Embarrassing Bike Questions

cjcp

SecretSam wrote:

I've got a Q - no, 2!:

Q1: why am I so F4cking slow on my bike? I've even bought some new shoes but I still get overtaken by all of the following:

-Roadies (shaved, unshaved, yetis, lovverly ladies, etc)
-Tourers
-MTBs
-Bromptons
-Kids on 12" wheels
-People with 2 flat tyres
-The dead

I just can't go any quicker, it's pathetic.

AND:

Q2: how the hell do you find time to ride outside of commuting (married, 2x3 year old kids, 1.5 hour commute to work (each way))?!??!?!?!?

Hmmm...is the answer to Q1 the issue with Q2.... :?:

Yes, they are linked.

Q1. I was once overtaken by a rider in a cyclo-cross race, despite his flat front tyre. So, chin up. How do you explain that to your children?

- lose weight?
- get fitter?
- ride your bike, ride your bike, ride your bike.

Q2. You're not alone. I rarely ride outside of the commute at the moment - I have a 3yr old and 1yr old. It's rare for me to ride outside of the commute at the moment. I get to Richmond Park once a month at the moment for a three lap attempt. When I do go, it's afterthe kids are in bed. But I live very close to the Park so I'm very lucky in that respect. Since January 2007, I've been into the Surrey Hills four times. And I havent raced since January or February. My next one is next month. Of course, this little riding outside of the commute makes sportives and racing downright painful.

Therefore, I try to make the commute as intense as possible and perhaps do the odd hill rep on the way home - an extra 10mins on the commute has little impact, or is noticed far less than a designated training ride (this is the athlete's "Training Footprint" (Patpending/TM)), particularly since I arrive home after the kids are in bed usually and the good lady needs a bit of downtime for the sweaty husband gets home.

Go away hard from lights, do certain commutes in bigger gears than you otherwise do, and when you have a clear road and it's safe do so, unleash the fury and go full pelt.

I adopt the same approach to the very little time I have on the treadmill. It's 5k, whack up the speed and hang on for dear life.

.

Greg T

SecretSam wrote:

I just can't go any quicker, it's pathetic.

It sounds (and I should point out that I am not a sports fizzyologist here) like you are idle.

Try not being such a lazy slacker for a while, you know have some gumption, pride and get go and push on. It's not like it's going to kill you are anything is it?

I have had bouts of idleness and I find that putting on a pair of union jack running shorts (you know those silky late 80's numbers that are very short and have slits up the side) and running five miles in the rain, with no t-shirt on whilst carrying a bike above my head shouting "I am a winner" breaks me right out of it.

Let me know how you get on.

Underscore

SecretSam wrote:

Q2: how the hell do you find time to ride outside of commuting (married, 2x3 year old kids, 1.5 hour commute to work (each way))?!??!?!?!?

If you discover the answer to that one, let me know! (1x 2 yr old and 1x 3 month old, for the record).

I'm lucky, though, in so far as I live 2.5 miles from work and in a broadly rural location so I have a selection of commuting routes up to 1 hour in duration - some on-road, some off-road (partly or completely) - so I get a reasonable variety of cycling on my commute...

_

Max_Man

I have a queston, why are some peoples bikes setup so aggressive...seat height/handlebar height is massively different. I don't think my back could bend that much.

(proper noob question... )

Bugly

Max_Man wrote:

I have a queston, why are some peoples bikes setup so aggressive...seat height/handlebar height is massively different. I don't think my back could bend that much.

(proper noob question... )

1) i ts the racing look and is pleasing to the eye.
2) most people ride on the hoods not the drops so its not that bad really
3) main reason is the steerer tube is cut in the factory and they make em that way to accentuate the look as per 1).

You can raise your bars using a adjustable stems without resorting to new forks.

il_principe

Bugly wrote:

Max_Man wrote:

I have a queston, why are some peoples bikes setup so aggressive...seat height/handlebar height is massively different. I don't think my back could bend that much.

(proper noob question... )

1) i ts the racing look and is pleasing to the eye.
2) most people ride on the hoods not the drops so its not that bad really
3) main reason is the steerer tube is cut in the factory and they make em that way to accentuate the look as per 1).

You can raise your bars using a adjustable stems without resorting to new forks.

Normally cut by the LBS - well for decent road bikes at any rate, gives you the chance to get positioning right which is another reason to try before you buy. Alternatively ask the retailer to send you the bike with the steerer uncut, then you can experiment with spacers etc before having the LBS cut it to your required length. I use a couple of spacers so if I want to get super aggressive I can remove them for a while!

Coriander

Do I find it so difficult to use the drops on my bike because I'm totally inexperienced in doing so or because my saddle is at about the same height as my handlebars?

cjcp

Coriander wrote:

Do I find it so difficult to use the drops on my bike because I'm totally inexperienced in doing so or because my saddle is at about the same height as my handlebars?

Why is it "difficult"? Which bit of your body feels uncomfortable? Back? Tops of shoulders?

