David Kerber" <ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net> wrote
Quoted message said:
How is your saddle shaped? Mine has just a bit of concavity in it. and
I set it up so that the front end is as level as I can get it, which
leaves the back tilted up just slightly.
That may also be the case with mine (Koobi Enduro PRS). There's a photo at
http://www.koobi.com/koobi/showdetl.cfm?&DID=6&User_ID=274909&st=4509&st2=38065493&st3=-72920763&Product_ID=35&CATID=3
but it isn't from an angle that tells whether the back is a hair higher.
Quoted message said:
3-4 mm of tilt may even be way too much (I was adjusting the height,
remember), but you won't know until you try it. Don't forget to write
down your changes as you go, in case you have to start mixing them up,
like raising the saddle, tilting it a bit, and raising the bars, all at
the same time.
The baseline I described in my earlier post (i.e., having the bubble in the
level bisect the aft vertical line in the glass cylinder) was an LBS
suggestion. Since I calculated the tilt in millimeters by lifting the level
until the bubble was dead center in the cylinder, my guess is highly
unreliable, given normal unsteadiness of hand. In any case it was a place
to start. And yes, tonite's project is to set up Saddle Positioning
Spreadsheet.xls with too many columns to mention.
Quoted message said:
Let us know how it goes!
Would really love to hear feedback on any of what follows, because it really
may make or break me riding an upright bicycle. I rode a leisurely 12 miles
at 13 mph (so just short of 1 hour)--intentionally slower than my normal
~15mph for this route.
[ Question: Might lower cadence and absence of hills skew results, or is it
a non-issue?]
I felt rather more pressure on my hands, which was to be expected, but no
inordinate discomfort--certainly no outright pain or numbness in the upper
body. Certainly didn't feel like I was sliding forward on the saddle.
_Toe_ numbness, which heretofore had always crept up on me 30-45 minutes
into a ride, was 90 percent eliminated. EXCELLENT!
As for penile numbness, well, it went like this. Right at the outset, I
realized that, in addition to saddle tilt, there was a second issue needing
attention--the position of my penis when I ride. Ordinarily, when in
non-biking mode, my penis rides left of center. On the bike, I've been
adopting this position for two reasons: 1) because it feels natural, and 2)
because following some surgery last year, I had to be catheterized. (Guys,
avoid this if possible--especially if the nurse seems testy.) As a result,
I've had episodes of what I'd call urethral pain down the length of my
penis. This was exacerbated when I rode a bicycle with my penis dead
center. So I slung it off to the left. About 45 minutes into the ride, I
noticed F**K, I'm completely numb! Little Petie, speak to me! Speak to me!
I needed no further prompting to reposition the seemingly lifeless member
right into the full-length, now highly appreciated Koobi saddle cutout.
Dork that I am, I didn't pay attention to the single huge difference between
the Koobi and my old Specialized Milano (aside from firmness)---on the
Milano the cutout went from the back of the saddle to about midpoint, then
just bloody ended (so no cutout, really, for my penis). The Koobi, OTOH,
gives me cutout right where I need it, I think. More experimentation is
definitely necessary.
[Question: Gents, it may be intuitively obvious to the casual observer,
but I have to ask: Do you ride with your penis dead center, or do you dogleg
left/right?]
As for butt pain, no problem. And Little Petie is much improved, if not 100
percent, but a more rigorous test of function [ :-) is required.
As I said, feedback _much_ appreciated. Maybe I should repost in new
thread to draw a bit more attention?
--
Peter
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