djb

lemor, your saddle seems to be waaaay the heck forward (it looks like it is at its max). You might want to consider a shorter stem so you can move the Brooks back, you will find it easier for seated climbs (you'll have more leverage), as well as being healthier for your knees. I once had problems with knees many years ago and part of the problem is that I didnt know it was not good to move a seat so forward (I did it trying to deal with a reach issue)

your stem looks like its a 90 or 100mm, it would be pretty cheap to try out a 60 or 70 and see how it helps

lemoribond

I have the bike fit exactly how I want it. It may not look comfortable but I have pretty odd proportions so it works for me.

djb

if it works for you that is all that is important. Happy riding and shooting (and Brooks breaking in if its new)
I've always found that Masi paint scheme with the lighter part for the Masi lettering against the darker bkgd to be a really nice look.
cheers

lemoribond

Currently breaking it in. My butt never hurt more than when that ride was over.

djb

yup, mine took about 7 or 8 rides of an hour each before it got better (with the soreness setting in at the end of the hour), but the soreness was a diff one from any Id had before, this was a real sitbone sore. Ive mentioned before, but I am certain that breaking one in in hot weather helps, as the sweating and heat softens it up. Initial discomfort aside, I was right away quite taken with the unique, pleasant "slidey" feel that I find more comfortable than other seats Ive had.
I found small seat adjustments made a difference in comfort, but even as a 140lb er, after 7 or 8 rides it then became comfortable even after the magic hour.

scroca

At the end of an 8 day tour up the parkway.

sjt78

It looks like you had your bike packed well. I'll have to look up the Natchez Trace Parkway as I hear people talk about it but I don't know where it is.

scroca

Runs between Nashville, TN and Natchez, MS, about 450 miles. Very nice road surface almost the entire way, except for one stretch of about 34 miles between Kosckiusko and Jeff Busby campground which was a little rough.

This is a designated bicycle route with a maximum speed limit of 50mph and commercial vehicles are not allowed, so no big rigs other than RVs. Mostly low traffic as there are no gas stations or businesses on the parkway itself. Also, there are NPS campgrounds and 5 bicycle-only primitive campgrounds along the way, plus lots of places to stop to take in historical sites.

I can recommend it. I would love to have had more time to stop and appreciate things along the way.

sjt78

Natchez sounds like a great route. No wonder it is popular. Maybe one day when my little guys are not so little any more I'll get a chance to visit.

zanf

Are you a Tyrannosaurus Rex?

zoltani

Interesting jersey. You must get strange look when walking into a store

djb

cough cough
Borats' swimsuit
cough cough

;-)

Thulsadoom

My girlfriend is a colorful girl.

Nobodyetal

De-stickered Surly LHT w/ trailer.
30+ pounds of gear and 25 pounds of little kid!

Aforementioned little kid showing off how daddy ghetto-rigged the sleeping bags.

Not fashionable, but it worked!

rodar y rodar

Good God, Thulsa!

Sixty Fiver

Someone asked about the difference between a touring bike and a trekking bike the other day and I spent the afternoon fitting and swapping racks on a few of my rides and fitted the bags.

1987 Kuwahara cascade expedition touring bike...



1999 Trek 7500 "trekking" bike.

GamblerGORD53

Eh Sixty Fiver .... You aren't too good at installing fenders are you ??? haha

Sixty Fiver

I can only do so much at a time and today was rack day among other things... just switched both bikes to skinnier summer tyres and haven't yet tweaked out the fender lines so that the really anal people will give me their seal of approval.

The Trek is built to accommodate some huge rubber, those 700:35's look pretty small in the frame, and the front fender is as low as it goes unless I put in a drop bolt. The rear fender will get a top bolt through the rack to bring it up and make it even more stable (it is not rubbing anywhere) but I will wait until tomorrow when I throw in the new 11-34 cassette and have the wheel off.

Trek gets a D when it comes to designing this frame's rear end as far as fender mounting goes as there are no decent attachment points... anchoring the fender to the rack and zip tying the fender stays to the rack really stabilizes things and ensures there are no rattles.

The Cascade has ample mounts and also has a seat stay mount that I need to set before I fine tune everything else... the old rack sat too low for me to use it but the Blackburn has a little more clearance over the fender.

Will probably run into each other down the road and you can critique my fender lines then.

Sixty Fiver

Love this bike to death save for Trek's failure to provide for decent rear fender mounting points at the seat and chain stay... IIRC they offered a mounting kit for these bikes.

Fender is zip tied at the chain stay and reinstalled the rack / fender bolt when I swapped in the 11-34 and if I need a lower gear than this I will just have to get off and walk. this has proven to be a very good way to make sure the fender stays put and really improves on their stability.

Probably won't see any mountains with this bike but should handle anything and everything our prairies have to offer and as I like to take this bike off road that 20 gear inch low should come in handy.

djb

whenever I see "trekking bars" even though I have never ridden a bike with them, I can see the advantage of if one is really out in the middle of nowhere, a crash, or someone manhandling your bike into the back of a truck or whatever, the shape of the bars with the shifters and brakes "protected" inside the bars might mean less chances of a busted "whatever"

20 g.i.-- I think my Kuwahara got down to 21 something, and I always wonder why so many "touring" bikes dont go this low, as while it isnt used that often, having the bailout low is alway easier than pushing a bike, or for me anyway.

and yes, those 700 35s look like 28s dont they in the photo?

Sixty Fiver

I have run a 700:45 up front and still had room to run a wider tyre... this would not work with the low rider as the clearance between the 35's and the front bar is already pretty close.

I am running a 26 tooth granny and with a 30 tooth rear cog I was scrubbing the chain just a little on the cage screw on the front d... the 34 tooth eliminated that and now I could probably run a 24 or 22 but the shifting would suffer a little bit and those small granny cogs can get burned up pretty quick.

I love the Trekking bars on this bike... the rear position has all my controls and the position is very close to my mtb and the forward bend is right where the drop bar hoods were. When I am riding with my hands forward shifting is easier than bar ends as my hands move less and with the indexed shifters it is just a quick clickity click.

Some people do mount road levers in the forward position depending on their preferred set up and I have one set of t bars set up like this on my winter bike as this is where my hands like to be with that particular set up.

Also nice is their total width as it makes for some great control and stability for low speed riding (climbing and accelerating) and the shape does provide some decent protection... I never have to worry about smashing my vintage XTR STI levers or my hands into anything when I am riding in the rear position.

It sure isn't the same bike that left Trek as a comfort hybrid.

scroca

It's just a cheap reflective vest. And when you look like me, you get strange looks no matter what you wear.

bradtx

65er, I fitted the fenders I had in the parts bin today to the Cannondale. They'll work, I can install them in 15 minutes, but look bloody horrible! I won't post a picture! While adjusting the fenders I noticed the rack was interfering with the screws that hold the RD hanger. Finger nut from a presta valve was the perfect spacer.

Brad

djb

Im gong to stick that in my brain somewhere and try to remember it, handy little trick as we usually have some old tube kicking around.

Sixty Fiver

I have found Presta nuts to be very handy in the shop for just this purpose... and you have to post a picture now

With a rack and fenders I really like the idea of adding an extra mounting point under the rack, some installations might need spacers if there is more rack / fender clearance but it really makes the fender solid and rattle free.

Our custom front rack has this feature as it eliminate the fender wires and provides a rear mount and will be adding this design to any rear racks I build... quite a number of older bikes has these extra mount points when stock fenders were fitted. Modern racks and fenders are usually bought later and from different makers so there is no integration.