Losing the fun...and the drops?!?!!

[chewy]

Thanks all.

I have been working on my core muscles for a while (believing this may help as some have suggested)

I have also shortened the stem.

I think a day's tinkering could be in order, see if altering the bar angle and maybe the lever positions could help.

Still fancy the idea of going with flats/bar ends, and definitely like the bar ends for hill climbing! But will try a few more things first though. May see if an even shorter stem is available.

Itching to go and play a bit now!

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

But will try a few more things first though. May see if an even shorter stem is available.

Itching to go and play a bit now!

I am pretty sure I was introduced to this useful tool by MacB.

 

[chewy]

Right, had a bit of time to fettle today.

Have lowered the seat slightly and moved it forward fractionally too. Main difference/improvement seems to have come from tipping the bars back a bit. Will take for a proper ride over the weekend to fully test.


I have come to the conclusion that an even shorter stem would be a good buy (current have a flipped 90mm 17 degree fitted).

Can get another 90 but with a 35 degree raise for just under £20, or for £35 a 65 mm one.


Any thoughts anyone? (sorry to keep on about this lol)

 

[Norm]

How well do you know your LBS? Mine has stems in the shop that, if I wanted to change, they'd lend me to have a test ride.

 

[Camrider]

I've always ridden bikes with drops, but last September bought a sports tourer with flats fitted with ergo grips and bar ends. After riding 3500km on the new machine including a life time longest ride of 208 km (126 miles) I am not regretting it. I no longer get pins and needles during a long ride and I'm using the bar ends far less than I thought I would.

Having said that the geometry of the new bike is designed for flats so I'm not sure it would work with my Dawes Galaxy which has a much shorter top tube.

 

[Norm]

Having said that the geometry of the new bike is designed for flats so I'm not sure it would work with my Dawes Galaxy which has a much shorter top tube.

Phew! I thought I was the only one saying this.

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

I have come to the conclusion that an even shorter stem would be a good buy (current have a flipped 90mm 17 degree fitted).

Can get another 90 but with a 35 degree raise for just under £20, or for £35 a 65 mm one.

Any thoughts anyone? (sorry to keep on about this lol)

Or get an adjustable one* for much less to play with until you are happy?

* need to be sure it is the right handlebar diameter

 

[chewy]

LBS had to order in my last stem, so doubt they would have one, but they have been very helpful (i got the bike there in the first place).

Thought about an adjustable one, but for a fraction more I could get the 90mm/35 degree one straight off, plus it wont let me adjust the length (where I think my problem really lies ).

Nice to hear from someone who likes his flats in preference to drops..... the Defy is also sold as a flat bar (the Rapid) so its a fairly easy swap over. I'm abit annoyed (and its probably the reason I'm resisting my instinct to convert) as I was all set to get the Rapid in the first place but lots of people argued the case for drops and so I went for it! Not their fault of course, should have thought about it more really!



Thanks, every one though. really helps talking this through!

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

On one is selling a 80mm 35 degree from £9.99 at the moment. I have one, it is a good quality stem.

 

[chewy]

IDEAL!!!

NICE ONE RECORDACE!!!

Now, do I get a 17 or a 35 degree one lol!

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

I would have thought 35, since you said existing is a flipped 17deg already.

Actually stem length has no meaning for adjustable stem, so don't be fooled by that. If I were you (and I have one as part of my "tools") I would get an adjustable...

 

[chewy]

Too late, ordered a 35deg from Onone.

I'll give it a whirl and see!

Thanks again to all

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

At worst you will be able to flog that stem for the same price in a few weeks. Just be sure it is the right diameter for the bars, they come in 3 sizes.

 

[Muddyfox]

The only downside of shortening the stem is it will make the steering alot sharper and possibly twitchy ?

I have ridden MTB's for years and then bought myself a Cannondale Synapse flat bar and it was a great bike to ride over long distances and then i bought a drop bar tourer and i have never been able to get on with the drops so i have just bought another tourer with trekking bars and the drop bar bike will be going which is a shame as its a lovely bike but i just cannot get on with drops

Is it possible to have a long test ride on a flat bar bike from your LBS to see if there is a significant difference for you ?

 

[chewy]

I think that will be my next step after giving the new stem a try for a while....it could well be that I just dont suit drop bars...but for a tenner I'm gonna give another stem a try!

But I will admit that I do like the look of a Giant Rapid...looks ace to me lol