Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

Sounds like the new setup might be working for you g260.
I've never had a bike fit. I've tinkered a bit here and there and thought about getting a fit done. Most cyclists who visit a decent operator say it's worth the time and money.
One day.......

Gabrielle260, like Stuart I've thought about but have always opted to DIY primarily looking at the seat height and position though. Have grown used to the position do I can only imagine how awkward it must feel to have the set up re jigged. The body would be used to the old way and must take some time to change.

Will be interesting to hear if you find you can do more K's and recover and/feel better after each ride.

Note to self - No DIY get a pro to do it.

Did 72km today. It started as before - I was extremely aware of the lower seat height and the more cramped position. I rode toward Mullum but then went up Possum Creek Rd up to Coolamon Scenic Drive and from there to Mullum, Main Arm and back. 3 things about today's ride;
1. The scenery around here is just beautiful... No wonder people move here! One caveat, though, is that it is very hilly!
2. The guys in the Mullum bike shop are fantastic... I dropped in on the way back and had a great chat. If their shop was in Melbourne I would never go anywhere else! More on them later...
3. When I turned around and then for almost the entire 35km back, the new position felt great... I was pedalling faster at the same HR and feeling comfortable. Now I just have to see if it stays like that.
Tomorrow I am joining Jay from the Mullum shop for a gravel road ride of 80 to 100kms. I will be riding the Lynskey rigid 29er which is now geared and has ergon bar ends. I tried it out this arvo for the first time since Steve adjusted it and it felt low (again!) but ok.
More tomorrow,
Andrew

80km yesterday on the rigid 29er with CX tyres on gravel roads and sandy tracks. Had a ball! Only occasionally noticed the seat height... Most of the time I just rode.
If you ever come up here, I highly recommend True Wheel Cycles in Mullumbimby. The two guys who run the shop, Jay and David, love showing visitors their region. Unlike so many bike shop owners/managers/staff, their egos don't take over - they turn their customers into friends. If only their shop was in Melbourne!
Yesterday we headed north, away from the pot holed roads of Byron Shire, to Cabarita beach via some good climbs on dirt roads. We came home along sandy tracks through the coastal park. Along the way we did a 5km lap of the Pottsville Environment Park - flat but twisty single track through trees and scrub - perfect on CX tyres.
I've now decided on my next project - converting the Lynskey into a rigid, drop barred 29er - a bike that can, with just a tyre change, be a commuter, monster CX bike, gravel grinder or MTB. With the changes to my position that Steve Hogg made, I can do it if I chose the right stem and bar combo. Now I just have to study reach and drop numbers and do some maths!
Andrew

Sounds like you're having fun Andrew. I'm interested in your plans for the Lynskey. I have a Lynskey CX which I bought as a commuter to which I fitted mudguards, rack and pannier. After a while I took it for a couple of rides on the local fire trails which were 60% sealed road and 40% dirt 70km round trip from home. The bike was very twitchy on 28mm slicks and drop bars though. I enjoyed these rides so much I fitted flat bars and bought a second set of wheels with proper CX tyres. I have disc brakes so by using the same hubs it is a really easy swap. BUT the tyres hit on my mudguards so I had to take them off and the flat bars made the bike less desirable for my commutes. Now I have returned the bike back to original setup and using it exclusively for commuting.

With the warmer weather coming I'm keen to get back in the bush so I might give it another try with the drop bars and CX wheels. Looks like we are headed for another drought so I can probably live without the mudguards.

I bought a Cannondale CX bike 2 weeks ago. Love it! Way better than I thought it would be. Smooth on the road, fast, light, and feels more robust than the roadie for commuting. Was going to use it as a winter bike or something but it could be used way more I suspect

And since we are discussing bike fits I had one on 4th August. I can't say I recommend the person or the process totally. It was a retul one, motion sensor cameras and all that. The process was all pretty impersonal, numbers and angles and all theory on what should be good. felt a little bit 'standardised' rather than customised. Would have loved to see Steve Hogg but Sydney is a bit difficult. ( I had the fit because everyone said I looked wrong /too low, not because I was uncomfortable) Anyway, fairly major changes, saddle up almost 3cm and forward 3cm, cleats moved back, stem lowered. Basically I wasn't using my quads as much as I should have been.
First Ride was 150kms around Wilsons Prom!, survived unscathed and have slowly ramped it up from there. still haven't done any seroius hill climbing days but have now done just over 1000kms in 5 weeks. It still feels slightly different after all this time but not wrong either. Certainly no significant soreness or injuries. My power seems to have increased by around 40watts though, which is nice (based on strava hill segments). So it was worthwhile in that sense, although I could probably have gone to anyone or measured it up myself and got the same result. I have 400kms planned over this weekend to give the new position a real test. After that big hills!

Anyone alive in here???

Livetoride wrote:Anyone alive in here???

Am over 9000kms for the year now. So 12k is looking like a possibility now. Not bad considering I was aiming for 8k

woops - I was aiming for 7k

Well done mate!

Well, I strained an adductor muscle on my supposedly epic 400kms weekend managed 260 and then could hardly walk. Seems like it's not too bad. have managed a few rides since and have had a couple of massages and doing some stretching. It's not really a muscle you should be using much when cycling.
Not 100% sure of the cause but it might have been some new insoles or cleat position. The saddle height and new position feel ok. I'm just taking it a bit easier ATM!

