Best stem for comfort

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dim

Guest
Location
Cambridge UK
I remember now it was a 2006 Saracen Aubisque alloy with alloy forks, not a Giant

I'd expect the audax/tourer to be more comfortable because it's shallower and has a few more inches of wheelbase than the alloy Saracen.

I've never ridden carbon fibre so couldn't compare - my experience has been with 1970's 531 steel and a 2005 631 audax tourer. They all rode better than the Saracen - I didn't imagine it, it was a harsher, bumpier ride. That's why I ditched it within 2 months. The 1978 Raleigh Professional was a much better ride and the bike I've done my fastest rides on. I went back to riding it after ditching the Saracen.

Probably not fair to compare 531 steel against a production aluminium frame but that's all I've had experience of. Been building up a steel Genesis Equilibrium with carbon forks to replace the 40 year old Raleigh so will have another experience for comparison in the not too distant future.

it's the forks .... I used to own a cheap aluminium Carrera which had aluminium forks. There's a section on my daily commute that has a lot of bumps .... it was a nightmare.

same goes for steel bikes. I had a Gitane tour de france that was 531 and it had steel forks.... the forks had a big sweep / curve and this bike was an absolute pleasure to ride. Very comfortable, especially on bumpy roads... a pic showing the forks (a google pic and was not mine, but mine was identical, except it had a better saddle, and black bar tape)..... that was a very nice bike

dscn4293_cr.jpg
 

bozmandb9

Insert witty title here
Interesting debate about road buzz. Here's my take on it.

If you're getting lots of vibration through the bars, and it's really jarring, then you're probably putting too much weight though your arms. This is quite common. Most of us have pretty poor core strength. Your core muscles should be supporting your core, to a large extent. Your upper body weight should not all be tilted down through your arms and hands.

I used to suffer carpal tunnel syndrome, when I was doing this, and it's not pleasant. In my view, no amount of damping, or cushioning, will compensate for bad cycle posture like this. Far better to work on your functional core strength. Off the bike, crunches, planks, sit ups, Russian twists, etc, on the bike, practice riding with minimal weight through your arms, or even no weight, as you get better at it.

Improving core strength can also improve power delivery. All power delivered though the legs uses the core (torso) as a base or platform. A stronger core will reduce the rocking or snaking effect through the torso, which is effectively like a worn ball joint.
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
Pneumatic tyres were invented for a reason - they can offer simple, effective suspension - if you allow them to!!!

Cannondale CAAD5, oversized aluminium frame, carbon forks, 23C tyres at 110 psi, 40 mph descent on rough Lancashire road surface. Result: lots of noise from cables and from chain slap, toothache, numb hands, numb feet, near loss of control of bike, bottle ejected itself from bottle cage.

Same Cannondale CAAD5, oversized aluminium frame, carbon forks, but now with 25C tyres at 90 psi, 40 mph descent on same rough Lancashire road surface. Result: no excessive noise, comfortable teeth, hands & feet, total control of bike, bottle remained safely in bottle cage.
 

iandg

Legendary Member
it's the forks .... I used to own a cheap aluminium Carrera which had aluminium forks. There's a section on my daily commute that has a lot of bumps .... it was a nightmare.

same goes for steel bikes. I had a Gitane tour de france that was 531 and it had steel forks.... the forks had a big sweep / curve and this bike was an absolute pleasure to ride. Very comfortable, especially on bumpy roads... a pic showing the forks (a google pic and was not mine, but mine was identical, except it had a better saddle, and black bar tape)..... that was a very nice bike

dscn4293_cr.jpg

That makes sense - it was horrible, especially on the rough roads on the island. Bought the frame second hand for £35 as I didn't have much spare cash at the time so it wasn't a big loss when I sold it on.
 

dim

Guest
Location
Cambridge UK
Interesting debate about road buzz. Here's my take on it.

If you're getting lots of vibration through the bars, and it's really jarring, then you're probably putting too much weight though your arms. This is quite common. Most of us have pretty poor core strength. Your core muscles should be supporting your core, to a large extent. Your upper body weight should not all be tilted down through your arms and hands.

I used to suffer carpal tunnel syndrome, when I was doing this, and it's not pleasant. In my view, no amount of damping, or cushioning, will compensate for bad cycle posture like this. Far better to work on your functional core strength. Off the bike, crunches, planks, sit ups, Russian twists, etc, on the bike, practice riding with minimal weight through your arms, or even no weight, as you get better at it.

Improving core strength can also improve power delivery. All power delivered though the legs uses the core (torso) as a base or platform. A stronger core will reduce the rocking or snaking effect through the torso, which is effectively like a worn ball joint.

ride 3 different bikes on a bumpy course on the same day, and you will see that are differences
 

bozmandb9

Insert witty title here
ride 3 different bikes on a bumpy course on the same day, and you will see that are differences

Not sure how that's relevant to my point.
 

dim

Guest
Location
Cambridge UK
Not sure how that's relevant to my point.

you talk about core strength etc .... what I am saying, is forget about that, and ride 3 different bikes on the same bumpy course on the very same day but use bikes with the same tyres and pressures, but bikes that are made of different materials (example: a steel bike, a carbon bike, aluminium or titanium, or even bamboo) .... then you will see that frame material does make a difference, especially between an aluminium bike with aluminium forks, vs a steel bike or even vs an aluminium bike with carbon forks
 

Drago

Legendary Member
How do you know it's the material and not tube profile/design? As aforementioned, a stiffer material with lower mass makes for a poor damper.
 
According to one of my university professors this is a common misconception. The bridge actually failed to aeroelastic flutter.

(Yes I do love ruining things)

Hah, the chap I had for dynamics saw it the other way. Me personally, I think a bit of both, but you have to say, it's a good visual demonstration of what can happen. Still, it's also why soldiers are told to break step when they march across a bridge :smile:
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
Hah, the chap I had for dynamics saw it the other way. Me personally, I think a bit of both, but you have to say, it's a good visual demonstration of what can happen. Still, it's also why soldiers are told to break step when they march across a bridge :smile:
And it is why the Humber bridge was designed with a deck profile like an inverted aeroplane wing. The more the wind blows, the more the deck is forced down and the more stable it is.
 

bozmandb9

Insert witty title here
you talk about core strength etc .... what I am saying, is forget about that, and ride 3 different bikes on the same bumpy course on the very same day but use bikes with the same tyres and pressures, but bikes that are made of different materials (example: a steel bike, a carbon bike, aluminium or titanium, or even bamboo) .... then you will see that frame material does make a difference, especially between an aluminium bike with aluminium forks, vs a steel bike or even vs an aluminium bike with carbon forks

I'm not saying frame material doesn't make a difference, what I am saying, is that if vibration through the front end is a real issue, then it's much more likely to be fixed through adjusting riding style, and improving core strength.
 

Ajax Bay

Guru
Location
East Devon
Most/all good aluminium framed bikes have carbon forks.
Why? What's wrong with aluminium forks? With a titanium frame, why don't 'they' (generally) have a titanium fork? If titanium is a better frame material than . . . , why is it not a better fork material?
fixed through adjusting riding style, and improving core strength
I agree, combined with moving the saddle back if the top tube length plus stem allows (if not consider replacing stem with a shorter one). But increasing tyre widths and [Edit - thank you @ColinJ - decreasing ] pressures will give you the most beneficial effect, and many frames can manage a tyre which is 26mm wide (eg Conti GP4S 28-622). With an 85kg all up load mine run at only 75psi front and 90psi rear.
 
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