Doesn't sound too bad. What's your overall fit like though? If your top tube is too short, you could be hunched, which restricts air to your lungs and bends the back, so isn't great. Alternatively, if it's too long, it would strain the lower back. Or, is the top tube tyhe right length, but the stem too long? Or, is it just that you never ride on the drops so it's a question of getting used to them?

A Tricross has different geomtry to a full on road bike - shorter top tube, designed to keep you more upright.

Greg T

Max_Man wrote:

I have a queston, why are some peoples bikes setup so aggressive...seat height/handlebar height is massively different. I don't think my back could bend that much.

(proper noob question... )

Having a seat massively higher than your bars looks uber cool............

When you are trying to trim seconds off your "nipping up to the petrol station for a pint of milk" time getting your tuck right is very important.

I think it's an affectation, like courier bags........


Plop.




Wait now...





here they come





here fish fishy fishy.

Coriander

I think it's, as you say, possibly a question of getting used to them. But I do feel wildly not in control when I've tried them, and also I can't sense any power advantage of being in that position - maybe the top tube (that is the horizontal bar bit, isn't it?) is too long.

It might well be also be fear - I can't really grasp the brake lever when on the drops - that makes me disinclined to spend long riding on the drops and so I never get acclimatised to the position.

msw

You can raise your bars using a adjustable stems without resorting to new forks.

Even easier, lots of bikes come with reversible bar extensions (the bit that sticks out front connecting the bars to the head tube). (Or is that the same thing as an adjustable stem?)

Unscrew it, take the bars out of the front, flip it over and now it slopes up rather than down. On mine it raised the bars by about an inch and a half. Make sure you fix it back on properly so that the forks and bars are locked together.

For extra-super-quickness, try just rotating the bars back a bit so the hoods are higher up.

When I bought my bike 2 years ago after about 10 years without one this knocked me flat -- "what do you mean you can't adjust the bar height?".

Greg T

Coriander wrote:

I I can't sense any power advantage of being in that position -

I can't really grasp the brake lever when on the drops - that makes me disinclined to spend long riding on the drops and so I never get acclimatised to the position.

You don't mechanically gain anything by being on the drops but....

You present a smaller profile to the wind - as wind resistance increase exponentially with speed the faster you are going the harder it gets to go any faster - so tucking in makes a difference..

if you are gunning it you can "lever" your legs down by pulling up on the drop on the same side as your leg's driving - standing up... Suggest you leave this until you are less "you are joking me right".......

Yes you are further away from your brakes so yes you have got to factor this in.......

You might be able to "flip your stem" over to get some more height on your bars - we'll have a look tonight.....

Stuck on a Giant

Coriander, both Mrs G and I have Tricrosses and I'd say they're less comfortable on the drops than my 'racing' bike. I think the reason is that the Tricross has a fairly short top tube so you end up feeling too hunched up. I did move the saddle back about an inch on the rails and that made the whole bike more comfortable for me. Mrs G, at 5' nothing, didn't need to do this. Unless you're racing cyclocross, I don't think the Tricross is really right for riding on the drops, but it makes a lovely tourer if you feel too young for a Galaxy/Thorn/Roberts tourer!

il_principe

Greg T wrote:

Having a seat massively higher than your bars looks uber cool............

When you are trying to trim seconds off your "nipping up to the petrol station for a pint of milk" time getting your tuck right is very important.

I think it's an affectation, like courier bags........


Plop.




Wait now...





here they come





here fish fishy fishy.

I see your bait Greg, but I am serene, unflappable and prepared...

*uses razor sharp wit to snip line, eats bait.

biondino

I am used to riding on the drops now, though I don't find it massively comfortable so I tend not to do it for more than a minute or two at a time, but what I found hard at first - and I am not fat by any means - was my thighs banging against my stomach! I found it very constricting, and only practice has loosened me up sufficiently to find it comfy (and losing half a stone has probably made a difference too).

linsen

I went out for about a 7 mile ride a while back and rode in the drops the whole time. After I got over the fear that I wouldn't be able to reach the brakes (I can just about), I found it was quite nice. But I do think one of the advantages of a drop handlebar bike is that you can change your position frequently so you can stay comfortable. I now go down in the drops on a straight long run - the last three miles home from work - bliss!

always_tyred

Coriander wrote:

I have a friend coming over to fit a cat flap tomorrow. If I buy him an extra large breakfast at Maggie's maybe he'll do the brakes as well.

Thank god for men.

Why does your bike need its cat flap repairing?

il_principe

Always Tyred wrote:

Coriander wrote:

I have a friend coming over to fit a cat flap tomorrow. If I buy him an extra large breakfast at Maggie's maybe he'll do the brakes as well.

Thank god for men.

Why does your bike need its cat flap repairing?

I've been reading that as Flat Cap all afternoon - it's been confusing me. Perhaps I'm dyslexic mildly?

always_tyred

biondino wrote:

I am used to riding on the drops now, though I don't find it massively comfortable so I tend not to do it for more than a minute or two at a time, but what I found hard at first - and I am not fat by any means - was my thighs banging against my stomach! I found it very constricting, and only practice has loosened me up sufficiently to find it comfy (and losing half a stone has probably made a difference too).

