all-knowing wera bicycle peeps....

One of my buddies rides with a Brookes. I call it the Western Saddle. It looks really funny on a trick bike to me.

 

I miss working in a shop...best job I ever had.

threads like this almost inspire me to get back on the bike

 

It hurts me to know that your bike might be suffering under you soon.

 

they look funny on anything other than steel IMO...there's a bunch of them on the fixie's that the 'too-cool-for-the-room' DC scene-sters run around on...

perfect bike for one: plain black steel fixie with no stickers, a silver wheelset and a Brooks saddle...with perfect, new, bright white Cinelli cork tape.

 

I'm a Clydesdale not a Mongo, geez...

still have my Indy Fab Crown Jewel...1st generation Campy Record 10s (180mm cranks!!! can't take the BMX outta the kid...) hemi orange metallic with pearl white lower...it's ummm...different. it's about 10ft away, sitting in the corner of my backroom at work...whimpering about not being ridden.

 

I have 175mm cranks (compact crankset at that) on a 56cm frame. Cannondale doesn't sell them that way but I found a shop that would swap them out for free. I must have some odd proportions because this works great for me. Whenever someone does a fitting the first thing they say is "....those cranks are never going to work" but they do.

Can you tell I enjoy climbing!? :up:

 

I'm eyeing a Colnago C50 for my next frame. I might just move my group over although it's Shimano which would be a sin.

 

hey mark,
looks at brooks saddles model b-17 if your not to worried about weight. they are nice new and get better with age.

 

easy solution for the shimaNO...there's this great invention called eBay

then you can put the proper gruppo on it.

the C50's are badass...but Colnago's have always fit me weird...even running what they call a 65cm I'd still need like a 14cm stem to get the reach I need.

I still want a Ciocc SLX with Super Record (circa 1987) and a red and white Bottecchia with full C Record (yes especially the Delta brakes...I don't care if they don't actually work http://www.campyonly.com/images/mystuff/delta_brakes/delta_front.jpg) again white tape and a white Rolls saddle...Wolber or Ambrosio rims and Clement tubies ...oooooo and a Tommasini...and a Rossin...and a Guerciotti...

 

a bike poster for the HPPT: http://www.campyonly.com/images/modbikes/2004/cl.jpg not necessarily NSFW, but...

 

Thanks again for all of the input. FWIW, I bought the bike brand new (05 leftover last year) from The Spin Cycle and not only had it fit, but brought it in after 2 months for a re-fit. My seat is level. I'd go back there, but I'm a little pissed at them over a discount they were supposed to give me, so I've been buying all of my accessories through Performance. The bike didn't have aero bars when I bought it, wich is why I think that the numbness is related to the extra pressure the aero positioning puts on me. I put the bars on 8 months ago because my hands were going numb. Hands are great now, but my crotch is a different story.... I'll check out some saddles and keep you guys posted.

 

NICE!!!:up:

 

remember...if it's not a Tri-specific bike, aero bars aren't going to help the fit situation. aero bars don't belong on a regular road bike, the seat tube angle isn't designed to keep the femur/spine angle open enough for proper breathing during higher levels of exertion. you gain a perceived advantage by being more aero, but you lose lung capacity and bike handling. if your hands were numb that could indicate a different fit issue that's now masked by the aero bars that created a different issue for you...spiralling downwards...

fwiw, a number of years ago I stopped riding with gloves altogether. never fought any real numbness, but I found the feel to be so much better that I could grip lighter. changing hand positions, getting outta the saddle just cuz, and creeping around on the saddle itself are the best things I've found to be able to handle 7hrs+ in the saddle.

 

On a tanget to the body position post I was reading an article about Saul Raisin (the guy that took a header that put him in a coma and is now attempting a comeback at 23 or so). They said he had a hump in his shoulders that was a hereditary condition of his spine. Somehow this give him greater lung capacity and some gaudy test numbers like 82% VO2 max. That's sick! Mine 54% when I had it measured last year.

 

Credit Agricole rider...yeah. forgot about him. no amount of training and determination can overcome an equally trained and determined genetic FREAK

 

You guys really are obsessive about this aren't you?

 

Have you met that kid? He's got one amazing story of a comeback.