I can see I need to read more about fittings as I am not grasping the various measurements. Perhaps I am basic when it comes to this. I watched an REI video. The guy stood over the frame and said you should have about an inch between the frame and your inseam. He lifted the bike off of the ground between his legs to demonstrate this. He then showed where you should have a slight bend in your elbows when grasping the handlebars. He showed where you can adjust the saddle frontwards or backwards to help with this. Your body should be in about a 45 degree angle. He showed next where your knees should not lock out when the pedal is in the full down position. He showed where you can adjust the seat up and down to help correct this. Lastly, he showed where changing the stem size or adding or removing spacers could did in this. It almost seemed as though the only thing which was not adjustable was the standover height.
Wish I found this site before Craigslist
- Thread starter simplyserving
- Start date
Such videos are really only a starting point. Standover is almost meaningless on bikes with sloping top tubes. Here's a great article by Leonard Zinn (frame maker, component maker, and tech writer at Velo....used to be Velonews): http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/01/bikes-and-tech/technical-faq/technical-faq-with-lennard-zinn-lz-suggest-some-new-years-resolutions-for-the-bike-industry_154565
There's a lot of info in that article that may not be important for you, but I presented it just so you can see how seat tube length isn't the metric it used to be.
It's been a while since I last posted and I am glad to say its because I have been on my bike a ton. I did the same route as my first but in reverse so that I was heading downhill when I cam to the hangout of the damn chow that got me. He chased me but I beat him this time. I also have been on a gorgeous bike path often. I love it and can't wait for my next ride. Here are my newest set of questions. I feel as though I am extending my arms out (locking them out) definitely when in the hoods and even when on top of the handlebars. I think I need to drop my saddle a touch (legs are nearly straight when pedal is down) and slide the saddle forward a bit. I also think the stem may be long for me and I am thinking of replacing it. I can't find the length of it though. It's a Scott Pro Team stem. All I see is 31.8, 1 1/8. I take it whatever stem I get has to have these numbers bit how many mm's length should I go? 100? 110? Also, my spokes are already loose. Only about 5 rides since trued. Is this normal? I also noticed that when I am going fast on a decline, my front tire appears to begin to rub on the brake pad. Is this an indication of an untrue wheel or does the front brake need adjusting? It doesn't happen st slow speeds or on flat sections. I also need to breakdown and get dome new riding shorts. The used ones I bought on Ebay must have a wornout pad because I am not getting any relief from them. Either that or I may need to look at a new saddle. Are there size considerations when replacing a saddle or are they universal? Thanks as usual.Shorter?
1. If you're arms are locked or nearly so, something about your position is wrong. Elbows should be relaxed if your fit is right. Your knee should have around a 10 - 15° bend when your foot is at BDC (bottom dead center). It's impossible to say what is wrong about your position without seeing pictures, and even with pictures it's not really right to fit over the internet. Moving your seat forward could move your knees to a place w/ respect to the crank that is sub-optimal, but hey, your knees could already be in a sub-optimal position w.r.t. the crank. You can pay ( $50 or so) to an LBS to have a fit done, or you can go at it yourself. Here are some links to sites that address fit:
http://www.rei.com/expertadvice/articles/bike+fit.html (an REI video)
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fitting.htm
...and a classic: http://www.jimlangley.net/crank/bikefit.html
Please note that there is no hard science behind fit, and you should consider any fitting--be it one done by someone paid to do so or one done by yourself using something like the suggestions in the links above--is just a starting point. Nothing is writ in stone.
Suss out your fit before you go buying new parts. Read that statement as many times as necessary to give it the importance it deserves, which is a lot.
2. The numbers you have for the stem indicate the following:
- You steerer (the part of the fork that extends up through the bike's head tube and to which the stem is fastened) is the standard size, 1 1/8" in diamter.
