Advice on technique please..... no, not that kind of technique!

[fudgepanda]

I'm slowly but surely developing my riding after buying the first bike I've owned since 1974. It's a Bianchi Camaleonte Tre hybrid. So far I'm really pleased with it especially as I had to buy it based purely on advice from the shop, a few friends but mainly because it was a good fit and looked beautiful. It's really comfortable over broken road surfaces, steers accurately always feels nicely controlled.....except when I stand up. Even at low speeds , say 10mph, when I stand up to pedal I feel as if I'm in the final sprint to the line on the Champs Elysses in as much as the bike moves from side to side quite alarmingly. At least that's how it feels to me. I might have been in too low a gear as it feels more stable in a higher gear and I've yet to try my clip in shoe thingys. I did wonder if perhaps some of the problem might lie in the dimensions. The only thing I have to compare it with is some Carrera mountain bikes we have at work which, are obviously a different kind of bike. The Carreras have wider bars and the distance from the centre of the stem to the seat post is about 23" whereas on the Bianchi it's only around 15 to 16". I'm also wondering if the whole geometry is different, fork rake and trail for example.

All suggestions greatfully received as to how I can deal with this.

 

[Drago]

Standing up (or honking) is sonething the average utility rider never need do if the bike is set up perfectly. Can't remember the last time I honked. Years, possibly decades.

 

[ColinJ]

I think a 7" - 8" difference in the bike sizes might be a bit of a clue!

(I can't get away with more than +/- 1" without feeling that the bike is too big or too small.)

 

[400bhp]

Standing up (or honking) is sonething the average utility rider never need do if thandie bike is set up perfectly. Can't remember the last time I honked. Years, possibly decades.

We've been through this many times, but that isn't true. Standing up on the pedals is not wrong as you are suggesting. Depends on the rider, the terrain etc. Even helps take the pressure of some muscles. Different strokes for different folks.

 

[Drago]

Whooaa there feller. Read it again, because nowhere did I say it is wrong.

I said its really not necessary for the average UTILITY rider.

Sport riding and especially off roadibg bring different issues to consider, but our chap appears to be discussing just boring old utility riding, and is making comparisons to off road techniques.

And even that notwithstanding, I said its really unnecessary, NOT that it's wrong.

Read, digest and understand before jumping in with both feet.

 

[Cyclopathic]

People say they don't like the way I honk. I wouldn't mind but I'm not on my bike when they say it.

 

[400bhp]

Whooaa there feller. Read it again, because nowhere did I say it is wrong.

I said its really not necessary for the average UTILITY rider.

Sport riding and especially off roadibg bring different issues to consider, but our chap appears to be discussing just boring old utility riding, and is making comparisons to off road techniques.

And even that notwithstanding, I said its really unnecessary, NOT that it's wrong.

Read, digest and understand before jumping in with both feet.

You said

Standing up (or honking) is sonething the average utility rider never need do if thandie bike is set up perfectly. Can't remember the last time I honked. Years, possibly decades.

The 2 sentences put together suggested (to me) that you perceived it to be wrong for the average utility rider. I don't believe that is an unreasonable perception to make from your post.

Given I know what you do for a living, I can safetly say I read, digest and understand plenty more than you do every working day of the week fella.

 

[Rob3rt]

Whooaa there feller. Read it again, because nowhere did I say it is wrong.

I said its really not necessary for the average UTILITY rider.

Sport riding and especially off roadibg bring different issues to consider, but our chap appears to be discussing just boring old utility riding, and is making comparisons to off road techniques.

And even that notwithstanding, I said its really unnecessary, NOT that it's wrong.

Read, digest and understand before jumping in with both feet.

Ironically, the average utility rider is the rider most likely to go about honking and pushing gears that are way too big, according to my anecdotal observations!

Not that I care either way... just thought I would throw that out there.

