Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - What's wrong with this picture?

Aside from the fact the rider is too fat:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3389/3585140772_9dde3fdfc8_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3587/3585143824_4d5b22e0e5_b.jpg

A conversation with vXhanz after the rides Sunday made me start to think about road bikes again. One of the big objections fell to the ground once vX explained that one rarely, if ever, needs to ride in the drops if you don't want to. Saddle height is also a problem, since road bikes are set up so the saddle is higher than the handlebars, but perhaps that can be worked around.

Folks, what's wrong with this picture? What needs to be adjusted for me to be "at home" on this Long Haul Trucker? I assume a raised stem and pedal extenders for a start.

Other than your look of trepidation...

Seriously, did you actually ride it?
How did it feel? Did you feel cramped or too stretched out?

Other than your look of trepidation...

Seriously, did you actually ride it?
How did it feel? Did you feel cramped or too stretched out?

I couldn't ride it. I'd need the pedals switched to platforms and extenders added for that to happen. I merely straddled it. It's a 58 cm frame.

Nice bike! I think you might be more comfortable if the bars were raised a bit, say an inch or so. I'm also thinking you would want to get a cross brake lever installed, for braking when not in the drops. I personally like my bars higher, since I have a gut, and when I lean over, my knees bump into it.

Other than your look of trepidation...


Other than that, it looks just fine!

Other than that, it looks just fine!

My arms are too straight and my knees too high. Too much extension on the arms, too little on the legs.

I post mostly in Alt Bike Culture when I'm here, lurk in this forum once in a while. I'm 6ft 255lbs, 38in waist 56yrs. old. I couldn't ride that bike, it's a nice bike, but make it COMFORTABLE!....I mostly ride "custom cruisers", but when I go for long rides I use an old Puch Classic that I changed around. Here's a pic, new stem (adjustable), bars, brake levers, and an old Brooks saddle..MAKE your bike comfortable, and you'll ride it everyday for pleasure, not just exercise!

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff182/KOTA777/002-24.jpg

I couldn't ride it. I'd need the pedals switched to platforms and extenders added for that to happen. I merely straddled it. It's a 58 cm frame.

By all means, see if your can have your pedals and extenders put on the bike for a test run.
It's not very easy to see if the reach for the bars is too far if you're not in actual riding position.

If you DO wind up getting the bike you might even consider getting trekking bars instead of the drops (if your aren't going to use them) as that will help you vary your reach as well.

You can also vary the reach by changing out the stem.

i rarely ride in the drops and my Sequoia came with interupter brakes on top so i can reach the brakes on top or on the hoods.

Well I'm glad you liked my bike :) I think the suggestion of the cross brakes are a good one as well ask the trekking bars.

If you don't find a local dealer, next time I'm out your way we can swap the pedals out and drop the seat a bit if you want so you can get a better idea of how it feels. You may need to raise the bars and drop the seat until it fits you better.

V

Adjust the angle of the bars so the brake hoods are higher, add interrupter levers, get out of the drops and on the hoods. You'll find it much more comfy.

I was looking at a LHT at Century Cycle in Peninsula, Ohio. (Shameless plug for probably the coolest bike shop ever.) It is an impressive machine. I really liked the LHT and Cross Check but the OD green makes me lean toward the LHT.

Saddle height is also a problem, since road bikes are set up so the saddle is higher than the handlebars, but perhaps that can be worked around.

This doesn't have to be the case. Many bike companies have realized that the average cyclist doesn't need the same bicycle geometry as a Tour de France racer. As a result, they're designing bikes with longer head tubes and more upright riding positions (e.g. Felt Z-series, Cervelo RS, Specialized Roubaix, Cannondale Synapse, etc). If more bar height is needed, you can leave the steerer tube on the fork uncut and install spacers underneath the stem or use a steeper stem or both.

When I started riding my Cervelo RS, I had the handle bars and saddle at approximately the same level. Now that I've lost a bit of weight and gained some more flexibility, I have the bars a bit lower than the saddle... but not much.

Edit: I also use a shallow drop handlebar (3T Ergosum) that allows me to ride in the drops when it gets really windy. Because the drop is shallow, the position is still pretty comfy.

For just about the same money you could get onto a Rans Fusion ST (http://www.ransbikes.com/FusionST09.htm#), which allows your feet to be on the ground at stops without getting off the seat, has an easy step-through (the "ST" variation, there are non-step through versions too), climbs like nobody's business, is supremely comfortable, and can take giant panniers for touring:
http://www.ransbikes.com/FusionST09/LeadShot.jpg
The downside would be length, with a 53.5" wheelbase it's somewhat longer than a std. bike, and you'd probably have to go to RBR (www.rbr.info (http://www.rbr.info)) in State College to test ride.