- Your stem accepts oversized handlebars, i.e. handlebars whose center section is 31.8mm in diameter
A new stem will have to meet those same specs. All that's left to specify you stem is the length. To measure the length of your stem, measure from the center of the steerer to the center of the handlebar clamp. That length is your stem length. It should be a multiple of 10 or 5, but stem's can vary slightly in reality from their spec. If for instance it measures 108, 109, 111, or summat, you've got a 110mm stem. There's one other thing to know: the height of the stem's steerer clamp. If it's different than a new stem, spacers between your stem and top headset bearing might need to be removed or added.
3. A lot of bikes come with machine built wheels. In general, machine built wheels don't have the best spoke tension consistency. That is to say, the spoke tension in machine built wheels tends to vary a bit too much from spoke to spoke. This is a condition that leads to spokes loosening and spokes breaking. I'd suggest taking your bike to an LBS and asking them to loosen and re-tension all of the spokes and to be sure to stress relive the spokes in the process. They'll know what that means. If they don't know what that means, grab your bike and run from the store, being sure to never go back.
Loose spokes lead to a wheel being out of true, and an out of true wheel can wobble and rub brake pads. Worse, as mentioned above, loose spokes can lead to spokes breaking. Once your wheels are true, you can reposition your brake pads for optimal braking. The Park Tool website has an excellent tutorial on brake pad positioning in their repair and maintenance section.
4. There's no way to say whether you need a new saddle or new shorts. In the future, I certainly would not buy used shorts again. You don't know what might be growing in such things. A saddle that doesn't fit, won't be improved with new shorts.
There's also know way of knowing straight off what shorts will work best for you. In general, you get what you pay for......but sometimes, for some people, el cheapo shorts work. I'd suggest trying what the LBS's around you have. Definitely do so until you start to get a feel for what size and things you want in a pair or shorts. Again, there's no way real way to know what will work until you start trying different kinds of shorts. What will work will depend on the pad material, pad geometry, the geometry of your tackle and taint, and what coddles your gluteus maximi.
Unfortunately, in cycling there's a lot that's not definite and is a function of personal preference. In fact, IMHO, almost everything and how it works for you is a function of personal preference and how your brain interprets signals from your nerves.
I would suggest checking closely around your base to see if any other soldiers or civilians are experienced cyclists, or if any of same know any experienced cyclists. Experienced cyclists in your area can be a valuable resource.
Thank you Alienator as usual. I dropped the saddle a smidge and moved it forward. What a difference. Felt really comfortable when my hands were positioned on top of the bars, but still seem to be reaching too car to keep them in the hoods. They seem to already be positioned high on the bar. Funny you mention the taint because that is where the soreness is. I think the bib I got only contains the chamois and not any padding per se. I am still noticing a slight rub if the chain on the front DR. I understand this will happen with little-little but it seems to continue the next 2 or 3 rings. I am riding mostly in the big front and middle rear gears so its not much of an issue st the moment. I tried tweaking the barrels to no avail. The last issue I am having is in regards to tire inflation. I have yet to experience a flag yet but when I went to check my pressures pre-ride, I could not seem to get a good seal on either the frame it floor pump. I bought Presta adapters. The frame pump eventually git a good seal but I couldn't seem to get any air into the tire above 100 psi. The pimp is rated at 140 and had 120 as the max on the gauge. The floor pump (another cheaper Bell foot pump) wouldn't even register not allow air to enter.
I've been hitting it hard. I came across a little bit of cash and made the most of it. Bought some new, padded shorts, a Topeak Joe Blow II pump, a Cateye wireless computer, and a jersey, skull cap, glove combo package. I can honestly say that I am loving it more and more with each ride. Of course I have some questions. I notice when I am downshifting (going to an easier gear) with my rear DR, it seems to go down 2 gears instead of 1 as though its skipping. It does not do this when I upshift. Any remedy I can perform to correct this? Next, and this may sound stupid so forgive me, Eugene I connect my pump to the tire, the gauge does not read a pressure. I have to pump it a few times to get it to 120. When I reconnect, a few seconds later, the same thing occurs. Is this normal or do I possibly have a leak?
You might try giving the RD's barrel adjuster a quarter of a turn adjustment counter clockwise. See if that helps. If that doesn't change anything, try another quarter turn CCW. If that doesn't change or if in shifting to bigger cogs your RD starts to over-shift or skip cogs, undo what you just did.
