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Road bikes are just terrible. Please explain

Old 12-23-22, 08:18 PM
  #51  
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Originally Posted by rydabent
Tell us, what is the difference between a seat and a saddle.
Its the same as the difference between a moronic and idiotic question.
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Old 12-23-22, 08:37 PM
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“As far as I can tell, there are mountain bikes and road bikes. Of course this isn't the case, but I'm not a big bicycle person.”

As far as I can tell, there is chocolate ice cream and vanilla ice cream. Of course, there are other flavors, but I’m not a big ice cream eater person.
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Old 12-23-22, 08:42 PM
  #53  
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Originally Posted by indyfabz
I’m not a big ice cream eater person.
I like frozen custard myself.
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Old 12-23-22, 08:48 PM
  #54  
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Originally Posted by Polaris OBark
It might be possible that someone mistook this earnest question, along with the accompanying phraseology, as an example of a phenomenon known as trolling.
I guess I was wrong.
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Old 12-23-22, 08:50 PM
  #55  
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Originally Posted by Chuck M
I like frozen custard myself.
I'm a sorbet guy myself.
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Old 12-23-22, 09:00 PM
  #56  
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daggum 5 post newbie limit! I’m finally back. First of all: froyo, cause you get all the toppings.

Originally Posted by Polaris OBark
It might be
Originally Posted by Polaris OBark
possible that someone mistook this earnest question, along with the accompanying phraseology, as an example of a phenomenon known as trolling.
I think I'm having trouble with the site. It seems I have to constantly log back in. i may have been logged out when I thought I posted it the first time.

I didn't mean for this post to be "Trollish." I've always thought that drop bar bikes felt so vastly different and wanted to make sure the point got across. I guess I succeeded. There could be a large mental component. The more vertical pedal/seat arrangement puts the seat higher and the ground father away. Aggressive lean. Brake leavers are out there in the next county. Now that I think of it, I may used to being able to stand with little weight on the hands. I just need riding time. It's a good size tho. I have the seat set all the way down which puts it a bit too low for pedaling but gets my feet closer to ground.

That seat is an enigma tho. I know it's designed to keep the pedaling muscles unencumbered, but it's just so, so tiny... focusing all the sitting weight in such a delicate area. I honestly don't see how it's possible.
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Old 12-23-22, 09:07 PM
  #57  
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Originally Posted by Lombard
I'm a sorbet guy myself.
I don't know that I have had sorbet, but I liked an orange sherbet during the summers when I was a kid. Dad didn't get it often, but it was a treat when he did. I'm not a fan of gelato.

Originally Posted by Bonts
focusing all the sitting weight in such a delicate area. I honestly don't see how it's possible.

I find I just kinda toughen up to it. Early in the season, I wear padded cycling shorts. By the end of the summer, my running shorts are fine.
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Old 12-23-22, 09:13 PM
  #58  
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Originally Posted by Bonts
I have the seat set all the way down which puts it a bit too low for pedaling but gets my feet closer to ground.


This might be contributing to your discomfort. It might not make a huge difference, but saddle designers tend to assume the user will have proper leg extension.

Worth a look: https://www.cyclingweekly.com/fitnes...t-how-to-25379
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Old 12-23-22, 09:17 PM
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Originally Posted by Lombard
I'm a sorbet guy myself.
I’m a gelato guy. (But still like ice cream sandwiches) Whose next?
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Old 12-23-22, 09:42 PM
  #60  
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Originally Posted by Bonts
...
That seat is an enigma tho. I know it's designed to keep the pedaling muscles unencumbered, but it's just so, so tiny... focusing all the sitting weight in such a delicate area. I honestly don't see how it's possible.


This is so close. A big flat seat forces you to work in a very difficult manner.

A touring bicycle saddle allows your legs to move in a much more natural way. Putting a wide flat seat on there puts more strain on your arms and wrists.

If you start riding 50 miles a week or more you will probably find that a touring saddle makes a lot of sense.

But this tandem may not be for you. I once test drove a Lotus. All I needed to do to make it fit me was to move the seat back a couple of inches and add a little more space between the pedals.

Yeah, I would have needed to move the firewall back to move the seat, and the wheel wells were in the way of the pedals. I let someone else have the Lotus.
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Old 12-23-22, 10:06 PM
  #61  
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Regarding handlebars, it might interest you to know that most cyclists (at least recreational ones) spend the majority of their time on the "hoods", and the "tops" secondary with the "drops" reserved for descending and flats speed efforts.

Regarding seats, minimalist road seats reduce chafing and soreness on very long rides and are sometimes even designed to accommodate a more aggressive position. If you're not riding 100 miles at a time, you may in fact be more comfortable on a wider and/or cushier seat.

Finally, many people buy road bikes to emulate what they see on TV. Even if they don't use the drops at all and only ride short distances, they want the Tour de France style bike. Others want to ride fast and make the bike lighter, too, even if it means using a less comfortable position.
As mentioned above, there are "flat bar" road bikes, and if that's what makes you happy then go for it. Also don't be afraid to have a drop bar higher than your saddle. The rules of elitist snobs only apply if you want them to.
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Old 12-23-22, 11:21 PM
  #62  
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Originally Posted by Bonts
I've always thought that drop bar bikes felt so vastly different and wanted to make sure the point got across. I guess I succeeded. There could be a large mental component. The more vertical pedal/seat arrangement puts the seat higher and the ground father away. Aggressive lean. Brake leavers are out there in the next county. Now that I think of it, I may used to being able to stand with little weight on the hands. I just need riding time. It's a good size tho. I have the seat set all the way down which puts it a bit too low for pedaling but gets my feet closer to ground.
It sounds like you have other issues than the drop bars. You shouldn’t be trying to ride with the saddle low enough so that you can put your feet on the ground from the saddle…especially with a tandem. It’s not a very stable way to ride a single and trying to hold up the weight of a stoker. You should dismount when you stop with one foot on the ground, one foot on the pedal, and straddling the top tub.