I'm not up to speed on some things. What are pedal extenders and what funtion do they give?

A smaller frame will mean a shorter top-tube, so that should take care of the extension problem.

Most people don't really need it, but I think that you would really benefit from a professional bike fitting. One of those shops where they put lots of bikes on a trainer, complete with the pedals that you need for you leg issues, and where they change bikes or things on the bike as they watch you ride for a few minutes.

You won't know what works and what does not until you try some things out. Good luck.

If you have a foot on the ground and still sit on the saddle without leaning the bike, then the saddle is too low for a road bike. You'll want to have both feet in the pedals to get a better idea of fit.

Most people don't really need it, but I think that you would really benefit from a professional bike fitting. One of those shops where they put lots of bikes on a trainer, complete with the pedals that you need for you leg issues, and where they change bikes or things on the bike as they watch you ride for a few minutes.

You won't know what works and what does not until you try some things out. Good luck.



Agreed, just make the fitter aware in no uncertain terms that you aren't looking for a racing fit. To put it in terms he'll understand, you need to tell him that you want a touring or randoneuring (Brevet) fit (relaxed and comfortable for distance riding).

I'm not up to speed on some things. What are pedal extenders and what funtion do they give?
They increase the distance between the pedals. For those of us with a (ahem) wider stance, it takes some pressure off the knees.


Most people don't really need it, but I think that you would really benefit from a professional bike fitting....


Historian has had a Pro Fitting (but not for this kind of bike).
Even they seemed to be stymied with some of the fit issues Neil has.
It seems that the best you can do is a "Close Enough" fit.

Historian has had a Pro Fitting (but not for this kind of bike).
Even they seemed to be stymied with some of the fit issues Neil has.
It seems that the best you can do is a "Close Enough" fit.

The fitter at Cadence was a nice fellow who was clueless to the existence of any sort of cycling aside from racing. When I mentioned riding across the country on a tour he thought I meant RAAM (Race Across AMerica.)

What I need to do is visit Natbla's fitter in Cumberland, MD. Or my own shop, which did an excellent job fitting me to Roark when I purchased him 22 months ago.

need pics of you riding it. Straddling ain't gonna cut it.

I'm not up to speed on some things. What are pedal extenders and what function do they give?

Extenders, sometimes called extensions and often marketed under the trade name Kneesavers, attach to the crankarm to put the pedal further away from the chainring. For many folks with bad or misaligned knees, they allow their feet to find a wider spread, more natural position than many bikes offer. In my case it's the difference between riding and not riding.

Neil, for you I have this, how my Trucker is setup:
http://www.chubbysuperbiker.com/2009/06/one-odd-truck-and-more-awesome-gravel.html

I have lots of stem angle because that's how I'm comfortable, and lots of spacers because - that's how I'm comfortable. It looks weird, really weird, but man is she ever comfortable. I ride this bike over everything now, my penchant, it seems, is gravel/crushed limestone. I'm not at home, never have been, on the road and only enjoy the MUP when I have to.

My shop didn't cut the fork before I bought it, and that was a saving choice. Recently they ordered in the new longer stem with more angle to fit the new handlebars (more on those shortly) and while initially I was horrified at the asthetics, the fit is perfectly amazing.

For the bars, they took serious adjustment after being used to my Trek FX and a MTB. Now I ride mostly "on the hoods" and that's the most comfortable position I think there is for me for cycling. The original bars that were on the LHT were good, but they got cracked in a crash. I purchased Nitto Randonneur bars because I like to sing my own tune and not trust the LBS (haha), which were OK but quickly proved too small. Finally I now have on a set of gigantic 48cm Nitto Noodles and I won't trade them for anything. I have BROAD shoulders and they stretch me out perfectly, I'd suggest them to you. Not too much, not too little, they're excellent. And I should have listened to my LBS and bought them in the first place :).

OR, you could set it up with a flat bar. A local superendurance gravel guru (I don't know how else to describe him!) commutes on a LHT which is setup with a Jones H-Bar - more of a mountain bar.. google it is the best way I can describe it. It gives him a good upright position on the bike, and he seems to enjoy it.

Summary - I'm enamored with my LHT. I think it'd serve you well, espescially on gravel, that frame is quite supple.

I would guess that it doesn't look too far off, but only you will know for sure. I suggest you take the owner up on his offer to let you take it for a real ride and see for yourself. Riding on drop bars (especially on the hoods) isn't something that felt natural when I bought my first road bike. It took a 50 mile ride for me to get used to the different handling and being more stretched out.

