How To ACTUALLY Get Comfortable On Your Bicycle
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 พ.ค. 2024
- Do you cycle for transportation or leisure? If so, you'd probably be the most comfortable with a fairly upright position. Yeah, it's a little slower...but better to enjoy the trip!
Yet the heavy sport emphasis in the North American cycling market means too many folks end up on bikes that are too aggressively forward-leaning for their casual intent.
If your bike is the right size yet you never feel quite at ease on it, then this may be part of the problem.
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There are several ways to get more comfortable. Most of them focus on hand position, since placing your hands high/low, forward/backward, or rotated in/out has a huge effect on how you sit.
The easiest way to start is by adjusting stem height. Sometimes just raising your hands an inch takes your posture from a little uncomfortable to just right.
If your stem can't move quite far enough, then it's straightforward and not too expensive to buy a different stem. This can give a couple inches' additional change in reach and/or height.
There are also two cases where it's worth considering new handlebars.
- The first is to let your hands rotate to a more natural angle, almost like they're dangling by your side. Look for "swept-back" handlebars.
- The second is to get a even larger change in reach or height. Some swept-back bars also shorten the reach a great deal, but not all.
If you're riding drop bars, like on a road/touring/cyclocross bike, then you already have plenty of hand positions available. It's possible to convert drop bars to upright, if that's more comfortable for you, but such a dramatic posture change make the bike handles differently (since it moves your center of mass so much).
Once you find a bar/stem set-up that creates comfortable riding posture, then it's time to tweak your saddle. Tilting it a few degree may suffice, but if you're drastically more upright than before, then it's probably best to buy a wider saddle that will support your new position more comfortably.
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0:00 Intro
0:42 Forward-Leaning Riding Posture
1:46 Upright Riding Posture
2:26 Preventing Posture Problems
3:02 Hand Position Is Everything
3:43 Stem Adjustment
4:40 Stem Replacement
5:12 Handlebar Replacement
6:46 Drop-to-Upright Conversion
7:49 Saddle Changes
8:54 Recap
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LINKS
Handlebar selection: twowheelsbetter.net/swept-dro...
Saddle comfort: twowheelsbetter.net/bike-seat...
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I bought a electric assist bicycle in March 2022 as an alternative means of transportation. My alternate is now my main. I only drive my truck if my wife and I have to go somewhere together or if the weather is not favorable. I also lost 36 pounds in four months.
That is awesome - both re: making the bike your go-to, and re: the steady weight loss! There's something incredibly freeing about being on two wheels, electric or otherwise.
do you live in a city where there is infrastructure for bike riding? If I tried something similar here i'd lose 20 lbs in one day because they'd have to amputate my limbs after the car runs me over.
If ur a dude do ur balls hurt sitting on a bike
Insane stuff! I got into biking more ore less by chance, my dad lend an E-Bike to try out and I got a shot aswell... After it bit me real good, I've been biking almost at least 4-5 times a week for just over a year :)
@@kitsurubamiSimilar with me 😮😥
This video is great. It's upright friendly, unlike videos that assume everyone wants to go as fast as possible, never looking left or right to enjoy the beauty all around you. Thanks for sorting that out. I was focused on efficiency when I was young (20s) and I rode in a racing position. Now I'm 71 and I use my bike to enjoy the natural beauty of greenways, creeks, and wildlife.
I appreciate the comment Tom. Slowing down a bit helped me, too, to enjoy a whole different aspect of cycling. Hope you're having a blast out there!
I'm with you Tom, great comment.
Ain’t it grand? I always feel very free on a bike. I used to feel the same way sailing.
That’s because you are a slow rider now.
@@bullfrog4430 on today's 18 mile ride I averaged 11.2 mph. I often hit 20 mph on a straightaway. Is that slow?
gonna comment before i even watch the video: I always saw these 2 viewpoints "sit up straight" vs "lean forward" and i tried both and both gave me a sore afterfeel. Then i just kept switching my pose whenever i felt like it and never had pain afterwards again. The spine usually tells you when to switch your position ,just like sitting down and moving around whenever you feel a slight discomfort, then you're good.
That's a terrific point, thanks for commenting. I find it easier to lean forward on an upright bike than vice-versa, so that's how I resolve that personally.
@@twowheelsbetter_yt Me too. I put a stem raiser on my mtb. Sometimes i sit upright... sometimes i go down so much i'm almost in an aerobar position. But when i sit upright... i'm really grateful i didn't remove the stem raiserl something i have consdered doing.
Yes bike riding is very unnatural. The more dynamic you can make it the better. Sometimes I do chin tucks when traffic is clear. I get out of the saddle often. Clip and unclip often. Using recessed cleats with Dual sided pedals is extremely underrated. And as you mentioned adjusting the handlebars to allow for multiple hand and body positions. I find drop bars easiest to accommodate that
Exactly correct.
I went ahead and had a bike shop do a full fitting for my bike. They tweaked a bunch of this stuff while closely looking at my posture and listening to me about how each change felt. It was definitely worth it for longer rides. Despite me being on a road bike that sacrifices comfort for speed, I'm pretty comfortable being on that bike for hours at a time. I can only imagine that if I did that with a bike designed primarily for comfort it would feel even better.
Cool, sounds like money well spent, and an excellent shop! It's so satisfying to get the posture and cockpit dialed in (whether upright or not).
Good and very informative video. When I was 15 drop bars were fine. By the time I was twenty they were not comfortable. I stopped riding and sold my beautiful Super Course. When I was 55 I really wanted to ride again and bought a hybrid. It was not at all comfortable but taught me that I really wanted to be upright. I converted a few vintage Schwinn road bikes to see what might work and was pretty happy with the results. I started looking for a vintage Schwinn touring bike with long chain stays and found a nice Passage which I converted and was pretty comfortable on it. Finally my little brother, who lives in Amsterdam, convinced me to buy an actual real Dutch bike. I found an Azor pastoorfiet in my size and on the first ride quickly understood why the Dutch ride the bikes they do. I'm 72 now, still riding, not very fast but very comfortable.
If you take weight off wrists by going more upright your transferring that weight back onto saddle which increases saddle pressure. For me its about finding that balance between saddle pressure and hand pressure.
