Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - brand spankin' new (to me) mega-uber tall clyde mobile

i'll list all the components, i've got a birthday comin' up which = money from loving relatives to upgrade anythin' needin it :thumb:

Frame: Klein Quantum Pro 66 cm in purple (it also says "AEROS" on the fork)
Gear Shifter: Sram Trx
Rims: Mavic CXP 22
Tires: CST compressor 700 x 25 c
Stem: Origin 8 PRO FIT
Brake Handles: Eclipse Tektro
Brakes: Campagnolo Veloce
Pedals: Mt. Zefai w/ toe cage
Saddle: Tioga Groove (has some weird hippy lettering on the word "groove")
Crankset: Origin 8 (in electric blue, I don't see a model name or anything on them)

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii301/atreyu678/Photo2.jpg

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii301/atreyu678/Photo1-1.jpg

thanks guys.
and go easy on me, this is my first serious bike, i love her :D

oh, forgot to mention,
I'm seven feet tall, 'bout 325 lbs, size 17 shoe, have no bike accessories except for a cruiser seat in my garage, a pair of bike gloves, a decent pair of stiff shoes i set aside for good distance rides, and a sun lite computer.

Great looking bike. That PURPLE is beautiful:love:

I hope my bike does not come out in that color in the future, or I will have a financial decision on my hands:o

thanks man.
the poopy webcam pictures don't do it near justice.
klein has some beeeeyootiful finishes.
you should see the arterial black ones...
black to green to purple...
:p

any help guys?
please?

Get a helmet.....

They're kind of like a tourniquet, in that you don't often need them, but when you do, you need it very badly and very quickly! It doesn't have to be the most expensive, but the cheaper they are, the heavier and less ventilated they are.

If you have a big head, by the way, Bell makes some fairly large helmets.

By the way, very good choice in a bike. :D

my sister's getting me, her, and her bf these awesome helmets when i come to visit her in three weeks.
don't worry, i'm taking it easy till then. still trying to get used to a road bike :p

Glad to see you found one. It appears tall enough. How long is the top tube? Do you feel cramped in the cockpit or are you stretched out good enough?

Rim/spoke count on the rear???

Just guessing, but they look like 32 spoke wheels from an estimated nipple count.

Ride it for a while before upgrading. After a while you will learn what you want/need to upgrade.

Do you have bike shorts? A jersey?

Cool for you! Great to see you found something that should fit you. Keep us all up to date with any changes you decide to make and how things go for you.

i don't feel cramped on it at all. it's huge.
i don't have bike shorts or a jersey, i'm only 15 so i've never considered it.

anyone know of a good seat that would work for me?
it gets pretty sore back there with the current seat.
i'm a 42" waist.

i don't feel cramped on it at all. it's huge.
i don't have bike shorts or a jersey, i'm only 15 so i've never considered it.

anyone know of a good seat that would work for me?
it gets pretty sore back there with the current seat.
i'm a 42" waist.

That's why the padded bike shorts. Look at http://www.aerotechdesigns,com, or at Mt Borahs site. They both make good Clyde sized shorts, either on the Lycra or in baggy touring or mountain biking shorts. The Chamois pad does 2 purposes, wicking moisture and providing padding in the right place, and also, there aren't any seams in the seat area to chafe you. ;)

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o260/TomStormcrowe/Team%20Stormcrowe_2008/TdC2008063-2.jpg

They aren't a fashion statement, they are a tool.

i'm just a kid though, i don't really need them too much.
a seat would be a far better investment as im much more likely to use it.

OK, then a Brooks B67, or equivalent saddle would work, but the shorts are cheaper. ;)

http://www.dutchbikeseattle.com/images/accessories/brooks_b67_500x.jpg

You can get it through Wallingford http://www.wallbike.com/B67.html for $111, and Wallbike has a six month no questions asked return/exchange program.

The shorts will be about half that......

