OneCogDown
Active Member
I am hoping the forum will help me to understand whether its me, the bike or a bit of both that seems to have me peddling in ever slower circles.
For context (and there's quite a bit), until 2018 my cycling was very much restricted to a twice weekly commute into central London from the 'burbs on a Dawes 531 a 25km round trip; the following year allowed me to enjoy more time on the bike and I bought an old aluminium Principia on which I rode routes of 30/40km several times per week. The ride was noticeably faster but very harsh compared to the steel Dawes, which whilst far to big for me, a 60cm frame, did seem to float over the worst that Lewisham, Deptford and the old kent road could throw in its path (its undoing was sadly a newly installed & unmarked traffic calming width restriction placed immediately beside a mega pot hole).
An emerging car knocked me off and broke the Principia in Oct 2020 but by Spring I was ready to meet the traffic if it meant I could enjoy the lanes and being outside again, so I bought a medium size (56cm, tt) early enigma from a gentleman down in Wiltshire. This bike I rebuilt it is an utterly fantastic ride, smoother, so much faster and lighter( just over 8kg) between May and August I increased my loops around Kent and Surrey to 50-80km which lead to 4 x 200km audaxes. And here comes the but, as I extended my rides I noticed back pain, numb shoulders and hands and general fatigue after rides over 60km. I tried different saddles, handlebar widths, seat posts, tyre combos and could not get comfortable and eventually resigned myself to needing a smaller framed bike.
The focus of my post is this bike.
A 54cm horizontal top tubed, traditional style touring bike built in 1996 by Roy Manser from Columbus Neuron tubing for a clubmate. Thrilled with my purchase from its second owner, who had graciously retired from his battle with the A3 traffic I did a few of my shorter local loops and instantly noticed it was quite a bit heavier especially when climbing hills; but less backache. A couple of weeks later on another Audax with 3000' climb I realised the triple crank-set was not going to save me and as I timed out, discovering the limits of battery powered lights and failing to finish after 191km; I learned in my misery the bike was capable but I clearly was not, I could not understand what had gone so wrong in terms of my energy and speed.
As a consequence of this near final bike ride, a recommended local bike fitter spent a great deal of time, patience and effort setting up the bike for me. I learned a great deal and after a month I returned to tweek the riding position. Its taken a good couple of months now to settle into the different posture and I feel much more stable, have no further back, knee, shoulder or hand pain....but I now seem to be much slower on the same local loops and hills; despite trying different tyres and pressures I feel the bike is extremely harsh and unresponsive, this surprises me as I am told its beautifully made from quality tubes. Today I cycled a familiar 50km circuit (wet, foggy and cold) on the enigma and despite it making my back ache and a wobble on the front wheel, averaged 3kmh faster for far less effort and in horrid conditions.
To summarise, a lugged steel touring bike with front and rear pannier fittings (not fitted), mud guards, Handbuilt MA40s on Campag Veloce hubs, Durano plus tyres weighs in at 12.5kg. I weigh 65 kg and ride with just a small saddlebag. The bike fits me but could its rigidity without touring luggage etc. be partly responsible for my slow speed compared to my former ill fitting bikes and nearly all those I now encounter locally?
For context (and there's quite a bit), until 2018 my cycling was very much restricted to a twice weekly commute into central London from the 'burbs on a Dawes 531 a 25km round trip; the following year allowed me to enjoy more time on the bike and I bought an old aluminium Principia on which I rode routes of 30/40km several times per week. The ride was noticeably faster but very harsh compared to the steel Dawes, which whilst far to big for me, a 60cm frame, did seem to float over the worst that Lewisham, Deptford and the old kent road could throw in its path (its undoing was sadly a newly installed & unmarked traffic calming width restriction placed immediately beside a mega pot hole).
An emerging car knocked me off and broke the Principia in Oct 2020 but by Spring I was ready to meet the traffic if it meant I could enjoy the lanes and being outside again, so I bought a medium size (56cm, tt) early enigma from a gentleman down in Wiltshire. This bike I rebuilt it is an utterly fantastic ride, smoother, so much faster and lighter( just over 8kg) between May and August I increased my loops around Kent and Surrey to 50-80km which lead to 4 x 200km audaxes. And here comes the but, as I extended my rides I noticed back pain, numb shoulders and hands and general fatigue after rides over 60km. I tried different saddles, handlebar widths, seat posts, tyre combos and could not get comfortable and eventually resigned myself to needing a smaller framed bike.
The focus of my post is this bike.
A 54cm horizontal top tubed, traditional style touring bike built in 1996 by Roy Manser from Columbus Neuron tubing for a clubmate. Thrilled with my purchase from its second owner, who had graciously retired from his battle with the A3 traffic I did a few of my shorter local loops and instantly noticed it was quite a bit heavier especially when climbing hills; but less backache. A couple of weeks later on another Audax with 3000' climb I realised the triple crank-set was not going to save me and as I timed out, discovering the limits of battery powered lights and failing to finish after 191km; I learned in my misery the bike was capable but I clearly was not, I could not understand what had gone so wrong in terms of my energy and speed.
As a consequence of this near final bike ride, a recommended local bike fitter spent a great deal of time, patience and effort setting up the bike for me. I learned a great deal and after a month I returned to tweek the riding position. Its taken a good couple of months now to settle into the different posture and I feel much more stable, have no further back, knee, shoulder or hand pain....but I now seem to be much slower on the same local loops and hills; despite trying different tyres and pressures I feel the bike is extremely harsh and unresponsive, this surprises me as I am told its beautifully made from quality tubes. Today I cycled a familiar 50km circuit (wet, foggy and cold) on the enigma and despite it making my back ache and a wobble on the front wheel, averaged 3kmh faster for far less effort and in horrid conditions.
To summarise, a lugged steel touring bike with front and rear pannier fittings (not fitted), mud guards, Handbuilt MA40s on Campag Veloce hubs, Durano plus tyres weighs in at 12.5kg. I weigh 65 kg and ride with just a small saddlebag. The bike fits me but could its rigidity without touring luggage etc. be partly responsible for my slow speed compared to my former ill fitting bikes and nearly all those I now encounter locally?
anyway.