Definitely - the right balance is everything. Saddle and grip choice also make a huge difference (in my experience) so there's a lot to experiment with!
@jambonsambo it’s
I find that front/back seat position relative to the pedals, also makes a huge difference how much weight feels comfortable to keep on the pedals; with more of my weight resting on my pedals, neither my hands nor butt get as sore.
I added aero bars to my road bike to do an Ironman. The forward aero bar position is hard to get used to, and I still have to get out of it now and then to rest, or when there is a steep hill. However it totally removed the wrist pain and is actually comfortable on the shoulders and wrists.
Just gotta make sure your aero bars are back close to you and the seat is adjusted to be more forward so you are not outstretched on your elbows. This position isn't ideal for basic riding, uses lots of glutes to save the quads for the run of a triathlon, but it was a game changer for my comfort in an efficient position. I am probably gonna keep this position even after the triathlon is over. I am finding it to be that awesome.
I think this simple comment is the best advice ever!
Makes sense. My favorite ridng position is when I can go hands free and sit straight upright. I've logged thousands of touring miles in that position. It doesn't just make me feel cool, it feels like a more sustainable all day position.
I do this often, I like fixed gears so I can still slow down
When we were young, my younger brother would pop a wheelie and ride around on the back wheel. He could climb hills and make tight turns without dropping the front end! 😜
Hi, I'm glad you're cool and enjoying riding. I suppose you have worked out that you can't steer or brake when your hands are nowhere near the bars. I hope you revert to a conventional riding position when you are near any other people. I don't really welcome finding you riding towards me on a path at a closing speed of 50km/hr without any control.
I have a comfort bike. I feel like it’s not upright enough for me. I used to enjoy riding fast and far, but I’ve had back surgery and have screws and rods at L4-S1. It makes riding very uncomfortable for me. I’m still debating if I need to get a bike that sits even more upright, or if I need to get a completely different style bike altogether. You don’t realize how much changes until you’ve had back surgery.
Best and totally free advice that made the most difference for me was doing yoga and stretching. I got from having problems reaching the bar to riding comfortably in the drops.
Stretching after each bike ride - 5 minutes. Yoga for 20 minutes 2-3 times a week. Took like 3-4 weeks before i started noticing thed difference. @@Mansell5Senna8
I’ve ridden road bikes and mountain bikes for years. Rented an upright city bike on vacation, and couldn’t believe how in uncomfortable it was. You get used to things I guess.
A wide seat and upright posture mean the cranks are more forward of the seat. This makes it significantly more difficult to shift weight off the saddle for bumps. Add that to just having more weight on the seat from the position, makes for a sore butt.
Yeah fair point, I find I'm way pickier about saddles on upright bikes for exactly that reason.
One of the big differences is the climbs. When you need to stand up in the climbs, you get much less support from your arms and push from your back when riding in an upright position.
Also if riding a racing bike is uncomfortable, how is it not uncomfortable or problematic to ride many hours long rides? It is all about trainining and strengthen your muscles to handle it.
Those upright stepthrough bikes are meant for flat city roads with almost no incline. Maybe they should have recommended a hybrid depending on where you're going and the road conditions there.
A well done video that correlates with my 40 years of selling bicycles. About 10 years ago, and the last 5 years in earnest, I have been experimenting with the influence on comfort and power output of shorter cranks (the pedal arms at your feet that are approx. 170mm long). The opening 10 seconds of the video show both riders struggling with turning over the cranks at the top of the pedal stroke. The woman is squirming around significantly, and the man's shoulders have a twitch at each turn, and he is up on his knuckles because his hips are bugging him.
Crank length is part and parcel of how comfortable you are, and how far forward you will enjoy leaning to get out of the wind.
To keep it short, I have several thousand miles on several sizes, with the greatest improvement happening when shortening from 153 to 140, which is the shortest I have tried. Cranks could be too short, but I haven't found that threshold yet. I'm 6'2" tall. I believe that cranks are 50-70mm too long for 90% of the population.
The argument against this though is entirely from people who haven't ever tried it. I would welcome a different perspective from a user. They all think they will be weaker. I climb hills in much higher gears, and am about 50% faster in most situations.
I've only convinced a few people to try it, none of them have switched back. Strong athletes all. Tomorrow I'm putting a set of 152's on an adult trike for a woman who rides every day, but her knees are killing her. I expect she'll be on 120's when we're done, though those are more expensive and hard to find. We'll see.
Very interesting. Im a guitar teacher and think most “full size” guitars are too big for adults and would be more suited to closer to “kids sizes”. Also think the width of the nut and string spacing is far too narrow. It’s quite amazing how standards and traditions get a stronghold and we just trust they must be right or the best … until we question them and do things differently
Same with shoes. I changed to barefoot shoes (flat with wider toe box ) and love them and f don’t think I could ever go back to “normal” shoes again
The limit of your theory is the fact that it has only worked for "strong athletes".
@@ourclarioncallHi, what brand do you use? Ive been wanting to try them out, but didnt want to spend too much $$, in case I didn't like them. Thanks 😎🙏
A too upright riding position is as unhealthy as a too stretched-out one. When you're all straight upright, all the bumps from the road will move almost directly through your spinal column. When you're bent a little forward, your glutes and thigh muscles help in distributing the occuring forces.
Nice info
Good point, and thanks for mentioning it. I find a sprung saddle super helpful when sitting bolt upright, but there's a limit to what it can absorb. Always good to experiment!
that depends on the bike you ride. Most of the upright bikes have a proper suspension under the saddle, built into the frame or just a way softer saddle altogether to absorb all the shock. Road bikes dont have that, city bikes do. My bike is an average one and has all 3 of the above, so unless the bump is really huge, i cant feel it at all sitting upright for hours. Besides when I ride through a big bump i would stand on the pedals for a second anyway. I think you dont understand that city bikes are designed thoughtfully too, Smart design does not apply to road bikes only.
@@agatasobocinska1142 I do sell all kinds of bikes in my bike shop. And right, it helps standing up from the saddle before hitting a bump, no matter how well-cushioned your saddle is.
@@agatasobocinska1142 true! Mine also has front shocks.