Sure its not your chest/diaphragm area?

The temptation is to arch your back and sort of hunch to reach the drops, rather than pivoting at the hips. I understand that it takes a while to get the flexibility needed to be able to open your ribs out and still reach the drops, and still pedal comfortably.

To be honest, why the preoccupation with the drops? If its possible to win a tour without using them, it should be possible to commute without using them! I barely touch mine - just occasionally for a "jesus" moment downhill. I feel that I can get about as aero by getting my forearms horizontal on the tops and I'm in a better position to operate brakes/gears.

For god's sake don't adopt the practice of climbing out of the saddle when in the drops.

biondino

If you're on a flat, open stretch and there's a headwind it makes a big difference on the drops. If you've used up almost all your energy even snatching back a few percent can make a big difference, psychologically at least.

il_principe

Always Tyred wrote:

For god's sake don't adopt the practice of climbing out of the saddle when in the drops.

Why not, this is called Honking and can be great for short sharp hills, or indeed long ones. I honked a fair bit on the Hautacam during this years Etape, it just felt effective at the time.

Coriander

I noticed in one of the GTs recently that some of the riders were going down some stoningly steep mountain on the drops! :shock:

biondino

I read you get more leverage out of the saddle if you're in the drops. Can't see it myself, and I feel less stable for sure, but maybe it's because I'm not remotely used to it. Cav does it when sprinting so I guess it must be true.

cjcp

jashburnham wrote:

Always Tyred wrote:

For god's sake don't adopt the practice of climbing out of the saddle when in the drops.

Why not, this is called Honking and can be great for short sharp hills, or indeed long ones. I honked a fair bit on the Hautacam during this years Etape, it just felt effective at the time.

Seconded. Particularly if you want speed to take you over the brow, or if there's a descent shortly after the brow as you then don't need to change position to gain speed.

It also worked for Ricco and Pantani, as did other things mind...

always_tyred

biondino wrote:

If you're on a flat, open stretch and there's a headwind it makes a big difference on the drops. If you've used up almost all your energy even snatching back a few percent can make a big difference, psychologically at least.

For sure. Lots of those round here. I practice climbing on flat open sections its so windy.

But here's the thing - I'll bet that going from your old bike to one with drop bars means that even riding on the hoods you are more stretched out. The danger, well its not really a danger, is that going all the way to the drops means you can't get the power down because your body isn't used to it. This is what I find just going from the tops to the drops. That's why I seem to naturally move to a sort of 2/3 way house by resting my arms down along the line of the hoods a bit. That's why I figure that the pros adopt that position of putting the forearms in the imaginary aerobar position. Personally, I would crash if I did that though.

always_tyred

jashburnham wrote:

Always Tyred wrote:

For god's sake don't adopt the practice of climbing out of the saddle when in the drops.

Why not, this is called Honking and can be great for short sharp hills, or indeed long ones. I honked a fair bit on the Hautacam during this years Etape, it just felt effective at the time.

in the drops

Honking is a generic term for climbing out of the saddle. drops not required.

Max_Man

OK another, new to road bikes and feel I have too much weight on my hands/wrists, is it just I need to get used to the more leaned over position of need to adjust my position?

Flats OK
Hoods feel a lot of weight on my wrists
Drops not too bad, quite comfy actually apart from my knees hitting my belly....

cjcp

Max_Man wrote:

OK another, new to road bikes and feel I have too much weight on my hands/wrists, is it just I need to get used to the more leaned over position of need to adjust my position?

Flats OK
Hoods feel a lot of weight on my wrists
Drops not too bad, quite comfy actually apart from my knees hitting my belly....

Must admit, never experienced this. Possibly just getting used to supporting the weight of your upper body? Were you fitted when you bought your bike? I'm just wondering (out loud) if you're a bit too big for the bike and you're having to stop yourself falling forward and putting extra strain on the hands and wrists.

attica

Always Tyred wrote:

To be honest, why the preoccupation with the drops? If its possible to win a tour without using them, it should be possible to commute without using them! I barely touch mine - just occasionally for a "jesus" moment downhill. I feel that I can get about as aero by getting my forearms horizontal on the tops and I'm in a better position to operate brakes/gears.

For god's sake don't adopt the practice of climbing out of the saddle when in the drops.

I'm with you on this AT although I (and every tour winner) do use them on the descents. On the flat I do the same as you and sometimes even go for the imaginary aero bar technique too.

always_tyred

cjcp wrote:

jashburnham wrote:

Always Tyred wrote:

For god's sake don't adopt the practice of climbing out of the saddle when in the drops.

Why not, this is called Honking and can be great for short sharp hills, or indeed long ones. I honked a fair bit on the Hautacam during this years Etape, it just felt effective at the time.

Seconded. Particularly if you want speed to take you over the brow, or if there's a descent shortly after the brow as you then don't need to change position to gain speed.

It also worked for Ricco and Pantani, as did other things mind...

How long does it take you to get into the drops?

It worked for Pantani, who was Ricco's hero. I guess that if you practice enough, you could get use to it, but for the rest of the pros, let alone the rest of us? Not convinced.