Scrodzilla

Everyone is different but if that's the case, your saddle may simply be too high. Try dropping your seatpost a little and leveling that ass-hatchet out.

TimothyH

The bars are too low on that bike.

This has put weight forward onto the hands and bending forward to reach the low bar puts lots of pressure on the crotch. The bars need to be much higher so that you can ease back onto your sit bones instead of sitting on your balls and then having to tilt your saddle down so you don't become sterile.

Manufacturers don't help by making bikes with uber-short head tubes and nobody wants to run a stack of spacers to get the bar to the proper height. Tall head tubes are considered ugly nowadays.

A proper fitting bike for you will have higher bars. You will be more comfortable and a lot faster. That's what matters.


-Tim-

seau grateau

A saddle with a cutout in the middle might help relieve that pressure too.

SquidPuppet

Or, could be the opposite. Too much reach. Stretching too far to get to the bars prevents you from weighting your sit bones. In other words, you can't get enough weight on the back of the saddle. And your delicate bits in front of the sit bones pay the price. That and your hands and neck.

TimothyH

Bullhorns so you could very well be correct.

Broctoon

Thank you gentlemen for all the advice/suggestions. I mean that sincerely.

@Scrodzilla, I'll lower the seat a cm or so and angle it up just a bit, see what happens.

@TimothyH, The bar is easy enough to raise. I have an extra 10mm on the steering column, so I'd just have to move one spacer from above the stem to below it. The stem itself has 7* angle, and it's currently pointing down. I could flip it over. After these adjustments, I'll probably need a longer brake cable housing, but that is N.B.D.

@seau grateau, The seat has a little relief channel. (It's the Arione VS model.) I appreciate the suggestion, though.

Sadly, I prolly won't get a chance to mess with it and take it for a test ride until Saturday afternoon. Too much going on this week. I've fiddled with it a lot in the past and gotten it to work *pretty* well for me. If I'm able to dial in the fit so it becomes very comfortable, it might move into the #1 position on my list of all-time favorite bikes. (Don't tell my Steamroller.)

Broctoon

I thought I'd report back on my Parallax seat and cockpit adjustments. You guys are pretty smart, because you were able to identify the problem(s) by just looking at one picture.

I flipped my stem over, which moved the handlebar up 16mm. I also angled the bar up just a bit. I think bullhorns look kind of wonky when they're anything but perfectly horizontal, but I'll get over it for the sake of comfort.

Next, I leveled out the seat, and also lowered it just a little. I rode to the end of my block and back, and it felt too low with regard to my knee extension. I put it back to its original height and rode up and down my driveway. It still felt too low. So I raised it a little more (now higher than before I started adjusting stuff). I have just over a fistful of seatpost exposed, and I'm happy with it--when a pedal is at the bottom position, my knee is not quite fully extended. More importantly, when I sit on it everything in my butt and crotch is happy.

Tonight I went for a pretty vigorous seven mile ride, and the bike is much better than before. It still can't hold a candle to my Steamroller for comfort, but it's definitely improved. What I learned from this experience: Even small adjustments can make quite a difference, and everything on the bike works together. Sometimes hands get uncomfortable because of seat position, or vice-versa. A change to any component can necessitate other changes elsewhere.

I don't regret buying this frame size. When choosing it, I looked at all the measurements and compared them to bikes I have that fit well. The next size up would probably be even more difficult to dial in to my body. I have learned a lot, though, and I'm very happy with the bike.

seau grateau

On that note, I use a measuring tape from saddle to pedal axle (or BB, but then you have to account for difference in crank length) to make sure I've got the same leg extension on my different bikes. Way easier than trial and error.

Metieval

I took this out today. Should I invest in Wabi Sub15's?

seau grateau

I don't know if I'd call Wabi wheels an investment.

Metieval

compared to finding a PF/BB 30 road bike ( last generation production caad 9 preferred) to turn into a SS, Wabi sub15's is the smaller price to pay for 1500 gram wheels. not all of who ride beat the snot out of our stuff.

and carrying a 5mm allen is so much better than carrying a 15mm wrench too.

TimothyH

I think they are a good value given the price and am considering another pair.

They are narrow, only 13 mm inside width but roll fine with 25 mm Vittoria Rubino Pro Slick. Mine were serviced once in 3000 miles because one of them went out of true. No problems otherwise but I am careful about how/where they are ridden.

They certainly are light and spin up really fast. Almost anything else in that price range is going to be much heavier.


-Tim-

Metieval

thanks for the feed back. Instead of leaving the Supersix di2 himod sitting outside when /if I stop for coffee, sometimes I just ride the SS. Plus there is snow melt off and salt residue still on the roads today. a bike for every purpose. However the SS is stupidly fun to ride.

Pretty mellow roads to ride on, minus freeze cracks.

seau grateau

That looks like velvet compared to some of the roads we've got around my way. Might want to carry something like an Ottolock or just a light cable for those coffee stops. Riding SS is always good too, of course.

checoles

Is that running a oval chain-ring?

TimothyH

Oh, you are up in the Wastelands of Frost Heave.

The roads are mostly silky smooth here in The Fragrant South. Some counties are better'n others but taxpayers complain mightily whenever a pothole or crack pops up. Imperfections generally don't stick around fer long.

By the way, I was 180 up to 200 lb from when I purchased the wheels in 2015.

You clearly need a 17 lb carbon Di2 gravel bike for salty conditions.


-Tim-

Metieval

Yes absoluteblack 50t paired to a 17t white industry eno

It feels good on uphill/headwind, but I hate it north of 90 rpm awkward. I've topped a few round ones out 120-130 Can't come anywhere close to those rpms with an Oval... it's awkward.


Indeed! Niner RDO, Norco Search XR.... something. *Just because, you know*

the Dawes SS is my snow bike.., LOL I am thinking a Norco SS Threshold would make a great winter bike.

TimothyH

<adjusts tie, stands up, buttons jacket, clears throat...>"Just because, you know" is is the best possible reason for a Niner RDO. You clearly get this whole bike riding thing.
-Tim-

fixieluvr

StirFry

Clean af, breh

Dougboy

Missed riding fixed so threw together a budget build; sourcing used parts and using spare components laying around.

Being a BikeForums member, I already knew the answer to every question is the much venerated #KiloTT, so I built it on a KHS Flite 100 as KiloTT's are hard to come across here in Canada.

Will consider a better wheelset when budget allows but I dont want to catch upgraditis. It rides great as-is.

IAmSam

Come at me br...ahhh...nevermind

So here's my baby set-up for Springbreak cruising. Springbreak is finally done after Tortuga music festival this weekend, so sometime in the next few days I'm changing to...well...guess I'll post that next time

veganbikes

You could just be taking the same photos at the same sign or Fort Lauderdale is littered with those signs but I feel like you posted those pictures before. Show us something new show us another part of Forty L. They aren't bad pics just feels so similar.

Bike is cool though!

TimothyH

No, there are different girls in the background each time.

Scottybigs

Omniums and a Reynolds 520 steel frame - can't go wrong with that. Agreed re: access to Kilo TT's for Canadians. Flite's are the next best thing (if not equivalent...?)