Thank you for tackling this issue. I cycle a lot and have been advised often to get a road bike. But I never feel comfortable on a road bike and on my hybrid I still go pretty quick and sometimes just as quick as or quicker than those on road bikes so I stick with my hybrid. I do sometimes find myself getting into a more aggressive, forward leaning stance on my bike. To each their own I say. I also feel safer being able to see more of what is around me when I am on my hybrid.
Thanks for watching. Great point about being able to get forward and more aggressive when needed. Can even grab the bars right by the stem and tuck way down if need be! Hybrids are a great happy medium for a lot of us.
Hybrid bikes are also better value for money and frequently have a wider range of gears; the only thing not to like on a hybrid are the very straight bars but give the swept back bars a try, they make a big difference but don't go too wide as wide bars are a bit dangerous riding in groups.
I recommend you own both and try each for a year. You might find the road bike nicer in summer and winter months when speed is a priority.
@@CyclicCollective you can use dropbars on a hybrid bike also.
Thanks RC … a great story. If Seniors are worried about re-gaining balance to ride again, after a break many decades long, the trick is a NEW bike from a bike shop with modern braking and gear options and PRACTICE. You may have to do figure 8s in your driveway 10 minutes each day for weeks to get up to going out into safe lanes in a flat place, ie a large parking lot. I did it that way and, at 76, I am very happy. Avoid vintage cycles because they are usually nightmares disguised as a dream. Believe me, I have two restored Schwinns that are conversation pieces, not a bike that I should use. If this becomes a “featured comment” thank you. I write from the heart.
Can you elaborate on how they may be a nightmare? I just got one im nervous now haha
The leg length is probably too short. These were children’s bikes. Vintage and new may both have caliper brakes but old ones are touchy, not as good with moisture and newer ones are easier to adjust. New gear options are more friendly to seniors. You can also get them without a derailer and still have 8 speeds. The vintage bike weighs at least 10 pounds more loading and unloading into my truck. Bike repair people like new better. Find a tube for an old Schwinn. Not easy because they made theirs a little different. Good luck !
@@robkunkel8833 thanks for the info! I got myself an 80s nishiki road bike. The pedals were too small and my foot slipped into the front wheel and i broke both my elbows on my 3rd ride on it haha. Cheers
Excellent video!! I recently replaced my handlebars to a more upright position. The best thing about being more upright is that you can easily see your surroundings better instead of your head angled towards the ground!
Thanks for watching! Yeah the difference in field of vision is a seriously underrated benefit. That alone would seal the deal for me as a commuter.
I'm 60, I'm not racing, I'm just getting around.... got bmx bars and billet rant neck.
i removed my handlebars completely and now i can see the entire universe
@@DarkMeta_Minecraft I used a prealigned retroconfabulator to create a temporal link between my core chakra and the steerer tube and I can now navigate through spacetime. requires tubeless though
@@tannertasman You both need to quit licking toads.
This fine for short distances but if you are planning on increasing your range above 30 km you will find you reach a point where in a very short space of time it will go from comfortable to spine jarring, ass numbing pain. The reason touring bikes almost always come with drops (and some even add TT bars) is no coincidence. If you put yourself in a more forward position (not aggressive) you will find it less comfortable, (but not uncomfortable) than upright BUT you will be able to maintain it for much longer, and when you have adapted/built some core strength you will be able to maintain it for literally days on end. In short if you plan on taking up cycling as a serious hobby/sport or as your main transport put up with the discomfort now and reap the rewards down the line.
Oh and big squashy "comfort saddles" are the work of the devil designed to give you saddle sores and soft tissue damage, they will feel super comfy for about 20 minutes and then turn into medieval torture devices.
E x a c t l y. Thank you. I always advised to not get overly soft saddles, but only after 10km they listened hahahs.
One more option if your bike is too big is an idea I don't recommend doing and that I will experiment with tomorrow: reverse the stem so that the handlebars point inward. I'm a bit too short for this bike that I received so i'll test to see if it will give a more upright ride. Informative video.
Banana seat and Ape hangers with feet forward is the only way to go. We were designed to sit on our butt not on our crotch. And when you have to stop, you just put your feet down and keep your butt planted in the saddle.
As a Dutchman who has been riding a bicycle for his entire life, this was an interesting watch because most of this was either passive or subconscious knowledge. That said, I do agree with everything you said, so you seem to know what you're talking about!
Ridding in Nederland, France and Denmark made me aware of what I call the Dutch style setup. But setting up ebikes to the Dutch style was a lengthy process, one that involved creative alterations. One issue is stems. Dutch style bikes usually have straight stems whereas typical North American bikes have forward offset stems. These issues aside it is important to make a series of small tweaks to arrive at a setup that maximizes comfort while minimizing stress especially tension in the back, shoulders and arms.o
This is one of the best cycling videos that there is. Simply perfect.
It literally saved me from a very long demoralizing period of bike discomfort.
Thanks! Happy to hear this helped, and I'm glad you've found a comfortable way to ride!
I raced bikes for over twenty years and ride in an aggressive aero dynamic position. It’s comfortable to ride that way for hours at a time but it takes time to develop that ability. It can be done. There are some great bike shop with bike fitters to help. Riding with experienced riders that can mentor new riders is a huge advantage not only for comfort but many other things that need to be learned. Even with a perfectly setup bike it will take a few weeks to adapt.
Yep I think you're spot on for race/sport cycling. Very different set of priorities. The focus here is on more utilitarian riding, which I probably could have made more explicit.
Well, when I was in my teens, 20s and even 30s, I could also ride for miles in an aggressive aero dynamic position. Then, for unrelated reasons, I started to develop some cervical spine issues in my 40s, and now I can no longer tolerate tilting my head upward for any extended period of time. People who suffer from various classes of back pain due to various classes of spine issues (often related to wear and tear in soft tissue in-between spinal vertebrates) cannot always ride in a forward position without experiencing pain and sometimes also numbness in arms or legs from pressure on nerves or their spinal chord.
