Bianchi Oltre XR4 (trying to keep moving on, literally and metaphorically, when bereaved)
Comments
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I have always gone bars roughly the same width as my shoulders which is a bit old school. These days the fashion is for a narrower width bar.1
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I do the same as weboo - and have been for years - and it works ok for me. Get someone to measure across your shoulders- get the same width bar and you’re about there. You may get an aero benefit going narrower, but that’s no good if you aren’t comfortable.1
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Thank you @webboo and @siddy1972 That is how my existing bike bar width measures, it corresponds with my shoulder width. The measurement on the one that comes with the bike seems to be wider so I am worried it will be more appropriate for a wider male set of shoulders than mine (I'm only 5'3").0
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You could see if they’ll swap it out for you. Personally, I ride with 42cm and really notice it (and don’t like it) on a bigger bar. We’re all different though, so maybe I’m just over fussy.1
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I don’t think I knew what width my bars are. It turns out turbo bike, winter bike and second best bike are all 42’s. Best bike bars are 40’s to be honest I never noticed they were narrower.1
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That''s useful to know. Thank you so much @siddy1972 and @webboo - both for your practical replies and for showing me not everyone on here is guilty of projection and transference.0
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Hey and welcome to the Forum therobertscollection and here’s to some good cycling.therobertscollection said:That''s useful to know. Thank you so much @siddy1972 and @webboo - both for your practical replies and for showing me not everyone on here is guilty of projection and transference.
This is usually a really good Forum, I’ve received some great advice and help, but every now and again some threads do go AWOL! Stick with it. I concentrate on the good stuff and block out some of the other stuff if it does happen. There are just one or two people who post stuff to wind up!
Like you I ‘came back’to cycling from a lot of running, although I always did both. I find that I can really push myself with the cycling without too many stresses on my body. My real running came to a stop when I came off the bike about 4 years ago and had to have a hip replacement. Equally this made me even more determined to get out there too.
Enjoy the bike. Getting it set up as you want and finding the right gear etc is half the fun!
The advice re the width of the handlebars is all good. You should be able to ask the shop to fit a different narrower set for you for only a little extra cost.
It will take quite a few rides to get the bike just as you want, but the time spent on this is well worth it. I don’t own a Bianchi, but I know they have quite a following so there will always someone to chat to about it over a coffee stop.
BW
Molteni0 -
Welcome to the forum , if you are going with the Vision Metron handle bars / cockpit I would make sure you order the correct width when you order your bike, they will be expensive to change out if the original ones are too wide
Don’t forget to keep us up to date, we like photos of shiny new bikes as well1 -
Thank you for the advice and welcomes @molteni_man and @lincolndave
I think I am finding that Bianchi's (expensive ones) seem to bring out a nasty side to people with little regard for their behaviours. I am not sure I will post much more once I have this set up. My other post on mental wellbeing has very little interest which, ironically, would do a lot of people some good to take a good hard look at themselves.
If I had my way my little mum would still be with me rather than a new bike. Perhaps others could think of that before posting.0 -
It’s up to you of course, but along with a small amount of the ‘rough’, there’s a great deal more of the ‘smooth’ in my experience. This forum is a cracking place to get loads of good advice and info- you just have to filter out some of the noise. That’s the internet for you...0
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Thanks for the encouragement @siddy1972 I'm old enough to know when there seems an unhealthy amount of noise on some channels. Short of putting a photo up, adding my professional website, and changing the title (to clarify taking the piss and bringing personal disputes on here is not the wisest), there is not much more I can do. But the reality is, I shouldn't have to go to such lengths to get straight answers.siddy1972 said:It’s up to you of course, but along with a small amount of the ‘rough’, there’s a great deal more of the ‘smooth’ in my experience. This forum is a cracking place to get loads of good advice and info- you just have to filter out some of the noise. That’s the internet for you...
The internet isn't policed well, admin often don't do their job efficiently before damage is done, and the kindness you sense on a forum is, unfortunately, a reflection of the ability of the community to behave with propriety. Enough of us on here have children to know exactly what that means. Social media has the ability to drive children to suicide and it is every parent's nightmare to be aware that their children are not being harmed online. So I make sure i am never one to make "some [rough] noise" because you never know what your offhand comment may do to a reader.