You have presta valves on your tires. Those are valves that require you turn a know CCW to open the valve before air can enter. With such valves, they sometime stick a little, so good practice is to depress the valve quickly with your finger before connecting the pump.
How much do you weigh?
Thanks as usual. Not to sound dumb but I just want to make sure. CCW on the barrel, if I am sitting on the bike would be away from me as opposed to towards me, correct?
Wow, I am special. I just went and looked at the valve and see where I have to unscrew that knob. Now it all makes sense. I am sure glad I did not get a flat while out riding or I would have been trying to put air into the darn tire for an hour. Thanks for pointing that out and I am glad I asked the quesion.
I am 5'7" and weigh 180 pounds. My tires call for 120psi. Should I be putting something different into them?
Wow, I am special. I just went and looked at the valve and see where I have to unscrew that knob. Now it all makes sense. I am sure glad I did not get a flat while out riding or I would have been trying to put air into the darn tire for an hour. Thanks for pointing that out and I am glad I asked the quesion.
I am 5'7" and weigh 180 pounds. My tires call for 120psi. Should I be putting something different into them?
The "120 psi" on your tires is likely a max pressure limit, not a recommended pressure. The analogy would be your car tires, which probably have a max pressure on the sidewall of 44 psi, but the recommended pressure (by your car manufacturer) may be 35 psi or less. Michelin puts a range of pressures (eg 87-116 psi) on their ProRace tire to indicate that it's up to the user to pick the right pressure for their weight and road conditions. Vittoria does this as well on some of their tires.
For your weight on 23mm tires, I'd suggest 100 psi in front, 110 in the back. If you ride on wet days, suggest you decrease those by 10 psi.
Overinflation will ruin the roadholding grip you need to descend and corner safely with no decrease in rolling resistance. That part is hard to believe, I know. I ran max pressures and beyond for years, automatically thinking the bike would be faster, but it's really not due to the vibration induced by normal road surface textures. Rock-hard 145 psi tires feel faster, but they really only deliver that advantage on the smoothest of road and velodrome surfaces.
Another reason to avoid max pressures is puncture resistance: that's generally best at 100 psi or lower. Over-inflated tires tend to get cut running over road debris because they can't conform and "soak it up".
For your weight on 23mm tires, I'd suggest 100 psi in front, 110 in the back. If you ride on wet days, suggest you decrease those by 10 psi.
Overinflation will ruin the roadholding grip you need to descend and corner safely with no decrease in rolling resistance. That part is hard to believe, I know. I ran max pressures and beyond for years, automatically thinking the bike would be faster, but it's really not due to the vibration induced by normal road surface textures. Rock-hard 145 psi tires feel faster, but they really only deliver that advantage on the smoothest of road and velodrome surfaces.
Another reason to avoid max pressures is puncture resistance: that's generally best at 100 psi or lower. Over-inflated tires tend to get cut running over road debris because they can't conform and "soak it up".
+1 on the above and very well put.
I too used to run max pressures thinking it would be faster. In reality, it's just less comfortable, easier to flat, more slippy in the wet, and less grippy in the corners.
On a set of Conti GP's, at my own weight of 170lbs, I'm going to run 110-115 on the rear and 100-105 on the front. In the wet, as dhk2 points out, a little lower.
for the RD skip, check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0Xt_QCHD1U - at about 35 seconds in, you can see what effect turning the barrel has.You may actually need a half turn (or whatever) CW (looking at it from behind the bike facing toward the front of the bike), that is if your current shift bumps it down two instead of one, i.e. shifting to the bigger cogs. Just keep track of the turns so you can undo if needed. If there is one single thing to learn aside from changing a tire, RD adjustment via the barrel would be it. Watch a couple of these vids and soon you'll be telling us how to do it.
I too used to run max pressures thinking it would be faster. In reality, it's just less comfortable, easier to flat, more slippy in the wet, and less grippy in the corners.