Beautiful bike. I normaly am not a big fan of purple anything, but that color looks cool on that bike.:thumb: I second Tom's opinion on a brooks saddle, they are spendy though. I have a brooks flyer and I almost never wear bike shorts. Just regular gym shorts and I'm fine. Twenty miles at a time, no problems. I hope you're all done growing! It would be a shame to outgrow that nice bike in a year.

If your that big at 15, screw the bike and get a basketball..............just kidding, you have a nice ride there and as mentioned get a brooks. I have been using them since I was your age and they are the best.

Nice bike, love the color! I agree you should get a helmet. Best insurance out there.

Argggg, I'm at work and pics are mostly blocked here. I think I have a reasonable idea of the bike though, and the paint scheme."Sounds" killer, and I can't wait to check it out when I get home.Congrats FM! The road is yours.

+1 on the B67 and some chamois shorts from aerotech.

Here is my B67:
http://loeffelmail.com/Mazama/century/hatchet_creek_trestle.jpg

Nice ride, dude. Looking at the saddle towering over the bars makes me feel dizzy. :)

Yep, it looks awesome. It will look even better out being ridden!

That purple bike rocks!
(I have a fondness for teh purple bike....as txvintage already knows)

tom, that saddle does look comfy, i'll look into one when some dinero falls my way.

EasyEd, i just wear gym shorts too man, amen to the breathability, nothin' like a cool breaze up the pedal pumpers down a nice, cruising incline. :thumb:

Brunsi, i do realize i could easily make millions a year as a basketball star. but it's not what i want to do, at all. i loath basketball, it's a pointless cat and mouse game on a big squeaky floor.

txvintage, it looks and feels like a royal horse out on the road :love:

everybody else, thanks for the love. it blows me away i found a bike that fits me and just so happens to look awesome.

i took it out on a good ten mile ride today,
my shoulders and rear end hurt like hell.
as far as the rear end part goes, i know i need to get a better seat, or bike shorts
but the shoulders,
what could be wrong there?
thanks for all your help guys :thumb:

Don't be too quick to judge the realative worth of that saddle. When you first start riding there is a fair bit of body adaptation that takes place. The sit bones you use on a bicycle aren't accustomed to the sort of use they are seeing. They "may" quickly adapt to your new expectations of them. Shorts will definately help, regardless of saddle type. With regard to your shoulders: it may be the same story of adaptation or that it looks like you have a pretty good amount of saddle to bar drop. You might try rotating the bar upright slightly and repositioning the brake/shifter levers to suit. Or, do a few more rides and see if your body quits protesting so much.

Fortress, soon, we need to see that cycling grin, too, though. :D

i took it out on a good ten mile ride today,
my shoulders and rear end hurt like hell.
as far as the rear end part goes, i know i need to get a better seat, or bike shorts
but the shoulders,
what could be wrong there?
thanks for all your help guys :thumb:

With the saddle there are two things, first your but is used to soft upholstery, it takes a few rides to get used to sitting on something else. Second saddle fit is important, saddles need to be the right width at the back, and narrow the right amount to the front. If the part that hurts is your sit bones, that's good, if it's the part between the sit bones it isn't. If the part that hurts it's the sit bones, try moving the saddle forward and back to see if that helps.

The bike will be more comfortable if you do some push-ups to increase your upper body strength. Get some bar-ends so you can change your hand position on a long ride. This may also help with the shoulder pain. Get a handle bar bag to carry things you may want to reach while riding. Get a second water bottle and cage. Do you have a spare tube, tire levers, pump and patch kit in the wedgie bag? Fatter tires (28 or 32 mm) would increase comfort, but that can wait till the current ones show significant wear - I use Panaracer Pasela TG 700X28 foldable, which are very light but have a kevlar belt for flat protection.

i took it out on a good ten mile ride today,
my shoulders and rear end hurt like hell.
as far as the rear end part goes, i know i need to get a better seat, or bike shorts
but the shoulders,
what could be wrong there?
thanks for all your help guys :thumb:

Did you lock the bars in a death grip? If so, don't do that. Hold on loosely, with a little bit of bend in the elbows. Otherwise it might be simply a matter of your body not knowing what hit it. Cycling uses many different muscle groups in ways they haven't been used if you've been sedentary.

