roadbikeChris

I am just looking for a comfortable ride.

non-fixie 

This is mrs non-fixie's preferred set-up these days. Somewhat upright with her hands on the "grips" and more stretched out with her hands near the brake levers (which is why I tape the bars, instead of using grips), as well as the ability to quickly access the brake levers from these positions. She prefers racing levers in the position pictured above to the traditional "ville" levers. She tested the DeVos above and this Méral back to back last week, and was very clear about it.




These were made by Guidons Philippe, but others, like Sakae, offered them as well, BITD. There are also modern versions, from Nitto and Humpert, but these tend to be larger, which doesn't look quite right on a vintage bike IMO.

Also cool, BTW, are the Cinelli priest bars. If you are feeling papal enough, these might be a nice choice:

noobinsf 

Aren't the bars on Mrs. Non-Fixie's bike essentially porteur bars? I had some on my old commuter that were the classic Belleri porteurs, but Velo Orange makes them currently, which would fit your stem's clamp. You would need different brake levers, but I used Velo Orange's city brake levers, and at under $20, they're not very expensive.

https://velo-orange.com/collections/...eur-bar-config
https://velo-orange.com/collections/...-brakes-levers



Right now, I am running VO's Milan bars, and they're great for a speedy commuter -- not too upright, not too forward. Brake levers are Tektro FL540, which use road cable ends, so you could swap back and forth if you preserve enough cable length and want to go back to drop bars.

1987cp

I'm over 20 years younger, but .....

Nitto Albatross bars seem to make anything comfortable. They fit both barend shifters and regular MTB brake levers, not as good if you like your road levers.

The Bosco is a little insane (I tried one, but gave it to a friend) but worth looking at if you want to be really upright.

+1 on Technomic stems, especially the Tallux.

Lately RivBike.com has talked about an Albatross/Moustache hybrid they call the "Albastache," and I think it's designed for road brake levers.

I'm planning on a VO Montmarte (sp?) for a dumpster bike I don't want to spend as much on and that I think would ride nicely with a narrower bar.

Bikedued

And a BEAUTIFUL stem on top of everything else. They have that perfect silvery sheen. Not chrome shine, and not dull anodized looking. I had one on a Tesch S-22 I used to own. I sold the bike with the stem on it, and regretted it ever since. If the bike was a larger frame I'd probably still own it.,,,,BD

63rickert

Saddle on the Miyata is sloping down. This throws weight to handlebars and means the rider will always be pushing on 'bars to get back up on the saddle. Looks more to me like need for a simple saddle adjustment than an occasion to rebuild the bike. Consider that the likely best height for the saddle is where the nose of saddle is now. Bring the back of the saddle down.

Saddles should be level. More than a tiny variation from level is an indication of a problem. Or a source of all sorts of problems.

non-fixie 

I don't know the official nomenclature, but that is what VO calls this shape. I guess that makes it kinda official ....

DC Bike Blogger

-
As I've gotten older I've found that being able to intermittently change my hand position on the handlebars gives me different options for my posture on the bike, whether it be a more upright position or otherwise. So here's my recommendation for you ...

roadbikeChris

lol!

roadbikeChris

Here is the new seat position. the back of it sloops upward but I think this is about the best I can get,

due ruote 

^ I tend to sit toward the rear of the saddle, and I can tell that, for me, that would still have me sliding forward. That puts more weight on your arms, which quickly becomes fatiguing.
It’s hard for me to imagine that the nose can’t come up more. What kind of seatpost is it? Sometimes you have to loosen them quite a bit and give the saddle a firm jiggle to free up the clamp.
Some people do like the position you have, but I can’t understand it. Most folks prefer a neutral position so you don’t have that sliding off feeling. If you go too far the other direction, you will get numbness in your unmentionables. Not a good idea.

roadbikeChris

It is a Sakae seat post, same as the handlebars. Here is another adjustment.

63rickert

Have you ridden it yet with saddle adjustment? One guess, and it is a guess, is that the post is not giving a full range of adjustment because the saddle is also as far forward as it can go. A couple millimeters backwards and it might adjust fully. If I'm wrong it was still free and takes one minute. It is only a little down in front now, it could be enough.

