Handlebars feel too low but not sure...
#27
Senior Member
Seat height looks better. I strongly recommend training yourself to rid with some bend in your elbows. With a bend, they're like springs. Without the bend, they just transmit surface irregularities to your hands, wrists, elbows, and shoulders.
I look forward t reading how your ride goes.
I look forward t reading how your ride goes.
#28
Senior Member
Lowering the saddle (and making it more level) seems (in the photo at least) to make you look more comfortable on your bike. Inserting the stem quill was necessary for safety but doesn't seem to affect your position greatly. Trek and other replies say otherwise but I still think that frame is too small for you! I agree with the reply that mentions a disproportionate torso length for your stated 5'7" height. I also agree with the suggestion to set the saddle height based on the distance from the floor to your pubic bone. That measument is sometimes referred to as "inseam" but isn't the same as the inseam value for the pants you wear 😉. There are lots of online articles on how to measure your inseam and how to calculate the saddle height. All of the methods to measure your "inseam" should give the same result. Calculating saddle height is a bit nebulous and can vary based on the opinion of the person describing the method. All of the methods will, at the very least, give you a starting point. You can adjust to your comfort from there.
#29
Senior Member
Thread Starter
I rode the bike today for about 40 minutes and had a little stiffness and soreness in my lower back. Also half way in the ride, I could hear and feel a "click" when pedaling. When I turned the left shifter to "3" and the right to "7", the bike got a bit louder. Here is a brief clip of the noise:
I still had a lot of fun and I rode my most challenging terrain. I actually mountain biked on a mountain bike (Rode over lots of bumps, rocks, sand)! I think I'm going to keep this bike for a year or two to get my money's worth out of it. I'll explore all of the trails around me and use it for exercise and then probably sell it back to the shop for $100. I'll then look for a bigger frame.
I still had a lot of fun and I rode my most challenging terrain. I actually mountain biked on a mountain bike (Rode over lots of bumps, rocks, sand)! I think I'm going to keep this bike for a year or two to get my money's worth out of it. I'll explore all of the trails around me and use it for exercise and then probably sell it back to the shop for $100. I'll then look for a bigger frame.
#30
Senior Member
Thread Starter
I rode the bike again today. It was in 3-7 then I shifted 3-6, 2-6, and 2-5. The "click" sound that I heard and felt as I pedaled the day before was gone. Here I am doing a few laps, maybe you all can get a better idea of the bike's fit on me.
I'm obviously not a bike expert but the way I feel on the bike would be described like this image :
However, switching back to a mountain bike from a comfort cruiser is so much more fun! I felt like I was moving in slow motion on the comfort bike.
I'm obviously not a bike expert but the way I feel on the bike would be described like this image :
However, switching back to a mountain bike from a comfort cruiser is so much more fun! I felt like I was moving in slow motion on the comfort bike.
#31
Junior Member
From your first pic, I thought that maybe your saddle was a little high, but watching the video, it now looks like maybe your saddle is a little low. It's hard to tell from the video and it depends on riding technique such as how much you drop your heel. How much did you lower it?
It would surprise me if your mountain bike is actually faster, If you have a bike computer, it's easy to tell, otherwise maybe time yourself on a known course. I suspect that the mountain bike just subjectively FEELS faster because you like it better.
Either way, ride what you enjoy. And you can put road bike tires on your mountain bike and call it your "other" comfort cruiser.
It would surprise me if your mountain bike is actually faster, If you have a bike computer, it's easy to tell, otherwise maybe time yourself on a known course. I suspect that the mountain bike just subjectively FEELS faster because you like it better.
Either way, ride what you enjoy. And you can put road bike tires on your mountain bike and call it your "other" comfort cruiser.
#32
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Is it a good rule for saddle height that my heel with the pedal pointing down in line with the seat post should have my leg completely straight?
#34
I'm good to go!
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Once you've got that place to start. Try it out and adjust as needed from there.
My objection to what you said was the term "rule". I think that makes too many think this is what it must be and thou shalt not deviate one iota.
#35
Junior Member
No, but it's a good way to find a place to start with your seat height. Though if by completely straight you mean you are using all your effort to make your leg artificially straight, probably not.
Once you've got that place to start. Try it out and adjust as needed from there.
My objection to what you said was the term "rule". I think that makes too many think this is what it must be and thou shalt not deviate one iota.
Once you've got that place to start. Try it out and adjust as needed from there.
My objection to what you said was the term "rule". I think that makes too many think this is what it must be and thou shalt not deviate one iota.
These days, as I'm a bit older, I've found that I really can't maintain the higher cadence of my younger self so I decided to try raising the saddle. Now, I'm right at the 1.09 recommendation and it feels perfectly natural... for me.
#36
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Not 'completely straight', but 'free-hang' or 'dangling' straight. Stand on a stair step and let one leg dangle in the air relaxed. It will be slightly bent. Now sit on the bike and dangle the leg the same way, and the heel should be just touching the pedal.
#37
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It looks like you have the saddle height set pretty well. The next thing I would do is to test your fore-aft saddle position to see if you weight distribution is correct.
#38
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Your bars only feel too low because you don't have nearly enough reach. Even though you don't have a mountain bike there, it is a flat bar bike, so the fit will be about the same. Make your fit look like this:
Except for the model's horribly rounded back, this looks about right. IOW don't fret about bar height so much, get more reach and bar height ill be fine because you're not stretching down for the bars, you're leaning forward to reach them. This is also much more comfortable. If the spine is nearly vertical, it can't absorb road shocks with makes both your back and your butt sorer.
Except for the model's horribly rounded back, this looks about right. IOW don't fret about bar height so much, get more reach and bar height ill be fine because you're not stretching down for the bars, you're leaning forward to reach them. This is also much more comfortable. If the spine is nearly vertical, it can't absorb road shocks with makes both your back and your butt sorer.
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