The rear end pain is definitely between the sit bones.
the discomfort back there also causes me to have to use my legs to try to keep myself from putting all my weight on the saddle, because when i do that, the pain becomes unbearable,
so i know something has to be wrong.

i did ask the guy at the bike shop, who owned the bike personally, about raising the handlebars. he said it couldn't be done, and i would have no idea how to safely reverse the brake handles plus the computer which is mounted on the handlebars.

what's the cycling grin? i assume it's the picture everyone posts of them in full suit riding their new bike. it shall likely be done within a month or so, my sister is obsessed with photography and the like (she's a web designer) so when i go to visit her, she'll likely take pleeenty of pictures.

The rear end pain is definitely between the sit bones.
the discomfort back there also causes me to have to use my legs to try to keep myself from putting all my weight on the saddle, because when i do that, the pain becomes unbearable,
so i know something has to be wrong.

i did ask the guy at the bike shop, who owned the bike personally, about raising the handlebars. he said it couldn't be done, and i would have no idea how to safely reverse the brake handles plus the computer which is mounted on the handlebars.

what's the cycling grin? i assume it's the picture everyone posts of them in full suit riding their new bike. it shall likely be done within a month or so, my sister is obsessed with photography and the like (she's a web designer) so when i go to visit her, she'll likely take pleeenty of pictures.

Can't raise the bars, that is a load of male bovine manure. There are two systems, the threaded headset, and the threadless headset.

A threaded headset has a stem that looks something like this:
http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/images/sm1600.jpg

A Threadless headset stem looks like this:
http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/images/stem-dimension-thless-sm4523.jpg

With a threaded headset you can replace the stem with a longer one, with a threadless stem you can add an extender, or replace the fork steerer with a longer one (this may require replacing the fork). Usually when a bike shop says it can't be done, they simply don't want to do it.

The saddle is another issue, the saddle is either too far back or the wrong size. Your sit bones should be on the widest part of the saddle. If a saddle is too far back, you will sit more on the nose and that is not good. You may need to see a fitter to make sure your positioned right. If you can con someone into video taping you riding from the side and post that online Photobucket is good for hosting as is You tube, not sure if you can mark stuff on Youtube private and still link to it though. We may be able to tell better.

You may also wish to see your doctor to make sure there is no reason for an extra sensitivity back there:eek:.

naw i'm good as far as seeing a doc. i just need to get this whole seat thing situated.
i do feel like my arms are kinda stretched out though, but this is probably just because of me having not yet adjusted the seat,
or because the handlebars are too low. way too low.
the seat is at a correct height though, im pretty sure, since my legs have a 10-25 degree arc in them at the bottom of my pedal stroke.

With a hex key you should be able to twist the bars around so they are a couple of inches higher and closer to you. Looen the bolts where the stem clamps the bar. You will then need to loosen the bolts clamping the brake levers and shifters to get them back in a comfortable position. Finally retighten the bolts.

Can't raise the bars, that is a load of male bovine manure. There are two systems, the threaded headset, and the threadless headset.


+1 on the manure... I owned a Quantum Pro from 90-92, mine had a threaded stem but a year or two after I built mine Gary went to 1 1/8" threadless headsets. If you've got threaded just loosen the hex bolt in the top and pull. ;) if you have threadless... This will do you nicely: http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1033149_-1_29501_20000_29507

if the link doesn't work It's the Ritchey Adjustable Stem Ritchey also makes an OS version also available @ performance. but ANY shop should be able to order one.

Bar ends are a definite plus if you are keeping the flat bars.

