Fixed gear bikes/ Post your big bikes V2

[Danno]

I'm taking mine out for the first time this weekend but tried all three profiles on the turbo trainer and it seemed good.

Don't know if you've had a look into it but there's three different profiles, radius (thick and for an upright riding position), shallow (less padding but still comfortable) and flat (face down, arse up). Then there's four different levels too - chromo rails, ti rails, carbon rails, carbon rails and base. The shallow seems about right for me, I could feel the ridges of the radius through my padded shorts. It just won MBUK saddle test against some big names too so a good allrounder. The brand is from the same guy that started Charge Bikes.

[Dr. Steve Brule]

I got shallow and middle width, bang on.

[Kinchy]

Potato pic of my commuter


Lever is a bit ugly, can't be faffed to buy a nice one though

[hugh.]

https://instagram.com/p/0ezJ7uAStB/

[Kinchy]

How many miles are you doing each day?

[hugh.]

40ish. I'm meeting a friend in Gozo in late June so I have until then to do it. Great having no real deadline! I'll push on through the more boring areas and stay a couple days in nicer towns.

[Narcoleptic Insomniac]

I just installed a new saddle on my road bike and I can't for the life of me get it to be so my riding position is the same as it was with the old saddle and now I can't get comfortable and have awful lower back pain pretty much the whole time I'm on the bike. It sucks. I can't figure out if I need to move it forward or back or up or down.

Any ideas?

[reebzor]

Lower back pain leads me to believe the saddle is too high. Saddles themselves will have different height between the top and the rails, so swapping saddles without moving your seatpost could change the effective height. Try bringing it down a few mm. Next time, measure from the top of the saddle to the top tube before swapping, then match that number after installing the new saddle.

[_tom_]

Been getting a pain in the front of my right knee during/after riding the past week or so, feels like it's in my kneecap. I did a 30 miler yesterday and its not stopped hurting since. Any ideas? My setup is exactly the same as its always been, just suddenly started hurting..

[Scunny]

Cleat slipped? I dunno, my knees just wore out about 1.5yrs ago (been riding some sort of bike since I was 14, i'm 29 now), constant pain ever since.

[Danno]

Proper fucked it today, planned a route out on a map near my girlfriends not realising it was full of climbing and I hate climbing. Ended up being sick at the side of the road half way up this hill so went home. Searched it online when I got back and it was a 1km climb with an average gradient of 9.7% and maximum gradient of 21.8%.

Everything was wrong before I left - wasnt hydrated enough, rushed through different breakfast I've never had before, necked a big smoothie before I left, tyres were soft and I didn't have a pump...bad day. What's everyone eat before a ride? Is it worth getting a good breakfast in right before you go, or to eat then leave it at least 30 mins?

[Dr. Steve Brule]

Coffee, Porridge and a banana, bout 45 mins before usually works for me.

[Scunny]

Exactly the same. Smash some Oat So Simple and a nana, that can last me 50 miles without needing to take gels/soreen.

Was meant to get out today but bottled it, I start the MTB marathon series in a few meeks and have done no training. But I did go to the gym and put up a PB on the bench. Hench.

Edit: Drinking a smoothie, were you still drunk? I hated climbing with a passion for about a year when I first got a road bike. Love the fuck out of it now.

[Kinchy]

I usually have toast and a banana, then eat regularly when I'm out - cereal bars, banana, cakes etc. Something every hour is a good bet if your not using carb drinks

[Danno]

Wicked I will go for your ideas instead of today's disaster breakfast. No idea what I was thinking having a smoothie Scunny, my missus even took for the piss out of me when I told her what I had!