In addition, for riding in densely-populated cities where you have to navigate around pedestrians, pedestrians walking dogs, joggers and people on skates or skateboards who occupy bike lanes or road shoulders, and also cars or motorcycles with drivers who sometimes swerve into bike lanes or road shoulders, it can be safer and more sensible to ride in an upright position. I live in the City of Chicago, and most of my riding is to commute, run errands or get around to meet friends. I finally gave up my road bike after I was riding one evening, turned my head to look behind me for a friend who was riding along with me, hit a pot hole that I didn't see with my front wheel, and promptly flipped over my front handlebars head first into the road. I believe that I would have been much less likely to do an "endo" in an upright riding posture. I decided that it's safer (and also better for my back) to ride in a more-upright position in the city where I content with unexpected obstacles, and I finally ditched my old road bike with drop tubes. I think it was a good decision. My old bike was good for touring, but it was less practical and less safe for riding in occasional stop-and-go traffic conditions in a densely-populated city.
Very helpful advice. Haven't found any TH-camr address this vital subject and explained in very simplified form to boot.
So glad to hear that, and thanks for watching!
Thanks for the info. I bought a used full suspension MTB to maintain fitness beyond 60, and immediately swapped out the straight bars for a more wrist-friendly bar, probably about 30 degrees angle. I run a high saddle with the bar grips at the same height and with the suspension set soft I can go all day! I don't need to dodge potholes either so that makes it safer in traffic!
Really nice video. Great quality. I am a road bike rider who rides 120 miles per week. The forward leaning drop bar position is an absolute must for long rides, 60 or more miles. In an upright position, it takes too much energy to ride into the wind and I just don’t have enough calories on tap to get me there. The more efficient riding position lets those long rides happen. I’m likely not the target audience for your video, though. But like I said, great, high quality video!
Appreciate the feedback, and thanks for watching. Spot on, this video was definitely more of a utilitarian and low-key recreational take on the matter. As you pointed out, it's a whole other story for very long rides (and/or trying to maintain a pace with your buddies on road bikes)!
That's incorrect, you don't need a drop bar for such distances. I've been doing 600-700 km per week (on bike trips) with a normal handlebar without any problems (while riding hilly terrain and forest trails with no hard cover). If you don't have enough calories, the problem is not the handlebar. If you ride for longer that 1-2 hours continuously, you have to do snack breaks. On a full day's ride, of course, you must have lunch and dinner breaks AS WELL AS regular snack breaks.
Most people understand the purpose of drop bars as well as those ridiculous tiny prostate wrecking seats.
I don't consider either vaguely worth the damage they inflict on human health.
I disagree. I have an upright bike, and before the pandemic, I regularly rode from downtown Toronto to Holland Landing and back, and even to Barrie a few times, i.e. trips of a total of 100 to 200 km in one go, and I am very far from being an "athlete". I have a very sedentary desk job. I would never ride a bike requiring me to be folded in half. I don't sit at my desk like that either.
Where are you people cycling to that require 100’s of miles/km distances?
Great information! I have a mountain bike that puts weight on my wrists, which is so painful that I quit riding! Thank you for getting me back in the saddle!
I have been enjoying my Spongy Wonder noseless bike saddle on my electrified, full suspension Giant bike for 5-6 years with absolutely ZERO pain, discomfort or prostate issues. The fact that I don’t have a lot of natural padding on my butt made this seat an essential purchase and I would NEVER consider any other on any of my rides. The fact that Jeff stands behind his product is just icing on the cake. Highly recommended!!!
Wow, really love and appreciate this video to help me adjust my bike perfectly! Thanks!
Glad to hear that - enjoy the ride!
Excellent video. I discovered the Jones 2.5 Loop Bars (with a 2.5 inch rise) when I built my Surly Krampus a couple of years ago for bikepacking and long distance trips. Best choice I ever made for comfort. They give me multiple hand positions and the 45 degree sweep puts very little pressure on the hands and wrists. On the other hand, my wife has a Specialized Roll with their BMX style riser bars which are also extremely comfortable.
Nice, I didn't know Jones sold a 2.5" rise version. That's awesome! That Krampus must be a blast. I've been trying _hard_ to talk myself out of buying a Krampus or Karate Monkey these last couple weeks...
Yeah the Roll is a neat one. I think it sold well enough to turn a lot more people on to ever-so-slight more Dutch-style geometry. Same with the Norco Scene (more handlebar sweep but super similar bike).
Anyway thanks for watching!
I took my wife’s upright riding position bike out to see if I would find it comfortable. It was until I came across a rough road surface. Every jolt from the rear tire went straight up my spine. I think that enough forward lean posture to allow the hip and spine to flex could save spinal injury. A suspension seat post will help too.
That's an excellent point!
Sprung saddles also help a ton. I've generally used a Brooks B67 on my upright bikes; no mistaking it for a full-suspension mountain bike (lol) but it's enough to avoid that painful jolt you described.
Same experiences here. Sitting upright drives all my weight straight down my back and gets uncomfortable quickly. I like my position on my road bikes because it supports me front (hands) and rear (saddle) much more equally. Probably not 50/50 of course, but better than sitting upright.
Super useful video! I am so thankful for the information, it is exactly what I need. ❤️
I love the straight bar with antler extensions for a neutral grip option.
So I just got an ebike. it's very upright. I kinda have a grip on the yin and yang of bicycling. I love that my e bike gets me off the road that much faster. I am old (57) but I still don't mind pedaling my way into town from the country. The e bike does its job getting me off the road faster. I do think that people being afraid of people texting when driving might be a bigger issue.
Yep, the texters are terrifying :(
Glad you've found a bike that serves you well. E-bikes are an awesome solution for a lot of us! Thanks for watching Mark.
Since when is 57 old!!!
Good video with nice clear tips. I like how you repeat the most important part: make small changes not drastic changes.
I appreciate it, and thanks for watching!
I appreciate the points you have made in this video. As a senior checking out bikes, I was noting how many bikes are designed for racing position and thinking the same thing about strain on the lumbar region and the neck and restriction in vision. I have no particular need for speed! I know that I am in the larger demographic for electric bikes and am amazed how few models take into consideration this market.
I appreciate you watching, Ann. You might have better luck with e-bikes from some European brands; Gazelle comes to mind. There seems to be more demand there for e-bikes with traditional, upright city bike posture. Also check out Norco's Scene VLT (Canadian, not European, but still).
