Taking your life in your hands

[Benchwayze]

Steve,

We don't ever forget how to balance a bike of course, but we can forget how to ride one. Fortunately, the skills soon return with practice. With regard to the size of the frame the best advice I can offer, is to get a bike that is correct for your inside-leg measurement. Otherwise, whatever you do in the way of adjustments to the saddle etc, the bike will always be 'slamming you in the crotch', as it were.

HTH

Best of luck

John

 

[JohnPW]

Re saddle height: having the "correct" saddle height will mean you actually can't touch both feet on the ground, but you can tip toe on one foot and you have to lean over a little bit. What you do instead is slide off the front of the saddle and straddle the crossbar (top tub), then you can put, depending on height of top tube, at least one foot flat on the ground.

With a low top tube, ie saddle sticks out of the frame a lot, you can stand both feet flat on the ground and there will be a gap between you and the top tube, that is the current fashion re frame size. But in the past the recommended frame size was bigger and the saddle stuck less out of the frame.

The right saddle height is when the pedal is when the the lowest position, your leg has a slight bend at the knee, the ball of your feet should be over the axle of the pedal.

Re helmets, let's just say I never and will never wear one, actually I'm completely anti-helmet.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Well in that case, and after a similar conversation last night with DaveR, I have no doubt that it is too big for me.
Standing with both feet on the ground and the bike upright, the crossbar is, how can I put this tactfully, higher than anything I would want to put in that region. My Boy Soprano days are coming back to me...

 

[JohnPW]

As long as you can adjust the saddle to the "correct" height, a frame size bigger that what is the current fashion is not really a problem. Yes you will touch the crossbar if you try to stand with both feet flat on the ground but it doesn't matter in practice.

But a general rider will probably better off on a bike with the saddle set low enough so they can put both feet on the ground.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

...or that cyclists wearing helmets cycle 3" closer to cars?

That was tongue in cheek, I rather hoped someone would bite. By the bye.
I wondered afterwards if there might have been an element of truth in it, though. I've seen children over the years ride around like lunatics after they'd passed a cycling proficiency test. I spoke to one a few years ago and he said he was perfectly safe for that reason. I doubt a cyclist would do it consciously though! It's the perception of being safer - the most idiotic cyclists I've seen have all been wearing helmets.

 

[Benchwayze]

I appreciate there might be 'fashions' for bike frame sizes, but that doesn't alter the effect of a poorly sized frame. I have a lovely old 1964 Major Nichols Frame which at 21" is an inch or so too big for me. I always tolerated it, as I liked the bike so much, but whatever I did with the saddle and handlebars, I suffered numbness in my legs after a couple of hours in the saddle; something I'd never had before. I don't ride now, but yes, I could stand with my feet flat on the floor, and be clear of the crossbar. All the same, the frame was always too big for me, and it always 'slammed me in the crotch'! If I could find someone with long, long legs, I might sell it! But it was a lovely bike. Oh yes indeed!

PS. I don't like helmets either. If a lorry runs over you, a helmet isn't going to do much for you. You're likely to be dead. Falling off a bike could cause head injury... Despite what people might think, in my case all the falls I had never harmed me! :mrgreen:

 

[Steve Maskery]

Well my mate Stuart has swapped with me. He has several bikes and I'm pretty sure he is simply taking pity on me, because when he tried to ride mine I think he found it as tricky as I did. He's no taller than I am. So I suspect he'll hang on to it for a while then give it away again.

So I now have a purple one. I don't think it is the same quality as the Giant is (this one is badged Verona British Eagle) and it is more of a mountain bike than a road bike, but the frame is smaller and I feel a lot more in control. In fact, I think I need to raise the saddle a bit, I don't think I'm extending my leg enough when pedalling. There is no high cross-bar, but a diagonal one, more like a lady's bike, so my pride and joy took less of a pummelling. The seat is a bit unforgiving, though. But all in all, it is more suitable for me.

So this morning I went and bought a helmet and this evening I've done 10km from home to the local reservoir and back. Roads which I thought were level have suddenly become three-dimensional...

The bike needs a bit of maintenance. It developed a bit of a knock and I thought that perhaps the pedal was bent, but it has got worse and on getting home I've discovered that the crank is loose on the spindle of the bottom bracket, but that should be easy to fix, I'm sure.

Did I enjoy it? Yes and no. I liked the wind in my hair bit, didn't like the uphills one bit, but if I ever get fit again presumably that will dissipate.

And will somebody please fix those potholes?

 

[paulm]

Well worth spending a few quid on padded cycling shorts Steve, I got some a few weeks ago and wear them under my normal shorts, make a big difference to comfort, wish I'd done it ages ago.

Also, you'll be surprised how quickly you improve on dealing with the hills, each ride out I find I can do that bit more than last time and really notice the difference after even just a few sessions.

A helmet is a complete no brainer as far as I'm concerned, it won't hurt you and could well make a difference, can't understand why some people don't ?!

Cheers, Paul

 

[Steve Maskery]

Well worth spending a few quid on padded cycling shorts Steve, I got some a few weeks ago and wear them under my normal shorts, make a big difference to comfort, wish I'd done it ages ago.

Is this the sort of sartorial elegance to which you refer?
https://www.aldi.co.uk/en/specialbuys/s ... ng-shorts/

Also, you'll be surprised how quickly you improve on dealing with the hills, each ride out I find I can do that bit more than last time and really notice the difference after even just a few sessions.

I hope so. But I do believe you. I've had various attempts over the years to become the slim, trim, handsome hunk that I am in my dreams, and each time the first effort was horrible and it did quite quickly become at least doable, if never quite enjoyable.

A helmet is a complete no brainer ...

An interesting turn of phrase, Paul!

Thanks for the encouragement.
S

 

[paulm]

These kind of shorts Steve http://www.amazon.co.uk/Baleaf-Coolmax- ... ing+shorts The picture shows them inside out by the way, right way round they are a lot less alarming and under normal shorts don't notice at all, but make a big difference to comfort after a few miles

Cheers, Paul

 

[Steve Maskery]

The picture shows them inside out by the way, right way round they are a lot less alarming and under normal shorts don't notice at all, but make a big difference to comfort after a few miles

I'm delighted to hear it, Paul, I LOL'd! They look positively medical.

I do wish they would give a waist size rather than SML etc. I wouldn't know whether to order the small or the medium.
S

 

[Mark A]

These kind of shorts Steve http://www.amazon.co.uk/Baleaf-Coolmax- ... ing+shorts

:shock: Looks like a monkey's @rse :lol:

 

[paulm]

These kind of shorts Steve http://www.amazon.co.uk/Baleaf-Coolmax- ... ing+shorts

:shock: Looks like a monkey's @rse :lol:

Saves your's looking like one when you get off the bike !

Cheers, Paul

 

[Sheffield Tony]

A neurosurgeon who cycles wearing cowboy outfit and jumps red lights. I am unsurprised that he might have slightly eccentric opinions.

The trouble is that the press just love controversial opinions, and give them equal space as the conventional, much more widely held view. "But some experts believe ..." all too often really means one wildly eccentric academic who doesn't get out enough thinks so.