The previous posts have good tips. Also, bike fitting for an MTB is different from that of someone riding the road. I stand far more on an MTB on the the trail than someone does on the road. I can say for both that moving the seat forward put you in a more upright position and vice versa. While I can feel the difference in pedal stroke when my seat position moves - usually feels like I'm either more behind the pedals or more on top - the reach to the handlebars is more noticeable - whether I"m more stretched out or more upright.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Double Bass DB bicycle thread
- Thread starter unbrokenchain
- Start date
The previous posts have good tips. Also, bike fitting for an MTB is different from that of someone riding the road. I stand far more on an MTB on the the trail than someone does on the road. I can say for both that moving the seat forward put you in a more upright position and vice versa. While I can feel the difference in pedal stroke when my seat position moves - usually feels like I'm either more behind the pedals or more on top - the reach to the handlebars is more noticeable - whether I"m more stretched out or more upright.
Thanks gents. I am teaching a jazz workshop this week so won't be able to get back on a bike until this weekend at the earliest. But I will do some experimenting then!
I’ve been riding a few decades so I know my feel on a bike. But If you have a trainer you can get the bike on, it’s easier to feel all those little things that add up to an uncomfortable fit and address each one while stationary.
As for tonewood, don’t get me started!
As for tonewood, don’t get me started!
Oops. Picked up a piece of glass this morning. As I was walking my bike to find a shady place to fix it, a guy walked by with his dog. He said that he saw me go past his house every morning and wondered what the heck I was riding.
Fortunately, the glass was stil in the tire, so I knew exactly where the puncture was, and repaired it without removing the wheel.
Fortunately, the glass was stil in the tire, so I knew exactly where the puncture was, and repaired it without removing the wheel.
Yup, it's an ancient Bendix "red band." It was rolling around in my parts bin for a long time, and I finally strung it up onto an old 27" alloy rim.
Braking action is acceptable but not stellar. But the bike has a high quality front caliper brake. I'd strongly advise against riding a coaster bike in any kind of traffic without a front brake.
I grew up by the beach, my first few bikes had coaster brakes. At age 12 there was simply nothing quite as cool as fishtail-skidding to a stop (bald spots on the tires were also cool
) I'd probably wear one of those out pretty quickly in this area though..
Indeed, you don't want one in any place named after a mountain, unless you enjoy "re-pack" racing.I grew up by the beach, my first few bikes had coaster brakes. At age 12 there was simply nothing quite as cool as fishtail-skidding to a stop (bald spots on the tires were also cool
The "fading" of coaster brakes is a real thing. I've experienced it.
Red band! Nice!
For about ten years my daily commuter was a 1940 Elgin curved seat tube cruiser with a Bendix two speed yellow band rear hub. Kick back hard and hold it: you get a brake. A quick tap backwards and you shifted an internal gear....or kick it too hard and the whole thing blew up in a yardsale all over the road while you were pedaling 20 mph in traffic!
It amazes me to think that I rode that thing in downtown Portland traffic every day surrounded by about 50 busses trying their best to obliterate me while I bunny hopped railroad track ruts in the cobblestones. Under the right extended downhill conditions that thing would get so hot that the grease would start smoking!
Not mine, but the same year and model (with no red / yellow band hub):
For about ten years my daily commuter was a 1940 Elgin curved seat tube cruiser with a Bendix two speed yellow band rear hub. Kick back hard and hold it: you get a brake. A quick tap backwards and you shifted an internal gear....or kick it too hard and the whole thing blew up in a yardsale all over the road while you were pedaling 20 mph in traffic!
It amazes me to think that I rode that thing in downtown Portland traffic every day surrounded by about 50 busses trying their best to obliterate me while I bunny hopped railroad track ruts in the cobblestones. Under the right extended downhill conditions that thing would get so hot that the grease would start smoking!
Not mine, but the same year and model (with no red / yellow band hub):
Last edited:
Time to upgrade to some Conti 4000’s. Kevlar is the operative word here
NDTD!
New drivetrain day!
11-25 shimano cassette, 53-39 shimano rings, SRAM chain, no-name parts box jocky wheels, all on my trusty 2016 BMC slr-01 (Ultegra Di2 shifting/ultegra rim brakes).
Tested and found smooth as butter on a ride from Decatur to Stone Mountain and back.
That's in Georgia y'all.
New drivetrain day!
11-25 shimano cassette, 53-39 shimano rings, SRAM chain, no-name parts box jocky wheels, all on my trusty 2016 BMC slr-01 (Ultegra Di2 shifting/ultegra rim brakes).
Tested and found smooth as butter on a ride from Decatur to Stone Mountain and back.
That's in Georgia y'all.
An odd anecdote: My workplace is next door to Saris. When they came out with the Power Tap, there was a period of a year or so when all of the cool bikes that passed me on the bike path had Power Tap hubs. I think the employees were either given a discount, or trial units to put on their bikes.
Industry Nine is down the road from me. 'Seems like every wanker in town has a set of wheels that cost as much as a bass (me included!)....