@@twowheelsbetter_yt : I appreciate the suggestions and I will look into them!
Very useful to solve my doubt for few months.
The downside to sitting more upright is you have more weight on the seat. That is a factor
For sure. At the very least, saddle choice becomes super important!
Awesome production and info. I am just starting to look for new handlebars and found your video. New sub here. Kudos to you!
Thanks so much. Appreciate you watching. Hope the new bars work out well!
This is a great video! Wish I'd had this information back when I started my bike journey. Right now I have a XC mountain bike, and I've used it for both mountain biking and bikepacking. For MTB I have the flat bars which came on the bike, but for bikpacking I actually bought touring bars, like the Nitto ones but much cheaper. They are super comfortable! I love them because I can move my hands around to so many different positions, even more than you would with drop bars. I know they look kind of goofy, but I don't care.
Nice, there are so many cool alternative bars for bikepacking these days. Huge fan of Jones bars personally. Hope you're having fun out there! Thanks for watching.
Nice...thanks for the Amsterdam scenery!
I’m half blind, meaning I have no vision in one of my eyes, specifically the left one. I also live in America, and since I ride with traffic, my left side faces it. On my road bike, it’s difficult for me to turn my neck sufficiently to see behind me without unintentionally wobbling the bike, so I’ve had to get a bar end mirror. Still, its a fun bike to ride. Great video!
Very interesting perspective, thanks for the comment. I hadn't thought about the role of head/neck angle with asymmetrical vision. Glad you've found something that works!
Most helpful video I've found yet
I have an upright bike and a road bike. The upright bike has flat pedals, a padded seat, a kick stand, and a basket - and is perfect for getting around town, going shopping, etc. But anything over 5k, or anything hilly, and the inefficient riding position really makes it a drag to ride.
The road bike is comfortable on trips in excess of 100k and in the mountains, and is perfect for recreational cycling or getting in a good workout. But since it requires special shoes and bike shorts (preferably full lycra) to ride, I almost never use it for everyday chores. I would use it for commuting though as long as I had a place to change (and preferably a shower) at the office.
For anything in the middle, where I wanted something utilitarian but also needed to cover longer distances, I would look into an e-bike with a basket or rack, mud guards, kick stand, flat pedals, etc. Upright position with swept handlebars if I’m mostly expecting to do trips under 10k, or a hybrid bike with a slightly more forward position if longer than that. The battery assistance is key for helping you arrive at your destination without working too hard and getting too sweaty. Weight is an issue with ebikes though, so not great if you regularly need to bring your bike up a flight of stairs or something.
Thanks for watching and for a great comment. The clothes factor is a huge one, as you pointed out, and closely related to posture. That might deserve its own video...
Agreed re: e-bikes, they're such an exciting option for relaxed posture + casual clothes and high mileage. Hopefully battery tech will improve to the point that weight isn't such a challenge...
Excellent video. At 65 years old I'm still attached to my mountain bikes, however the riding position is very unpleasant for my wrists. I'm going to try this
Thank for very informative and well presented video. Keep up the good work.
Much appreciated. Thanks for watching!
I recently lowered my saddle position because my feet could barely touch the ground. Although this has provided an initial increase in stability I find that after long rides of 60-100 km I'm getting back cramps that I didn't get before.
I found thompson style swept back seat posts good at avoiding hard hard tail shocks too. I have converted all my bikes with raisers and dutch style swept back handle bars .
The thing is that, generally, the more comfy the position, the less efficient the action of pedaling and propelling the bike, which can reduce the joy of cycling. You may be comfy yet exhausted from the inefficiency of the stance. The trick is to find a nice middle ground, a Goldy Locks zone of comfort and efficiency.
The inefficiency of the upright stance becomes more pronounced the faster you attempt to ride with wind resistance playing a larger role as speeds increase. However, with an upright city bike traveling at safe and enjoyable speeds of around 10mph, wind resistance becomes less of an issue and is offset by the fact that one is enjoying the ride itself as opposed to purposefully attempting to arrive at a destination as fast as possible. For my early years I was a fast rider on a racing bicycle, but I had no aspirations of becoming a professional bike racer. Now that I am older and wiser I see the value in developing relationships and enjoying the sights, and enjoying the ride itself rather than my attempting to get the ride over with as soon as possible. I wish I had understood this when I was younger and had no friends to ride with because I was too focused on going fast, and not focused on having fun and enjoying the ride and being with my friends. So unless one is seriously dedicated to becoming a professional athlete, I would advise against racing to your destination on a sporty bike. My current bike is a Belgium hand-made Achielle city bike with a front basket for my Bose speaker, and I have had more fun on that slow moving upright bike than on all my other bikes combined..
@@joansmith7649 I was never into speed and racing ahead at any age. 😉
Good information for those getting into biking, or like me, setting up a new bike.
Glad it helped. It's only my opinion and experience, of course, so keep experimenting as you go!
Ere now the most comfortable for me has been getting off and walking the bike. Making the seat and bar adjustments just right is hit or miss and often counterintuitive. I appreciate this and other such helpful videos.
Yeah, experimenting with adjustments can get old. Hope you find a set-up that works!
Sitting completely upright puts a lot of pressure on the spine and is not advised for people who suffer from (lower) back pain, esp in the long run.
At times when coasting, I would stand up on pedals but aware when to adjust of incoming dangers.
Good video. Wish I had this information 12 years ago. I figured it out eventually but the bike shops were not much help. They couldn't think of anything but racing stile back then. They seem to be more aware of people just wanting a recreational riding stile now. But sad to say some are still stuck in the old way of thinking.
Thanks! It's cool to see more utilitarian bike shops these days (Clever Cycles in Portland is my personal favorite) but they are still way too few and far between!
I use an old road bike as a commuter and I found my compromise keemping the drop bar but with a shorter and higher city bike stem. It works great for both "fast" riding and commuting
Cool, those can make fantastic commuters. I did something like that with a Nitto Dirt Drop stem a few years ago.
Excellent information, thanks!
Thank you for watching, Joe!
Mostly, USA bikes are athletic/competition machines; such is this culture. the ones in the Netherlands "get it" along with the rail transit to cycle to.