Yes, the brake levers are a bit further away but I’m wondering if your bike is too large for you. Even tandems need to have to proper fit for both riders.


That seat is an enigma tho. I know it's designed to keep the pedaling muscles unencumbered, but it's just so, so tiny... focusing all the sitting weight in such a delicate area. I honestly don't see how it's possible.


You are thinking of the saddle incorrectly. You don’t “sit” on a bicycle saddle. It’s there to support you but it’s not a Barcalounger. Optimally, you should almost hover over the saddle while riding. It takes some time and experience to learn how to unload the saddle while you ride but it’s worth the effort.
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Old 12-24-22, 06:50 AM
  #63  
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Sit bone discomfort is natural while you're getting used to riding. The first couple of rides of the season will always be uncomfortable. With more regular riding, the pain should go away.

The one caveat is if you are getting any genital numbness, that should never be ignored.
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Old 12-24-22, 08:39 AM
  #64  
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Seems like the OP needs to relearn fit/positioning. Start with the basics. Leg extension, position over the BB, and then worry about the bar height and reach.
We don't know what he's starting with and some of his posts indicate he needs help with all of it.
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Old 12-24-22, 08:43 AM
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Originally Posted by Bonts
I thought I posted this last night but see no mention of it on my account or an alert that it was deleted. I'll try again

As far as I can tell, there are mountain bikes and road bikes. Of course this isn't the case, but I'm not a big bicycle person. I'm comfortable on anything with straight, mountain bike type handlebars. Ive had a Schwinn, Raleigh, and Superior. No clue what type they were, but they could be called mountain bikes to the uneducated. I've ridden (tried to ride) road bikes- anything with "ram horn" handlebars. They were all terrible. The dimensions don't look much different than "mountain" bikes, but I just cant ride them. It seems almost as different as trying a unicycle.

The reason I ask is cause my wife got us a Burley Duet of the "ram horn" style. I've ridden tandems well in the past so I don't think it's that. The sporty seat is a big issue I think. I've always put on beefier, cushier seats. This one (common on all road bikes I've sat on) almost feels like there's no seat at all and I'm just sitting on the post.

Question: What should I modify to get this thing to fit? I'm incredibly comfortable on previously mentioned "mountain" bikes. I can wheelie, jump, and slide. It doesn't seem like I'd be so incredibly uncomfortable on any bike. I have zero ideas:
- handle bar drop? I had one bike (too small) set up with a solid 3" of drop
- Narrow handlebars? I can ride no handed, one handed, with a wrench instead of handlebars

There must be some geometry I'm not considering that's incredibly important. Pedal-seat vertical alignment? Fork rake?
Problem solved! No handlebars and great pedal-seat vertical alignment:

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Old 12-24-22, 09:20 AM
  #66  
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Originally Posted by Bonts
The more vertical pedal/seat arrangement puts the seat higher and the ground father away. Aggressive lean. Brake leavers are out there in the next county. Now that I think of it, I may used to being able to stand with little weight on the hands. I just need riding time. It's a good size tho. I have the seat set all the way down which puts it a bit too low for pedaling but gets my feet closer to ground.
Everything you write suggests it’s not a good size. The ground is always in the same place. You need to learn how to properly operate a road bike on a properly sized frame. A tandem is not the correct classroom to gain this knowledge.
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Old 12-24-22, 01:32 PM
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We have a burly samba, which is basically the same bike except for the tire size. I found it really hard to get a good fit on it. The three frame sizes aren’t really that far apart. The stack was really low compared to a modern suspension mountain bike, and I had to put a pretty high riser bar on it to get them level with the saddle.

pdf link https://www.precisiontandems.com/cat_files/samba.pdf



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Old 12-24-22, 02:15 PM
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Originally Posted by skidder
Problem solved! No handlebars and great pedal-seat vertical alignment:

I would need full body armor before I would try one of these.
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Old 12-24-22, 02:26 PM
  #69  
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Originally Posted by Chuck M
I like frozen custard myself.
Originally Posted by Lombard
I'm a sorbet guy myself.
Originally Posted by rsbob
I’m a gelato guy.
Oh great, now we've got Big Custard, Big Sorbet, and Big Gelato to deal with. Will it never end?
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Old 12-24-22, 03:22 PM
  #70  
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Originally Posted by cyccommute
Sometimes you swap out the wife. Especially before she mellows and decides that tandems aren’t as bad as she thought

I am hoping that is not your new wife...!
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Old 12-24-22, 06:51 PM
  #71  
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Originally Posted by vespasianus
I am hoping that is not your new wife...!
Just a replacement family member who was far less independently minded.
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Old 12-24-22, 07:29 PM
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Originally Posted by cyccommute
Just a replacement family member who was far less independently minded.
About what year was that pic?
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Old 12-24-22, 11:08 PM
  #73  
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Originally Posted by big john
About what year was that pic?
Just shy of 34 years ago.
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Old 12-25-22, 12:03 AM
  #74  
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Originally Posted by cyccommute
Just shy of 34 years ago.
Awesome!
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Old 12-26-22, 03:30 AM
  #75  
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Originally Posted by big john
Awesome!
awesome 'stache as well. Then, and now.
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