[miharbe]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Congrats bro! I like the stealthy airforce grey look.

What is the size of your tyres?

Thank You! I am guessing this was for me

They are 28 inches and frame size is 19.5 inches. Haven't measured it but was told

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by miharbe

They are 28 inches

I meant what is their thickness. If you look at the side wall it would be written there 28 x _._ _ or _ _/_

[ebonho]

Bitten by the DIY bug (partly fueled by the near clueless fitters in Pune - calling them mechanics would be a travesty - and partly fueled by the fact that most local shops nowadays prefer to only assemble and sell bikes, not repair and service, as there are no margins in that and labor is tight - the fancy imported cycle era has well and truly spelled the death knell of the Indian local cycle scene of just 10 years ago) and not liking the dusty look of the neglected kids cycle of my son lying chained in the garage ever time I take mine out, a couple of days ago I cleaned and oiled it, filled the tyres, and got it running.

Brakes were jammed so replaced both cables. Replaced the completely rusted out ring lock with a new one. Tightened the fork play. Threw away the rusted out bell on the handlebar. Replaced the fork top plugs with some DIY rubber plugs from the local hardware store (ditto for the bar ends of my bike, cut to size.)

Then I spotted the seat and recalled Prabuddha's advice. Some gears started turning in my head, and decided to swap my seat for that on son's bike. Discovered I don't have a No. 11 spanner in the tool kits of both my bikes (rounded the seat post bolt of son's bike while tightening it). Will go to my friendly neighborhood hardware store and get one (and also a new bolt). Also a 13 and 15 so I don't need to keep taking out my bike tools to work on my cycles.

End result of the tinkering ......

Old "wide sofa" seat



New son's bike's narrower seat (narrower by about an inch in max flared width, length nearly the same, though it is more curvy on top seen side on compared to the old seat which is largely flat; very rudimentary springs and longer adjustable rails)



Seats swapped between the two bikes



As the rails are longer (allowing the seat to be pushed back more in comparison to the post) and the fitting on the post is about 0.5 inch taller its given a bit more stretch of the legs (have to get off the seat now to stop, or really tilt the bike) and that (increased height) along with the seat pushed backwards also has brought the front of my knees closer in line with the ends of my crank at the 3 o'clock position (though still ahead - nothing can be done about that).

Prabuddha, how does one know when the seat is too high and your hips start rocking?

Next step, once I get my thinner tyres, will be to put on the new Raleigh handle and grips and the taller quill stem with slightly longer angled stem.

Will report back after a few days of riding on this seat.

P.S. Also got me a bottle of Singer's sewing machine oil for the chain. No more black goo now.

[prabuddhadg]

Originally Posted by ebonho

....As the rails are longer (allowing the seat to be pushed back more in comparison to the post) and the fitting on the post is about 0.5 inch taller its given a bit more stretch of the legs (have to get off the seat now to stop, or really tilt the bike) and that (increased height) along with the seat pushed backwards also has brought the front of my knees closer in line with the ends of my crank at the 3 o'clock position (though still ahead - nothing can be done about that).

Prabuddha, how does one know when the seat is too high and your hips start rocking? ....

Firstly, when you set up your saddle, for the correct fore and aft setting make sure your kneecap is vertically over the pedal axle when the crank is pointing forward (3 o clock).

Saddle height preference can vary slightly from person to person, but generally, since you are on platforms, you shall need to keep your saddle height lower than you would with foot retention. One simple way to get the basic height right is to place your heel on the fully lowered pedal - your knee should be fully extended without your hip stretching downward.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by prabuddhadg

Firstly, when you set up your saddle, for the correct fore and aft setting make sure your kneecap is vertically over the pedal axle when the crank is pointing forward (3 o clock).

I mentioned that in my post above. The kneecap is still ahead of the pedal axle even with the highest position of the seat (0.5 inches taller than earlier) and the saddle post bracket fully forward on the saddle rails. Beyond this the only solution is a curved top seat post.

Saddle height preference can vary slightly from person to person, but generally, since you are on platforms, you shall need to keep your saddle height lower than you would with foot retention. One simple way to get the basic height right is to place your heel on the fully lowered pedal - your knee should be fully extended without your hip stretching downward.

Yup. Checked this. Heel on platform, pedal straight down in sine with seat post, leg fully stretched.

Is the seat ok now?

[prabuddhadg]

This seat is obviously lesser in volume than the earlier one. So that is good. As you ride more and stay on your bike longer and pedal more, you will be able to make out if this suits you or if you want a narrower saddle.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by prabuddhadg

This seat is obviously lesser in volume than the earlier one. So that is good. As you ride more and stay on your bike longer and pedal more, you will be able to make out if this suits you or if you want a narrower saddle.

Prabuddha, we are currently averaging around 20-21 kmph over 10-15 km stints. Typically our daily ride is about 25-30 kms, with a water/breather break in between. I know road bikes are much faster, but could you help me with a good number to aim for in terms of the daily rides, both in terms of the distance as well as the average speed/time, which would be the norm for MTBs and good riders? We are all in our mid 30s to mid 40s and got into this mainly for fitness and fun, but it would be good to have something to benchmark our progress against.

