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
howdetl.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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