Ooooh. It's a bit lively

Brian said:

This evening I picked up my road bike from the local bike shop.
I now have a nice Lemond Etape with carbon fibre forks.

Got home from the bike shop at around 8pm, spent an hour or so
admiring the bike / transferring speedo + lights + spare bottle cage
from the mtb.

Then at 9:30pm I decided I'd take the new bike out for a quick spin.

What can I say?

It's certainly a different kettle of fish riding a road bike compared
to my mountain bike. The roadbike is very lively and responsive - I
think it's going to take a while to get used to how the bike handles!

I had a similar sort of experience today. First time back on my "racer"
since November. Unlike my tank of a tourer, just a light press on the
pedals makes it go good and proper.

Quoted message said:

I did get some pain in the base of my thumb as I don't think I'm used
to riding on the hoods.

Yes, probably a case of getting used to it, but some adjustments might be
in order otherwise. Simplest one is to try first is different handlebar
tilts. Padded mitts help as well.

~PB

Pete Biggs <[email hidden]> wrote:

:> I did get some pain in the base of my thumb as I don't think I'm used
:> to riding on the hoods.

: Yes, probably a case of getting used to it, but some adjustments might be
: in order otherwise. Simplest one is to try first is different handlebar
: tilts. Padded mitts help as well.

Maybe, but if you are getting pain from a short ride I do as Pete says
and fiddle with the tilt of the bars. If that doesn't work, raise the
bars.

--
Arthur Clune PGP/GPG Key: http://www.clune.org/pubkey.txt
Don't get me wrong, perl is an OK operating system, but it lacks a
lightweight scripting language -- Walter Dnes

"Arthur Clune" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Pete Biggs <[email hidden]> wrote:

:> I did get some pain in the base of my thumb as I don't think I'm used
:> to riding on the hoods.

: Yes, probably a case of getting used to it, but some adjustments might

be

Quoted message said:

: in order otherwise. Simplest one is to try first is different handlebar
: tilts. Padded mitts help as well.

Maybe, but if you are getting pain from a short ride I do as Pete says
and fiddle with the tilt of the bars. If that doesn't work, raise the
bars.

Try Specialized Bar Phat. It's chunky bar tape with gel inserts placed in
the main contact areas. It really makes a difference, it came on my Sequoia
Elite and it really made the bars comfortable. Though, in the perpetual
pursuit of a 1kg bike, I've now removed it, choosing instead to suffer with
lighter, thinner tape. Sad, eh!

It's avilable here
http://www.buyabikedirect.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=516
here
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?ProductID=5360009572
or here
www.google.co.uk

Treefrog <[email hidden]> wrote:
: the main contact areas. It really makes a difference, it came on my Sequoia
: Elite and it really made the bars comfortable. Though, in the perpetual
: pursuit of a 1kg bike, I've now removed it, choosing instead to suffer with
: lighter, thinner tape. Sad, eh!

I can't stress enough that I think this is the wrong solution. If you
are getting pains in your hands after short rides *fix the problem*.
Don't mask it with gel gloves, gel tapes etc. Make the bike comfortable.

You should be able to ride 30 miles with bare hand and unpadded shorts with
*no* discomfortant whatsoever.

The gel stuff has it's uses (long rides, cobbles etc), but the basics must
be right first.

--
Arthur Clune PGP/GPG Key: http://www.clune.org/pubkey.txt
Don't get me wrong, perl is an OK operating system, but it lacks a
lightweight scripting language -- Walter Dnes

"Arthur Clune" <[email hidden]>typed

Quoted message said:

Treefrog <[email hidden]> wrote:
: the main contact areas. It really makes a difference, it came on my
Sequoia
: Elite and it really made the bars comfortable. Though, in the perpetual
: pursuit of a 1kg bike, I've now removed it, choosing instead to
suffer with
: lighter, thinner tape. Sad, eh!

Quoted message said:

I can't stress enough that I think this is the wrong solution. If you
are getting pains in your hands after short rides *fix the problem*.
Don't mask it with gel gloves, gel tapes etc. Make the bike comfortable.

Quoted message said:

You should be able to ride 30 miles with bare hand and unpadded shorts with
*no* discomfortant whatsoever.

Quoted message said:

The gel stuff has it's uses (long rides, cobbles etc), but the basics must
be right first.

Personally, I always used gloves. I agree in principle though. Sometimes
I think this gel ingrains the wrong techniques for some riders.

I kept padded shorts for very long rides, but IMHO the recipe for a
painless saddle area is
1) correct bike set-up and equipment.
2) get butt off seat frequently and when on rough ground.

Same sort of rules apply to hand & bars, but numbness can be a greater
problem and is often painless.

--
Helen D. Vecht: [email hidden]
Edgware.

Arthur Clune said:

I can't stress enough that I think this is the wrong solution. If you
are getting pains in your hands after short rides *fix the problem*.
Don't mask it with gel gloves, gel tapes etc. Make the bike
comfortable.

I generally agree, but there's a limit to how comfortable a bike can ever
be (or how comfortable a particular person can find a particular bike).

