Peewiglet wrote:
> That's interesting! When you say low handlebars, do you mean the
> dropped ones, or just set lower?
Could be either. For best results into the wind (at least on an
upwrong) you might look at triathlon bars, something like this:
http://www.ctcshop.com/product.jsp?style=10374
That gets you into the most efficient aero tuck you can still pedal in,
but they're only much use on fairly routine sections at some speed as
you're away from your controls and not really set up to move the bars
much for lower speed control.
> I think my saddle has been too low, as I've felt as though I was
> crouching and my knees have been getting sore. I'm going to raise it a
> little this afternoon.
IME the best way to set it is ride around your neighbourhood with a
suitable adjustment tool and fiddle and fettle empirically until it's as
good as you can get it. Optimum height will differ by preference as
well as leg length, but leg /almost/ straight with heel on the pedal at
the very bottom of the range is a good place to start.
Another thing for knees is (assuming you're not already doing so)
spinning lower gears *and* getting some connection to the pedals, either
by toe-clips and straps or pedals like SPuDs where there's a cleat in
the shoe that snaps in to the pedal mechanism. The latter is better,
and easier to get in and out of after a little practice, but either
makes your pedalling more efficient which means less grief for the knees
over the same run. One of the main downsides of SPuDs or SPuD-u-likes
is you need a special pair of cycling shoes for them, but having said
that even if you don't bother with any formal attachment to the pedals
it's worth having proper cycling shoes for any sort of distance as they
just work better for the job. Another downside is you have a bike which
isn't so easy to pedal in normal shoes, bummer if you're just on a 5
minute hack to the shops, but you can get pedals with a SPuD mechanism
on one side and a normal platform on the other which gets around this.
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
[email protected] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