100%. Nothing I could add that Not Just Bikes hasn't already covered perfectly...but suffice to say I agree.
Thanks for this video, I'm trying to fix my old mountain bike and make it more comfortable to ride to commute to college and the job, I really don't care at all about speed or power efficiency, just make as comfy as possible to ride and carry my stuff, then i want to convert it to an e-bike while i'm still saving enough money to buy a motorcycle. Anyways this is the best starting point. Thank you very much
Great 👍 content, and keep up the magnificent work ethic brother.
Very thorough. Thank you.
My please, and thanks for watching!
I ride several miles at a time. The biggest improvement in comfort I found were aero bars. Where I rest on my elbows for a good portion of the ride. It feels like laying down to pedal.
I tested recumbent bikes. They are most comfortable. But it seemed too strange to me. Leaning back to ride.
I think aero bars would be the most inconvenient for transportation cycling tho. Your head would be even lower to the ground, making it much harder to see your surroundings.
Not to mention the handling. In a city with with a lot of other people using the streets, you'd probably want good control over your bike.
@@MondeSerenaWilliams you’re right. Aero bars aren’t the best for traffic.
Just for those stretches where you want to get the weight off of your wrists. It takes some weight off of your butt too. Aero bars are especially good in a headwind.
But your hands are away from your controls. You have to change position to brake or shift.
I’m more of a bike tourer than commuter. When I come to a town I’m off of the bars.
I agree with the other commenters posting here. This is an excellent video. Very good advice, very well presented.
Thanks... sincerely.
I really appreciate it, and thank you for watching!
This is the first riding posture video I've come across and I've watched my fair share. Tons of bike fit videos but they never talk about posture.
Yeah, not exactly a trendy topic but it can make a world of difference, especially for more casual or utilitarian cyclists. Thanks for watching!
I agree. Most bike content on here is geared towards road bike riders with that aggressive stance.
@@ChrisBanda ...where correct posture, in addition to correct fit, is more important than the casual upright ride where demands on the body are not as great.
Excellent video, thanks.
I suggest that anyone buying a saddle buys one of the Brooks range which have been manufactured for over a hundred years. A leather saddle makes so much difference, I am using a Brooks B17 narrow that I bought 30 years ago on one bike and a Brooks B17 standard on another that is 10 years old.
Wow, that is an extraordinary lifespan! They are really remarkable saddles IMO and 100% worth the break-in period and occasional care.
Saddles are highly individual. The saddle has to fit your butt, so to speak. For most occasional riders, a Brooks saddle is too uncomfortable because they are very hard at the beginning and take a lot of time to break in. They are also very expensive and heavy. Once broken in and well-maintained they can be super-comfy, and many long-distance-touring cyclists swear by them, moving their saddles to their new bike when their old ones need replacing.
this has actually been the reason i havent started riding a bike, all bikes where i live (north victoria, australia) are sports bikes and dont even allow the chair and handles to get to the spot i want
Thanks Google Algorithm for recommending this video
Right about that 4 minutes then all that information about stem on Modern bikes... This is what I was searching for everywhere.
Glad to hear - thanks for watching!
Nice video; I fitted a 130mm 25 degree stem to bring my road bars up to a nice height plus added a Specialized hover bar and moved the hoods higher up the bars until the hoods became comfortable yet the drops do not point down at the road. Moving the handle bars up and further away helped and stopped me hitting the drops with my knees. I believe the bike is 1/2 size too small for me but these changes made it excellent.
Definitely does sound too small since your knees were hitting the drops, but glad you made it work! Thanks for watching.
That bike is way more then a 1/2 size too small if your knees are hitting the bars.
@@scottf3456 You could be right but I set the handlebars high to reduce hand pain from decades of computer work and I have a relatively long torso so I can only be comfortable in the very non-aero position of having my sadle and bars at about the same height. The bike shop handled this by adding a "heads up" extension to the stem; while structural sound, this brings the bars higher but also closer because of the 17 degree stem angle. I needed the bars higher but also further away thus the after market stem. The bike is pretty good now (Giant Defy) but I recently got a large size Merida Silex gravel bike and I find I am more comfortable and faster on that even though gravel tyres are slower the better feel of the bike means I get a net benefit plus I need to be less cautious on bad roads which, around southern Tasmania, is all roads.
I've been commuting for the past month on a bicycle with a regular handlebar height where you have to lean forward a bit. Usually several times during my ride, I have to take one of my hands off and let it hang because it partially falls asleep from the pressure put on it. They are flat handlebars and i even have ergonomic grips. They are not even drop handlebars so the lean angle isn't even that aggressive.
Too bad; that can be super frustrating. In my personal experience, swept-back handlebars help eliminate the pressure points that cause weird hand numbness. Not necessarily higher rise, just with grips that angle back maybe 30-45° for starters.
Well I am biased as I ride a Bacchetta Giro A20 recumbent touring bike I have modified it for a full mesh seat that I sit in , not on and I can sit in my comfortable seat for 5 hours at a time and as I can not stand to pedal that seat is really comfortable. I have shorter crank arms as it came with 170 mm arms and I put on 153 mm arms , I came to realize that the big chain wheel up front was just not getting used till I came to a downhill so I removed it . I then changed the front chain rings from 22-36-48 to 22-42 and the back 9 speed to 32-12 . My cadence is 85-90 rpm and yes downhills I run out of gears but for the most part the gearing is close increments and there are no big drops in cadence. As I have nerve damage in both hands from 37 years of riding holding my body weight on the handlebars , the recumbent is a blessing as no body weight is on the handlebars at all.
I keep hearing that you can ride a diamond frame bike pain free if you get a good bike fit? Over time your body breaks down from what you have taken for granted for so long and then it starts to complain. Sit bones are on how many square inches of saddle? My seat is 16" wide and I have a full backrest. neck starin is for people who have to hold their heads up to see the road instead of the front tire. I look straight ahead and have no problem seeing or being seen .
Now where I live there are a lot of cyclists including the pro riders and it is interesting to watch them as One will sit up on his bike and wring out his hands pedaling without hands on the bars or someone else will stand on the pedals to relieve their butt soreness. These riders accept this as part of cycling just as I did for so long before seeking comfort with my speed. The alternative to pain is comfort.