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I would suggest the majority on here take their cycling seriously but not themselves. That’s why there is quite a lot of p*ss taking, however sometimes people do get an a bit above themselves like the Tony character who is busy creating abusive threads because no one was that interested in his attempts to prove people were faster in the old days and it just modern equipment that makes you fast these days.0
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I share your pain. I lost my beautiful Mum to Covid-19 on the 23rd of Jan just gone. I miss her deeply. I come on to the Forum for something different and my love of cycling. As I said before the huge huge majority of Forum people on here are good folk with a similar love and passion for cycling. There can be good on the Internet. I managed to help a fellow Forum person with a set of handlebars recently as he had his stolen. There are others who go above and beyond to help.therobertscollection said:
Thanks for the encouragement @siddy1972 I'm old enough to know when there seems an unhealthy amount of noise on some channels. Short of putting a photo up, adding my professional website, and changing the title (to clarify taking the piss and bringing personal disputes on here is not the wisest), there is not much more I can do. But the reality is, I shouldn't have to go to such lengths to get straight answers.siddy1972 said:It’s up to you of course, but along with a small amount of the ‘rough’, there’s a great deal more of the ‘smooth’ in my experience. This forum is a cracking place to get loads of good advice and info- you just have to filter out some of the noise. That’s the internet for you...
The internet isn't policed well, admin often don't do their job efficiently before damage is done, and the kindness you sense on a forum is, unfortunately, a reflection of the ability of the community to behave with propriety. Enough of us on here have children to know exactly what that means. Social media has the ability to drive children to suicide and it is every parent's nightmare to be aware that their children are not being harmed online. So I make sure i am never one to make "some [rough] noise" because you never know what your offhand comment may do to a reader.
I think If we all just ignore the very occasional posters who set out to antagonise then we can move ensure they get bored .... and quickly!0 -
You are very helpful and thoughtful @webboo and @molteni_man and doing a good job of persuading me that the forum has more kindness than otherwise. I am so sorry to hear of your loss @molteni_man No words can express how I feel for you now, especially losing your mum so recently.
When I lost mum I was at Tesco's two days later and had forgotten to scan an item so was subjected to the whole shop being rescanned. I was mortified and apologised to the lady at the checkout telling her I was feeling very out of sorts having lost mum suddenly. She was so sympathetic and told me she had lost 5 (FIVE!) of her family including her husband since April due to Covid. There are so many around the world in this position. I do wish people could be kinder generally in acknowledging this and adjust their settings online and in person.0 -
whereabouts are you 'collection?.
The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
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Don’t worry, they think every new user is me, and obviously I like talking to myself.therobertscollection said:
I beg your pardon?thegreatdivide said:You lot have clearly not realised that this new member 'therobertscollection' is yet another fu*king alter ego of bianchibellend and barmuncher?
I have to say coming from a running background, my first impression of cycling forums is not great.
Coming here because I have been able to spend my mum's legacy on a new bike I would never otherwise contemplate buying, and then seeing this really does astonish me. Shame on you.
This is me: https://www.wendyroberts.co.uk
Who are you?
Not that I should have to do that but I believe that we should all be accountable and not hide behind our "names" or comments online @thegreatdivide .
(edited: of the three posts I have added to this forum as a new member, this is the only one that has such incredible rudeness - trolling and swearing. An expensive once-in-a-lifetime purchase, as opposed to discussion of a component or your wellbeing, seems to have brought the worst out of some members.)
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This is very true. They are also integrated to the stem, so get the right size as well, for the same reason.lincolndave said:Welcome to the forum , if you are going with the Vision Metron handle bars / cockpit I would make sure you order the correct width when you order your bike, they will be expensive to change out if the original ones are too wide
Don’t forget to keep us up to date, we like photos of shiny new bikes as well1 -
that is quite true because no one else does.....brundonbianchi said:
Don’t worry, they think every new user is me, and obviously I like talking to myself.therobertscollection said:
I beg your pardon?thegreatdivide said:You lot have clearly not realised that this new member 'therobertscollection' is yet another fu*king alter ego of bianchibellend and barmuncher?
