How to ride a bike for recreation. Am I doing it wrong?
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autumnblade75
Posts: 1,660 Member
I just bought a new Hybrid bike. I was sick of coasting along on my vintage Schwinn with the worn out coaster brakes, so I made a list of what features I thought I wanted in a bicycle and found something on Amazon that looked like it would work. I put it together in my kitchen last night, and I'm about to roll down to the park to wobble around catching Pokemon at low speeds. My husband is supportive enough to buy me the bike as a birthday present, but he thinks I'm insane, either way. I tried to talk to him about my insecurities as a bike rider, and he mocked me, lightly - so I figured I'd come make a fool of myself on the internet, instead. Here's the deal: while the manual highlights the specifics of how to raise or lower the seat, and adjust the tilt of the handlebars, I have no idea what I should be shooting for to adjust for the most comfortable or ergonomic ride. Seat to pedals might have had a little bit of a hint, that I should be able to straighten my leg nearly completely at the bottom of the stroke, without locking my knee. The handlebars seem not to have much of a height adjustment, but I don't think I have a problem with the height they're at. The degree of tilt, though - that's just a preference thing, right? I want my wrists to be comfortable. Is there more to it than that? Most important of all, though - the seat adjusts for tilt; forward towards the ground, or back so I feel like I'm sliding off the rear of the bike. Is there a general rule for how level or slanted the seat should be? Is that all preference, too? Are there rules for how to tell if you should adjust in one direction or the other? Lastly, the pedals are pretty old-school - I don't have any desire for special shoes that clip in, but in light of the fact that I sometimes manage to drag my toes on the ground (especially in a turn) I question whether I've got my feet aligned on the pedals correctly. I have tiny feet, so it's pretty jarring to feel like I'm hanging that far off the pedals.
So, if anyone can answer any of that, or has any tips that I haven't even noticed I need - it'd be really helpful if you would post them here! Thanks in advance for all the help!
So, if anyone can answer any of that, or has any tips that I haven't even noticed I need - it'd be really helpful if you would post them here! Thanks in advance for all the help!
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Replies
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Pedals should be roughly under the balls of your feet. When you turn left, you want the right pedal down and the left one up, so you won't hit the ground.
Most of your questions are about "fit." It's a somewhat complex topic. You want the bike to for your body for comfort, I'm extremely cases a very badly fitting bike can cause over use injuries on very long rides. But you'll probably start with short rides. So if the bars are at the wrong height or not rotated ideally for you, is not a safety problem. As you gain experience riding the bike, certain things will bother you about how it's set up, and then you'll adjust them.
You can pay somebody at a bike shop, or some physical therapists, to put your bike on a trainer (making it stationary) and watch you pedal it. Then they'll adjust everything for you. Your health insurance may cover this. This service is called a bike fit.2 -
You can go to a bike shop and ask them to help you fit your bike to you.1
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NorthCascades wrote: »You can pay somebody at a bike shop, or some physical therapists, to put your bike on a trainer (making it stationary) and watch you pedal it. Then they'll adjust everything for you. Your health insurance may cover this. This service is called a bike fit.
This.FireOpalCO wrote: »You can go to a bike shop and ask them to help you fit your bike to you.
And this. I would really strongly recommend it - they can not only fit you, they can check over the bike to make sure everything's tightened and set up the way it should be, and they can give you advice on starting out on a new type bike.
So glad you upgraded - you're going to have a lot of fun! Best of luck!
edited to fix quotes
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I third or fourth the idea of going into a bike shop with your bike in tow. Part of the issue is making sure it fits you well (or well enough...) but I think in your case the larger issue is making sure you put it together correctly. That you're able to drag your toes on the ground in corners while you're feet are on the pedals is concerning. It could be a crank length issue, a "this bike really doesn't fit" issue, or a "somehow you didn't put something together correctly (or all of the above).1
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For what you're doing, it's all about preference and comfort. No reason to pay anyone to fit you, unless you are having pain/problems you can't resolve.
