Watch out! Cyclist coming through

ghostshaper

Phil Edwards status
Jan 22, 2005
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Damn my titanium old ass trek beats me up pretty bad, the steel front fork is nice and keeps my hands from dying.
Just started this cycling thing on a fucked up old Trek single speed conversion from craigslist. Been bored and lacking waves so been putting a few miles on it. My gooch (guch? taint?) hurts. Need new seat.
I thought titanium is supposed to be forgiving like steel.
?
 

Mr Doof

Duke status
Jan 23, 2002
24,860
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San Francisco, CA
Bought used Cheap. Chain was saggy with the vertical dropouts so I opted for a tensioner the time being. Needs new brakes and front brake. Going to add bullhorn bars , new seat, tires, brakes, pedals.
Is it wrong that I want bullhorn bars instead of a flat bar on a new-to-me bike that currently has drop bars? I see it is a flat bar with integrated bar ends.

Asking because the last two bike store people looked at me with somewhat disguised horror when I inquired about that.
 
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Waterlogged05

Michael Peterson status
May 14, 2005
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I like bullhorns, although they probably aren't as sleek in appearance? The grip position is nicer for my wrists, plus I rarely use the drop bars.
 
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afoaf

Duke status
Jun 25, 2008
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I like the bullhorns for climbing....you can get back in the saddle a bit and pull

I could never get in to drops...the bullhorns give me a lot of options for hand
and grip position so I can mix it up over the course of a long ride.

it's partly a cosmetic thing, too...I like the look
 
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plasticbertrand

Duke status
Jan 12, 2009
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That is horrible advice. Find a normal seat that fits your sit bones.
I was kidding of course.

I don't think Waterlogged has a clit.

Not just a seat width but also the riding position - tilt, forth/afth adjustment and seat height all play a role as well as rider reach, which depends on frame geometry, stem length and bar width.

Better?:poop:

There's some truth to having to toughen up your taint a bit, if you are just starting to ride.

It's always painful in the beginning but then later it becomes pleasurable.
 
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plasticbertrand

Duke status
Jan 12, 2009
21,224
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I like the bullhorns for climbing....you can get back in the saddle a bit and pull

I could never get in to drops...the bullhorns give me a lot of options for hand
and grip position so I can mix it up over the course of a long ride.

it's partly a cosmetic thing, too...I like the look
If you look at the properly set up drops, they have a pretty much the same shape as bullhorns when you're on the hoods but you also have multiple hand positions on the drops which helps on descents and when riding into the wind (plus gives you a better leverage on the brakes for finer control).

Look at the top of the bars, when you're on the hoods, it's almost the same as bullhorns.

1590131949750.png

I think the brakes are set up a bit too high in this pic but you get the idea:

BB2DDAF2-9BD7-423F-B2D1-BB0948B2AB95.jpeg
 

ghostshaper

Phil Edwards status
Jan 22, 2005
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I feel like I've bruised my butt bones when I start riding a lot, but it does go away after a couple of weeks. I also like to wear padded underwear under my favorite shorts on long rides.
 

afoaf

Duke status
Jun 25, 2008
49,204
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Damn my titanium old ass trek beats me up pretty bad, the steel front fork is nice and keeps my hands from dying.
Just started this cycling thing on a fucked up old Trek single speed conversion from craigslist. Been bored and lacking waves so been putting a few miles on it. My gooch (guch? taint?) hurts. Need new seat.
buy yourself some padded shorts.....

I wear a bib to keep it in place with a pair of mountain biking shorts over and a loose jersey

riding gloves and gel tape for the bars are pretty affordable and take the edge off the vibration
 
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Sharkbiscuit

Duke status
Aug 6, 2003
26,270
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Jacksonville Beach
My Fred Sled I think came stock with heavily gelled bars. I need to move around in seat and hand position and I would probably keel over dead if I tried to ride more than 15 miles, in the flat, no headwind. Or maybe a second water bottle and pacing would help I dunno I just jump on the thing and get the urge to haul ass then coast/cycle slowly and do so as it comes to me.

I wear lightweight shorts or surf trunks and generally a white t. I'd probably have to throw rocks at myself if I had gloves and anyone who has seen me ride would agree and join in for sure.
 

Mr Doof

Duke status
Jan 23, 2002
24,860
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San Francisco, CA
[/QUOTE]
If you look at the properly set up drops, they have a pretty much the same shape as bullhorns when you're on the hoods but you also have multiple hand positions on the drops which helps on descents and when riding into the wind (plus gives you a better leverage on the brakes for finer control).

Look at the top of the bars, when you're on the hoods, it's almost the same as bullhorns.

View attachment 91449

I think the brakes are set up a bit too high in this pic but you get the idea:

View attachment 91450
Yeah, all that makes perfect reasonable sense. Probably why the bike store people gave me the look they did..."He seemed so normal when he came in and asked if he could bring his bike in."

But when I did the drop bar thing for my primary riding (urban commute with occasional mad hair that saw me going up and over Twin Peaks/Protrero Hill/Bernal Hill/Liberty Hill/Buena Vista Heights/Lone Mountain/Mt Davidson on the way home (not all in one go)), I found my hands never on the lower part, pretty much always on the top, and only moving out the ends when I needed to brake, which is too often but I like not getting creamed by cars, so I stop. Switching to a flat bar with bar ends made the brakes more accessible without having to change hand position, gave me a slightly higher up riding stance which is good for seeing above/around cars, and the bar ends were nice so I could stretch out some on the flats when I could time the lights.

On the rare rides north of the GG Bridge, yeah, the wind made me long for the lower profile drop bars afford, not that the mt bike frame was helping much either.

Anyway, the important thing is to thank everyone for their own thoughts/experiences with bicycles as it provides a much more rounded thinking process for me.
 
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$kully

Duke status
Feb 27, 2009
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It's always painful in the beginning but then later it becomes pleasurable.
There is definitely taint tolerance that needs to be built up. If I'm off my bike for a while and I do a good ride for the first time I'll feel it in my taint the next day. But if I'm riding a lot the tolerance builds up.