I just got back from an 18 mile errand ride that combined fast cruising (and some slow cruising) on a flat bike path through our bosque nature preserve with some steep and winding up- and downhills on bike-laned, fast, 2-lane 45 mph boulevards; this to pick up my mother's medical records before the dr's office closed. I rode the '03 Curt Custom 559-wheeled road, Dave-Porter-converted to fixed gear and set up with Honjos, Fly and, most recently -- a change back from the track pedals with clips -- Look Keos. 69" fixed gear. Much standing on the climbs for which, for a change, I had ample time to warm up thanks to the bike path detour.
The Curt had been feeling awkward compared to the almost identical (in frame geometry) Joe gofast fixie, but through perservering messing with the Flite saddle -- shoving it back as far as it would go while adjusting the tilt just a bit more upward -- I've managed to get it ***just*** where it belongs, that sweet spot where butt, back, shoulders, arms, legs, feet and hands all seem to fall naturally in the exactly right place for one's preferred pedalling style. Butt back -- that's the key, IMO. Waaaaaay back (I wish I had taken Grant's advice and had the Curt built with a 72 seat; with the 73 and a circa 2004 Dura Ace post with considerable setback, I literally use a rubber mallet to get it back as far as I can. But the DA post ***just*** allows enough rearward position and tile to make it perfect. I should have saddle and post brazed into permanent position. The (1973 Grand Record) Motobecane had been feeling awkward too -- I had played with the idea of raising the bar say 2" to level with the Flite and swapping out the 8 (or so) stem for a 10. But instead I swapped out the cheap no-name modern short 'n' shallows for a real God's Own 44 cm Nitto 185 -- same stem, 2" below saddle -- and my goodness! What a change. And I took the mallet and whacked the saddle back on the old and very nice Simplex post and got it just that essential few mm back further, and now I swear that the Motobecane feels just as good as the Rivs -- a first for a non-Riv bike. Again, butt way back, torso cantilevered over the bars, hands lightly on the hoods or in the hooks, shoving forward on the (in this case, since it's a grocery hauler) 66" fixed gear. I have once again to thank Grant for converting me from the foolish saddle way high and way forward saddle position to that I've described; truly, the feeling of fit between body and bike is one of the great pleasures of cycling, IMO. -- Patrick Moore Albuquerque, NM For professional resumes, contact Patrick Moore, ACRW at resumespecialt...@gmail.com (505) 227-0523 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