Start with the saddle level with the ground.
Start with the saddle slightly below the handle bars. How much lower is up to you.
Ride and see how you feel. Give yourself a few rides before tweaking anything unless something is very obviously not right.0 -
Most shops won't give you any grief for not buying it from them. They're happy for whatever business they can get.0
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For what you're doing, it's all about preference and comfort. No reason to pay anyone to fit you, unless you are having pain/problems you can't resolve.
Start with the saddle level with the ground.
Start with the saddle slightly below the handle bars. How much lower is up to you.
Ride and see how you feel. Give yourself a few rides before tweaking anything unless something is very obviously not right.
She put the bike together herself, though. I would be a little concerned about making sure everything's tightened to spec and properly aligned. My husband runs the bike shop at an REI, and gets bikes in all the time that were put together at home, and had issues where things weren't tightened, or were not aligned properly and would eventually fail.
Just my thoughts
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For what you're doing, it's all about preference and comfort. No reason to pay anyone to fit you, unless you are having pain/problems you can't resolve.
Start with the saddle level with the ground.
Start with the saddle slightly below the handle bars. How much lower is up to you.
Ride and see how you feel. Give yourself a few rides before tweaking anything unless something is very obviously not right.
She put the bike together herself, though. I would be a little concerned about making sure everything's tightened to spec and properly aligned. My husband runs the bike shop at an REI, and gets bikes in all the time that were put together at home, and had issues where things weren't tightened, or were not aligned properly and would eventually fail.
Just my thoughts
That's a fair concern, but is a different issue than fitting the bike, which is more what OP was asking and I was replying about.0 -
For what you're doing, it's all about preference and comfort. No reason to pay anyone to fit you, unless you are having pain/problems you can't resolve.
Start with the saddle level with the ground.
Start with the saddle slightly below the handle bars. How much lower is up to you.
Ride and see how you feel. Give yourself a few rides before tweaking anything unless something is very obviously not right.
She put the bike together herself, though. I would be a little concerned about making sure everything's tightened to spec and properly aligned. My husband runs the bike shop at an REI, and gets bikes in all the time that were put together at home, and had issues where things weren't tightened, or were not aligned properly and would eventually fail.
Just my thoughts
That's a fair concern, but is a different issue than fitting the bike, which is more what OP was asking and I was replying about.
True When I got my first road bike I had it fitted, then by the time I was six months into riding I had made so many adjustments you couldn't tell it had ever been set up in a neutral position. 0 -
While I agree a professional fitting would be best, there are some rules of thumb that should get you to at least a reasonable starting point. Keep in mind that these are only guidelines based on tradition, not hard-and-fast rules of science, so your actual final setup may differ.
- First set the height by putting your heel on the spindle of the pedal and setting the height so that your leg is fully extended without locking your knee, while also making sure that your hips remain level and you aren't leaning over to reach. This should give you about the right degree of bend when you pedal with the ball of your foot over the pedal spindle.
- Next, adjust the foreward-aft position. With the crankarms horizontal and the ball of your foot on the pedal, move the seat forward/back so that the front of your kneecap is about in line with the pedal spindle.
- Finally, tilt should be set so that the saddle is level, then adjust as necessary so that it feels neutral (your not sliding forward or back, or have a lot of weight on your arms). This should still be within a few degrees of horizontal.
The pedal hitting the ground sounds more like a technique issue. Are you pedalling through the corners? As mentioned, the inside pedal should be up when turning.1 -
I lived through the test ride. I had an issue with some things loosening up during the ride, but I brought the relevant hex wrenches and the manual - I'm reasonably handy, if not fully fluent in bicycle, yet. The issue with my foot hitting the ground while turning; yes, I was pedaling through the turn, AND that's the old bike I'm upgrading from. Since I didn't have an issue with that, today, I'm going to guess it's probably just the height of the pedal of that specific bike. The new one is bigger. I will probably not bother with seeing a professional - doesn't really fit my philosophy. It does sound like good advice for anyone who wants to really speed around at better than jogging pace, though.
