General Cycling Discussion - My new ride (opinions needed)

Hey I know it's tough to tell from a still shot but could anyone make any fit comments regarding my current set up? Also any ideas in general about my
Bike would be appreciated. Thanks!

http://i1265.photobucket.com/albums/jj502/blord/8ed05fff.jpg

If you like it, I like it.

If you like it, and anyone else doesn't like it, so what?

By "fit comments" about the set up, are you wanting attaboy for getting a new ride, or do you have questions about how it fits you?

If you're wanting help with fitment issues, it really does help do see you on the bike.

Otherwise, I agree with what ILB stated.

I bought it used on craigslist so not really flaunting. I'm a poor student who can't afford a pro fitting because I spent all my money on this bike. Does anything look wacky about the way I have it set up? My stem is a lot shorter than other stems I see here. I'm wondering if the guy put it on for a more relaxed
position. My knees feel alittle close to the handlebar but they don't hit it.

Ill try to take a pic of me on it, on a rride now. Thanks

I like it!! I'm sure you'll get a ton of quality mileage on it.

I broke both presta
valves the first time I tried to iinflate my tires lol. I had never seem those
in my life. Quick question, how do I replace the bar tape? Just cut it off?

It's a nice bike.

Happy now?

Ok, stop bothering us for kudos.

Taking the bar tape off non-destructively will help you figure out how to put it back on.

It's a nice bike.

Happy now?

Ok, stop bothering us for kudos.

Thanks

How can anyone ride safely with the saddle up so high?

Legs are supposed to bbe fully extended correct? Sorry I'm a noob who hhas no friends that ride.

Legs are supposed to bbe fully extended correct? Sorry I'm a noob who hhas no friends that ride.
Almost fully extended, correct, but only if you feel comfortable riding that way. What is "correct" is what works for you.
Pay less attention to what the self appointed experts say (especially those on the Internet or at an LBS trying to sell you the latest and greatest doo-dad) is "correct" and pay attention to your own body.

Thanks that's a good point. I've been making myself crazy with stem height seat height, seat angle, clear positioning ect. I guess I should just feel it out and mmake small changes as I go.

My rear wheel is wobbling, slightly hitting the break pad. What do you think would cause this? None of the spokes seem lose but i wouldn't know how to adjust them anyway. Is this a bike shop fix?i can't see any obvious cause to my wheel wobbling. Thanks again, you guys are a great resource, I'll also try a search for my answer as well.

If you can ride bent over that far, You are probably less than half my age.

My rear wheel is wobbling, slightly hitting the break pad. What do you think would cause this? None of the spokes seem lose but i wouldn't know how to adjust them anyway. Is this a bike shop fix?i can't see any obvious cause to my wheel wobbling. Thanks again, you guys are a great resource, I'll also try a search for my answer as well.

Sounds like the wheel has gone out of true. IF you know what you are doing it is a relatively simple fix. If you don't know what you're doing it is a good way to ruin a wheel.

If you can ride bent over that far, You are probably less than half my age.

Im 23 and actually just flipped my stem so it's even more aggressive.

1. It has drops.
2. Handlebars are too low.
3. Saddle is too high.
4. Pedals are missing.

/reverse snobbery:roflmao2:

How can anyone ride safely with the saddle up so high?

That was my first thought: I absolutely couldn't ride that thing like that. On second glance, though, there's not a lot of seatpost showing, so the frame may fit you OK (I assume it's adjusted for you in the picture). I'd definitely raise those bars probably four to six inches--but as others have said, if you like it, it doesn't matter what the rest of us think.
Truing a wheel is finicky, but it's not magic. You can google up instructions for that and other maintenance/repair jobs easily. Www.parktool.com (maybe parktools.com) is one place to start.

Get the wheel fixed by a pro. That's a fair amount of saddle to bar drop, but by no means a crazy amount. That stem is really short. Join a club. That way you can ask real people these questions.

Legs are supposed to bbe fully extended correct? Sorry I'm a noob who hhas no friends that ride.
Oh, Fully extended will cause issues and maybe pain. In the ankles believe it or not. You want just a bit of bend in your knees at the bottom of your stroke.

Am I the only one who sees no image?

Am I the only one who sees no image?

http://i1265.photobucket.com/albums/jj502/blord/8ed05fff.jpg

Just figured out I was connected through my work VPN, which doesn't allow images from photobucket, etc. Disconnected.

Yes, that is an image worthy of discussion........

In my next tread maybe I'll show you a different angle! :thumb:

Looks like someone's tri bike with drop bars on it. If you don't intend to TT with it, I'd say from the saddle height that the frame is likely to be just a wee bit small for you.

Unfortunately I was also thinking its a bit small for me. At this point I'm just gknna make the best of it. Or I'll just start training for a tri, that would be pretty awesome too.

Why is it too small?