That's a heck of a testament to recumbents and really makes me curious to try one. Thanks for sharing that!
@@twowheelsbetter_yt When you do I suggest buying used as the variety of different configurations long , medium. short wheel base , under seat steering or over seat , low racer, commuting or high racer , with different seats for racing or for plush comfort. All components for any recumbent are road or mountain except for the steering and the seat.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Parker
Just if you wanna go real fast and try to beat her?
Fantastic video!
Thank you for watching!
As a dutch person. I like promotion of upright biking. But there are many things important for comfortable upright biking. Buy the correct frame size with the correct weel size. And the height of the sadle has to be such that your leg is streched with just a little knee angle. Hope I helped a bit. Kids grow fast and in that case adjusting the sadle all the time is a must, when you see the knee still beeing bend to much when streched. This needs pictures 😅
Good call, that's a great point re: knee extension. So, so often overlooked. Appreciate it, and thanks for watching!
upright biking makes sense if you are strolling along at 15-25 kmh. It's a chore above those speeds. So it depends really, are u biking for transport, leisure, or sport. People who prefer to go fast will never go upright.
I much prefer leaning forward, but my drop bars are set pretty high. The height of my drops are around the same height as most people's hoods. I ride on the drops 90% of the time, and switch to the hoods to relax.
A few tips ,buy a woman's bike seat ,so much more comfy ,made sure your seat height is right ,and make sure the handle bars are high enough (stem risers solve this) and that's it ,a well set up and maintained bike will feel effortless to ride
Road bike is suck for relaxing you always have to lean down😅😅😅
Thanks.
Cool video!
Wow thats what i did changing stem and raiser handle bar im classic rider now
really great info!
Thank you for watching!
That's why I have two different bicycles. City bike for everyday usage, and mountain bike for resting and sport activities. My neck are strugling on a mountain bike so, because I usually go on 30-50km rides.
I haven't ridden a bike in more than 50 years since I was a kid. But recent knee problems have made running more problematic and so I bought a hybrid bike last year. It has straight bars and the size is a medium. The brand is Giant. I am 183 cm tall. Riding this bike kills my lumber and cervical spinal areas. The pain is unbearable. I tried adjusting everything I could, then went back to the shop where I bought it. They put an adjustable stem on it, which raised the bars and brought them closer to my body. But the reach is just too much and it didn't solve the problem of severe pain. I can't believe that at my height that the correct size for me would be a small. This video explains all the geometry and potential fixes very well. I have had to come to the realization that my history of spinal injuries and my age make riding a bike for fitness untenable for me. If I continue trying to ride a bike, I am convinced it will leave me permanently disabled and in intractable neck and back pain. My knees are better this year and I am carefully returning to running. Backcountry skiing and telemark skiing never ever hurt. I just have to accept that this is how I am. Cycling just does not work for my body.
Thanks for watching and for sharing your story. Too bad cycling has been so hard to get back into, but it's great that other activities seem to be working out!
It might be worth trying an _actual_ Dutch bike, or some other traditional city bike with strongly swept-back handlebars, to shorten the reach a ton while keeping you on a larger size. Or maybe even recumbent?
Either way, hope you have a lot of good adventures to come!
Look into getting a recumbent bike or trike. You sit back in them like a chair.
I did the opposite. I switched from upright to time trial bikes and never looked back. The caveat is that upright riding is killer on your knees. I have arthritis so switching the load to my hips was a game changer. Also it makes your butt cooler because upright riding requires a softer seat which wraps your bum and blocks wind.
In summary upright riding is better for short distances because longer distances put too much stress on the knees. This could be mitigated by using electric assistance too.
Also safety depends on traffic speed. The quicker I get off the road the better so faster is safer. If you live somewhere where traffic travels 15mph or less than upright riding is safe but in Phoenix cars are often at 55 mph on the roads so having better aerodynamics is key to reducing car exposure because you spend less time in traffic due to faster riding speeds.
I have a old 90's dutch street racing bike that is transformed to city bike so I can ride it upright. It has short wheel base but riding seems very good. It's a balancing act between speed and comfort. I become very slow with headwind and incline though :D
Nice, glad you found that elusive balance. Haha yeah headwinds are not fun, at least not if you're in a hurry...
I modified the stem sothat I could have a totally upright position. My cznter of gravity shift back in such a way that weight on the front bike was very low. In this case the bike became verydangerous to ride. Small obstacle induces huge and rapid motion of front wheel. They can be security issue. I had to switchback to a less upright position but I have issuewith ulnar nerve. I have no goos solution yet. Trying to minimize the weight on my hand but it needs pedaling which high gear so that force is higher on pedal, but I'd mike to use smaller gear ideally.
Thanks 🙏 it was brilliant
Thanks for watching!
Think that I must be unusual - I have flat bars with tribars added, and I generally feel more comfortable on the tribars. The only issue is finding a suitable saddle position as the upright and forward positions are so different. Do you have any advice about this (or am I the only one with this problem)?
Incidentally, I hadn't thought about the geometry problems of adding tribars, however I haven't had any problems there.
Great video 👍 I changed my Cube reaction emtb with 27.5 " wheels into a comfy, nippy, agile urban commuter by adding a comfy saddle, a stem riser and inward curving handlebars. Brilliant little bike, perfect for my upright ride style and the dense awkward/infrastructure around me. She goes through gaps and it's more comfortable for people to walk past me when I stop for them, than when I had the wider emtb handlebars, and much easier to get it through the front door
Just a slight adjustment of saddle height and forward back saddle position can make all the difference
700c fixi with ape hangers and a fatboy saddle extra strong welds bikes are fun if you are comfy tall guy
I changed saddles recently and just getting the right width saddle reduces butt soreness by a lot.
For sure! Saddle choice is a game-changer. Probably deserves a video some time...
Old 80s bike position was stem 1 inch lower than saddle height. Generally speaking it worked and lowering your body into deeper drops was aero. Lol. Now stems are slammed and people need noseless saddles. 🤷♂️🤷♂️
Move your position regularly,and do your own bike fit.Dont fuck about with geometry too much.Make SMALL adjustments to your bike and keep a note of what you change.