I'm liking that I've got more room between the seat and the pedals on the new bike. I don't know if I could have raised the seat on the old one, but *that* one was probably not set up properly for me, at all. It still worked reasonably, for what I'm doing with it. Ha! I really just thought it was important to have working brakes, even if I spend the majority of my time circling the park with no real traffic to speak of. As long as I was making changes, I thought I'd prefer hand brakes over coaster brakes and I wanted more than one gear, but I still wanted to sit pretty much upright.
I'm not sure I have any forward/aft adjustment options with the seat. The manual doesn't cover it, and the mechanics of that adjustment were not obvious. I think it might be reasonable as is - but I'll poke at it and see if I missed something.
I opted to install the seat level, by eyeballing - I didn't get out the level to square it. It seems pretty reasonable without any tilt, at that distance from the handlebars, and with the seat raised to straighten my legs comfortably.
I like it. I'll probably need to tweak the angle of the handlebars, and everything seems to be quick-release, which I'm having a little trouble adjusting so that it's tight enough to stay put, while still being loose enough to close. I have the same problem with vice-grips. Mostly, that's manifesting in the seat gradually losing height. I actually found it rather amusing. I was more concerned with the tire. I tried hard to err on the side of "I'll never be able to release this if I want it off." I don't intend to separate them often, so it wasn't a feature I was really looking for - but it happened to be included in the package I was shopping for. Either way, I didn't lose the front tire on this ride.
Thanks again, for all the help. I appreciate the concern for my mechanical abilities, but I urge you not to worry about me, either. If I don't get it straightened out within a few weeks, I'll reconsider hitting up the bike shop for some expert help. But it's really not looking necessary. Until the front wheel falls off. I'll remind myself that you guys told me so.
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Seatpost might need a little grease.0
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NorthCascades wrote: »Seatpost might need a little grease.
Not sure how that will keep it from falling down. The quick release is lubed. I kept sticking my hands in grease all over the place, putting this thing together.0 -
autumnblade75 wrote: »I I will probably not bother with seeing a professional - doesn't really fit my philosophy. It does sound like good advice for anyone who wants to really speed around at better than jogging pace, though.
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Thanks again, for all the help. I appreciate the concern for my mechanical abilities, but I urge you not to worry about me, either. If I don't get it straightened out within a few weeks, I'll reconsider hitting up the bike shop for some expert help. But it's really not looking necessary. Until the front wheel falls off. I'll remind myself that you guys told me so.
I definitely don't think it's a bad thing to know how to work on your bike and do maintenance yourself. I also don't think it's a bad idea to have someone who knows what they're doing give your bike a once over because well - safety is important. Depending on how interested you are in really learning how to be self-sufficient (and efficient) it might be worth looking up co-ops that teach/give assistance on how to work on your bike. The ones in Portland also end up making life cheaper because they have all of the tools you'd ever need.
You've inspired me to take a look at my university's bike co-op's website and their classes are free to members and include things like wheel building. I might end up taking the wheel truing and building classes because that is not something I can teach myself and more importantly, I don't have the money to buy the equipment needed nor do I have the space to store them.0 -
autumnblade75 wrote: »NorthCascades wrote: »Seatpost might need a little grease.
Not sure how that will keep it from falling down. The quick release is lubed. I kept sticking my hands in grease all over the place, putting this thing together.
Bits of particulate in the grease add friction between the seatpost and the tube. When my bike was brand new, I tightened this to spec, and it kept slipping like yours. I don't have any on hand so I took it in to the shop, they used a paintbrush looking thing to apply it to the post in a thin layer, a year later it hasn't slipped again.0 -
By the way, a torque wrench can be a really useful tool to have for working on bikes. Even with metal ones, you can know you've tightened it enough, but without stripping the bits. You can get one on Amazon without spending a fortune.1
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NorthCascades wrote: »By the way, a torque wrench can be a really useful tool to have for working on bikes. Even with metal ones, you can know you've tightened it enough, but without stripping the bits. You can get one on Amazon without spending a fortune.