On a set of Conti GP's, at my own weight of 170lbs, I'm going to run 110-115 on the rear and 100-105 on the front. In the wet, as dhk2 points out, a little lower.
for the RD skip, check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0Xt_QCHD1U - at about 35 seconds in, you can see what effect turning the barrel has.You may actually need a half turn (or whatever) CW (looking at it from behind the bike facing toward the front of the bike), that is if your current shift bumps it down two instead of one, i.e. shifting to the bigger cogs. Just keep track of the turns so you can undo if needed. If there is one single thing to learn aside from changing a tire, RD adjustment via the barrel would be it. Watch a couple of these vids and soon you'll be telling us how to do it.
dhk2 and danfoz are spot on re: tire pressures, and what they've pointed out was the reason for me asking to what pressure you are inflating your tires. An important consideration they didn't mention is that long days on over-inflated tires can be exhausting, especially on less than smooth rides. Your tires (and inner tubes) are the shock absorbers on your road bike. Getting battered by bumps is both physically and mentally exhausting. Running a lower pressure in your tires can take a significant edge off of a lot of those bumps.
I use 25mm wide tires, and I weigh 175lbs. I inflate the front to 95-100 (depending on the wheels I use) psi and the rear to 100-105 (again, depending on the wheels in use) psi. As danfoz pointed out, lowering your tire pressure 5-10 psi on rainy days will improve tire grip in the wet. Speaking of the wet, the best tires to run in the wet are slicks with no grooved tread. Grooved tread on such narrow tires does not move water, and more importantly water doesn't need to be removed from the contact patch. Road bikes won't start hydroplaning until speeds reach 80 - 100mph.
I use 25mm wide tires, and I weigh 175lbs. I inflate the front to 95-100 (depending on the wheels I use) psi and the rear to 100-105 (again, depending on the wheels in use) psi. As danfoz pointed out, lowering your tire pressure 5-10 psi on rainy days will improve tire grip in the wet. Speaking of the wet, the best tires to run in the wet are slicks with no grooved tread. Grooved tread on such narrow tires does not move water, and more importantly water doesn't need to be removed from the contact patch. Road bikes won't start hydroplaning until speeds reach 80 - 100mph.
This took forever to sink in and I just did not want to believe it until I read an interview with one of the Conti engineers who revealed that the original design of the GP was slick but they added those little grooves to cater psychologically to the "unbelievers".
Awesome advice by all. Is there some type of chart in regards to body weight and tire pressures? I have a few others who are starting-out with me. One in particular is a female rider who weighs around 135 or so. Does the pressure go up or down with lower weighted riders?
I am really fortunate that I did not experience a flat before I realized you had to turn the knob on the Presta valves to get air into them. I was able to properly inflate my tires and the gauge worked. Much easier to pump too
I also just got-in a pair of NEW padded shorts and the padding is nice and thick. Cant wait to ride this weekend with them on.
I am really fortunate that I did not experience a flat before I realized you had to turn the knob on the Presta valves to get air into them. I was able to properly inflate my tires and the gauge worked. Much easier to pump too
I also just got-in a pair of NEW padded shorts and the padding is nice and thick. Cant wait to ride this weekend with them on.
The higher pressure is good for heavier riders. Many tires have a range of pressure indicated, some just say the max. Lighter riders would use the low end, heavier riders the hiher pressure. Some of this is just trial and error.
It seems like a no-brainer but make sure to wash those shorts between each ride otherwise you may soon be searching forum advice on saddle sores /img/vbsmilies/smilies/biggrin.gif
It seems like a no-brainer but make sure to wash those shorts between each ride otherwise you may soon be searching forum advice on saddle sores /img/vbsmilies/smilies/biggrin.gif
Originally Posted by simplyserving .
Awesome advice by all. Is there some type of chart in regards to body weight and tire pressures? I have a few others who are starting-out with me. One in particular is a female rider who weighs around 135 or so. Does the pressure go up or down with lower weighted riders?
I am really fortunate that I did not experience a flat before I realized you had to turn the knob on the Presta valves to get air into them. I was able to properly inflate my tires and the gauge worked. Much easier to pump too
I also just got-in a pair of NEW padded shorts and the padding is nice and thick. Cant wait to ride this weekend with them on.