Neil, for you I have this, how my Trucker is setup:
http://www.chubbysuperbiker.com/2009/06/one-odd-truck-and-more-awesome-gravel.html

Yowza! Looks to me like you're riding a frame that's a size or two too small...

You absolutely need pedals to see if it fits. I ride my LHT big and if my butt was on the saddle I would be as leaned over as you are...so that's not an accurate judge. Also, ride the hoods, no need to keep your hands down in the drops until you are comfortable to do so. I ride mostly straight up and/or on the brake hoods with some switching to the drops to condition myself or get out of the wind :)

There also is no need for you to have the saddle above the bar, be comfortable! That being said my LHT rides like a caddy, smooooooth.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3660/3514429196_8785daf0c5.jpg?v=0

The only time I ride in the drops is in to a severe head wind or sometimes going down hill when I slip into my delusional TdF personality and pretend I'm on my descent after dropping the Peleton on a brutal climb.

95% of the time I am on the hoods or the tops. I do have a fondness for bar ends, and that means reaching down a bit, but brifters will cure that need.

I have a couple of chunks of titanium in my lower spine which have a huge say in how flexible I will ever be. I have a "STOP" limit, lol.

From what the LBS was telling me about fitting when I went it, the bike is too big for you. They put me on a 56 and adjusted the seat so I could sit on it while standing up and then made sure that when my hands were on the bars and I was leaned over, I couldn't see the hubs through the handlebars so that my eyes, the handlebars and the axle were all inline.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

From what the LBS was telling me about fitting when I went it, the bike is too big for you. They put me on a 56 and adjusted the seat so I could sit on it while standing up and then made sure that when my hands were on the bars and I was leaned over, I couldn't see the hubs through the handlebars so that my eyes, the handlebars and the axle were all inline.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

It depends on the bike. My shop, a Trek dealer, thought I should ride a 56 in a road/touring bike. A local Specialized dealer thought I could ride a 56 Sequoia, but a 58 would be better.

For just about the same money you could get onto a Rans Fusion ST (http://www.ransbikes.com/FusionST09.htm#), which allows your feet to be on the ground at stops without getting off the seat, has an easy step-through (the "ST" variation, there are non-step through versions too), climbs like nobody's business, is supremely comfortable, and can take giant panniers for touring:
http://www.ransbikes.com/FusionST09/LeadShot.jpg
The downside would be length, with a 53.5" wheelbase it's somewhat longer than a std. bike, and you'd probably have to go to RBR (www.rbr.info (http://www.rbr.info)) in State College to test ride.

I had a bad experience riding a 'bent, as I reported here a couple of months ago. The steering is too twitchy for me.

If you were closer, I'd let you have a ride on my 56cm LHT. I don't remember how tall you said you were, but at 6' I was expecting to ride a bigger frame... but due to my shorter legs, I was trying to decide between the 54 and 56. Went with the 56cm for the 700C wheels, but ultimately it fits like a glove.

I believe the LHT has a longer than normal top tube, so you may find that a smaller size would well be in order.

Historian, good for you, get out there and ride. I too would suggest getting a bike fit. I'm ten pounds shy of Clydesdale, but I'll tell you, it worked wonders for me in comfort and (knock wood) no injuries after the fit. Why mess around, it's short money compared to physical therapy.

Did you feel cramped or too stretched out?
+5
that's the main question. What do you need to do? bring in the bars? stretch them out? Up and out? Up and in? down and out? My LBS helped me figure mine out (The Bike Shop).

I just switched out the stock stem on my Trek 2.1 from a 7 degree / 100mm to a 17 degree / 105 mm.
did the number for me.

I had a bad experience riding a 'bent, as I reported here a couple of months ago. The steering is too twitchy for me.

The Rans crank forwards are not recumbents, they're semi-recumbent in that the weight is solely supported by the seat, not partially by the hands. I've ridden the non-step through version of this bike, and there's no learning curve. It rides like a normal bike with normal steering, except when climbing you can pull on the handlebars for leverage against the pedals. Really, I wouldn't mention it at all if you hadn't in the past posted about your concerns with getting your feet down at stops.

The Rans crank forwards are not recumbents, they're semi-recumbent in that the weight is solely supported by the seat, not partially by the hands. I've ridden the non-step through version of this bike, and there's no learning curve. It rides like a normal bike with normal steering, except when climbing you can pull on the handlebars for leverage against the pedals. Really, I wouldn't mention it at all if you hadn't in the past posted about your concerns with getting your feet down at stops.

