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Any road bikers?

#41
IanA said:
Anyone got any tips for pain free saddles? Hurt my nuts a few years ago on my road bike and after a minor op am resigned to only ever being 75% healthy. Was that a series of shape breath intakes I hear :)
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I had a seat that had a long contoured hole in the middle of the seat for the nerve/area that goes from your bunghole to your balls. It raised my comfort greatly from the old seat I had.
 
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#42
Give [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] a read.

It should help with wrists and bottom pain a bit. I have been using it this season with decent results. No pinch flats so far and no hard wrist shots either. It may not be exactly right for all types, but it is a good starting place.

Captain obvious also says "be sure to keep a bend in your elbows." It takes the loading off your wrists on those inevitable shots from the uneven roadway. Make it a pivot, not a rigid weak point.
 
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#43
I'm really looking forward to getting back into riding this summer after over a year off the bike.

Used to race Cat 4, but I virtually stopped during my junior year of college for lack of time and energy... the fact my mother drove my S-Works Tarmac into the carport roof didn't exactly help matters either :crying:.
 
#44
I should've ridden today - high of 70 with the faintest breeze - but my back wasn't up for it. Been working on the car and my back is flaring up again. If it doesn't rain tomorrow, I'll try to fit in at least a quick 20 or so. Must remember to take the pain pills before bed tonight.
 
#45
IanA said:
Because the saddle has no nose there is less support, your weight gets pushed forward onto the handle bars increasing fatigue in your wrists an arms. It really does do the trick with curing numb nuts and numb bum though!
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Ahh makes sense, I never saw a noseless saddle before, but even if the normal saddle is adjusted way too back it does the same thing on the wrists and shoulders.

Tough choice, nuts or wrists.:)
 
#46
With regards to pedals, none of the companies are magic. Look and Speedplay can have variable amounts of float. BOTH of the cleats need to be in the right spot in the shoe or they'll make your knees really hurt.

Saddles are a very individual thing. Without a proper bike fit and/or good shorts, it's extremely difficult to get a comfortable saddle. I don't know a lot of riders using noseless saddles. Some time trial guys would use them to get their saddle further forward to bypass a few antiquated saddle rules due to the nose.
 
#47
spade2you said:
With regards to pedals, none of the companies are magic. Look and Speedplay can have variable amounts of float. BOTH of the cleats need to be in the right spot in the shoe or they'll make your knees really hurt.

Saddles are a very individual thing. Without a proper bike fit and/or good shorts, it's extremely difficult to get a comfortable saddle. I don't know a lot of riders using noseless saddles. Some time trial guys would use them to get their saddle further forward to bypass a few antiquated saddle rules due to the nose.
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It makes sense on a time trial, you rest on your elbows (or arms?) most of the ride so if you give a little more wieght to front, so I guess it wouldn't be much of a problem, pain-wise.
 
#49
spade2you said:
With regards to pedals, none of the companies are magic. Look and Speedplay can have variable amounts of float. BOTH of the cleats need to be in the right spot in the shoe or they'll make your knees really hurt.

Saddles are a very individual thing. Without a proper bike fit and/or good shorts, it's extremely difficult to get a comfortable saddle. I don't know a lot of riders using noseless saddles. Some time trial guys would use them to get their saddle further forward to bypass a few antiquated saddle rules due to the nose.
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Most of those noseless TT saddles still hit right in the taint, they are just shortened. The OP is talking one of those that are essentially cushions, which is inherently going to put to much weight forward for any non-upright position.
 
#50
DerHoggz said:
Most of those noseless TT saddles still hit right in the taint, they are just shortened. The OP is talking one of those that are essentially cushions, which is inherently going to put to much weight forward for any non-upright position.
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Bought a specialized bg saddle at the weekend let's see how we go.
Come and visit me in hospital if it doesn't work out :)
 
#53
So, last night I put on my Team Sky outfit and did my first ride in 10 weeks. I'm sure a slim man with a beer belly in a cycling outfit may be a weird look but man it is a huge motivation just to wear that.

I was expecting a heart attack or a stroke, but I did a lot better than expected.

It was a 20 kilometers short ride, a straight route with a few hard ramps. I focused on my cadance, never dropped it even in the ramps while my legs were begging me to stop.:woot:
Had a nice tail wind in the first 10 kilometers, then I had to ride against it. Got myself smaller on the bike and voila. I'm really liking this road bike thing.:thumbsup:

I realised my legs got really weakend, all that smoking isn't helping either but I think I'll be fine if I keep up. I never realised how important cadence is on my MTB. Thanks for the advice.

ps: Is 17 Km/h average speed a bit too much at this point? I started out at 18 and dropped it to 17.3 Km/h and kept it steady from then on.
 
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#54
machine gewehr said:
ps: Is 17 Km/h average speed a bit too much at this point? I started out at 18 and dropped it to 17.3 Km/h and kept it steady from then on.
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Depends on how hard you were working. Do you use a heart rate monitor? I generally ride based on pulse and try to keep my cadence in line with sustaining a given pulse over the long haul. Speed is secondary to me.

I like to finish in good shape and remain functional following a good ride. Initial fatigue at the end is good, but long term pain or fatigue is not.
 
#55
Average speed is such a relative thing. Depends on wind and terrain. I generally ride the same routes and wind can really influence things. I did a nice 50 miler with no wind and was able to average 20mph. A few weeks later I did 60 miles in the same area with more wind and struggled to keep it above 17mph. Perfect weather on my TT bike meant a 24.5mph average once.
 
#56
carl h. said:
Depends on how hard you were working. Do you use a heart rate monitor? I generally ride based on pulse and try to keep my cadence in line with sustaining a given pulse over the long haul. Speed is secondary to me.

I like to finish in good shape and remain functional following a good ride. Initial fatigue at the end is good, but long term pain or fatigue is not.
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I don't use a heart rate monitor but it's not a struggle at all. And keep in mind my measurements are in kmh not mph.:)

Today I added 4 extra kilometers and had an average speed of 17 kmh. My legs are a tired but I feel great.

spade2you said:
Average speed is such a relative thing. Depends on wind and terrain. I generally ride the same routes and wind can really influence things. I did a nice 50 miler with no wind and was able to average 20mph. A few weeks later I did 60 miles in the same area with more wind and struggled to keep it above 17mph. Perfect weather on my TT bike meant a 24.5mph average once.
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50 miler with 20 mph avg. makes my 24 kilometers with 17 kmh average speed seem like a joke. I need to train so much.

This summer my legs will be burning all the time.:thumbsup:
 
#60
machine gewehr said:
That's what I'm going to do, trust me. If I tried to ride like you or spade2you my family would be collecting me from ER or the morgue.:D

One day at a time, add in a kilometer or two as I did today. Practice makes perfect. Wonder where I heared that before.;)
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I time trialed with bronchitis last Saturday. On top of almost finishing last in my discipline of choice, I felt like to tal crap. I would have been furious if I weren't well aware that I was sick.
 

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