Bicycling Off-Road

Levi · « **Reply #340 on:** 30 Mar 2010, 01:29 pm »

The bike is standing on a peace of branch propped on the rear derailleur post.

Mike Nomad · « **Reply #341 on:** 31 Mar 2010, 12:39 am »

Quote from: jackman on 30 Mar 2010, 03:32 am

True, and your knees will take a bigger beating. You can account for the crank length by adjusting your gearing but if your cranks are too big it will be difficult to ride with a high cadence and put more pressure on your knees. This is especially true in road cycling but MTB riders would have a similar problem when pedaling up hills. My cranks are 175mm but my next set will be 172.5 or 170.

Thanks jackman & Phil NYC. I really am not used to thinking about this stuff. I've always been a bit of a knuckle-dragger when it comes to bikes: Try a bunch out in my price range, find one that feels good, and roll. If I want to go faster, I just peddle harder...

My quads take a pretty good hammering. I went from the original 32-20 gearing to 32-11. Much better. Starts still aren't slow, and now I've got some top. Yes, I (now) notice I have a lot more clearance at the... crankset housing (?) than I am used to w/ a 26" rim. Shorter crank arms should provide a more uniform "load" on the upper leg, right?

Thanks, again.

PhilNYC · « **Reply #342 on:** 31 Mar 2010, 12:55 pm »

Quote from: Mike Nomad on 31 Mar 2010, 12:39 am

... crankset housing (?)

That is your "bottom bracket"...

Quote

Shorter crank arms should provide a more uniform "load" on the upper leg, right?

For an in-depth discussion on proper crank length, see here: http://www.myra-simon.com/bike/cranks.html

jackman · « **Reply #343 on:** 31 Mar 2010, 09:29 pm »

Here is a brief article on crank lengty by Sheldon Brown (RIP). It might not make a big difference on a mountain bike because you are not typically on the bike for as long and you might not travel as far as a road cyclist but if you are working on a high cadence (to take some pressure off your knees and use your cardio), shorter cranks - ones that fit you properly - will be easier on your knees.

I learned my lesson the hard way! When I first started road biking, I was cranking big gears and low cadence on long distance rides. My legs would usually be gassed within the first 45 minutes. Once your legs are shot, it's hard to recover. High cadence will put the "stress" on your cardio (versus your legs) and you can usually recover more quickly. Try it sometime, especially if you have bad knees. An inexpensive cadence computer (I have a wired Cateye) is a great tool to improve in this area.

I've worked on turning circles and increasing my cadence (using lower gears) and smaller cranks are way easier on my knees and easier to turn circles. In addition, since focusing on high cadence, I have no knee pain. I don't know if most MTB riders climb in the saddle or out of it. If you climb out of the saddle, larger cranks might actually be preferable or differences in crank size might not be as noticeable, but for people turning lots of circles with higher cadence will notice the difference.

PhilNYC · « **Reply #344 on:** 31 Mar 2010, 09:38 pm »

Quote from: jackman on 31 Mar 2010, 09:29 pm

I don't know if most MTB riders climb in the saddle or out of it. If you climb out of the saddle, larger cranks might actually be preferable or differences in crank size might not be as noticeable, but for people turning lots of circles with higher cadence will notice the difference.

MTB riders have to stay seated when climbing because they need to keep the rear wheel weighted down (if they get out of the saddle on a climb, the rear wheel can lose traction). Longer cranks are helpful when powering over obstacles....

Mike Nomad · « **Reply #345 on:** 31 Mar 2010, 09:58 pm »

Quote from: PhilNYC on 31 Mar 2010, 12:55 pm

That is your "bottom bracket"...

For an in-depth discussion on proper crank length, see here: http://www.myra-simon.com/bike/cranks.html

Thanks for the terminology check, and the link. Great article. Yikes! according to the math, I should be using 165/167.5 instead of my 180s. That will make for an interesting experiment.

Rocket_Ronny · « **Reply #346 on:** 4 Apr 2010, 03:21 am »

Looks like we are buying our 11 year old daughter a nice used freeride bike. It is supposed to ship on Tuesday.

It is a small, woman's specific, Transition Syren. She is going to totally rip on this thing. It has a 180 mm, 7", Totem air fork on it to gobble up the nastiest tree roots and rock gardens. It also has two chain rings on the crank to make it more all mountain. Bike weighs around 37 lbs. Check it out and the video on the Transition site. http://www.transitionbikes.com/Bikes_Syren.cfm

It is hard to find a hard core bike like this that fits a girl 4'-11" tall. This is one of the few options.

She jumps her horse over 3 foot jumps so has a go for it attitude. I think she is going to make a great freeride rider. Of course she is going to have to keep up with pops, so will have to learn quick. Ha.