Currently considering replacing my handlebar mount for a threadless just because I like the aesthetic but I’m concerned about dropping the handlebars too low. If they end up too low would you think replacing the handlebars or adding a riser would be better?
I like to get handlebars as close to the right height as possible, and only *then* add a stem riser if it's still necessary.
What do you mean by "handlebar mount"? The stem?
SO educational,
Thanks for watching!
I had one ebike that just felt bad to ride.. I bought several diffaerent stems and adjusted everything that I could, but it never helped. I actually got heartburn from one adjustment I tried... So adjusting your bike may sound simple, but it just isn't. It was probably just too small bike, as they didn't have many frame sizes for ebikes, just kind of one-size-fits-most bikes. I was within the height range, but maybe some proportions of my body makes need for bigger frame, don't really know. Next bike I got was normal bike with bigger frame so I could test it thoroughly that it was okay to ride and then got ebike kit for it.
On Drop bars you can can rotate the bars back a little and move up the brifters. Makes a huge difference and costs you nothing.
Yes - great to dial it in!
The best way to prevent saddle pain and any other injuries is.......to ride a RECUMBENT bike or trike. No more wrist pain, neck or knee pain.
Sure recumbents are expensive, look silly and have a wider turn radius. So buy a second hand recumbent. I prefer trikes over recumbent bikes, for stability. No more falling when it is slippery.
Interesting, thanks for your comment. I've never tried a recumbent but am certainly curious to!
Ha! This was the exact conversation I had with a mechanic this week. I don't like leaning into the saddle so generally stay in a 5 mile radius. We had a conversation that was this exact video, and then TH-cam surprised me with it 🤷🏻♀️🤣🤔 x
And no it is not my goal to go as fast as possible. I generally don't like pushing it faster than I can stop at, my top speed is about 17, the machine on my street generally says 11-14 depending on wind and energy. I'm happy with that. 10miles per hour. I don't really go further, 10-15 miles, and an hour is great. Happy with getting strong thighs x
That's awesome! It's eerie but cool how TH-cam works sometimes haha.
And I agree, ~ 10-15 mph is the sweet spot. Enough to get where you're going but thoroughly enjoy the ride!
@@twowheelsbetter_yt yeah those that whizz past me and though lights... I don't wait at lights unless there is traffic, I generally tiptoe around to get ahead of cars, but I now have to watch for cyclists speeding or going the wrong way next to where I live, the correct way is about 1.5 seconds later and no blind spot. I think with increasing numbers we do need better basics... x
@@twowheelsbetter_yt but I'm still undecided re saddle. I do quite like the lean forward, maybe I'd love upright, maybe my spine wouldn't... Argh. Might increase stem height first x
I recommend people get 2 bikes, I just had a flat this morning and swapped bikes because I didn't want to change it. I own 4 bikes, and the comfort bike is no longer used, I like to go fast, even on the comfort bike, to a fault. I crash on it due to poor braking performance and unbalanced center of gravity/wired turning radius.
Personally speed is comfort, when commuting there is huge value in getting there sooner rather than later.
Speed is safety around cars, it gives them more time to react, and really fast road bikes can match car speeds at various spots, making it useful and safer, and minimizing risk.
It is possible to have a pretty comfortable position and still go fast, drop bars and small tires will help you go faster at times, while a more relaxed position can help some people.
I dislike large seats and prefer what I have to be more comfortable, issues with being upright include preventing using your hands to balance your weight, this puts everything on the butt and I can't do that.
Yes, certainly nice to have a couple bikes if one can!
I can see where you're coming from re: prioritizing speed to keep pace with cars. In an ideal world, the infrastructure wouldn't make us feel the need to keep up with cars (unless we like to)...but that's far from a reality in most places.
@@twowheelsbetter_yt it's also nice to erase the advantage of automobiles. My 5.5 mile commute is 15 minutes by car, and 18 on a bicycle DH, while being a little slower back like 25 min. The car trip home is typically 20 minutes due to traffic. Living uphill from a job is nice for that reason.
3 mile commute may be even closer. Like 6 minutes by bicycle as you can go much faster.
My 3 mile commute to a previous job took 5.5 minutes averaging just over 30mph 48kph, by car it took 7 because of lights, and it was uphill. Door to door is even faster, even considering locking time you can park closer to the entrance.
I find that I get sore knees if I'm too upright. Got a vintage road bike for my commutes and no more knee pain. I assume it's because I'm using my glutes more and quads less.
And if you decide to move into a clip-in bike pedal I recommend you try a pitbull bike pedal it is the fastest and easiest to engage or disengage
Interesting, not familiar with those, but looks like quite a minimalist design. Good to know!
Informative. However, I'm surprised you didn't mention the appropriate height of the saddle in relation to a downward pedal movement.
Good point, and agreed, saddle height is super important. Perhaps I'll do a future video on that, since most saddle height discussion seems very racing- and sport-focused...
@@twowheelsbetter_yt Thank you.
I'm certainly not a racer.
We use our bicycles for covenience; shopping and other chores, commuting, and occasional leisure rides.
Looking forward to your video on saddle height.
👍
I appreciate the excellent video on how to ride in comfort. I do want to say that I ride a hybrid and feel I'm just as serious of a cyclist as any road bike enthusiast. I'm just not attracted to the road bike drop handlebars whatsoever. It looks and feels unnatural to me especially given that I'm an urban cyclist. I ride 20-30 miles regularly around my city on a hybrid and much prefer the more upright, relaxed posture with an easy comfortable reach to my handlebars. I'm not interested in leaning down or racing yet I've done a couple of metric routes (100k) and was very comfortable on my hybrid with my straight handlebars. My advice is not to let anyone pressure you into getting a road bike if you really just want to ride for pleasure (even for long tours) around your city in a natural upright position yet still have the option for workouts and long rides around town. Plus, a hybrid will give you more options for packing things around with accessories like saddle bags.
Thanks for watching and for the terrific comment.
There's such a strong tendency to equate "serious" with a bike that looks/feels a particular way. Not helpful, and probably detrimental to newer riders in particular!
Good point re: packing things, too. Easier to make cycling part of life when carrying normal stuff is no sweat!