[prabuddhadg]

Since your distances are short, you can easily set yourselves a target of 25kmph. I just have to add the disclaimer that I have next to no experience in terms of mtb's, and I am simply comparing with road bike timings and adding a handicap.

I for instance ride (only weekends) about 70 km on a typical ride. The average speed if we don't loiter, comes to around 25-27 kmph. So, given a heavy steel frame and steel wheels and 2 inch wide tires, I would imagine an average of 20 kmph for a 50-80 km distance. For a shorter distance, it could be worked up to 25 kmph on a short 10-15km stint.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by prabuddhadg

Since your distances are short, you can easily set yourselves a target of 25kmph. I just have to add the disclaimer that I have next to no experience in terms of mtb's, and I am simply comparing with road bike timings and adding a handicap.

I for instance ride (only weekends) about 70 km on a typical ride. The average speed if we don't loiter, comes to around 25-27 kmph. So, given a heavy steel frame and steel wheels and 2 inch wide tires, I would imagine an average of 20 kmph for a 50-80 km distance. For a shorter distance, it could be worked up to 25 kmph on a short 10-15km stint.

Thanks bro, that was most helpful. Seems 15-16 mph is the norm globally for MTBs on road (training, commute etc.). So works out to around 24-26 kmph .... around the same suggested by you for shorter distances.

[anshuman965]

Hullo friends, Newbie to cycling. Been following this thread eagerly. Recently transferred to Pune. Went to Surender cycle store , getting bianchi duel pro for 20k. Other options are montra series.. Please suggest if bianchi deal is decent. Usage is going to be for fitness purpose consisting road and little trails. Should one check out Giant showroom? Budget is 25k at a stretch. Thanks.

[ecenandu]

Originally Posted by prabuddhadg

Since your distances are short, you can easily set yourselves a target of 25kmph. I just have to add the disclaimer that I have next to no experience in terms of mtb's, and I am simply comparing with road bike timings and adding a handicap.

I for instance ride (only weekends) about 70 km on a typical ride. The average speed if we don't loiter, comes to around 25-27 kmph. So, given a heavy steel frame and steel wheels and 2 inch wide tires, I would imagine an average of 20 kmph for a 50-80 km distance. For a shorter distance, it could be worked up to 25 kmph on a short 10-15km stint.

Spot on mate, at least thats what I was able to manage on my MTB with 2.2 inch tyre.

20 to 22Kmph for 50 to 80 Km ride, 23 - 25 Kmph for 10 to 15 Km. and 27-30 Kmph for 1.5 to 3Km.

All these on relatively flat roads, BTW.

The weather in Sweden, right now is perfect, 16 - 20 C and mostly sunny.

Went for kayaking today. 40KMs on bike, 10Kms(4 hours) kayaking.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by ecenandu

Spot on mate, at least thats what I was able to manage on my MTB with 2.2 inch tyre.

20 to 22Kmph for 50 to 80 Km ride, 23 - 25 Kmph for 10 to 15 Km. and 27-30 Kmph for 1.5 to 3Km.

All these on relatively flat roads, BTW.

That's very fast pace bro. Which MTB? Hardtail or rigid forks?

We are running 1.95 and 1.75 inch tyres and not able to manage over 20-21.

How long have you been cycling?

[Dreamy]

Introducing the new member of the family - he Viper, a new addition to the stable - Polygon Helios 500. It's a light aluminum alloy roadbike, which is on par with most of the carbon fiber bike. Weighs around 8.3kgs with race and endurance geometry. Ride has been damn smooth and quick acceleration thanks to 105 groupset and Mavic Aksium race wheelset. I'm in love with the music of these wheelset.

[ecenandu]

Originally Posted by ebonho

That's very fast pace bro. Which MTB? Hardtail or rigid forks?

We are running 1.95 and 1.75 inch tyres and not able to manage over 20-21.

How long have you been cycling?

Mine is not rigid forks, but I can lock it.

Thanks, Not long mate, May be 10 months and covered close to 2500 Kms.
556 Kms last year(4Months) and 1993 Kms this year to be exact .
And I use Sigma cycle computer to log everything. So I checked my average speed for 2500Kms, stands at 18.667Kmph.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by ecenandu

Thanks, Not long mate, May be 10 months and covered close to 2500 Kms.

Ah ok so there's still hope. A little over 2 weeks and about 300-350 kms here.

Still setting my steel MTB up to optimize it. Put Prabuddha's advice on pedal clips (with straps) on the backburner for now because they are way too pricey for the moment. A Suncross guy I am speaking to in Delhi has them on his website at around 1400 bucks. Decathlon would cost around the same.

I would definitely like nicer tyres ASAP - nylon, thinner, and which can be filled harder with more pressure - less rolling resistance. Heard most cyclists pick up as much as 3-4 kmph in the average speeds on their MTBs with just thinner slicker tyres. I may not get as much because I'm not exactly running my original 2.1 inch knobbies anymore, but I'm hoping to at least be closer to 25 kmph than I am now by this relatively low cost "cheating." Indian tyres and tubes (1.5 inches) should come to around 700 bucks a pair.

Hopefully next week.