Gonna try a longer stem, hopefully ill feel less cramped on it. Right now I feel like my knees are too close to the bar(probly 6-9 inches). I'm 5-10 on a 56cm which seems about right. Very average llegs and arm lengths. The tri bike thing is troubling as I don't really know what that means. Something about the way yumride
it to make running easier after?

The bike is actually on a slight angle in the pic such that it makes the saddle-to-bar drop look even more than it is. I would call that an 'aggressive' layout, but not unusually so.

We still need to see some pics of you on it to make any kind of comment on how the bike actually fits you.
It looks like a pretty swell bike, though. :thumb:

Gonna try a longer stem, hopefully ill feel less cramped on it. Right now I feel like my knees are too close to the bar(probly 6-9 inches). I'm 5-10 on a 56cm which seems about right. Very average llegs and arm lengths. The tri bike thing is troubling as I don't really know what that means. Something about the way yumride
it to make running easier after?

'Tri' refers to 'triathlon' bikes - bike with geometry best suited to riding in triathlons. They don't make very good road racing or criterium bikes, but there is nothing wrong with them per se.
However, triathlon bikes generally have a very steep seat-tube angle (closer to vertical) and often a much less steep head-tube angle such that the two tubes are obviously nowhere near parallel. From the picture I do not think yours was designed as a triathlon bike.

The stem that is on it was likely added by a past owner. I don't know of any stock road bike that ever came with such a stumpy little nubbins of a stem. Putting a normal length stem on it (with a bit of rise or drop if you like) is totally appropriate and will likely make the bike feel much better. 56cm for a 5'10" person is certainly not unusual.

Unless the geometry of the bike or your body dimensions are super weird, a 56 is not likely to be to small for a 5'10" man. That stem looks like it might be off a MTB or something though and is almost certainly to small.

Gonna try a longer stem, hopefully ill feel less cramped on it. Right now I feel like my knees are too close to the bar(probly 6-9 inches). I'm 5-10 on a 56cm which seems about right. Very average llegs and arm lengths. The tri bike thing is troubling as I don't really know what that means. Something about the way yumride
it to make running easier after?

Are you saying that this bike is a 56, or that you normally ride a 56 with other bikes? If the former, then the bike, while aero in its design and pretty aggressive in its current setup, is probably the right size for you (I'm also 5'-10 and ride a 56) but needs a longer stem. But judging just from this one photo, I'm not sure I would have ever guessed that frame's a 56.

My comment about the tri bike was because of its design and setup, which as I said seem aero/aggressive to me, but not to the extreme you'd see in an actual TT bike (tri bikes are similar to TT bikes, but not quite as extreme, in order for the rider to be able to come off them and still straighten out and run. With a full-blown TT bike, no one cares what you'll do after the race except collapse into the arms of your directeur sportif or soigneur).

Scrape together $75 and get a basic fitting. This will make the most out of what you have purchased and/or let you know if you need to sell it and get something else.

Is aggressive always faster? I have it set up for the best aero position but does that always translate into speed? I've since lowered the seat to see how it feels, my hamstrings were on fire after a ride of any long distance. I'm pretty friendly with my LBS already and he said I could try out a longer stem. I'll ask him for opinions on fit. The previous owner claimed it to be a 56 but it's actually smaller than my fcr which is size medium.

I almost feel faster on the fcr but am too stubborn to admit it. It could be the fcr just fits better. It sucks to admit that I might of spent money on something that doesn't fit. Thanks for the replies everyone.

Is aggressive always faster? I have it set up for the best aero position but does that always translate into speed? I've since lowered the seat to see how it feels, my hamstrings were on fire after a ride of any long distance. I'm pretty friendly with my LBS already and he said I could try out a longer stem. I'll ask him for opinions on fit. The previous owner claimed it to be a 56 but it's actually smaller than my fcr which is size medium.

I almost feel faster on the fcr but am too stubborn to admit it. It could be the fcr just fits better. It sucks to admit that I might of spent money on something that doesn't fit. Thanks for the replies everyone.

The rule of thumb I usually start with is to set the seat height as high as possible without causing any rocking in your hips as you pedal. Adjust a necessary from that starting point to maximise your comfort and/or power. IMHO, this is the standard you should start with, even if anonymous internet posters think your seat looks too high in a picture of the bike without you sitting on it. .

There are two other rules I have heard for setting initial seat height:
1. Set the seat height so that when in bare feet your heel just grazes the pedal at the bottom of the pedal stroke. I don’t think this is a good rule because it ignores the shape of the pedal, the thickness of your shoes and cleats, and the size of your foot.
2. Set the seat height so the distance between the centre of the bb and the top of the saddle is 0.883 X your cycling inseam. This I also don’t buy because it ignores your foot size, your shoe/pedal/cleat design, and the length of your cranks.