Understood. Everything is an option at this point. No offense was intended, and I hope none taken.

The bike definitely looks too big for you.

If I recall correctly your current bike is a flat bar road bike. Which means that it is probably setup somewhere between the average hybrid and a less aggressive road bike. I can't imagine that you would gain a lot from the transition to a road bike. You might gain a few more hand positions, but if you are like most of us, you will rarely use the drops anyway.

With that being said, I love my road bike, and over the last year, I have slowly transitioned the setup from a very relaxed setup to a much more aggressive setup. The first several rides on the bike, I felt like the bike was way too big and I was too stretched out. I really considered a shorter stem, but I made myself wait a little while. Now a year later, I am really thinking that I am actually a little cramped and I could have gone up another size. My point is that any road bike is going to make you feel stretched out at first, but you will definitely want to find as much comfort as you can.

Understood. Everything is an option at this point. No offense was intended, and I hope none taken.

None at all! In turn, I'm not trying to be a PITA :thumb:

Aside from the fact the rider is too fat:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3389/3585140772_9dde3fdfc8_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3587/3585143824_4d5b22e0e5_b.jpg

A conversation with vXhanz after the rides Sunday made me start to think about road bikes again. One of the big objections fell to the ground once vX explained that one rarely, if ever, needs to ride in the drops if you don't want to. Saddle height is also a problem, since road bikes are set up so the saddle is higher than the handlebars, but perhaps that can be worked around.

Folks, what's wrong with this picture? What needs to be adjusted for me to be "at home" on this Long Haul Trucker? I assume a raised stem and pedal extenders for a start.



It appears as if your lawn could use some edging? Did I win? Let me know what I won, I'll be around for a few.

It appears as if your lawn could use some edging? Did I win? Let me know what I won, I'll be around for a few.


My grass has been edged since then, I believe I did so the following day but thanks for noticing :thumb:

You've won yourself one of Mrs. Bautieri's soon to be moderatly famouse molasis cookies.

I dunno, I don't think it's too big for you. The arms should have a slight bend when riding in the hoods. If you feel too stretched, swith out the stem for a shorter one. Swing the bars around so that the hoods are a little closer to you too. Maybe loosen the brifters and slide them up the bar closer to you may also help a bit.

I don't see the height a problem for you. You still have a litle seatpost there, so you can lower the seat a bit more.

Maybe because the frame is a stright toptube, it just feels bigger. My Lemond is a sloping tube. When I get on the Cannondale (straight toptube) it does feel bigger for a bit. But the final fit (like mentioned before) is when you are on riding and not with one foot on the ground.

The brake levers are too much of a reach for your fingers when you are in the drops - they should be vertical. It is difficult to see from the photo, but maybe you need slightly wider bars. Add interrupter brake levers. A stem with more rise would reduce the quantity of spaces needed - an adjustable rise stem would allow you to play with both height and reach till you find the perfect position. Run the shifter cables to the far side of the downtube, crossing underneath

My grass has been edged since then, I believe I did so the following day but thanks for noticing :thumb:

You've won yourself one of Mrs. Bautieri's soon to be moderatly famouse molasis cookies.

Ha, I was just kidding around with ya.You know I'll be glad to have that cookie though:thumb:

Neil,

Were you not the one telling me not to drink the Surly koolaid just three weeks ago?

You will want the LBS to install inline brake levers on the top of your bar so you can brake from the more upright position. You do not want to have to lunge into the drops during an emergency stop. Many commuters use this setup and it is a common modification.

Neil,

Were you not the one telling me not to drink the Surly koolaid just three weeks ago?

That was a joke photo, AL. :)

Neil,

Were you not the one telling me not to drink the Surly koolaid just three weeks ago?

Surly kool-aid...sounds like a combo of cherry, grape, orange, and bud-lite lime.

I'd still try it, I've had worse combo's in my college days.

it's funny how people can give such varied advice from a couple of prictures...

Personnaly, and probably most who have been will agree, spend the money and get fitted (at a qualified lbs). Not just seet height and handlerbars, they measure and take the time to fit everything, even your saddle, in my caser it even includes future "touch ups" cause with the wait coming down and the core strength going up, you will need to change the position on the bike...

My 2 cents...

I think I need to test ride one of these. Not just for fit, but to see if I can get used to drop bars.

If I were you, Historian, I would ask around and see who offers proffessional fit services in your area. Pay a reputable shop or organization to do this, then see if you can try a bike with a setup similar to what they suggest.

The picture you posted is, as others have said, not super helpful because you are not riding but simply balancing. If you were riding in that pic I would say the bars may be a bit too high.