First commute on road bike.

[Simon Mason]

"Pete Biggs" <pclemantine{remove_fruit}@biggs.tc> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> NC wrote:
> > I believe that quite a few "ahead" stems can be turned
> > upside down. You might want to try this. It should
> > result in raising the handlebars by about an inch or so
> > on your bike. That might be an alternative to purchasing
> > a new stem at this stage.
>
> Definitely worth a try (if it's not already flipped). I
> believe all ahead stems can be flipped even when
> manufacturers say otherwise. Many are clearly intended to
> be used either way up as they have reversible graphics. I
> use an upside-down Deda Zero, and don't care that the
> "Deda" logo now looks like some strange Martian writing!

Thanks all.
Simon M.

 

[Ambrose Nankive]

In news:[email protected],
Simon Mason <[email protected]> typed:
> "Dave Kahn" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> "Simon Mason" <[email protected]> wrote in
>> message
> news:<[email protected]>...
>>
>>> If that is the case Dave, then it seems I've nothing to
>>> worry about as there is no difference between my 59 cm
>>> hybrid and the 54 cm road bike doing that test. In fact
>>> my finger only goes up to the nut on the end of the
>>> fork tube.
>>>
>>> See: http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/zelbow.htm
>>>
>>> I suppose the extra hand pain is because of the steeper
>>> angle that I'm "attacking the bars" - but then that's
>>> the point of a road bike, isn't ?
>>
>> From the picture it looks as though your stem is about
>> the right length, but that's a really wicked drop from
>> the saddle to the bars. If you surf the web for pictures
>> of pro bikes you will find that the drop on your bike is
>> at the extreme end of what they use. If you bring the
>> bars up by about 1 course of bricks they'd still be
>> aggressively low and you'd still achieve a good aero
>> position.
>>
>> Incidentally, I hate to sound overly critical of your
>> bike. I think you've got a very good deal and you should
>> get a lot of really fast miles out of it, but not if
>> you're in agony.
>
> The "problem" stems from the fact that the frame is only
> 54 cm and as Pete said I would have been better off with
> bigger frame. I can't lower the saddle as that would
> knacker my knees so I will have to look at ways of
> getting more height on the bars. Other than this I'm very
> pleased with it and am not going to sell it for 100 quid!
>
Sorry, I was only teasing. It sounds like you'll get a lot
of fun out of it, anyway, and definitely a lot more fun than
I would. I don't know where to ride road bikes round here.

Both my bikes are slightly too small for me, as well. I
don't find it a big problem apart from the fact that I've
only got one seatpin that I fit, so I have to swap it over
when I want to go mountain biking. Which means the mountain
bike's grossly underused. Which is sad.

 

[Simon Mason]

"Ambrose Nankivell" <[email protected]> wrote in
message news:[email protected]...

> >
> Sorry, I was only teasing. It sounds like you'll get a lot
> of fun out of
it,
> anyway, and definitely a lot more fun than I would. I
> don't know where to ride road bikes round here.

I know you were You've got me intrigued now though,
where do you live were there are no roads to ride on? It
is some remote Scottish island, or perhaps an offshore
fort, or maybe you've a house boat on a remote river -
please do tell

Simon M.

 

[Ambrose Nankive]

In news:[email protected],
Simon Mason <[email protected]> typed:
> "Ambrose Nankivell"
> <[email protected]> wrote in
> message news:[email protected]
> berlin.de...
>
>>>
>> Sorry, I was only teasing. It sounds like you'll get a
>> lot of fun out of it, anyway, and definitely a lot more
>> fun than I would. I don't know where to ride road bikes
>> round here.
>
> I know you were

Better safe than sorry. Tell you what, I'll make it £150

> You've got me intrigued now though, where do you live were
> there are no roads to ride on? It is some remote Scottish
> island, or perhaps an offshore fort, or maybe you've a
> house boat on a remote river - please do tell
>
Yeah, Knoydart, Walsall, all the same

It's just that there's no roads I'd *like* to ride on. At
least not without going a mile or two out of town on the
canal first. OTOH, I'd have liked a road bike if I could
have gone out with T'Other Dave on the M6 Toll Road before
it opened. That would have been fun.

It's mainly a question of attitude anyway, but at the
moment, I just don't feel like cycling unless I'm going
somewhere. Which reminds me, I have to cycle into town. And
maybe then I'll put the larger sprocket on my hub that I
bought almost a year ago. That'll be nice.

Ambrose

 

[Pete Biggs]

NC wrote:
> There must be some ~26mm stems with rise on them
> somewhere... Just looked, 3TTT do the "Mutangolo" which is
> an adjustable "Mutant" which comes in
> 25.8mm dia.

I think the Ritchey Comp is one in 26.0, and is a decent
quality stem. Website can be checked for details; there's
more than one version.

~PB

 

[David Green]

Simon Mason wrote:

> Soon got sick of hand position on the bars, seemed a lot
> of weight on the hands, something that will limit long
> distance rides and I can't put the bars any higher to
> reduce load.

Some ideas which might help you.

First, most of the time when riding with drops, your hands
should be on the upper part of the bars, resting against the
brake hoods. If your hands are in this position but you
still feel a lot of pressure against the hoods, the bars
might be rotated too far 'forward' (when viewed from the
side). The upper part of drop bars (between stem and brake
hoods) should be roughly horizontal. To adjust, loosen the
stem clamp and rotate bars slightly. Note: afterwards, the
lower (drop) part of the bars ought to slope gently down,
pointing roughly at the rear hub!

Second, the position of your hands most of the time (that's
resting against the brake hoods, as I said above) should be
roughly level with your saddle. So adjust saddle height
first, then adjust bars accordingly. this ensures your bum
and arms share the weight.

Thirdly, the lower (drop) position of the bars is only
intended to be used occasionally, like when fighting your
way into a headwind or to vary your position on a long
ride. Unfortunately, many new bikes I see in LBS tend to
have the lower (drop) part of the bars set horizontal,
which looks nice and sporty, but which can mislead you into
trying to rest your hands there all the time. This is wrong
and might be the reason you have noticed lots of weight on
your hands (?).

--
David Green Cambridge, UK.

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[Just Zis Guy]

On Sun, 28 Mar 2004 15:16:33 +0100, David Green
<[email protected]> wrote in message <[email protected]>:

>First, most of the time when riding with drops, your hands
>should be on the upper part of the bars, resting against
>the brake hoods.

Why? I ride on the drops a lot of the time, it's
better aero.

--
Guy
===
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