Quoted message said:

You should be able to ride 30 miles with bare hand and unpadded
shorts with
*no* discomfortant whatsoever.

Depends on the person. Human beings vary!

Quoted message said:

The gel stuff has it's uses (long rides, cobbles etc), but the basics
must be right first.

30 miles is not a trivial ride to some.

~PB

in message <[email hidden]>, Pete Biggs

(') said:

Arthur Clune said:

I can't stress enough that I think this is the wrong solution. If you
are getting pains in your hands after short rides *fix the problem*.
Don't mask it with gel gloves, gel tapes etc. Make the bike
comfortable.

I generally agree, but there's a limit to how comfortable a bike can
ever be (or how comfortable a particular person can find a particular
bike).

Oooohhh, I don't think so. I know the Sith like to moan about how
uncomfortable diamond frame bikes are, but if you've got a bike set up
right for you it's completely comfortable over any distance you're used
to riding. Both my 'winter hack' and my Cannondale fall into this
category, and my Dolan's getting pretty close.

I mean, I like padded gloves and padded shorts, but they aren't needed.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; I'd rather live in sybar-space

Simon Brooke said:

Oooohhh, I don't think so. I know the Sith like to moan about how
uncomfortable diamond frame bikes are, but if you've got a bike set

up

Quoted message said:

right for you it's completely comfortable over any distance you're

used

Quoted message said:

to riding.

Hear hear!

Quoted message said:

I mean, I like padded gloves and padded shorts, but they aren't

needed.

I wear lycra shorts mainly because they are snug fitting (no loose
fabric flapping about), cut to the right shape and have the seams in
the right places.

The main use of the padding, as far as I can gather, is to help
disguise one's anatomical detail, if you get my drift - I have no
shame, but it's useful to provide some element of discretion at cafe
stops.

d.

Simon Brooke said:

Quoted message said:

I generally agree, but there's a limit to how comfortable a bike can
ever be (or how comfortable a particular person can find a particular
bike).

Oooohhh, I don't think so. I know the Sith like to moan about how
uncomfortable diamond frame bikes are, but if you've got a bike set up
right for you it's completely comfortable over any distance you're
used to riding. Both my 'winter hack' and my Cannondale fall into this
category, and my Dolan's getting pretty close.

Not everyone is so lucky. As well as the bike being setup right, I think
you need to have a body that is in excellent condition all over, and one
that isn't highly sensitive to discomfort in general. Perfect comfort
means feeling nothing (physically), or at least nothing unpleasant. I
can't say I've ever /completely/ experienced that on an average-length
ride despite trying many, many, many adjustments and components on my
bikes over the years. Fortunately, on balance, the amount of enoyment on
the rides outweighs the bits of discomfort--and some of the discomfort is
gross at times.

Quoted message said:

I mean, I like padded gloves and padded shorts, but they aren't
needed.

You might not, "Jack", but I'm not all right without.

~PB

Response to davek:

Quoted message said:

disguise one's anatomical detail, if you get my drift - I have no
shame, but it's useful to provide some element of discretion at cafe
stops.

IRTA "it's useful to provide some element of discussion at cafe stops"!

--
Sigmund, UK.

"Without the aid of prejudice and custom, I should not be able to find
my way across the room."

On Fri, 18 Mar 2005 13:36:30 +0000, Simon Brooke
<[email hidden]> wrote in message
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

I know the Sith like to moan about how
uncomfortable diamond frame bikes are, but if you've got a bike set up
right for you it's completely comfortable over any distance you're used
to riding.

For certain values of comfortable. When the 'bent was in dock last
year I rode my tourer, which I've had for the thick end of twenty
years and fits like a glove. I still managed to get a nasty saddle
sore despite using good quality bike shorts, clean ones every day, and
a Brooks B17 saddle which broke my bum in years ago.

Ultimately on a wedgie there are three small points of contact. It
doesn't take much for one or more of them to become bruised, inflamed
or uncomfortable, and that will have a knock-on effect on your stance
on the bike and hence possible back ache etc.

Recumbents are not without flaws either, of course. Hard shell seats
can be very sweaty in summer, for example.

Guy
--
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

"To every complex problem there is a solution which is
simple, neat and wrong" - HL Mencken

On Fri, 18 Mar 2005 17:07:44 +0000, Not Responding <[email hidden]>

wrote in message : said:

30 miles is a long way for some people.

Indeed. Home to station to office and all the way home, in fact ;-)

Guy
--
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

"To every complex problem there is a solution which is
simple, neat and wrong" - HL Mencken

Just zis Guy said:

For certain values of comfortable. When the 'bent was in dock last
year I rode my tourer, which I've had for the thick end of twenty
years and fits like a glove. I still managed to get a nasty saddle
sore despite using good quality bike shorts, clean ones every day, and
a Brooks B17 saddle which broke my bum in years ago.

Ultimately on a wedgie there are three small points of contact. It
doesn't take much for one or more of them to become bruised, inflamed
or uncomfortable, and that will have a knock-on effect on your stance
on the bike and hence possible back ache etc.

