Can a bike be overly stiff ?

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diegogarcia
Posts: 571
Joined: Sat Apr 24, 2010 7:31 pm

by diegogarcia

Hexsense wrote:
diegogarcia wrote:
Forget it mate. You are not listening. You are spoiling for an argument that does not exist. As I have repeated, I am now aware that the issue is my left hand not my right hand and I answered it myself. But again, cheers. Lets put this to bed. The fit is fine, I repeat, the fit is fine. Bloody internet. :thumbup:

and when the reach is too long or low, most body will automatically sacrifice one side by minutely tilting one side of the body in closer and more weight into it. In many case it also pull rider to the front cause some saddle discomfort too. According to "Bike Fit Adviser" 's youtube channel, this is pretty common.


Well, thankfully, I do not lean to one side of pull myself forward what so ever.

I don't think anyone is listening now. I have a f**cked left hand. End of chat. In the words of Dragons Den, I am out.

Lookryder
Posts: 73
Joined: Sun Aug 06, 2017 12:37 am

by Lookryder

Perhaps it's not the bike, or fit. Perhaps you tweaked/re-injured your left hand doing some mundane task and didn't realize it; now the pain only manifests itself when you ride. Does the pain occur when you ride your other bikes?

I had a similar problem with my right wrist; tweaked it skiing and didn't think too much of it. Then when spring rolled around my wrist was really giving me problems with any ride over 30-40 miles. I had a small stress fracture that never healed properly and was aggravated by riding.

Just thinking out loud for you.

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diegogarcia
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by diegogarcia

Lookryder wrote:Perhaps it's not the bike, or fit. Perhaps you tweaked/re-injured your left hand doing some mundane task and didn't realize it; now the pain only manifests itself when you ride. Does the pain occur when you ride your other bikes?

I had a similar problem with my right wrist; tweaked it skiing and didn't think too much of it. Then when spring rolled around my wrist was really giving me problems with any ride over 30-40 miles. I had a small stress fracture that never healed properly and was aggravated by riding.

Just thinking out loud for you.


Very kind and very true. I suspect that the Dogma exacerbates the issue as not had it in a while though the Madone 9 carbon bars were stiff and triggered it too - though the ISO decoupler made the 9 plusher. I suspect it is age. I am nearing heading towards 50 not out as they say :mrgreen: :thumbup:

wingguy
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by wingguy

diegogarcia wrote:I don't think anyone is listening now.

Interesting question. Is it that everyone else is failing to listen to you, or that you are failing to listen to everyone else?

Where do the probabilities lie... :wink:

diegogarcia
Posts: 571
Joined: Sat Apr 24, 2010 7:31 pm

by diegogarcia

wingguy wrote:
diegogarcia wrote:I don't think anyone is listening now.

Interesting question. Is it that everyone else is failing to listen to you, or that you are failing to listen to everyone else?

Where do the probabilities lie... :wink:


Only you mate, have had several personal messages on here - people advising me you like to start fires here and watch them burn. Hey ho. Happy cycling.

Nefarious86
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by Nefarious86

Actually there have been several people suggesting your fit may well be impacting on your functionality but you seem blindly convinced otherwise turning the conversation back to stiffness when the root of your initial post is the issue with your hands.
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wingguy
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by wingguy

diegogarcia wrote:
wingguy wrote:
diegogarcia wrote:I don't think anyone is listening now.

Interesting question. Is it that everyone else is failing to listen to you, or that you are failing to listen to everyone else?

Where do the probabilities lie... :wink:


Only you mate, have had several personal messages on here - people advising me you like to start fires here and watch them burn. Hey ho. Happy cycling.

Nice attempt at a PA, but that doesn't pass the logic test. First, you said it to someone else. Second, loads of other people have now said the same thing as me - and you're failing to listen to all of them because of this strange idea that if the advice you get isn't the advice you wanted it must be because people want to put you down. It's not, it's because people want to help. But right now every pissy defensive post you make is probably only putting more posters off from wanting to help you the next time you have a question. Honestly at this point you should probably listen to your own advice and stop posting.

TobinHatesYou
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by TobinHatesYou

diegogarcia wrote:
TobinHatesYou wrote:230mi / 12600ft over 15hr is not that strong. For me that's a weighted average of 150W.