About to hit my goal for the year... although only really started doing k's in March. Feels like I am not doing enough and since been told I wasn't allowed to race the National TT ( this weekend ) about a month ago I have let everything slip a bit. Weather is starting to pack up so my kms will drop away... except maybe "indoor km's" .

Crappy weather here this week. Ridiculous wind combined with 5 minute bursts of driving rain followed by 5 minutes of sun then back to rain again, and repeat.
Not good for cycling (unless you're very committed!) but at least I can still get some much needed running and swimming in.
Hoping for better weather in the coming weeks.....need to get some good k's in TT position!
Ride safe everyone.
Cheers,
Stuart.

Sorry guys - I should finish my posts on bike fit and riding at Byron Bay.
In our second week there I joined the Sunday bunch ride out of the Mullum bike shop. I rode my 29er with CX tyres and the others were on MTB's. We went up and over the range to Uki. Once again great riding and glorious scenery!
The road is bitumen until a few kms past Main Arm and then turns to dirt.
Near the top of the climb the MTBers stopped and put on shin guards and other protective gear and then they took off on some single track that paralled the road.
The aim of the ride was to go to the monthly market at Uki. Everyone told me the Uki market was what the Byron market used to be 20 years ago.
After a few beers and some pizza at the market we rode back and I must admit I struggled climbing back over the range!!
Anyway - the rest of the week i just did short rides on the road bike and spent time playing tennis, table tennis and walking with the family. On the MTB I am comfortable with Steve's fit but on the road bike I have put the seat back up just 3mm and it has made all the difference.
I am still 7mm lower and also further forward but that low, cramped feeling has gone.
Since getting back last weekend my focus has been on finding a new role as my current contract is ending today and whilst on hols the next role fell through...
So now I am aiming for a big final 3 months to boost my position in the rankings!
Andrew

I made it to No. 10 in the club rankings this morning - just. It's a hard spot to get to and harder to hold.
It's almost as hard as trying to stay with the bloody red triangle.

Bet I lose it tomorrow as that is my rest/work day.
Keep up the pressure Guys

So long w/end and I only managed one piss weak ride thanks to the rain.

Nice work Duds & toolong

What is with joggers running on the road, Grrrrrr

Nice ride this morning but stiff as hell from the gym last night

Dimma wrote:So long w/end and I only managed one piss weak ride thanks to the rain.

just need to get up earlier

I only rode once - saving the legs for the b2gc next sunday (can i sit on your rear wheel the whole way down?)

I'd planned to do my Binna Burra loop so needed about 8hrs, and that's just miserable in rain, even a mist.
Not sure how fast I'll be this year on the B2GC, I reckon I've gone soft over the last 12 months, my wheel is always there.

D

Dimma wrote:I'd planned to do my Binna Burra loop so needed about 8hrs, and that's just miserable in rain, even a mist.
Not sure how fast I'll be this year on the B2GC, I reckon I've gone soft over the last 12 months, my wheel is always there.

D

pm sent

Dimma wrote:I'd planned to do my Binna Burra loop so needed about 8hrs, and that's just miserable in rain, even a mist.

D

Springbrook was ok yesterday...looked like it was going to rain, and up near the Fudge Shop the road was damp in parts...apart from the wind in the more exposed sections and the chill it was all ok up there yesterday...next to nothing in the way of cars which made the descent even better!

Is there any women in this club??...looks like I'll be booted out of the 6k club next year...along with JasonC

Welcome Lisa, your the founding female, hopefully your the example other ladies will follow.Tim

TimW wrote:Welcome Lisa, your the founding female, hopefully your the example other ladies will follow.Tim

I thought that there were some ladies here already...Jillybean has a WSD bike in their signature...some usernames aren't helpful when trying t establish the gender of the user

10k will be beyond me for this year, but I'll give it a go for '13...

Trying to beat Mr MM for total k's ridden this year...I'm a few hundred behind

marinmomma wrote:10k will be beyond me for this year, but I'll give it a go for '13...

Trying to beat Mr MM for total k's ridden this year...I'm a few hundred behind

come and ride with me for a couple of months - I'll get you over the line

Lisa,

I am yet to do Springbrook, always tend to get railroaded into Binna Burra, Natural Bridge or O'Reilley's.

Livetoride wrote:Nice work Duds & toolong

What is with joggers running on the road, Grrrrrr

Nice ride this morning but stiff as hell from the gym last night

LTR, on residential streets I normally run on the road but on the opposite side so that I can see cars and other vehicles coming towards me. If there's a concrete footpath I'll try to avoid it but if there's a shared cycle/ped path or dry dirt trail then I'd prefer to be on that. I run on the road for a number of reasons but the main one would be the consistency of surface. More chance of tripping or twisting an ankle if you're on the edge of the footpath, especially while passing other users/obstructions/etc.
Being a cyclist, when I'm running I will try jump up on the nature strip or footpath if I see a cyclist coming towards me and there's not much room. Most likely the cyclist can't see or know what's coming up behind them (can you believe some people ride without mirrors )
Cheers,
Stuart.