Steve Whitlatch 

Went for a 70 mile ride yesterday, my longest, and I am sore as all heck today. Empty water bottle, dehydrated, and my core depleted, the last 10 miles were miserable. My wonderful bike transformed into this harsh monster as I locked my shoulders and held myself up on the bars and forced myself to pedal on, every bump sending pain through my arms into my back, my hands numb and in pain.

crank_addict

^C'mon Steve, no pity. I know you were ready for another 30. LOL

Though what a fun and different ride. Sort of a 70 mile obstacle course, had some aggressive pavement heaves vs. a wide and smooth road. Great time and thanks for the tour!

Steve Whitlatch 

It was fun even with the last 10. Another 30? Oh no. One day I will hit the 100 mile goal and I am sure the last 10 miles will be miserable. LOL

cargomama

I'm embarrassed to say I don't remember the last time I had a water bottle mounted on my bike to grab for it...probably not since I was a kid! I think I'll try 'pretending' to change downtime shifters and see how hard it is. How can I tell if I need the clamp on shifters or if they're 'built in'?

cargomama

Thank you (and USAZorro) for this, finally that makes sense, I had wondered why some folks would say touring would be great for me and others said not at all...must have been the difference between vintage and new. I wonder if there are industry standards that make the current touring frames so hardcore...

cargomama

Yeah, I really should have given my background to begin with so everything would make more sense! I'm late 20's, 5'4", slim...not an athletic build, but I'm a (semi-retired) dance instructor, and my build is in line with that.
I ride pretty much exclusively my cargo bike (basically I rarely have a car available so this is how we get around), between the bike, box and my son/water/purse etc. the bike overall is around 100lbs. It has the Alfine 11 IGH and my routes are quite hilly at times, though our bike trail is much flatter. I ride this most days wherever I need to go, 3-25 miles depending, with some days around 30miles and the furthest I've taken it was 53 miles. I am positive I'm having no fatiguing on the DeRosa as comparatively it seems like a magic carpet ride . I've been informed by someone driving with me (riding) that my cruising speed on the Bullitt is around 12-15mph on faster uninterrupted rides, though certainly much slower when dealing with traffic, lights etc...so I've never been a crazy speedster. This is new territory

cargomama

Haha, yes I did absolutely have a locked-elbow posture, I hadn't realized that was wrong until some lovely folks on this thread mentioned it. I didn't realize you are supposed to hold your body up yourself...do figure. I'm trying it now, not easy but I'm hoping maybe it will strengthen my core and back/neck specifically.

Hardrock23

When i shift, i use my right hand (dominant hand) while holding the bars with my left - You can shift both the front and rear with one hand, which is nice. When i first started using them, it was easiest to put my left hand on the ramps or hoods (not the tops, less stable for me anyway) and very lightly touch the top tube with my right hand (as to not throw off my balance) while my finger flicked the shifter up or down. Now i can just reach down straight to the levers, even while in the drops/hooks. I almost fell once when i first put my hand on the top tube with too much pressure, and another time when I tried to shift with my left hand on the top of the bar lol Others may have learned in better ways, but thats what worked for me. Oh, and when first learning to use these I would need to stop pedaling until I was on the shifter and ready to move it, to keep my balance lol I could easily reach my water bottle while pedaling on a flat bar, but i had to relearn one handed riding with the drop bar.

I really wish i could answer that question of how to tell, but you may have to ask others. I did a search on this site and found many "educate me on downtube shifter compatibilty" type threads, and google linked me to many on this site as well as others. I know they have clamp on shifters, braze-on and bosses though im not sure the difference between braze-on and bosses. I want to say that you wont need clamp ons, but i honestly dont know!
I skimmed through some of the threads i saw in my search, but not sure which, if any, would help you. I can link them if you'd like though.

noglider 

I have recently found that doing push-ups at home has helped me reduce fatigue on the bike. Maybe you will, too.

3alarmer 

...the bicycle pictured in the original post has brazed on bosses that will accept DT shifters. They are underneath the little barrel adjuster fittings where the brifter cables and housings meet the down tube. They should be standard square bosses.

squirtdad

@cargomama curious as to results. Any updates on how changes have helped? Hoping you are to busy riding to post

cargomama

Haha I have been thinking of updating lately but feel like I sound very fickle about this bike! I have not gotten to ride it as much as I would like recently but here's the latest ...
I replaced the Nitto noodle with the Soma Highway 1 bar and it immediately felt way better on my hands, I think the shape is nice for me. I have noticed that my cockpit is starting to feel a little...short? I naturally am shoving myself back somewhat on the saddle so I may move it back again and see how that feels. I know that my back and neck feel very tired very quickly while riding (and sore afterwards) but I don't want to go any more upright, I have paid attention to my posture on my (swept back partially upright) cargo bike lately and I can see that on it I "lock" my elbows and shoulders and that makes me hunch more while the De Rosa (while certainly not as comfortable right now) makes my back work and that is something I need. I am making a very conscious effort to keep my shoulders and elbows soft on the De Rosa, I am now able to use my core to stay in position better.
I've also been "pretending" to change gears with downtube shifters and bar end shifters and I am definitely feeling more comfortable with the bar end idea so far. It's just nice to keep my hands on the bars in case I would need to brake quickly with the left hand I hopefully wouldn't lose control with the right hand still in contact with the bars. I'm not sure if that's "done" on these bikes or not, I know they're very popular for touring bikes but I'd never considered them seriously until the last two weeks. I am a little afraid they might hit my knees as my cockpit isn't very big already. I have almost completely decided to keep the gears (that campy is so pretty and it really is an elegant system) but I am nearly sure I want to go friction shifter instead.