That's not quite fair on a wedgie. You presumably had not ridden it for
ages and then jumped on and did your normal long commute on it for
several days in a row, so no wonder you got a sore bum.

The bent equivalent would be complaining your leg muscles hurt if you
jumped on it for the first time and did long rides after a year on a wedgie.

You have to condition yourself to both of them before they are
unconditionally comfortable.

Tony

On Sat, 19 Mar 2005 10:08:39 +0000, Tony Raven <[email hidden]>

wrote in message : said:

Quoted message said:

For certain values of comfortable. When the 'bent was in dock last
year I rode my tourer, which I've had for the thick end of twenty
years and fits like a glove. I still managed to get a nasty saddle
sore despite using good quality bike shorts, clean ones every day, and
a Brooks B17 saddle which broke my bum in years ago.

Quoted message said:

That's not quite fair on a wedgie. You presumably had not ridden it for
ages and then jumped on and did your normal long commute on it for
several days in a row, so no wonder you got a sore bum.

Actually the 'bent had been in dock for some time and I'd been riding
an average of 15-20 miles a day on the wedgie for about six weeks when
it happened.

Guy
--
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

"To every complex problem there is a solution which is
simple, neat and wrong" - HL Mencken

you know? said:

When the 'bent was in dock last
year I rode my tourer, which I've had for the thick end of twenty
years and fits like a glove. I still managed to get a nasty saddle
sore despite using good quality bike shorts, clean ones every day, and
a Brooks B17 saddle which broke my bum in years ago.

Perhaps your bum has changed shape over the years?

Quoted message said:

Ultimately on a wedgie there are three small points of contact.

Five, shirley. My weight is taken by two hands, two feet and a bum.

Quoted message said:

Recumbents are not without flaws either, of course. Hard shell seats
can be very sweaty in summer, for example.

Al

Just zis Guy said:

For certain values of comfortable. When the 'bent was in dock last
year I rode my tourer, which I've had for the thick end of twenty
years and fits like a glove. I still managed to get a nasty saddle
sore despite using good quality bike shorts, clean ones every day, and
a Brooks B17 saddle which broke my bum in years ago.

My experience prezackly. The bit twixt thumb and forefinger was slowly
toughening up fgrom riding on the hoods, but then I went and gouged a big
chunk out of it while unfolding the turbo trainer on Saturday... Bah!

--

Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
World Domination?
Just find a world that's into that kind of thing, then chain to the
floor and walk up and down on it in high heels. (Mr. Sunshine)

Dave Larrington said:

My experience prezackly. The bit twixt thumb and forefinger was

slowly

Quoted message said:

toughening up fgrom riding on the hoods, but then I went and gouged a

big

Quoted message said:

chunk out of it while unfolding the turbo trainer on Saturday...

Bah!

On Saturday this weekend just past? With that gorgeous weather?

LSMike said:

Dave Larrington said:

My experience prezackly. The bit twixt thumb and forefinger was
slowly toughening up fgrom riding on the hoods, but then I went and
gouged a big chunk out of it while unfolding the turbo trainer on
Saturday... Bah!

On Saturday this weekend just past? With that gorgeous weather?

Tsk, you don't think I actually use it for doing the "T" word, do you? That
would be Conduct Most Unbecoming. I was unfolding it that I might use it
to hold Cosimo the Stealth Baron in one place[1], in order to inflate tyres,
lubricate transmission and fettle rubbing brake prior to yesterday's opening
race on the season.

Of course, having so done I then retired indoors to overdose on Rugby
Football...

1 - namely in the sun on my father's drive

--

Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
World Domination?
Just find a world that's into that kind of thing, then chain to the
floor and walk up and down on it in high heels. (Mr. Sunshine)

Simon Brooke said:

Oooohhh, I don't think so. I know the Sith like to moan about how
uncomfortable diamond frame bikes are, but if you've got a bike set up
right for you it's completely comfortable over any distance you're used
to riding.

In a remotely aerodynamic position on a DF you'll have weight on your
arms, and arms just haven't evolved to take weight for hours at a time.
Also, in a remotely aerodynamic position on a DF you'll have to hold
your head up at an unnatural angle or not look where you're going, and
again the neck just hasn't evolved for that.
A 'bent (at least, the /right/ 'bent) takes all the weight off stuff
that isn't generally used to hold folk up and gives a natural heads-up
view of what you need to be looking at.

Quoted message said:

I mean, I like padded gloves and padded shorts, but they aren't needed.

My limit of how far I could happily ride on my old DF tourer was
generally set by body parts other than my legs. All they were doing was
holding my body up. On a more upright bike my arms, wrists, shoulders
and neck don't hurt, but I'm doing a lot of unnecessary leg work to
overcome the wind and with all the weight on my sit bones things do get
a bit rough down there after several hours.

While I'm not saying you can't be comfortable on a DF the simple fact is
you can be /more/ comfortable and /more/ relaxed on a 'bent, and "more
comfortable" is just plain better than "comfortable enough" if all else
is reasonably equal.

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 hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/