 

[AndyPeace]

I'm slowly but surely developing my riding after buying the first bike I've owned since 1974. It's a Bianchi Camaleonte Tre hybrid. So far I'm really pleased with it especially as I had to buy it based purely on advice from the shop, a few friends but mainly because it was a good fit and looked beautiful. It's really comfortable over broken road surfaces, steers accurately always feels nicely controlled.....except when I stand up. Even at low speeds , say 10mph, when I stand up to pedal I feel as if I'm in the final sprint to the line on the Champs Elysses in as much as the bike moves from side to side quite alarmingly. At least that's how it feels to me. I might have been in too low a gear as it feels more stable in a higher gear and I've yet to try my clip in shoe thingys. I did wonder if perhaps some of the problem might lie in the dimensions. The only thing I have to compare it with is some Carrera mountain bikes we have at work which, are obviously a different kind of bike. The Carreras have wider bars and the distance from the centre of the stem to the seat post is about 23" whereas on the Bianchi it's only around 15 to 16". I'm also wondering if the whole geometry is different, fork rake and trail for example.

All suggestions greatfully received as to how I can deal with this.

When you say "it was a good fit" what do you mean? have you comftably riden the Carrera's you mention? As mentioned by another poster they seem drasticlly different sizes.. What size is your Bianchi? and what height are you?

I have a hybrid bike and changed the stem this year from a 100mm to 110mm, which has made the bike feel more stable out of the saddle... not saying thats the answer, but in my case it was 'fit' that was wrong. Also, I recently rode on cheap flat pedals and struggeled with confidence to get out of the saddle. Riding on my SPD pedals I feel sure that I won't slip.

 

[Drago]

Given I know what you do for a living, I can safetly say I read, digest and understand plenty more than you do every working day of the week fella.

That why I have more degrees than you do, eh?

In you haste to make personal insults you've again missed the simple fact that I NEVER said it was wrong. You wasted your time berating me for something I neither said nor implied and now you look like a fool as you resort to insults to generate enough muddy water to disguise your back peddling.

Simple fact - I NEVER said honking was wrong.

Ironically, the average utility rider is the rider most likely to go about honking and pushing gears that are way too big, according to my anecdotal observations!

Not that I care either way... just thought I would throw that out there.

You're quite right. Your average utility rider also rides without lighting and has pretty poor, if any, road craft skills, rides a machine poorly set up for their dimensions and poorly maintained.

 

[Big boy]

Talk about bitchin come on you lot sort yourselves out.
When i had my hybrid i had the same problem the stem was adjustable so i tilted it foreward.
That sorted the standing up problem, but gave my back a bit of stick.

 

[400bhp]

That why I have more degrees than you do, eh?

In you haste to make personal insults you've again missed the simple fact that I NEVER said it was wrong. You wasted your time berating me for something I neither said nor implied and now you look like a fool as you resort to insults to generate enough muddy water to disguise your back peddling.

Simple fact - I NEVER said honking was wrong.


.

I've gone way past degree BTW

OK-let's stop with silly games. Apologies if you thought it was personal. Life is way too short.

Sometimes it would be nice though if posters could be a little more circumspect with their post when someone had misunderstood what they have written.

 

[Norm]

Back to the OP, the Bianchi and Carrera are fairly different, and taking 1/3 off the length will have a huge impact on feel as will any difference in handlebar heights.

One thing about technique, though, is that I pull up on the corresponding bar when I do stand on the pedals, keeping the bike more level than it would otherwise be and, to an extent, using arm as well as leg muscles to provide power.

 

[Cyclopathic]

That why I have more degrees than you do, eh?

In you haste to make personal insults you've again missed the simple fact that I NEVER said it was wrong. You wasted your time berating me for something I neither said nor implied and now you look like a fool as you resort to insults to generate enough muddy water to disguise your back peddling.

Simple fact - I NEVER said honking was wrong.


You're quite right. Your average utility rider also rides without lighting and has pretty poor, if any, road craft skills, rides a machine poorly set up for their dimensions and poorly maintained.

Hey, a lot of the riding I do would come under the heading "utility" and I have excellent road craft. My machine is set up very well and is always in good working order. I do however aknowledge that you used the phrase "average utility rider" which does of course leave room for there to be utility riders on either side of this average but still I can't help but feel a tad maligned by your sweeping generalisation.
All I'll say is that without me riding in a utilitarian fashion that the average quality of rider would be appreciably lower.

 

[Cyclopathic]

A note of caution to anyone attempting to "honk" on a bike with a Sturmy Archer 3 speed hub. Make sure that the toggle chain is correctly set. As a lad of about 14 I neglected this piece of basic maintenance and as I was getting into my honk the gears slipped and I came down quite hard on the crossbar and bashed my pods quite hard. Missed both my legs though.