“Tighten it ‘til it strips, then back it off a quarter turn.”
I agree a torque wrench (probably inch-pounds) for a bike is a good idea - but I’d like to have a torque spec list to make it more useful. Bike manuals almost never include good stuff like that.2 -
Depending on how interested you are in really learning how to be self-sufficient (and efficient) it might be worth looking up co-ops that teach/give assistance on how to work on your bike.
This is something I could be interested in. I'd take a (free or cheap) class.NorthCascades wrote: »By the way, a torque wrench can be a really useful tool to have for working on bikes. Even with metal ones, you can know you've tightened it enough, but without stripping the bits. You can get one on Amazon without spending a fortune.
This would be more useful if the manual said how tight a thing is supposed to be. I have run across specs in car repair things, though, and I always like new tools. I should check the garage, first, though. The husband's father hoarded tools. We've inherited the totes full of screwdrivers and at least 3 huge chest toolboxes full of assorted useful things.
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I smiled when I saw this thread was going to be about bike fit. I used to hang out on a Triathlon forum and every post asking for advice generated hundreds of replies giving often contradictory advice
IMHO You don't need a professional bike fit unless you are going to ride very long distances and/or will be competing. In your initial post you describe cruising around catching Pokemon if that's your typical ride just go for a comfortable position.
Many people set the seat too low. An old school rule of thumb is to have someone hold the bike up right and if you can reach the pedal with your heel with your leg straight without tilting you hips your about right. You'll be peddling on your toes so your leg won't straighten completely.
You're not looking for aerodynamics on a sit up and beg hybrid so forwards/back/up/down on the handle bars is where ever you like it best.
The only one of my bikes I use a torque wrench on is the one with a carbon frame and components as they can crack. For my steel/Al frames I never bother. Just tighten everything as tight as you can without putting all your weight on it.
If something get loose tighten a bit more.
The great thing about bikes is that with a tiny bit of mechanical aptitude you can do everything yourself.
There are TONS of Youtube video guides on how to do just about anything you'll ever need to do from indexing gears to changing a cassette.
Take it easy while you build confidence you've set everything up as you like it and happy biking!1 -
Stockholm_Andy wrote: »I smiled when I saw this thread was going to be about bike fit. I used to hang out on a Triathlon forum and every post asking for advice generated hundreds of replies giving often contradictory advice
IMHO You don't need a professional bike fit unless you are going to ride very long distances and/or will be competing. In your initial post you describe cruising around catching Pokemon if that's your typical ride just go for a comfortable position.
Many people set the seat too low. An old school rule of thumb is to have someone hold the bike up right and if you can reach the pedal with your heel with your leg straight without tilting you hips your about right. You'll be peddling on your toes so your leg won't straighten completely.
You're not looking for aerodynamics on a sit up and beg hybrid so forwards/back/up/down on the handle bars is where ever you like it best.
The only one of my bikes I use a torque wrench on is the one with a carbon frame and components as they can crack. For my steel/Al frames I never bother. Just tighten everything as tight as you can without putting all your weight on it.
If something get loose tighten a bit more.
The great thing about bikes is that with a tiny bit of mechanical aptitude you can do everything yourself.
There are TONS of Youtube video guides on how to do just about anything you'll ever need to do from indexing gears to changing a cassette.
Take it easy while you build confidence you've set everything up as you like it and happy biking!
I agree with both the spirit of this post and the actual advice given.
OP, no need get any more complicated/involved than you want to with this.
1) Make sure the bike is safe.
2) Tweak things for comfort based on what you like/don't like.
3) Enjoy
Sure, you can buy all the tools and take all the classes and run all the measurements and measure all the angles and do all the wind tunnel testing and buy all the aero parts and... and... and...
But really?
Have a basic set of allen wrenches.
Learn how to fix a flat tire.
Go do your thing.
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