days (the saddle that
> is, not my rear end...) once I get some photos of it.
>
> I tried on and off for several years, and for me it never fulfilled it's
> promise. I can either sell it, or use it as a spare hammer!
You could just post an ad here first..
...d
On 2004-07-19 18:31 +0000, Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
> On Mon, 19 Jul 2004 11:09:43 GMT, Velvet <velvet@not.a.valid.domain>
> wrote in message <XZNKc.3152$3F4.29826144@news-text.cableinet.net>:
>
>>I'm still not convinced about them, especially not the bit where you
>>have to wear them in ;-)
>
> No, no, you've got it all wrong. The saddle stays the same shape,
> it's your bum that gets broken in :-)
>
> (a serial Brooks owner writes from experience here).
My B17 definitely hasn't stayed the same shape, or rather it hasn't kept
the same firmness. It definitely tends to bend in in the middle and
splay its cheeks out when weight is put on it, doing a good impression
of a leather hammock. It's dead comfy like this: 80 miles on Sunday and
no bum problems.
The saddle's splaying and bending was a bit alarming at first, but I've
so far resisted the temptation to spanner the thing's nose bolt any
tighter than a half turn per year. The surface still feels quite hard,
but that's not really the point, I hope. It didn't take more than a few
weeks of light riding to break in to this state, and I'm not a heavy
bloke by any means. I suspect the leather varies quite a lot between
saddles, what with it being a natural product and everything.
--
Andrew Chadwick
You never hear a Cricket crowd chanting "who's the bastard in the hat?"
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