Love or Confusion [comfortable ride on a 20" folder]
 

OK, I know there's only so much about bike fit / comfort that can be explained in a web forum, but....

I've been riding on a hybrid bike for awhile now, and in the last few months noticed a few comfort issues. I feel like I'm sliding forward on my saddle and putting a lot of weight on my hands. Saddle adjustments help but have not completely resolved the problems.

So, I pick up a Dahon Mariner to use as a touring bike, and after about a week it's a signifigantly more comfortable fit than the old bike. Rough ground is smoother on the hybrid (which has supsension on the fork & seatpost, as well as the bigger tires), but otherwise the folder feels better to ride. Almost all of my riding is on pavement, so that's really not a big deal.

So, I'm a bit confused. The hybrid was designed to be comfy, and the Mariner was designed to fold up. :D Am I missing something here? Any ideas on why the folder is more comfortable, or suggestions on how to figure this out?

It's all about fit. Did you ever have a bike shop look at the fit of your hybrid? Sounds like your seat is tilted down too much. There is no reason why both bikes should not be comfortable.

Haven't brought the hybrid into the shop yet -- that's the next step. Seat is tilted almost all the way up, tho' -- hence my wondering if frame design is somehow a factor.

This is what you do:

It's all about three things, that is, where your butt is, where your feet are, and where your hands are. Get a tape measure and a plumb bob (make one yourself with a string and a weight of some kind, or buy a simple carpenter's plumb bob in a hardware store. You also need a spirit level or equivalent.

The object here is that, you want to make the hybrid as comfortable as the folder, because you know the folder is comfortable. So, make the saddle position and handlebar position on the hybrid the same as they are on the folder.

You can use any of the general bike fitting webpages on the internet for this, but to make a long story short:

First, when you are measuring or adjusting saddle position, make sure that you are sitting in the saddle's "cradle". Almost all saddles have a spot on them where your sit bones just naturally fall in. Only when you have found that spot can you start adjusting saddle fore-and-aft. This is also why many people slide forward on saddles. They aren't sitting in the right place on the saddle, so they end up on a slope. Put a large flat book on top of the saddle. Measure along the middle of the seat post from the middle of the bottom bracket to under the book (which is the top of the saddle). First though, level the saddle by placing the spirit level on top of the book). Make sure the saddle ends up perfectly level.

Then, measure how far the saddle nose is behind the bottom bracket. Try to make both bikes the same (adjusting for different lengths of the crankarms if they aren't the same length on both bikes).

Then, measure how high the handgrips are on both bikes from the ground (level bike). Make both the same. Then, measure the distance from the handlebar grips to the saddle nose. If the hybrid's is longer as I suspect, get a shorter or an adjustable stem. Do whatever you have to make the handlebars the same height in relation to the saddle. It may mean a higher stem, as well as shorter.

Now that the three points are the same on your hybrid as on the Dahon, ride it and see if that's better. The only possible problem is that the saddles aren't the same. Some saddle shapes just don't suit some people. If a saddle is right for you, you should not really have to tilt it significantly.

you could just sell the hybrid and ride the bike that's most comfortable. Why stress over making an uncomfortable bike comfortable when you already have a better one? We just sold my wife's "comfort" bike because she liked the gearing and position on her modified Dahon Speed 8 better. (modified by adding bar ends, a sram 3x8 rear hub and shifters, and adding an 11-34 cassette.) we are taking an 8 day tour in italy next month on that and my bike friday. should be a kick.

Thanks for the tips, LF! I'll give it a shot.

Socks: a few things about "why stress over it," not the least is, I'm not that stressed over it. :) It's more that I'm trying to figure out why one bike is more comfortable to ride than another.