big john

The impalement comment was referring to the other bike with the home made high rise, not yours.

alo

I am not concerned about what others think. If I do something sensible, and others don't understand, do you think I care?

I have ridden rusty bikes. Some think they look stupid. In reality they are good, as they don't get stolen.

I had one bike which I put bmx handlebars on. Some think they look stupid. I was surprised how many young boys told me my bike was cool.

I have been losing weight, on a bike which some may think looks stupid. I have now lost 26 kg or 57 pounds. I may add 20 years to my life, and avoid diabetes and high blood pressure. How stupid is that?

OldTryGuy

Meet FIREBALL, all 48 pounds of my new ride!

oops -- I have calipers and not discs

shelbyfv

Congrats on the weight loss! However, I'm not sure that the mechanically suspect configuration of that thing had anything to do with it. Hopefully you'll ponder it further and avoid injury. A wired jaw and gaps in your teeth won't help you look smart.

AdkMtnMonster

So you’re saying he loves to be impaled?

AlmostTrick

Bears have a very short inseam compared to humans, so no.

I put some ape hangers on a Schwinn chopper for kicks. Not for comfort but for fun around the neighborhood or at car shows. Unlike cigarette dude, my mirror was actually functional.

Iride01 

I'm just not sure why you wouldn't buy a more appropriate geometry bike with a higher stack that will let you sit like you want to sit. The long stem just doesn't look right and I wonder what the engineers might say about that much un supported stem being out of the tube, or what it's doing for forces on the part inside the steerer.

Mainly it's just a matter of what looks good to you and what you like for your riding. You shouldn't care what I think about it at all.

mdarnton

I did this to my single speed and I see quite a few similar around town.

Basically, expensive bikes are mostly made for 20-something racer wannabes who don't mind riding with their noses brushing the pavement and the farther you get from that the more you have to put up with trash bikes. For instance, the top Trek Verve is $850, much less than their cheapest road or gravel bike, I think, and it weighs 32 pounds vs 22 for their cheapest Domane

Or you take a good one and make it into what you want and need, based on your own flexibility and live with the insults.

shelbyfv

You think?

big john

I'm a 67 year old racer not-wannabe. I am not flexible and my nose is pretty high up when I ride my expensive bike. I'm comfortable on it for 8+ hours with lots of climbing.

big john

Yes but are the exhaust pipes functional?

terrymorse 

That's silly. High-end road bikes are made for people of any age who ride athletically. The bikes are optimized for going fast and handling well.

Wileyone 

They are also pretty to look at. If you find the right ones they are like works of art.

Nothing like riding rare vintage steel.

Wileyone 

I may try that riding style. Looks like it might help me have a good poop.

JohnDThompson 

Do what you've got to do. Riding a goofy looking bike is still infinitely better than not riding.

Pop N Wood

I did something similar to one of my bikes, used a stem extender with a set of Jones riser bars. nice and upright, perfect cruiser.

A recumbent will solve all of your issues. Zero neck issues, excellent view, the most comfortable bike seat ever made all combined with superior aerodynamics.

Wildwood 

It does not have to be too expensive to get 'nose down' so the forward movement is more efficient.
Learn to look thru your bushy eyebrows, and don't forget your readers.

terrymorse 

Better than carrying readers, use these bifocal cycling glasses.




Cycling-Sport Bifocal Sunglasses

Ride in style while still being able to read your computer.

alo

You obviously didn't read my previous response to this.

dkatz1

I have a look Ergo stem (great device) on my bike (s) and it's straight up: my handle bars aren't quite as how as yours, but higher than the seat, and I don't care if it looks stupid. It helps various of my orthopedic woes.

crewdog

I'd hate to go over the handlebars on the bike in post #9. Reminds me of the old story of the guy riding on the hood of a car and leaving his gonads behind on the hood ornament when the driver hit the brakes.

canklecat

I know a couple of younger folks who converted steel road bikes to flat or swept bars. No particular reason, no physical limitations, they just wanted to. One of 'em did the hipster thing and converted his Bianchi road bike to a fixie, with low flat bar. The other replaced the drop bar with a swept bar -- North Roads or Albatross -- and found the upright position put a bit too much pressure on the sit bones with the original road saddle.

The more upright riding position did necessitate swapping saddles for longer rides. They liked the Selle Anatomica, which is pre-broken-in and has a hammock-like ride. I test rode one around the block and could see why they liked 'em.

For a few years I've been riding an old fairly wide Bell saddle with Lycra stretched over memory foam on my hybrid. Pretty comfy but I'm considering a Selle Anatomica with cutout for that bike. Occasionally the dense foam puts a bit too much pressure on the perineum on longer rides, after around 3 hours or 40 miles or so.

tomato coupe

Don't be malignin' circus bears, man.

Jumpski

The bike doesn’t look stupid- enjoy.

crewdog

It doesn't matter what your bike looks like to others. If it is comfortable to ride and helps keep you on the road, then have at it!