Photoaid XXV: Keep Talking :)
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denniskee
Senior Member
i thought bike got size one? i think the reference is the height of the pair of family jewels right?
can give basic guide line here bo?
sammy888
Senior Member
Well there is some guideline as to bike size of course but those are usually more crucial as you get more serious into it then say like WuffRuff who rides leisurely every now and again. Thus you hardly really get much benefit and harm to your body or riding ability.
If you go down to a park like East Coast if you really want to nit-pick majority of people are not riding bike that is suited to them. Only a small percentage will really hurt themselves over it lah...eg rent a bike to ride for a day.
Cheap bikes like those she talked about earlier usually don't have much choices in terms of sizes, adjustments to various components on the bike itself, geometry of a bike frame...etc. It will get more technique and well someone who seriously gets into it will also find they have to relearn how to ride in the ride posture and using the right pedaling pattern too to really make full use of your ability to get the most out of the sport, your bike and fitness.
So ya in general if you want to get a good fit then you need to invest more time and cash into getting a bike that fit you physically and also which kind of riding or type of bike you buy. You are moving into the realm serious biking. Its where you need to consider your leg length, your height, your body and arm reach to the handle bar...etc. So adjustment starts not only with just the bike frame but various components allow you to adjust things further too.
For example you see people riding about in racers and mountain bike...you notice their knee are bent when the pedal is at the 12pm postion but when at the 6pm pedal position, their legs is stretch out straight down. And you notice at this postion, their feet is still not touching the ground. Thus cyclist like that when they stop have to tilt the bike slightly to one side so they can support their bike with their feet from falling over. heheh This is the efficient pedal position. I think Tupi know about that now since he sat on my bike and found it so high like my legs are longer then his. heheh.. YOu see alot of people on BMX riding in that low seat position where even at 6pm pedal postion, their knees are still bent quite alot. There is very little power and in fact you loose energy and power cycling like that.... that is why when they want power pedal, they standing and pedal standing all the way for maximum driving force. And also when you are younger and have strong knees...this is fine but as you age into your 30s or 40 and beyond, that kind of bending in that BMX cycling position is a killer on your knees heheh.
Well just abit more information lah...alot more to learn as you get into it. ( just like photography) and as you learn and pay more attention to your ride and style of riding etc...you will find why my idea of basic bike is not like another's basic bike (like those bought at Carrefour or some uncle aunty bicycle and kitchen appliance shop). But in any case, if you don't ride alot and ride on the road and your interest is not really about improving in the sport. Stick to the cheapest bike you can get. It will break down alot faster but as the cost is cheap, it is like tissue paper. Use till breaks then you throw it away and buy a new one.
But as you start to get serious about it then you will need to do your homework and learn not just about what bike to buy but about the sport too. Knowing your bike and part brands are just as important too if not you end up paying silly prices for a made believe brand some sly saleman will try to sell you and claim it is made in Euro or USA but are really China or Taiwan lowest end factory hehehe....
Hello... I am not riding leisurely ok...
I cheong to Parkway to buy groceries, then hang 2 big bags of groceries on each side of the handlebar and cheong back while balancing the bags, avoiding them brushing against the wheel and swinging around etc... while manouvering the ECP obstacle course... U think this is leisure ah? :bsmilie:
Anyway, to me, unless you are in competition, it is considered a leisure activity.
Just like photography, unless you are doing this for a living... it is still a hobby. Of course, there are varying degrees to how serious you take your hobby.
What you are going into is riding posture... which is not a matter of leisure or not. I have done quite some reading on this while researching to buy bike parts and different manufacturers give them different terms... some define 3 postures or riding styles and some further classify into 4 types. The one you talking about with legs straight at 6pm and body bent over is the racing style... most efficient in terms of energy use and aerodynamic and used in competitive riding. The other riding styles are not wrong... they are just different riding styles. Not all types of riding are suited to the racing posture... for e.g. touring bikes.
Anyway, not to complicate matters with too much info., I think what Dennis was asking is the frame size... don't think he is looking for the perfect fit. The main determinant of the bike size for a person is the frame. Yes, there are different sizes regardless of the pricing level... of course higher price range gets you more precise sizing and special geometry, that kind of thing... but lower end bikes do have different sizes too. They normally put a sticker on the frame with the size, normally in odd numbered inches, e.g. 15", 17"... sometimes also for 17.5"... but do note the geometry of all the brands are different too so e.g. a 17" for brand A might seem slightly larger than a 17" for brand B. You need to try out the bike to see if you feel comfortable on it. Go to a reputable bike shop where the sales people have good knowledge so they can advise you. Very hard to say what size for your height... cos height is one thing but some pple have longer/shorter legs, longer/shorter arms, etc.... everyone's body structure is different.