With a full profile photo the other item that is visible is you have one long stem. That is at least a 10cm extension and it could be 11 or 12. The bar and stem are Sakae, so the clamp diameter is 25.4mm. That is the most common size in any vintage scrap pile. You won't likely find exact same style in a short stem, you will find Sakae/SR. I have both a 50 and a 60 sitting here but unfortunately they have both been converted to French. And they are so common it would hardly be worth the cost of shipping. SR stems in 50 and 60mm are just plentiful. If you can't find free, don't pay over $10. You'll be 2 full inches closer to the bars, the bike will be quasi correct/original, only cost is new tape. I'm thinking the saddle is all the way forward because the handlebars are just too far away. The common old SR stem was massively strong, perfectly trustworthy 30 and forty years later. And the basic stem was considerably taller than the racy stem you have now. You might not even need to go all the way to a short stem, if the current stem does measure out to 12cm, an 8cm replacement could be good enough.

I am seven years older than you and 2 full inches shorter than when young. So the saddle is down and the stem is a little shorter. Other adjustments? When I'm 80.

madpogue 

So how is each of those saddle angles when you RIDE? If you can't get out and ride it yet, just try sitting on it, on a trainer or with someone spotting the bike for you. You might get some "seat of the pants" feedback wrt effect of saddle angle on position / weight distribution.

Anatomy question - do you consider yourself (nomenclature thanks to one of the fitters here at Cronometro) a "short-back" or a "long-back"? That is, relative to other men your height, do you have proportionally longer legs / shorter torso, or vice-versa? Or perhaps "average" proportions? That can guide you wrt. fore-aft saddle position and whether you want a short or long (or medium) reach stem.

This also relates to the relative lengths of the top tube and seat tube. Road frames "typically" have the top tube and seat tube the same length (it's often referred to, albeit inaccurately, as "square"). But some frames have a longer seat tube than top tube, and some are vice-versa. So if, for example, you're a "short-back", and your top tube is longer than your seat tube, your frame measurements are working against you.

roadbikeChris

Long torso shorter legs and I am 6' 2"

roadbikeChris

madpogue 

So I'd say that relatively long reach stem works in your favor. As said above, a taller stem will start pushing the bar back, which your long torso won't like. Your last pic shows the saddle a little further back as well, which I reckon will help.

Looks like you never got this answered: * Drops - The old-school racing position, the bottom part of the bar.
* Hoods - hands draped over the rubber hoods of the brake levers, fingers and thumbs downward. The shape of your brake levers, and the transition from the bar to the lever, allow you to rest your hand in part on the bar where it meets the lever. Esp if you have big hands.
* Tops - the horizontal part of the bar near the stem. BITD, "bike boom" bikes had poorly-designed "cheater" brake levers for riding in that position. The Tektro interrupter levers are the 21st-Century version, much better designed and executed.

roadbikeChris

Thanks! Just took a ride, lowered the seat a bit and found a pretty comfortable place. As was aforementioned the personal items which contact the seat are treated a little disrespectfully. Maybe I just need to get used to that?

madpogue 

^^^^ Or try a more modern saddle.

due ruote 

I was going to mention saddle height. A decent place to start with that is you should just be able to reach the pedal with your heel, without rocking your hips. When you are pedaling on the balls of your feet (as you should be) you should still have a slight bend in your knees.

Pretty much any saddle will probably take some getting used to, if you haven't been riding much. But there is a difference between having your butt get a little sore and feeling numbness. The latter would suggest your saddle nose should come back down a smidge. It can take a few rides and many tiny adjustments to get it just right. I am often amazed at how an adjustment of a couple mm in saddle height or angle can make a noticeable improvement in fit and comfort, which just compounds the farther you ride.

63rickert

Lowering the saddle even a little bit can take a lot of weight off the handlebars.

Some of us are lucky with saddles and some go through lots of saddles. Lower and level was evidently a good starting place, your preferred saddle is known only to you.

noobinsf 

In addition to the great advice you've received about saddle height and angle, make sure you pay attention to saddle width as well. It could mean the difference between feeling neutral and comfortable during/after a ride and, as Lyndon Johnson once put it, feeling like you are "riding a wire fence." The saddle you currently have is on the narrow side, so it's another variable to consider.

hokiefyd 

These "Turbo" style saddles are really crowned in the center, and drop off on the sides, where you need sit bone support. I find these types of saddles really uncomfortable because my personal items are essentially sitting--no--smooshed on top of the saddles center crown. I prefer much flatter saddles to this style -- you may find more comfort in a different design.

roadbikeChris

I agree on the saddle comments. I will be looking for something else for sure.

non-fixie 

If you're in a position to do so: try the different saddle designs. While we all have different preferences, I think we do agree that the saddle is one of the most important factors - if not the most important - when it comes to comfort.