I have to say coming from a running background, my first impression of cycling forums is not great.
Coming here because I have been able to spend my mum's legacy on a new bike I would never otherwise contemplate buying, and then seeing this really does astonish me. Shame on you.
This is me: https://www.wendyroberts.co.uk
Who are you?
Not that I should have to do that but I believe that we should all be accountable and not hide behind our "names" or comments online @thegreatdivide .
(edited: of the three posts I have added to this forum as a new member, this is the only one that has such incredible rudeness - trolling and swearing. An expensive once-in-a-lifetime purchase, as opposed to discussion of a component or your wellbeing, seems to have brought the worst out of some members.).The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
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Just to say @molteni_man I hope tomorrow is not too difficult for you. My husband and kids are not sure how to help me celebrate Mother's Day given the circumstances and week I have had. I hope you can raise a glass to your mum.molteni_man said:
I share your pain. I lost my beautiful Mum to Covid-19 on the 23rd of Jan just gone. I miss her deeply. I come on to the Forum for something different and my love of cycling. As I said before the huge huge majority of Forum people on here are good folk with a similar love and passion for cycling. There can be good on the Internet. I managed to help a fellow Forum person with a set of handlebars recently as he had his stolen. There are others who go above and beyond to help.therobertscollection said:
Thanks for the encouragement @siddy1972 I'm old enough to know when there seems an unhealthy amount of noise on some channels. Short of putting a photo up, adding my professional website, and changing the title (to clarify taking the piss and bringing personal disputes on here is not the wisest), there is not much more I can do. But the reality is, I shouldn't have to go to such lengths to get straight answers.siddy1972 said:It’s up to you of course, but along with a small amount of the ‘rough’, there’s a great deal more of the ‘smooth’ in my experience. This forum is a cracking place to get loads of good advice and info- you just have to filter out some of the noise. That’s the internet for you...
The internet isn't policed well, admin often don't do their job efficiently before damage is done, and the kindness you sense on a forum is, unfortunately, a reflection of the ability of the community to behave with propriety. Enough of us on here have children to know exactly what that means. Social media has the ability to drive children to suicide and it is every parent's nightmare to be aware that their children are not being harmed online. So I make sure i am never one to make "some [rough] noise" because you never know what your offhand comment may do to a reader.
I think If we all just ignore the very occasional posters who set out to antagonise then we can move ensure they get bored .... and quickly!
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this forum has people from everywhere, so someone local may be able to help you with your bicycle purchase given your husband can't.
i, personally am nowhere near you so wouldn't anyway, but someone may be able to help.
.The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
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I shall try to ignore the apparent contradiction of "where are you" being followed by "I am personally nowhere near you so wouldn't anyway" and answer with: my husband did help me and the bike has been ordered through my local bike shop (read or re-read carefully earlier comments).MattFalle said:this forum has people from everywhere, so someone local may be able to help you with your bicycle purchase given your husband can't.
i, personally am nowhere near you so wouldn't anyway, but someone may be able to help.
But thank you for the thought. @webboo was super helpful in linking me with a shop that continues to supply Bianchi's which gave my husband the idea to contact the central UK dealer and tell my local store they can place an order.
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I have no knowledge of the particular bike or integrated cockpits (all my bikes are old!!!) so am unable to assist.
Hope you enjoy the bike and hopefully you get no more misleading "advice".
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My only comment is that if your old bike is really comfortable you need to check that the size and geometry of a new one will allow you replicate the same position.0
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Thank you @vincesummerskRoxcBTr for that. Makes sense.vincesummerskRoxcBTr said:My only comment is that if your old bike is really comfortable you need to check that the size and geometry of a new one will allow you replicate the same position.
Funnily enough I was on Zwift today for a 3 hour ride (the Four Horsemen, as a treat to myself on Mother's Day ) and had the following random thoughts:
1. The bar width definitely matters to me because it helps me engage the lats properly because I can relax my arms/shoulders and tuck elbows in. I hate mountain bikes because the bars are so wide it encourages you to lock your shoulders and elbows which feels wrong.