My 2 1/2 hour mountain bike ride tonight turned into 3 1/2 when a big old mama bear took over center trail split with cute little cubs about 20 feet away on each side 6 minutes from the trailhead ending. I kept backing away for 15 minutes hoping they'd go elsewhere until I finally turned back around and repeated my descent and took another trail in the opposite direction for an hour.
It is sooooooo nice to be back up in the mountains dealing with local bears and not those damned alligators in the low country & coast. They scare the $#!t otta' me!!!
My 2 1/2 hour mountain bike ride tonight turned into 3 1/2 when a big old mama bear took over center trail split with cute little cubs about 20 feet away on each side 6 minutes from the trailhead ending. I kept backing away for 15 minutes hoping they'd go elsewhere until I finally turned back around and repeated my descent and took another trail in the opposite direction for an hour.
It is sooooooo nice to be back up in the mountains dealing with local bears and not those damned alligators in the low country & coast. They scare the $#!t otta' me!!!
Will Exercise Save Your Life?
"
One hundred and fifty minutes a week. That's the minimum recommended amount of moderate-intensity exercise that the federal government advises the American people to do to optimize their health.
One hundred and fifty minutes a week. That number wasn't pulled out of thin air. There is a bunch of observational data that shows that people who are more physically active have better health outcomes. Those who hit that 150 minutes–a-week mark have around a 30% reduction in overall mortality rates, even when you control for health status at baseline.
"
Will Exercise Save Your Life?
"
One hundred and fifty minutes a week. That's the minimum recommended amount of moderate-intensity exercise that the federal government advises the American people to do to optimize their health.
One hundred and fifty minutes a week. That number wasn't pulled out of thin air. There is a bunch of observational data that shows that people who are more physically active have better health outcomes. Those who hit that 150 minutes–a-week mark have around a 30% reduction in overall mortality rates, even when you control for health status at baseline.
"
Will Exercise Save Your Life?
That 150 minutes is not much to ask when you break it down, either. 25 minutes, 6 days a week. Whatever else we do in life, if we musicians could shoot for bare minimums of this amount of time for both exercise and practice - with no ceiling on the other end, of course - we’d be in a lot better shape on multiple fronts.
I’ve recently reread the book “Atomic Habits”, which is a great resource for building new habits from tiny seeds that are too small to fail. Once established, no (or very little) willpower is needed to maintain the habits, and many of them snowball on their own. It’s all about starting small and doing something instead of making huge goals right off the bat and failing because it’s asking too much.
One example of this recently for me is swimming. Before the pandemic, in the summer I would go to the pool with my wife, hang out with family, then go to the lanes and swim 1/2 mile. It always wore me out, but in a really good way. This year, after 2 pandemic years off, when we went back I was so out of swimming shape that I could barely make half that distance before gasping - 4 100 meter laps - leisurely ones at that - and I was done. Following the habit advice, I had the goal of 5 laps per swim the following week, then 6 the following week. Now I’m back up to 8 laps and it feels fine. It’s still leisurely, but at this point in life that’s ok.
My 82 year old mother walks 2-4 miles a day. She is an inspiration!
I’ve recently reread the book “Atomic Habits”, which is a great resource for building new habits from tiny seeds that are too small to fail. Once established, no (or very little) willpower is needed to maintain the habits, and many of them snowball on their own. It’s all about starting small and doing something instead of making huge goals right off the bat and failing because it’s asking too much.
One example of this recently for me is swimming. Before the pandemic, in the summer I would go to the pool with my wife, hang out with family, then go to the lanes and swim 1/2 mile. It always wore me out, but in a really good way. This year, after 2 pandemic years off, when we went back I was so out of swimming shape that I could barely make half that distance before gasping - 4 100 meter laps - leisurely ones at that - and I was done. Following the habit advice, I had the goal of 5 laps per swim the following week, then 6 the following week. Now I’m back up to 8 laps and it feels fine. It’s still leisurely, but at this point in life that’s ok.
My 82 year old mother walks 2-4 miles a day. She is an inspiration!
I've read a lot about recommended exercise. My personal conclusion is that you have to "get the carcass moving." I fear too many people equate "moderate exercise" with really building up a sweat - while just walking the dog, or walking 9 holes of golf - if not quite as good, is damned close. Just get up off your ass.
I'm disappointed at how little it takes to discourage me from exercising. And how much I just have to make exercise a HABIT - rather than something I DECIDE whether or not to do. For a while, I was swimming a couple of times a week. The pool was very convenient for my drive to/from work. I was working at home 2 days a week, so I'd bike those days, and swim the 3 that I went into work. Then the pool shut down with COVID, and I started working at home, so I stopped swimming and increased my biking to 3 days a week.
Recently we went to the local pool on a hot day and I swam a few lengths. MAN - that is great exercise. I love the physical feeling of doing it and after, as well as the meditative state while doing it. But I really hate having to GO somewhere to exercise. I used to be a runner, before several leg injuries/surgeries. But I used to love that all you needed was a pair of shoes, and all you had to do was step out the door anywhere you were. Biking is similar in terms of ease/proximity - tho I'm not great at maintaining equipment.
