newbie needs help w/ tires, seats, and other fun stuff



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Eric Gleason

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I got my first decent bike last fall, was able to ride it for a month or so before the weather
turned and riding was no fun anymore. The weather finally broke here in upstate NY (at least for a
few days), so I got out on the road for the first time this year.

The bike is more or less an entry-level flat bar road bike, riding on road tires. I want to get
tires that are a little wider and will still work on these rims, I ride on a lot of asphalt in bad
shape, so I can feel every little bump jarring my ass. What do you guys recommend? What do I look
for? The current tires are 700 x26C

Second, I need one of those seats that won't make my weewee go numb, what's good there? My local
shops seem to have a very poor selection. I've heard the Terry Liberator mentioned before, is this a
good option? FWIW, I've got kind of a wide ass.

What do I need to keep my chain and gears clean? Lots of water from melting snow and gravel on top
of the asphalt from a long winter, so I got plenty of grainy dirt on me today, and my chain already
felt like I just sandblasted
it.

Are the cheapy fenders like Nashbar sells worth the $ and time to install them? I think it's going
to be a wet spring here...

Thanks in advance for the advice!
 
"eric gleason" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:BA9AC390.FF8C%[email protected]...
> The bike is more or less an entry-level flat bar road bike, riding on road tires. I want to get
> tires that are a little wider and will still work on these rims, I ride on a lot of asphalt in bad
> shape, so I can feel every little bump jarring my ass. What do you guys recommend? What do I look
> for? The current tires are 700 x26C

Check to see how much clearance you have between tire and frame. That will tell you how much bigger
a tire you can put on. By the way, the PSI rating on the side of the tire is a *maximum*. You can
always lower the pressure a bit to get a smoother ride.

> Second, I need one of those seats that won't make my weewee go numb,
what's
> good there? My local shops seem to have a very poor selection. I've
heard
> the Terry Liberator mentioned before, is this a good option? FWIW, I've
got
> kind of a wide ass.

Numbness is often a problem with saddle position. Too high, too low, too far forward, too far back,
but most importantly, wrong tilt....

> What do I need to keep my chain and gears clean? Lots of water from
melting
> snow and gravel on top of the asphalt from a long winter, so I got plenty
of
> grainy dirt on me today, and my chain already felt like I just sandblasted
> it.

The biggest factor in keeping them clean is to keep the water off them in the first place. A set of
fenders will do wonders here. If not, a spray down with cleaner followed by a wipe with a rag then
relube will keep it clean.

> Are the cheapy fenders like Nashbar sells worth the $ and time to install them? I think it's going
> to be a wet spring here...

I have tried both Zefal and Planet Bike fenders. I like the Planet Bike fender much better. Fenders
are one of the great additions to your bike, especially if you value staying dry and keeping the
grit off you and your bike. Keep in mind that fenders will further limit the size of tire you can
put on your bike.

Good luck! -Buck
 
> Check to see how much clearance you have between tire and frame. That will tell you how much
> bigger a tire you can put on. By the way, the PSI rating on the side of the tire is a *maximum*.
> You can always lower the pressure a bit to get a smoother ride.

Are there any guidelines here? How do I determine what size tire is a maximum when I measure the
clearance?

>
>
> > Second, I need one of those seats that won't make my weewee go numb,
> what's
> > good there? My local shops seem to have a very poor selection. I've
> heard
> > the Terry Liberator mentioned before, is this a good option? FWIW, I've
> got
> > kind of a wide ass.
>
> Numbness is often a problem with saddle position. Too high, too low, too far forward, too far
> back, but most importantly, wrong tilt....
>

I have adjusted the seat to get about as good as it gets, but still have problems, though not as bad
as before. Any small adjustment I make to the seat seems to make me uncomfortable in other ways and
doesn't help the numbness.
 
"kyjelly" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> > Check to see how much clearance you have between tire and frame. That
will
> > tell you how much bigger a tire you can put on. By the way, the PSI
rating
> > on the side of the tire is a *maximum*. You can always lower the
pressure a
> > bit to get a smoother ride.
>
> Are there any guidelines here? How do I determine what size tire is a maximum when I measure the
> clearance?

I defer to one of the cycling gurus:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html

> > Numbness is often a problem with saddle position. Too high, too low, too
far
> > forward, too far back, but most importantly, wrong tilt....
> >
>
>
> I have adjusted the seat to get about as good as it gets, but still have problems, though not as
> bad as before. Any small adjustment I make to the seat seems to make me uncomfortable in other
> ways and doesn't help the numbness.

Again, the guru speaks:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/saddles.html

-Buck
 
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