Snow is almost melted and the bike fever is a stirring.

Rocket_Ronny

jackman · « **Reply #347 on:** 4 Apr 2010, 03:34 am »

Sorry, I forgot to post the link to Sheldon's website. There is an article on cadence in this month's Bicycling magazine. It just says higher cadence takes pressure off your knees and works your cardio more. My comments about high cadence were in reference to this. I have a cadence meter on my computer and try to keep my cadence between 80-90. IME, it keeps my legs fresher and my knees pain-free.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/cranks.html

Shorter cranks (ones that fit you properly) make pedaling circles easier and make a higher cadence easier to maintain. This also creates a kind of pedaling momentum that helps you fight through patches where you are gassed. This happened to me today during a particularly windy, uphill section.

Over the past three days I've ridden over a hundred miles and tomorrow (7:00 am!) I'm going for a long ride 45+ miles with a fast group. If I make it back alive, I'll try to post some comments and pictures (if I remember to bring my camera). I hate getting up early but love the way it feels to finish a long ride. Cheers and happy Easter to everyone who celebrates the holiday.

J

PhilNYC · « **Reply #348 on:** 4 Apr 2010, 02:16 pm »

We need a "Bicycling Road" thread...

jackman · « **Reply #349 on:** 4 Apr 2010, 04:33 pm »

Quote from: PhilNYC on 4 Apr 2010, 02:16 pm

We need a "Bicycling Road" thread...

I agree! My group did 45 miles today, riding the country roads (and hills) west of my house. It was a brutal ride and very fast with very strong wind. Thankfully we had a strong tailwind to take us home. Sustained stretches in the high 20's to low 30's on the way home. I love road cycling! Tomorrow is a day off!

Sorry for the road talk in the off-road thread. No more, I promise!

Levi · « **Reply #350 on:** 4 Apr 2010, 05:12 pm »

I don't have a road bike yet. However, I did a slow 50mile ride with "The Weekday Cyclists" last week and had a tour of Manhattan's perimeter. It is a nice scenic ride. An alternative ride when it was muddy on the trails.

Here is my data for the ride 4/1/2010

Levi · « **Reply #351 on:** 20 Apr 2010, 04:21 pm »

I just ordered spare Industry Nine Ultralite RACE wheelset. This time, it will have a ZTR Podium MMX rims, blue hubs and black aluminum spokes. It will take 5-6 weeks to build. This wheelset will be in @1210 gram range so I am truly excited. Stay tuned.

PhilNYC · « **Reply #352 on:** 20 Apr 2010, 04:47 pm »

Quote from: Levi on 20 Apr 2010, 04:21 pm

I just ordered spare Industry Nine Ultralite RACE wheelset. This time, it will have a ZTR Podium MMX rims, blue hubs and black aluminum spokes. It will take 5-6 weeks to build. This wheelset will be in @1210 gram range so I am truly excited. Stay tuned.

Be careful with them! Weight is usually on a trade-off scale with durability, and those wheels are light!

Levi · « **Reply #353 on:** 20 Apr 2010, 05:32 pm »

Thanks Phil. This is going to be my 2nd I9 wheelset. It has been over 6mos and no problem. It will also have an Enduro ceramic bearings. The old one is for my son's Litespeed.

PhishPhan · « **Reply #354 on:** 20 Apr 2010, 06:02 pm »

Here's a pic of my MTB after a nice ride through the hills of southern Ohio.

Levi · « **Reply #355 on:** 20 Apr 2010, 06:06 pm »

Nice bike! I heard Ray's indoor MTB park is great!

PhishPhan · « **Reply #356 on:** 20 Apr 2010, 06:08 pm »

Thanks. She's a blast to ride.

Levi · « **Reply #357 on:** 21 Apr 2010, 12:45 pm »

Anyone using torque wrench on your carbon fiber seatpost and handlebars? I find it a good practice to use a good torque wrench in conjunction with a carbon fiber paste (friction material).

In my opinion, the Effeto Mariposa Pro Torque Wrench is great for bicycles. I used to use a good snap-on torque wrench and proves to have lots of leverage because it is primarily designed for cars. The Effetto is built for bicycles and small enough to fit in tight spaces. It can be bought individually. Mine came with the extra bits.

Effetto Mariposa Pro Torque wrench with extra bits

This is just to illustrate how well this works on tight spaces

Cheers!

SET Man · « **Reply #358 on:** 2 May 2010, 11:05 pm »

Hey!

So, how was the NY 5 Boro bike tour today? Did you have fun?

Take care,
Buddy

Levi · « **Reply #359 on:** 3 May 2010, 12:47 pm »

The NY Bike Tour 2010 is great! Had lots of fun meeting lots of nice people. This is the first time it did not rain for me. LOL. Maybe will come back for next year!