phoebeisis

Here is my NRS mutant modified for my gimpy neck.I hate the bent over riding position-I ride bolt upright with this.
Yes,it looks funny,but when you get to be 54 or so,you will understand..Thanks.Charlie

mcoine

Thats a bad idea, from an engineering standpoint anyway. Get a recumbant.

FlatTop

The riding position is not too different from chopper bikes with apehanger bars.
Phoebeisis, is it comfortable for you to ride that bike more than a few miles? That's the true test.

Artkansas 

As usual, someone has gone there before.
Upright pedaling, try the 1907 Dursley Pedersen. Amazingly light.



Dursley Pedersen Bicycles
Modern Pedersen Bicycles

phoebeisis

Ark-true-nothing new under the sun.
Flat top-I ride for an hour every night-maybe 14 miles-no problem.With the normal bent over position-10 minutes-2-3 miles-and my neck would be shot(from hyperextending it to look forward).The bars look apehanger,but the grips are roughly on a level with my beltline when I'm on the bike.The apehangers are close to chin level-literally reaching upward.
mcoine-The recumbents just don't appeal to me;I've never ridden one.Explain what you mean by the engineering?Not starting a fight,just curious.Now you do have to be careful if you exert any lateral forces on the handlebars.The extremely long lever means there is very little resistance relative to a normal bike.The high CG means the bike can be twichy,so you have to be careful with your body movements-especially at speed going downhill.You get accustomed to the high CG fairly quickly,but it isn't for everyone-strictly a compromise because of my neck-a better bar will cure some of the "twitchiness".
The tall "stem" is really taller than I want it to be.Some of the tallness is to move the handlebars rearward-the handlebars have too little pullback for my taste.I'm planning on hunting up some bars with more pullback-much more-roughly what you would find on a 1978 standard motorcycle.I've considered flipping the 45 degree stem backwards and dropping one extender.This would move the handposition about 3" rearward,and about 3 inches downward.I won't do this because it would make it harder to balance;I want to keep some weight on the bar.
I will track down a MC type bar.Thanks for the comments.Charlie

cerewa

The front of that bike looks kinda like the front of my 20"-wheeled folding bike.

Dahon thinks that long stems can work, why shouldn't they work on a non-folding bike?

phoebeisis

cerewa-the long stem works just fine-it took me maybe 2 minutes to get accustomed to it.The downsides I discussed were just "thinking out loud' to try to figure out what the engineering downsides to the long stem were(mcoine mentioned bad idea engineering).The main thing was that it made it more sensitive to lateral imputs,and the higher CG-things you very quickly adjust to.Of course there are obvious aero shortcomings,but I don't race,so who cares.The vast majority of bikes that are used for transportation are bikes with a full upright posture;the bent over position is strictly for racing-looking cool etc.It is a huge compromise( to safety and comfort) to maximize speed.Now speed and looking cool are very good reasons;if I had a 18yo neck I would definitely go for max speed-looks-but I don't-so I accept goofy looks so I can still ride.
Who is Dahon?I not really up on current bike culture?Could you post a picture of your bike-or where I can find a picture??
I just measure the "stems" the NRS is 11" above the top of the steering tube-handlebar(middle) is 12.5" above the top of the steering tube-my Y bike is 10 and 12".A lot of the extension is the uncut steering tubes-260mm I think.Thanks.Charlie

Rincewind8

Dahon is a folding bike manufacturer.
https://www.dahon.com/

Just a thought, you could also use a "normal" setup and replace the handlebar with a BMX handlebar (or similar). I think I would have the same results.

webist

I am 54. I don't think I'd ride that bike though.

phoebeisis

Rincewind-thanks for the Dahon info-neat bikes-folding but just 23 lbs.You are right,I could just put a handlebar with about 10-12" of rise on it.In fact,I did have a bar with about 6" of rise on it,but I am-was-still a bit of a weight weenie,and I wanted to use my carbon bar(I also thought the carbon damped the vibration better,but it was mainly the weight).I am going back in that direction.I have located a bar with 3.5' of rise and about 45 degrees of bend.I'll take at least one extender off.Thanks.Charlie

531phile 

You solved your neck problem, but I bet your lower back hurts on longer rides b/c of the extremely upright position especially on hills.

phoebeisis

531,no my lower back doesn't bother me.However,I have to point out that my usual ride is about 30-50 minutes,maybe 6-12 miles-not long.I don't have any hills here in New Orleans,but the same story in Flagstaff,AZ-no lower back problems,but the rides aren't long.
Why would an upright posture bother your lower back?It is essentially the posture I'm in while pecking at this keyboard?
When I was young(17-24) and doing wt lifting (for wrestling) especially military presses,my lower back was constantly in minor pain.My lower back has been pretty good since I quit doing that.Thanks.Charlie