But at 61, like I said, my mantra is "get up off your ass" - and - "get that carcass moving." Wanna be able to haul my bass to jams, stumble around the golf course, and otherwise creak around for a couple more decades. This summer my sister and I started including my 7 yr old granddaughter in 1 of our weekly bike rides. She's gone about 10-11 miles with us. Start them young!
I'm disappointed at how little it takes to discourage me from exercising. And how much I just have to make exercise a HABIT - rather than something I DECIDE whether or not to do. For a while, I was swimming a couple of times a week. The pool was very convenient for my drive to/from work. I was working at home 2 days a week, so I'd bike those days, and swim the 3 that I went into work. Then the pool shut down with COVID, and I started working at home, so I stopped swimming and increased my biking to 3 days a week.
Recently we went to the local pool on a hot day and I swam a few lengths. MAN - that is great exercise. I love the physical feeling of doing it and after, as well as the meditative state while doing it. But I really hate having to GO somewhere to exercise. I used to be a runner, before several leg injuries/surgeries. But I used to love that all you needed was a pair of shoes, and all you had to do was step out the door anywhere you were. Biking is similar in terms of ease/proximity - tho I'm not great at maintaining equipment.
But at 61, like I said, my mantra is "get up off your ass" - and - "get that carcass moving." Wanna be able to haul my bass to jams, stumble around the golf course, and otherwise creak around for a couple more decades. This summer my sister and I started including my 7 yr old granddaughter in 1 of our weekly bike rides. She's gone about 10-11 miles with us. Start them young!
Sort of to further that idea, gardening, physical labor of any source makes for good exercise. Don’t make it career necessarily like I have, as that leads to other physical ailments that take their toll on your body. For me it’s my feet. Arthritis, planters fasciitis and neuropathy from to many years staying active on my feet for my work. This year after figuring out all the triggers, I am back on the road bike doing level 2 rehab rides from 10 - 20 miles, 3 days a week and walking 4-5 miles on the other days. The riding is easier as there is little weight bearing, the largest trigger. On the bad pain days, I garden. I’m fortunate to live in one of the most beautiful areas in Dayton near a Metro Park and within a 15 minute ride to our 300+ miles of MUP trails. Our house was a total gut rehab, inside and out. The inside has been done for a couple of years but the gardens are still developing and need lots of work!
Making progress on the bike fit front. Let's call this post "A Tale of Three Saddles". First, here is the current saddle next to the one it replaced.
And here is the saddle on my old Raliegh that I found ridiculously comfortable (sorry for the janky pic):
And here is a comparison of the old saddle from the Orbea and the Raliegh saddle. It only shows the seats and not the complete noses.
I had been enjoying the noseless saddle, but it definitely shortened the distance to the bars and put me in a slightly awkward position. It also didn't fit quite right on the sit bones. Today, at the beginning of the ride, I moved the noseless saddle all the way back and used the dial underneath to widen the distance between the two seat halves. This was much better for today's ride and felt better both in the seat area and also for reasons I can't quite comprehend took a lot of pressure off my wrists as well. I can't say this will be the final saddle, but it's a step in the right direction at the very least. As for the rest, time will tell.
What confuses me is why I should benefit from a wider seat. I'm a pretty slender person at this point: 42" chest, 32" waist, about 6'1" and 175-180. Definitely a medium frame with narrow hips and long arms and legs. I would think that my sit bones would also be narrow, but this little experiment doesn't seem to bare that out.
One thing that the braintrust here was definitely right about is about the usefulness of the padded bike shorts. I don't use mine as outerwear, but they make a big difference. Live and learn!
And here is the saddle on my old Raliegh that I found ridiculously comfortable (sorry for the janky pic):
And here is a comparison of the old saddle from the Orbea and the Raliegh saddle. It only shows the seats and not the complete noses.
I had been enjoying the noseless saddle, but it definitely shortened the distance to the bars and put me in a slightly awkward position. It also didn't fit quite right on the sit bones. Today, at the beginning of the ride, I moved the noseless saddle all the way back and used the dial underneath to widen the distance between the two seat halves. This was much better for today's ride and felt better both in the seat area and also for reasons I can't quite comprehend took a lot of pressure off my wrists as well. I can't say this will be the final saddle, but it's a step in the right direction at the very least. As for the rest, time will tell.
What confuses me is why I should benefit from a wider seat. I'm a pretty slender person at this point: 42" chest, 32" waist, about 6'1" and 175-180. Definitely a medium frame with narrow hips and long arms and legs. I would think that my sit bones would also be narrow, but this little experiment doesn't seem to bare that out.
One thing that the braintrust here was definitely right about is about the usefulness of the padded bike shorts. I don't use mine as outerwear, but they make a big difference. Live and learn!
Wow! Only 3 saddles! It took me about 6 or 7 to find the right one. This is why you can always find gently used saddles riders could never make work. Physiology for everyone is all over the place. I’ve always found,as in jazz, less is more. Less seat, less padding makes for a more comfortable ride. I’m about the same build maybe 5-7 lbs. lighter and sit bones are overrated. It’s about pressure on the nerves in that area that make the difference. Adding the padded shorts (I’m a bib guy) adds another layer of cush for the nerves to breathe thru. Glad your finding what works. So many similarities to DB!