As for whether an aero or aggressive position will always make you faster – abso-f’in-lutely not. Your fastest and most efficient position is the position in which you are fastest and most efficient, and that is different for every person. Getting fast in an aero and/or aggressive position requires you to train yourself to become efficient in that position. The reason you feel like you are faster on your old bike is probably because you are faster on your old bike~! You have adjusted it to fit you, and your body has adapted to it. I found the same thing when I got my first good road bike as a teenager - I had been riding an old ten-speed and often rode to visit my friend on the other side of town... well my first ride on the new bike I was like 5 minutes slower than the average time to get there on the old bike, and I arrived much more tired. I still have that good rode bike (~20 years later) and goddamn I am fast on it now - it's like my body grew into adulthood hunched over the drop bars of that bike, and every time I get on it I feel like I am 'home.'

Thanks that was a great post! I guess just because a bike cost 2k more doesn't mean I'm automatically going to be faster on it. I've noticed a lot of new muscles being sore ever since I got the new bike so I'll give it some time before I make anymore judgements. Also my rear wheel being out of true doesn't help my speed I'm sure.

Is aggressive always faster? I have it set up for the best aero position but does that always translate into speed?

No, and no. It depends on your body - its flexibility and its strength.

If the shoe fits, wear it!

I didn't see this asked anywhere - what do you actually plan to do with this bike? Commute? Race? Recreational rides?

Like CraigB says, the frame is too small for you. Looks like the previous owner did not have the seat as high as you need it which makes the handle bars a bit lower than it should be for you. Bike looks like it was for someone 5'-6" to 5'-8".

When I got the bike I dropped the bars, flipped the stem and raised the seat. I was more comfortable with where the stem was but I bought into the hype of slamming the bars to be more aero. I really need to post a pic of myself on the bike to put this to rest.

Right now I'm doing about 40 miles a day around town. I commute with it but I only work 10 min away. I don't plan on racing but I'd like to do group rides and be able to keep up. I hear a lot of people on here averaging 20mph and I'm just no where near that. I do 15mph average on the flat
mup. I've only been riding for about a month so I don't think I've peaked yet. 23 years old 5-10 165 pounds.

The guy I bought it from was aabout my height but that doesn't mean it fit him. My stem is clearly too short, not sure why anyone would put that stem on this bike but once I swap that out I hope to be less cramped. I could easily sell it and break even but I'd never find a deal like this again.

Raise those bars. The aero effect doesn't really come into play until you hit 20 mph or so. If your legs can't power you up to speed on their own, having your nose level with your taint ain't gonna matter.
<--I can cruise comfortably at 16 and hit 23 on the flat on my bike.

Here you go, some reading for you...

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fitting.htm

I hear a lot of people on here averaging 20mph and I'm just no where near that.

95% of the people talking about their 20 mph and higher average speed are using a particular training technique that I am fond of. I will outline this strategy below. But first, I should let you know that on flat ground I generally average close to 35 mph (~56 km/h), but I can only hold that pace for 80 - 100 miles without slowing down slightly to take a small sip from my water bottle. Lots of people use the same training strategy and get much much more impressive results.

THE STRATEGY
Lie

Here you go, some reading for you...

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fitting.htm

BookmArked, thanks. I'll work on my lying as well haha.

The aero effect doesn't really come into play until you hit 20 mph or so. .

Well that's just not true.

I feel like anytime your riding there is wind resistance so being aero helps. Maybe it doesn't make a huge difference at slower speeds.

Let me start by saying, I don't know much about modern bikes... mostly old rust buckets. Also, it's going to take you a long time (and maybe money) to learn about what you like. I've spent years making subtle changes and experimenting, some good and some bad. The best advice was listen to your body and ignore fads. Being comfortable will make a big difference and improve your over all experience.

I'd measure the frame to confirm that it's a 56cm, but I bet it is. I'm assuming it's measured to the very top of the seat tube, which obviously extends well past the top tube. It looks to me like the frame was made to be set up in an aggressive manner, and probably can't be anything else. It looks like the amount of seat post showing is pretty normal. The stem looks like a big problem to me... makes my shoulders hurt just looking at it! If it were mine, I would get those spacers underneath a longer stem and get the bars as high as possible.

I'm a few years older than you... my bike fit looks very grandpa-like by comparison. My bars are roughly at the same height as my saddle. I am 6' tall and ride a 58cm frame, 56cm does sound like a good starting point for you.

Also, a 20mph average speed is very fast. I pulled my daughter in a trailer today and averaged 11mph and felt ok with that. Ignore how fast other people ride and just enjoy riding.

http://i1265.photobucket.com/albums/jj502/blord/5d8ff53e.jpg

Made some adjustments, feels much more ccomfortable now but still need a longer stem. Any idea hhow much A stem will cost? My bikes aalready pretty heavy so I dont care if iit's carbon or whatever.