Some of the tire manufacturers have charts on their websites that will list the recommended pressures for the different tires they sell. The recommended pressure is usually based on the overall weight of the bike and rider.
If you're interested here's a link to an article that has some good info on the effects of tire pressure......
http://www.slowtwitch.com/Tech/What_s_in_a_tube__1034.html
I almost feel lost having not posted on this thread for some time. I have been riding as much as possible and I am still loving it. The gear I recently acquired has made the world of difference. Not inflating the tires to the max also made a lot of sense. No flats so far (knock on wood). I am sure one is coming though as they seem to eventually happen and the reviews I have read on my rims (Alex Rims 500) all claim that they are prone to flats.
What I am finding scary is that I now also want to get a mountain bike. I have a few friends with road bikes and a few with just mountain bikes. I would like to be able to ride with both groups. I have begun to conduct some research into them and am a little more apprehensive about getting one. Between full suspension, hard tails, etc. it seems like it could be a bit confusing what to get. I know that it depends on the typical type of riding you will be doing, but I am not sure what that will be and do not want to get something which would limit me in the future. Im in the process of attempting to trade a guitar towards one (wife would KILL me if I spent a dime on "another bike"). Sizing seems to be relatively simple which also scares me, based on height and standover height (from what I have read). Anyone have any advice here or should I seek out a mountain bike thread? Not looking for anything too indepth, just maybe some pitfalls to watch out for, a recommendation on a good "all around" bike (if one exists) and any other things to consider when thinking about getting a mountain bike.
What I am finding scary is that I now also want to get a mountain bike. I have a few friends with road bikes and a few with just mountain bikes. I would like to be able to ride with both groups. I have begun to conduct some research into them and am a little more apprehensive about getting one. Between full suspension, hard tails, etc. it seems like it could be a bit confusing what to get. I know that it depends on the typical type of riding you will be doing, but I am not sure what that will be and do not want to get something which would limit me in the future. Im in the process of attempting to trade a guitar towards one (wife would KILL me if I spent a dime on "another bike"). Sizing seems to be relatively simple which also scares me, based on height and standover height (from what I have read). Anyone have any advice here or should I seek out a mountain bike thread? Not looking for anything too indepth, just maybe some pitfalls to watch out for, a recommendation on a good "all around" bike (if one exists) and any other things to consider when thinking about getting a mountain bike.
Note that the only way a rim or wheel would be prone to flatting would be if there are burrs inside the rim or if the rim tape is worn out or doesn't sufficiently cover the spoke holes. To check for burrs, run your fingers only the inside surfaces of the rim . If burrs are found, you can use emery cloth to smooth them out. Rim tape can be visually inspected. As for questions about mountain bikes, get thee to the "Mountain Bikes" sub-forum. One thing to note is that all those bikes that look like mountain bikes and come from Walmart, JC Penny's, Target, and the like are not actually mountain bikes. They won't survive real mountain biking, and they could end up causing injury to yourself. Hell, their suspensions don't even really function on smooth city streets. Don't be surprised by your interest in mountain bikes. When the cycling bug bites, it's venom often spreads and causes lust for pretty much anything cycling......except recumbents.simplyserving said:
Yes good deals on mountain bikes are out there especially if there is something "wrong" with it that you can easily fix. I got a used Rockhopper for only $125 in very good shape. (It needed a bunch of adjustments that made it so nothing worked right - brakes were rubbing, shifting was way off, wheels needed truing - but nothing was worn or broken.) It took about 1 hour to set right. This has a nice 9 speed Deore trigger shifter but there are Rockhoppers with various components on them. It is a really nice bike.
You know when the price on an intermediate level front suspension exceeds the price of an entire bike with full suspension something may be rotten in Denmark. Unless you are going to do super gonzo mtb'ing, super high speed downhilling, find a phenominal deal, or have $$ to burn I would stay away from rear suspension all together. Also moving parts require maintenance, and when poorly done or skipped altogether can add to the headache of a used purchase.