2. I can send the bike shop my bike measurements so they can use that as an initial guide when setting it up.
3. Cycling up hills is much easier when out of the saddle - the power transfer is so much more efficient. Is it a small physique thing?
4. It felt like the equivalent of a 90 minute run (what we call a medium long run (MLR) - the mainstay of marathon training for advanced runners, typically done mid-week). I didn't need fuel but think I might for any longer than that.
Happy Mother's Day to the mums out there.
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Thank you. I managed to get out this morning for a decent ride and paused twice to just look at the views and remember. Mum was an outdoors person who enjoyed seeing me go out. I’ll always remember her smile when she saw me return from one ride in particular, although on other occasions I would be gently told off for pushing it a bit too hard on some rides too. A good person who I admire even more now and wish I could tell her this. We too will raise a glass of something this evening.therobertscollection said:
Just to say @molteni_man I hope tomorrow is not too difficult for you. My husband and kids are not sure how to help me celebrate Mother's Day given the circumstances and week I have had. I hope you can raise a glass to your mum.molteni_man said:
I share your pain. I lost my beautiful Mum to Covid-19 on the 23rd of Jan just gone. I miss her deeply. I come on to the Forum for something different and my love of cycling. As I said before the huge huge majority of Forum people on here are good folk with a similar love and passion for cycling. There can be good on the Internet. I managed to help a fellow Forum person with a set of handlebars recently as he had his stolen. There are others who go above and beyond to help.therobertscollection said:
Thanks for the encouragement @siddy1972 I'm old enough to know when there seems an unhealthy amount of noise on some channels. Short of putting a photo up, adding my professional website, and changing the title (to clarify taking the piss and bringing personal disputes on here is not the wisest), there is not much more I can do. But the reality is, I shouldn't have to go to such lengths to get straight answers.siddy1972 said:It’s up to you of course, but along with a small amount of the ‘rough’, there’s a great deal more of the ‘smooth’ in my experience. This forum is a cracking place to get loads of good advice and info- you just have to filter out some of the noise. That’s the internet for you...
The internet isn't policed well, admin often don't do their job efficiently before damage is done, and the kindness you sense on a forum is, unfortunately, a reflection of the ability of the community to behave with propriety. Enough of us on here have children to know exactly what that means. Social media has the ability to drive children to suicide and it is every parent's nightmare to be aware that their children are not being harmed online. So I make sure i am never one to make "some [rough] noise" because you never know what your offhand comment may do to a reader.
I think If we all just ignore the very occasional posters who set out to antagonise then we can move ensure they get bored .... and quickly!
It has been good to post this today. Thank you for allowing me to post a reply. It has really helped to sit, pause and write.Some tears, but such good memories too.
I hope today has been ok for you and you can also draw some strength from those memories too. Take care.1 -
Sounds a fitting tribute ride for her today. My family aren't sure quite how much to celebrate today given my recent motherless status. I think your pausing and remembering her is a beautiful way to bring her presence back into your life today. We don't have enough open dialogue surrounding death and yet we all share it in common. I don't know what your background is, so forgive me if you have already done this, but f you are interested to know more, the psychotherapist Irvine Yalom is excellent and has some wonderful books on his approach.molteni_man said:
Thank you. I managed to get out this morning for a decent ride and paused twice to just look at the views and remember. Mum was an outdoors person who enjoyed seeing me go out. I’ll always remember her smile when she saw me return from one ride in particular, although on other occasions I would be gently told off for pushing it a bit too hard on some rides too. A good person who I admire even more now and wish I could tell her this. We too will raise a glass of something this evening.therobertscollection said:
Just to say @molteni_man I hope tomorrow is not too difficult for you. My husband and kids are not sure how to help me celebrate Mother's Day given the circumstances and week I have had. I hope you can raise a glass to your mum.molteni_man said:
I share your pain. I lost my beautiful Mum to Covid-19 on the 23rd of Jan just gone. I miss her deeply. I come on to the Forum for something different and my love of cycling. As I said before the huge huge majority of Forum people on here are good folk with a similar love and passion for cycling. There can be good on the Internet. I managed to help a fellow Forum person with a set of handlebars recently as he had his stolen. There are others who go above and beyond to help.therobertscollection said:
Thanks for the encouragement @siddy1972 I'm old enough to know when there seems an unhealthy amount of noise on some channels. Short of putting a photo up, adding my professional website, and changing the title (to clarify taking the piss and bringing personal disputes on here is not the wisest), there is not much more I can do. But the reality is, I shouldn't have to go to such lengths to get straight answers.siddy1972 said:It’s up to you of course, but along with a small amount of the ‘rough’, there’s a great deal more of the ‘smooth’ in my experience. This forum is a cracking place to get loads of good advice and info- you just have to filter out some of the noise. That’s the internet for you...