As has already been pointed out. We're not talking about changing any parts or reversing the bars, just rotating them until the riser is slightly more upright. Right now they look as though they are riser bars and the riser section is rotated forward as though it's in line with the angle of the stem. Rotating them up right would move your hands up and slightly closer to you, potentially taking a little weight off your arms. This should only require the use of an allen wrench/hex key. If you do this, you will then probably want to rotate the brake and shift levers the opposite direction so that they remain in a reasonable position to you fingers.

Does this all make sense now?

yes, bigfred. it makes perfect sense.
thanks guys, ill look into this and post any further questions or successful changes i make.

You know, looking at that saddle, are you getting your butt far enough back on it to properly support yourself in your sit bones?

Also, if you have a Specialized dealer around where you live, they have a tool called, depending on when it was sent out to them, the "Butt-O-Meter", or Ass-O-Meter. It's a thin memory foam pad that measures the width of your sit bones by creating small indentations where they are located on a calibrated scale. It allows you to determine the correct saddle width for your anatomy. If you're getting pain in the soft tissue between the sit bones, you're either too far forward on the saddle, or it's too narrow for your particular pelvic geometry.

If you're too far forward on the saddle, you may be able to just slide the saddle forward on it's rails on the seatpost and fix that. It's worth looking into since that's a $0 cost fix. Make sure the saddle is level, as well, adn not tipped forward, since that will put pressure on the soft tissue and your hands, as well.

Hold on loosely,

But don't let go. I've heard that if you cling to tightly you could loose control.

But don't let go. I've heard that if you cling to tightly you could loose control.

I'm thinkin' FM is a bit young to appreciate the finer points of .38 Special, lol.

That purple bike rocks!
(I have a fondness for teh purple bike....as txvintage already knows)

Lol, the first time I met Jtgyk was just after a ride for me and just before a ride for him. We had known each other for all of ten minutes when we decided to put my bike in his van while we went into a cafe for breakfast.

He opens the door and there is this purple fade Trek. I immediately start singing "Purple Haze". This had two ways it could have gone. It was either going to be a connection, or he was going to think I was off my rocker.

His reaction? "Jimi,.......nice. I think I just found a name for my bike."

No word yet on if he thinks I'm off my rocker. :roflmao2:

I'm thinkin' FM is a bit young to appreciate the finer points of .38 Special, lol.

Yes, and The Historian is too old to appreciate those same finer points. Too much Bach and not enough rock, some folks might say. I don't, of course. :)

Like the rest of us, he already knows that's the case and only part of your charm.......:roflmao2::innocent:
Lol, the first time I met Jtgyk was just after a ride for me and just before a ride for him. We had known each other for all of ten minutes when we decided to put my bike in his van while we went into a cafe for breakfast.

He opens the door and there is this purple fade Trek. I immediately start singing "Purple Haze". This had two ways it could have gone. It was either going to be a connection, or he was going to think I was off my rocker.

His reaction? "Jimi,.......nice. I think I just found a name for my bike."

No word yet on if he thinks I'm off my rocker. :roflmao2:

Like the rest of us, he already knows that's the case and only part of your charm.......:roflmao2::innocent:

Yea, but....... I mean there's........How about the........

OK, I got nuthin', lol.

I'm thinkin' FM is a bit young to appreciate the finer points of .38 Special, lol.
hah, that's the music i was raised on, kind of weird considering how abstract the stuff i listen to now is.
i'm actually going to a music festival tonight that the doobie brothers, buddy guy, the newest incarnation of the allman brothers, and a few other southern rock and blues bands are playing. it's in north florida.
anyone else going to this?
i think it's called the swanee river music festival or something.

p.s. i think i'll have about $120 by next week.
if anyone's got any final saddle reccomendations, now's the time :p

The Brooks, I showed you. When you get it, we'll walk you through the care and feeding of a leather saddle. ;)