Fair shout. Give Big Dave at SKY a call. Do remember there are no mountains in the UK.

I am at 278 watts for 20 mins and nearing 46 years old. It'll do for me. As I said, the F8 is a stiff frame.


The amount of elevation in your rides is great. The problem is the moving time. Your estimated FTP is under 3w/kg. On what scale does that make you strong? This is less about trying to get personal and more about trying to hit you with a bit of reality. You would keep up with a typical B ride here on flat ground, but then be dropped immediately once the grade hits +2%.

Hexsense
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by Hexsense

Okay i apologize to post a comment that you think it's insult and not listening to what you said. I do have a stiff and harsh frame as well so i understand how painful it is.

But here is one more message:
Weight through hand can be tweaking with fit. if you set it laid back (at the saddle) and up right enough (at the hand) there can be almost no weight through the hands. On a smooth road you can ride hard then just engage your abs and leave both hand out of the bar, swing it back without your face falling into the bar because it's still balance even without weight through the bar. Obviously this is a bit extreme and not very aero but with no weight on the hand your elbow will have easy time absorb any bumps.
Good setting would be somewhere in between very aero and very comfortable. If you have injurie, lean more toward comfortable side. Minimize (but doesn't have to eliminate all) weight going through your hand is a great choice. Force have to go somewhere, if it's not on your hand and saddle it's on your downward pedaling leg! :D

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mrgray
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by mrgray

my observation is that for whatever reason these discussions which implicate a persons bike fit/fitness can get a little nasty. remember for instance ryanh's colnago c59 thread. also whilst it may well be that fit is an issue (who amongst us is never not fettling that) clearly the OP is happy with his for the moment. at the point we are harrassing the OP re: his fitness or suggesting he should not post in his own thread, maybe we've gone too far? also let's face it, unless we can see someone on a bike in person, or perhaps photos of same, suggestions re: fit are pretty speculative.

we all like to keep our lives as simple as possible i imagine. if the OP doesn't want to throw up all variables for consideration right now then who are we to say he should.

and finally i think the OP deserves some respect as a person who is putting the miles in (i certainly think he is very strong) and is prepared to utilise a bike forum to discuss the possibility that the very expensive bike frame he bought in a less than 100% positive light. i personally enjoy user reviews like this and i think as a bike forum we would do well to encourage them.
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Andrewjn
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by Andrewjn

Oh Dear. You asked if a bike can be too stiff. The answer is personal and it would seem in your case the answer is yes. You asked the forum and have heard an answer. Find a bike with the race geo you crave for and then go looking for comfort. Trust me if a bike hurts, every time you pull on your bibs you will have a nagging reluctance... I have been there.

Go and test ride some less race- stiff oriented bikes. I did and have had the same bike now for 8 years and could not be happier

fromtrektocolnago
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by fromtrektocolnago

Just like Robert Parker popularized the notion that only fruit bombs are proper wines, so has social media popularized the notion that a stiffer bike is a better bike. I don't buy into that notion. We're way past the point when you could buy a bike that flexed or felt like a wet noodle.
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Hexsense
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by Hexsense

fromtrektocolnago wrote:Just like Robert Parker popularized the notion that only fruit bombs are proper wines, so has social media popularized the notion that a stiffer bike is a better bike. I don't buy into that notion. We're way past the point when you could buy a bike that flexed or felt like a wet noodle.

or better, not absolute stiffest everywhere but compromise depend on where it is.
On my bike, Although it's harsh ride overall but i really wish the head tube is a little bit stiffer. I'm on a size 49 bike so head tube is super short to the point that stiffness is lacking and it make noise when sprinting. But other area are too harsh already and i agree with you.

TobinHatesYou
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by TobinHatesYou

The marketing language, while cliche, isn't wrong. Vertical compliance in the rear triangle, lateral stiffness everywhere. BB and HT stiffness. The bottom half or third of a fork should have some splay.

However road buzz on even the stiffest frames can be addressed with tire choice and pressure. If you get rid of the road buzz by making your tires more supple, but still suffer from hand discomfort, then it's probably a body position or conditioning issue.
Last edited by TobinHatesYou on Tue Sep 05, 2017 2:51 am, edited 1 time in total.

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AJS914
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by AJS914

You can not always tune it out with tires and pressure. Some bikes are just harsh riding.

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