The internet isn't policed well, admin often don't do their job efficiently before damage is done, and the kindness you sense on a forum is, unfortunately, a reflection of the ability of the community to behave with propriety. Enough of us on here have children to know exactly what that means. Social media has the ability to drive children to suicide and it is every parent's nightmare to be aware that their children are not being harmed online. So I make sure i am never one to make "some [rough] noise" because you never know what your offhand comment may do to a reader.
I think If we all just ignore the very occasional posters who set out to antagonise then we can move ensure they get bored .... and quickly!
It has been good to post this today. Thank you for allowing me to post a reply. It has really helped to sit, pause and write.Some tears, but such good memories too.
I hope today has been ok for you and you can also draw some strength from those memories too. Take care.
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Thank you for the link which I will look at. As I reflect back I hadn’t realised the power of sometimes writing down and expressing one’s thoughts and sharing. As you say dialogue can be really helpful. I really appreciate the opportunity to do this.therobertscollection said:
Sounds a fitting tribute ride for her today. My family aren't sure quite how much to celebrate today given my recent motherless status. I think your pausing and remembering her is a beautiful way to bring her presence back into your life today. We don't have enough open dialogue surrounding death and yet we all share it in common. I don't know what your background is, so forgive me if you have already done this, but f you are interested to know more, the psychotherapist Irvine Yalom is excellent and has some wonderful books on his approach.molteni_man said:
Thank you. I managed to get out this morning for a decent ride and paused twice to just look at the views and remember. Mum was an outdoors person who enjoyed seeing me go out. I’ll always remember her smile when she saw me return from one ride in particular, although on other occasions I would be gently told off for pushing it a bit too hard on some rides too. A good person who I admire even more now and wish I could tell her this. We too will raise a glass of something this evening.therobertscollection said:
Just to say @molteni_man I hope tomorrow is not too difficult for you. My husband and kids are not sure how to help me celebrate Mother's Day given the circumstances and week I have had. I hope you can raise a glass to your mum.molteni_man said:
I share your pain. I lost my beautiful Mum to Covid-19 on the 23rd of Jan just gone. I miss her deeply. I come on to the Forum for something different and my love of cycling. As I said before the huge huge majority of Forum people on here are good folk with a similar love and passion for cycling. There can be good on the Internet. I managed to help a fellow Forum person with a set of handlebars recently as he had his stolen. There are others who go above and beyond to help.therobertscollection said:
Thanks for the encouragement @siddy1972 I'm old enough to know when there seems an unhealthy amount of noise on some channels. Short of putting a photo up, adding my professional website, and changing the title (to clarify taking the piss and bringing personal disputes on here is not the wisest), there is not much more I can do. But the reality is, I shouldn't have to go to such lengths to get straight answers.siddy1972 said:It’s up to you of course, but along with a small amount of the ‘rough’, there’s a great deal more of the ‘smooth’ in my experience. This forum is a cracking place to get loads of good advice and info- you just have to filter out some of the noise. That’s the internet for you...
The internet isn't policed well, admin often don't do their job efficiently before damage is done, and the kindness you sense on a forum is, unfortunately, a reflection of the ability of the community to behave with propriety. Enough of us on here have children to know exactly what that means. Social media has the ability to drive children to suicide and it is every parent's nightmare to be aware that their children are not being harmed online. So I make sure i am never one to make "some [rough] noise" because you never know what your offhand comment may do to a reader.
