On 23 Jul 2005 05:50:33 -0700, "NYC XYZ" <
[email protected]> wrote:
>
>RonSonic wrote:
>>
>>
>> "In some distant land it is possible that bicycle seats are made out of rainbow
>> and stuffed with cloud. In this world it's easier to just get used to something
>> hard."
>
>Ah, straight out of the '80s Charmin commercial!
Nope, article in a cycling journal in 1905.
>> Heres the deal, upright position puts more weight on your ass it also forces
>> your legs around the saddle at an awkward angle unless you set the seat too low.
>> Which puts yet more weight on your ass and kills your pedalling efficiency.
>> That big sofa-like saddle will require that you set it low.
>>
>> There is no reason for a saddle like that to be light. It simply cannot be fast
>> anyway.
>
>Ah, yes, conventional wisdom. That's why it's so hard for me to find a
>"comfort bike" with "performance" specs!
Sorta like finding a luxury car with sports car performance and minivan cargo
capacity.
>> Fit is never equal.
>
>We're talking theory, here, and necessarily so, since there's no exact
>way to quantify "comfort" and "fit," least not over usenet!
Point is, all other things are never equal. The bike I scoot up to the library
on is a bit different from the one I blast through the forests with and those
are nothing like the road beast. All do have some commonality in how I fit, but
horses for courses as they say.
>> As for all the brand names and model numbers, aren't you the
>> guy whining that the components might not be adequate to your demands. If you
>> want to be a weenie and fuss about that sort of thing, then get weenie about it
>> and fuss about that sort of thing.
>
>???
If you wanna fuss about it then learn about it. Don't fuss AND cling to your
ignorance. That's stupid.
>> Better for WHAT? For WHOM? How good do the parts have to be. Shimano LX is
>> perfectly adequate for pounding through the mountains why won't is suffice for
>> you?
>
>I'm asking the questions, and if you hear them, then I'm obviously
>soliciting your opinion, as I haven't a clue what Shimano-this and
>Bontrager-that means.
Well either get off your ass and find out - OR - explain just what sort of
riding you're doing that you fear LX is not good enough to handle so you can get
some meaningful advice. And brother unless you use words like "gnarly, sick,
xtreme" to describe the enormous "drops, hucks and jumps" you're taking, LX is
more than strong enough.
>> You don't know enough about bikes to be buying that way. Bottom line.
>
>It's true I'm a noob when it comes to technical stuff like this, which
>is why I'm asking here! Thing is, I do know I don't want some
>pig-heavy Huffy from Walmart, if you take my meaning....
That part I understand. Now the part you need to understand is that you are
responsible for either learning enough to make all these decisions yourself,
which also means paying money for your mistakes, or put yourself in the hands of
someone who knows and giving him the information necessary.
>> No, an 18" mountain bike is not the same as an 18" comfort bike and not at all
>> like an 18" drop bar road bike.
>
>Which is why I'd noted earlier about "all other things being equal" --
>an 18" comfort bike is not different in that respect than another 18"
>comfort bike.
Nope. One of the reason we have so many manufacturers is to provide bikes that
fit so many different people. They ain't all the same. I've got two 21" mountain
bikes, that are so different you wouldn't think they were the same size at all.
It's funny, I line those up with my 60cm road bike and the bars, saddles and
cranks all sorta line up, sorta, but nothing else is the same.
>Of course, I'm asking about a hybrid and a road bike, and I know there
>are differences...just wanted to pick your brains for any I may have
>missed, noob that I am.
>
>> The components are different to suit the fact that they are on entirely
>> different styles of bike. They are perfectly good components and work far better
>> than you ride.
>
>?
Trust me, these parts are better than you.
>On my old Trek 7500, I must have put $500 worth of "work" into it over
>about eight years...new cables, chains, cranksets, etc. I really wear
>things out! But I can't imagine riding any other way -- don't see what
>I might be doing wrong, if I'm prematurely wearing parts out somehow.
Nah, just need to learn to do your own maintenance.
>> How bad do you need to stop? Calipers work fine for what they are.
>
>Let's put it this way...I was riding like an NYC messenger in midtown
>rush-hour traffic before I actually did it for a summer spell! =)
And there's a lot of messengers out there with ONE caliper brake and a fixed
gear, which doesn't stop any better than a coaster brake. Don't let the
advertising guys get you to think that buying more stuff is the answer.
My question is what's wrong with the Trek that it should be replaced.
>> Upright means slow and your ass hurts.
>
>That's intersting! I understand the "slow" part -- but I ain't racing,
>just wanted as "fast" as possible given how I ride (which means
>components, etc., to my way of thinking) -- though I don't see how
>upright means up the ass, either. =) Do you mean "crotch" or
>literally ass?? My ass rarely hurts...it's the crotch...ouch!
The more upright you sit the more of your weight is on whatever part of your
anatomy hits the saddle. If you have a stupid plush saddle it'll be your crotch
that takes the weight. If you have a proper hard saddle set high enough it'll be
the sits bones on either side of your ass and below the cheeks that bear the
load.
I can build callouses on my ass.
>> Use your legs.
>
>I do, but it's the ol' suspenders-and-belt theory: two systems are
>better than one. After all, I'm already using my legs anyway! And it
>always gets to your back, in any case, eventually....
By raising the saddle you shift weight forward to your hands and legs. Using a
narrow relatively hard saddle means you can keep your weight off the tender bits
and onto the bony bits on either side. Sit on a hard wood bench, lean forward.
Feel the two spots your weight is on - that's what should be supporting you on
the bike. Riding on your taint is just cruelty.
You should be getting out of the saddle and shifting your position regularly.
Don't get settled in to one position.
Myself I like the Specialized BG saddles, they are fitted to the rider and have
a groove and cutout right where you don't want your weight to rest.
>> Ten cogs times whatever's at the front.
>
>OIC!
>
>> Ron
>
>Sorry for the noob questions, but thanks for your feedback!
Here's da Faqs jack:
ftp://draco.acs.uci.edu/pub/rec.bicycles/faq They presume
knowledge, but there's good general info.
Ron