Ahhh the process of trying something new! I'm actually enjoying it quite a bit now, the bike has gone from a terribly painful mistake to an intriguing puzzle...I actually want to ride it now. My distances have all been very short still but this weekend I may take it longer.

Ed.

May you find some humor in this:


Twas Mulga Bill from Eaglehawk that caught the cycling craze
He turned away his good old steed that served him many days
He dressed himself in cycling clothes, resplendent to be seen
And hurried into town and bought a shiny new machine
And as he wheeled it out the door, with an air of lofty pride
The grinning shop assistant said, “Excuse me, can you ride?”

See here, young man, said Mulga Bill, from Walgat to the sea
From Castlereigh to Eaglehawk, there’s none can ride like me
I’m good all round at everything, as everybody knows
Although I’m not the one to talk, I hate a man that blows
But riding is my special gift, my chiefest soul delight
Just ask a wild duck can it fly, a cat can it fight

There’s nothing clothed in hair or hide or made of flesh or steel
That rolls or walks on axle, hoof or wheel
But what I’ll sit while hide will hold, and girth and strapsare tight
I’ll ride this here two-wheeled concern right straight awayat sight.
Twas Mulga Bill from Eaglehawk who sought his own abode
That purched above the Dead Man’s Creek, beside a mountain road




He turned his cycle down the hill and mounted for the fray
But eer he’d gone a dozen yards it bolted clean away
It left the track and through the trees, just like a silver streak
It bolted down that awful slope, straight towards the DeadMan’s Creek
It dodged a stump by half an inch, it shaved a big white box
The very walaroos in fright went scrambling up the rocks
The wombats hiding in their caves dug deeper under ground
While Mulga Bill, as white as chaulk, held tight to every bound.

It raced beside a precipice as close as close could be
And then as Mulga Bill let out one last despiring shreik
It made a leap of twenty feet Straight into Dead Man’s Creek
Twas Mulga Bill from Eaglehawk who slowly swam ashore
He said he’d had some lively rides and narrow shaves before
I rode a wild bull around a yard just to win a five pound bet
But this was sure the darndest ride that I’ve encountered yet

I’ll give this two wheeled outlaw best, it’s shaken all my nerve
To feel it whistle through the air, and plunge and buck and swerve
It’s safe at rest in Dead Man’s creek, we’ll leave it lying still
A horse’s back is good enough, henceforth for Mulga Bill

'Mulga Bill's Bicycle', by A B Patterson (don't know why it double spaced, but now it's fixed...)

noglider 

So it may be mostly a case of you needing to get used to it and stronger in a few areas. I have weak shoulders for a guy, so I've been working out for a few months, and it is helping me. I do various kinds of weight lifting and also pushups. These exercises are helping me on the bike a lot.

Wildwood 

You have come so far with this bike.
Not much to learn with the DT shifters. A tiny-bit-'o-anticipating and the one handed shifting/braking dilemma will go away as quickly as your initial hesitation with how easy 20mph could be.


Please no bar end shifters on a red DeRosa w/ Campy. Tulio and the god of semi-retired youthful dance instructors would not approve. Seriously.

cargomama

Took my longest ride today, probably about 6-7 miles. SO sore in my elbows, lower back, hands got buzz here and there but not all the time. I did notice the muscle under my thumb (thumb muscle?) feels really tired, almost cramping...but I was extremely conscious to try to keep the weight off my hands and I was not gripping hard (except braking maybe). I REALLY am liking the handling of the bike, it starts so fast, climbs incredibly...the pain is still more than I would expect and I am a little discouraged about that :/

Steve Whitlatch 

Well you are going much farther now. That`s good. The more you get used to it the better it will feel. Your muscles are hardening up. I painted the front porch last weekend. I was sore as all heck.

himespau 

+1

cargomama

Why is this? Is there anything past the aesthetics? Or tradition?

Curious

cargomama

Yesterday I rode the bike about 15 miles with some handed down gloves. Didn't get any road buzz the whole time (though on a smooth trail mostly). I kept the weight off my hands as much as I could and tried very hard to keep my elbows soft. My hands would bother me some but never really hurt. I think the tension has been shifted to my lower back as it started hurting within a few miles and continued the whole trip. Thankfully it didn't continue long after getting straightened up after the ride. Is this normal?

cargomama

Very cute I wonder what make bicycle he bought

Wildwood 

I agree it's very, very, very hard to get past the aesthetics and tradition.
But aside from that (those), wait til your knees kick you to a new gear on a hill climb. How wide are your handlebars? Do your knees nearly swipe the top tube with each revolution? Narrow bars and wide knees are a bad combo.


edit: wasn't part of your hand pain solution a shorter reach bar&stem. That may also play into the elbow/knee/barend shifter interface. apologies for not reviewing prior posts.

Steve Whitlatch 

For the lower back pain, you can try tweaking your stem height up or down in very small increments. Mark your stem with a pencil.

nycphotography

you may want to do some core exercises. i do incline bench situps 2x30 and plank raises 2x20. these should help with the core strength. the incline bench (and some dumbbells) is the only gym equipment i bought.

you should also change grips often, from hoods, to tops, to outside tops, to drops.

finally, i would suggest you find someone local who can take a ride with you... in person you will probably get much more relevant feedback and guidance.

Ed.

Spared, finally. I was getting a complex... Nobody responding to my posts...


Patterson was the Australian equivalent to Robert Service. Very similar style. Patterson is best known for The Man from Snowy River, and Service for The Cremation of Sam McGee. Patterson will likely be a tough find in a typical US library, but Service should be readily available. Worth a look in both cases.


My Father liked bar-end shifters, had them on his Frejus. I think they're a solution in search of a problem.