which bike and wheel combo out of this lot...

CAT69
CAT69 Posts: 376
edited August 2011 in Your road bikes
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Ones got to go........

Comments

  • zoso7
    zoso7 Posts: 66
    I reckon the racing 7's look best on both bikes.

    Off topic, those hoods and bars are rotated really far back. are you struggling for reach?
  • CAT69
    CAT69 Posts: 376
    No not really,struggle with a bad back and i guess thats my way of easing the blow.....i own both of these bikes but dont know which one to keep.......i will have to stop impulse buying lol
  • mouth
    mouth Posts: 1,195
    Which ones ride the best?
    The only disability in life is a poor attitude.
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,786
    Sort your position out first. Something seriously wrong with the bars.
  • CAT69
    CAT69 Posts: 376
    inseine wrote:
    Sort your position out first. Something seriously wrong with the bars.

    should they be dropped\?

    the cannondale is a great ride....its a 54 and the giant is a 55.5 i am 5ft 11
  • FransJacques
    FransJacques Posts: 2,148
    What is it today with bikes with "handlebar hard-ons"? Please hide your excitement sir! Can't believe people post such smutt in public :-)

    Take a look at the R3 thread - you are also breaking Rule #46 http://www.velominati.com/blog/the-rules/ Please get it sorted.

    In response to your question, please buy 2 80mm stems for both bikes and shift the saddles forward about 1.5 cms and you'll be a lot better off.

    Let me guess that you *never* ride in the drops...
    When a cyclist has a disagreement with a car; it's not who's right, it's who's left.
  • Pokerface
    Pokerface Posts: 7,960
    I'd vote for the combo in pic one. And agree with FransJacques - get a much shorter stem and move your saddle forward a bit.

    And then rotate the bars down so the shifters don't look like horns.
  • CAT69
    CAT69 Posts: 376
    You know what i nevere realised they was so high up,like horns lol i have just been to my garage and dropped them and altered the seat angle a tad......thanks for your input will give a go tomorrow.
  • FransJacques
    FransJacques Posts: 2,148
    Well don't just drop it if it's going to give you a back ache. Really depends on how long you ride, age, flexibility, etc. Put on Eurosport for a bit and watch the vuelta to see the position of the guys as they ride on the flats and on climbs. As they do it for 4-5 hours most days they have an idea of what works. It's a good guide to start from.

    But the way you have them now you cannot use the drops b/c your wrists will hurt due to the exteme angle. And you certainly won't be able to reach the brakes, which is great if you're a pro sprinter but not great for dealing with cars.

    Try sliding the saddle forward 1 to 1.5 cms. On 1 bike you have clips and straps so it's not like your KOPS measurement is millimeter perfect anyway...
    When a cyclist has a disagreement with a car; it's not who's right, it's who's left.
  • flasher
    flasher Posts: 1,734
    Cannondale and Fulcrums.
  • Nairnster
    Nairnster Posts: 602
    In all fairness i dont think there is much more forward adjustment available.on the saddles. shorter stem, possibly with a bit of rise might offer the best improvement for you.

    It may not suit the aesthetic sensibilities of many on here, but if it makes you comfy, you will get more pleasure and use the bike more.

    By the way, fulcrums suit both bikes the best.
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,786
    It may not suit the aesthetic sensibilities of many on here, but if it makes you comfy, you will get more pleasure and use the bike more.

    It's not about aesthetics, the guy can't use the drops so might as well but flat bars on if it's about comfort. The overly long stem seems to be the problem.
  • TMR
    TMR Posts: 3,986
    Shorten the stem and possibly swap the seatpost for a zero layback and that should ease the strain on your back. You could also try swapping the bars to something with less reach on hoods and drops, like the 3T Ergosum Pro.
  • Nairnster
    Nairnster Posts: 602
    He has already said he has a bad back, so may be fine with nit using the drops at the moment. thereforebeing able to use them is irrelevant. Fitting a straight bar would mean spending money which isnt necessary.

    I think some are too concerned with what looks correct compared to pro set-ups. Not everyone is as flexible as the pros, and some people are happy to not use the drops. if the bike feels more comfortable and he gets on with riding it like that, then thats what matters.
  • Ginjafro
    Ginjafro Posts: 572
    Dodgy back - try a set of short reach/shallow drop bars (correctly positioned and not pointing up in the air) and sort your position out.
    Giant XTC Pro-Carbon
    Cove Hustler
    Planet X Pro-Carbon
  • Even correctly positioned, that type of shifter tends to look like it's pointing up too much anyway due to it's curved shape and big top end.

    But regardless of aesthetics - a shorter stem would be a really good start. From a comfort point of view, not an aesthetic one.
  • freehub
    freehub Posts: 4,257
    Usually the bar ends are pretty horizontal level with the ground, no totally level, if anything bars in that position will cause over stretching, I had them similar on my commuter, just could not use the drops cause I'd be overstretched.

    If anything for a bad back, the bars/step could actually go up abit with an extra 5mm spacer or two.
  • FransJacques
    FransJacques Posts: 2,148
    As a start both the Giant and 'Dale stems could be flipped, but while that will raise the bar vertically, it will also increase the horizontal distance somewhat. The trade-off depends on HT angle and stem angle (76 deg, 83 deg, 90 deg, etc).

    I didn't mean to get into this but here we go:

    CAT69, honestly don't listen to people who say "the bars are fine the way they are". Nairnster is probably really saying: "Get out and ride it, it's fine" which I fully agree with, bikes are for riding. And riding is better than not riding. But do beware of the other end of the spectrum: pissed off folks who are making do with an ill-fitting bike b/c they bought the wrong size. These people don't know much about bike fit and are too scared/clueless/mechanically retarded to undertake something as simple as raising a stem by moving spacers from above the stem to under the stem, without going to a shop. So it becomes a case of "god why is cycling such a complicated sport? it's all too much expense and bother, I'll ride my new bike as it is". Something as radical as buying a new stem and fitting that is beyond them. And so they give bad advice on forums based on their sub-optimal experience. They probably don't know what the drops are for, other than for hanging a helmet. And they have a dim view of spending money on components to achieve a better fit b/c they already maxed out their budget. Don't listen to them

    Sell one of the bikes and make the other one fit you. Must say it's hard to choose which. The Giant has a much higher HT which suits your back but the 'Dale has better components and a triple which, depending on the hills around you, could make it more polyvalent. It looks like the Dale has a shorter TT, though, which is better for your back. Maybe just keep the one that ride better. Keep which ever wheels are lighter. Keep the clipless pedals.

    Use the sale proceeds to get an inline seatpost and a 80mm stem and get them installed for you if you can't yourself. There are tons of options, talk to a local shop about stuff they've stripped off customers' bikes, you don't need new stuff. Shouldn't cost you more than £50-70 quid. I realize that might be 10% of the cost of the whole bike new, but suck it up and stick with it.

    Let us know how you get on.
    When a cyclist has a disagreement with a car; it's not who's right, it's who's left.
  • Nuggs
    Nuggs Posts: 1,804
    Did anyone else read that and think it was contrived by a bunch who so desparately want to be cool that they just come across as people who should get out more and worry less about what others think of them?
  • JRooke
    JRooke Posts: 243
    Just get yourself a bike fit, think you would be wise to ignore people's advise on here for changing your set up, until someone's seen you on it, bad backs is just a bad riding position, also impulse buying is awesome, never stop!