I think If we all just ignore the very occasional posters who set out to antagonise then we can move ensure they get bored .... and quickly!
It has been good to post this today. Thank you for allowing me to post a reply. It has really helped to sit, pause and write.Some tears, but such good memories too.
I hope today has been ok for you and you can also draw some strength from those memories too. Take care.
Thanks to all Forum members too for your patience in allowing me to do this too. We’ve got sidetracked from the Bianchi stuff here!1 -
You say that, but do you remember the bikes someone bought with their inheritance from their late mum?
https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/12870046/colnago-c59-150th-anniversary-edition/p1
(pics seem to be broken)
Great way to remember them, rather than paying off the mortgage!1 -
It's been a pleasure to prompt you! Writing is an excellent positive psychology intervention for developing wellbeing. Here is a nice article on the benefits of journalling which you might be interested in reading about.molteni_man said:
Thank you for the link which I will look at. As I reflect back I hadn’t realised the power of sometimes writing down and expressing one’s thoughts and sharing. As you say dialogue can be really helpful. I really appreciate the opportunity to do this.therobertscollection said:
Sounds a fitting tribute ride for her today. My family aren't sure quite how much to celebrate today given my recent motherless status. I think your pausing and remembering her is a beautiful way to bring her presence back into your life today. We don't have enough open dialogue surrounding death and yet we all share it in common. I don't know what your background is, so forgive me if you have already done this, but f you are interested to know more, the psychotherapist Irvine Yalom is excellent and has some wonderful books on his approach.molteni_man said:
Thank you. I managed to get out this morning for a decent ride and paused twice to just look at the views and remember. Mum was an outdoors person who enjoyed seeing me go out. I’ll always remember her smile when she saw me return from one ride in particular, although on other occasions I would be gently told off for pushing it a bit too hard on some rides too. A good person who I admire even more now and wish I could tell her this. We too will raise a glass of something this evening.therobertscollection said:
Just to say @molteni_man I hope tomorrow is not too difficult for you. My husband and kids are not sure how to help me celebrate Mother's Day given the circumstances and week I have had. I hope you can raise a glass to your mum.molteni_man said:
I share your pain. I lost my beautiful Mum to Covid-19 on the 23rd of Jan just gone. I miss her deeply. I come on to the Forum for something different and my love of cycling. As I said before the huge huge majority of Forum people on here are good folk with a similar love and passion for cycling. There can be good on the Internet. I managed to help a fellow Forum person with a set of handlebars recently as he had his stolen. There are others who go above and beyond to help.therobertscollection said:
Thanks for the encouragement @siddy1972 I'm old enough to know when there seems an unhealthy amount of noise on some channels. Short of putting a photo up, adding my professional website, and changing the title (to clarify taking the piss and bringing personal disputes on here is not the wisest), there is not much more I can do. But the reality is, I shouldn't have to go to such lengths to get straight answers.siddy1972 said:It’s up to you of course, but along with a small amount of the ‘rough’, there’s a great deal more of the ‘smooth’ in my experience. This forum is a cracking place to get loads of good advice and info- you just have to filter out some of the noise. That’s the internet for you...
The internet isn't policed well, admin often don't do their job efficiently before damage is done, and the kindness you sense on a forum is, unfortunately, a reflection of the ability of the community to behave with propriety. Enough of us on here have children to know exactly what that means. Social media has the ability to drive children to suicide and it is every parent's nightmare to be aware that their children are not being harmed online. So I make sure i am never one to make "some [rough] noise" because you never know what your offhand comment may do to a reader.
I think If we all just ignore the very occasional posters who set out to antagonise then we can move ensure they get bored .... and quickly!
It has been good to post this today. Thank you for allowing me to post a reply. It has really helped to sit, pause and write.Some tears, but such good memories too.
I hope today has been ok for you and you can also draw some strength from those memories too. Take care.
Thanks to all Forum members too for your patience in allowing me to do this too. We’ve got sidetracked from the Bianchi stuff here! 0