I *EHEM* carry about 5-10 bags of groceries on my bike handle bars when my bike was still alive. *EHEM* and yeah, that was still casual riding.
SALUTE, SIR!
Wahhh... I think those on your bikes are not handlebars... they are super bag carriers! :bsmilie:
Yahhh lahhh... I was jus joking lah....
the leg straight thingie is not a style, is a riding technie.. get it wrong and u lose cadence power and your knee suffer the most despite hard work from your leg. and the reason why bmx have to ride with leg bent mainly, they dun have seat pole that long to allow ur leg to extend all the way down..
Whether are u into mountain or a racer or touring bikes.. the differents isnt the style of riding. is the geometry of the frame that will evetually determine your fitting for you. As what sammy have said. For leisure ride.. get so so bike and adjust to your height and size. Most important is the angle and the type of saddle you have. Whether are u a gal or guy . it will be painful to ride a whole day in bad saddle.
Good saddle and correct geomoetry frame allows the rider to go for long distance riding, places like desaru, round island cycling. The forum that sammy mentions had riding groups that organise freq event week. There is 1 in particular that I join cycle 3 time a week and with monday going for around 60km and wednesday and friday which is the longest distance of over a 100km at night over 5 hrs.. No joke if ur saddle play a joke on you at the half way mark.
Whether are u into mountain or a racer or touring bikes.. the differents isnt the style of riding. is the geometry of the frame that will evetually determine your fitting for you. As what sammy have said. For leisure ride.. get so so bike and adjust to your height and size. Most important is the angle and the type of saddle you have. Whether are u a gal or guy . it will be painful to ride a whole day in bad saddle.
Good saddle and correct geomoetry frame allows the rider to go for long distance riding, places like desaru, round island cycling. The forum that sammy mentions had riding groups that organise freq event week. There is 1 in particular that I join cycle 3 time a week and with monday going for around 60km and wednesday and friday which is the longest distance of over a 100km at night over 5 hrs.. No joke if ur saddle play a joke on you at the half way mark.
sammy888
Senior Member
I call that dangerous and reckless riding. Not something I condone. I take a very serious stance on that.
sammy888
Senior Member
There is one thing some newbies get wrong about saddles and long bike rides. The more broad and comfortable saddles they are...the worst they are for long ride. This is due to your pelvic and bone structure in your posterior.
That is why you see long distance riders use those slim saddle. As they don't get in the way that your bone naturally move as you cycle. As to the cushioning..some are almost without any cushion..some are totally carbon fibre. The only padding you have is the one that is sew into your cycling shorts. Which even tend is a light pad. Motor bike comes with broad saddles for comfort without problem as you don't really move your legs about to cycle heheh...
Good to see you are doing the distance ride too man heheh....I use to do that with a group that does that over about 6hours or so.. ride then stop to eat and then ride and then stop to eat gain heheh... good way to spend a night with some friends.
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Oh heck, you should see me when I have NO nags ... oops, bags on ma bike. :devil: :bsmilie:
sammy888
Senior Member
har! :hammer:
Luval, riding style, riding technique, riding pose... u can call it what u want... they all refer to the same thing... I have read enough of these, different people/manufacturers, etc. use different terms to refer to them... I just choose one. Riding style makes the most sense to me, so I use this term.
Regarding saddle... well, this is where I read about all those riding styles. It is not a one saddle fits all thing. You need to get a saddle for your riding style... or technique if u prefer to call it such. This is all about physics, centre of gravity, where your weight is placed. The more bent over your posture (like racing style), the slimmer your saddle is because in this posture, much of your weight is on your handlebars and less on your saddle. So you can do with a slim saddle that offers less weight distribution. And slim saddle is also preferred because for racing, the legs are moving fast and you want to avoid chaffing of the thighs with a thick saddle. So Sam did get part of the story right... it is to do with leg movement. But the other part of the story is due to weight distribution.
Those upright riding styles are the opposite of racing. When you are upright on your seat, most of your weight is on your seat so you need a broad saddle (those fattest type) to distribute your weight and cushion your butt. You are not moving fast, so don't have to worry about the fat seat chaffing your thighs.
Then the rest are in between these two extremes.
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:kiss::kiss::kiss: Sayang Sayang Sammyboi!
Now boh cghut power.
Last time, I used to do 'THINGS' ... that I dare not recommend even to myself now to do ... like ride down *OOPS*, better not say sekali grandpa say i give others bad ideas.
Tupi Guy
Senior Member
You mention it so i asked you lor.......
I got what you mean, but that time i mean the seat is so high not that i cant reach the pedal la.......
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