[Aditya]

My brother came over last weekend. That gave me an opportunity to take both my bikes out on a lovely Sunday morning. The weather has been great of late and I've been clocking a good number of kms.

[bhp_maniac]

Originally Posted by Aditya

My brother came over last weekend. That gave me an opportunity to take both my bikes out on a lovely Sunday morning. The weather has been great of late and I've been clocking a good number of kms.

That's absolute bliss to see both of them together. Looking at your Strava numbers, it seems you're on a mission to munch more miles riding

[Aditya]

Originally Posted by bhp_maniac

That's absolute bliss to see both of them together. Looking at your Strava numbers, it seems you're on a mission to munch more miles riding

Thanks. I am aiming to clock 10,000 km in the year. I know I will not ride much in some months like July, August and September when the rains get too heavy for my liking. So, I'm just making hay while the sun shines.

[shifu]

Guys, I used to bike regularly few years back but the interest and enthu came down. The bike is lying idle and I see it everyday while going to work. Now my office has started regulating parking which means I will get parking once a quarter. Since I stay 8 kms away, planning to bike to work.

- How to manage the laptop bag and a lunch bag on the cycle? I have some steep slopes on the way so don’t really want to put 5-6kgs of weight in my back. Any ideas on hanging the stuff on the bike?

- I am hoping that the commute will still take me the usual 30-40 mins. Only paranoid about my safety. I used to ride really early mornings earlier and that too on sparsely populated roads. Riding in traffic is making me uneasy (more than me, folks at home). I do have a good helmet, but that’s it. Anything else that would help? A helmet with an airbag maybe?

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by Aditya

Thanks. I am aiming to clock 10,000 km in the year. I know I will not ride much in some months like July, August and September when the rains get too heavy for my liking. So, I'm just making hay while the sun shines.

Didn't know you ride in bbay. Are you part of any particular cycling group in Bbay?

~1000 km a month (assuming some quiet months) is a pretty good target. I'm sure we'll have some common friends.

I rode outdoors today after a while and it was a good reminder as to why I prefer indoor trainers. LOL

[unk9ja]

My friend's pre worshipped Scott Aspect 740 bought a fortnight ago, was stolen last week from his building. The cycle was chained to a plastic rain water harvesting drain. The theif cut the plastic pipe and made away with it.

Anyone here using the same technique to chain your rides, please change.

[freedom]

Originally Posted by unk9ja

My friend's pre worshipped Scott Aspect 740 bought a fortnight ago, was stolen last week from his building.

If the crook took the effort to cut the pipe it means he knew that Scott Aspect 740 is a premium bike.
I suggest you lookup on OLX, Quickr etc. for your bike. Chances are it will be put up for sale.
Look around in cycle shops in your city for 2nd hand bikes. The bike will surely land up somewhere for sale.

[Aditya]

Originally Posted by Axe77

Didn't know you ride in bbay. Are you part of any particular cycling group in Bbay?

I am a part of Buddy Riders, but I barely ride with them. Most of the time I ride with a friend from the locality. He is properly fast - has quite a few KOMs. That works well for me as I am improving my technique and getting stronger and quicker.

Sometimes I ride with BHPians yogi and KSM-Vtec. In all it's a lot of fun.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by Aditya

I am a part of Buddy Riders, but I barely ride with them. Most of the time I ride with a friend from the locality. He is properly fast - has quite a few KOMs. That works well for me as I am improving my technique and getting stronger and quicker.

Sometimes I ride with BHPians yogi and KSM-Vtec. In all it's a lot of fun.

Yogi meaning Shetty? With the Time?

[manas_270]

Hi All,

I too got bitten by the cycling bug in Nov of last year and to make sure its a sustained interest & not a temporary one , I started renting our cycles (good ones) and been doing 30k, 40k rides over weekends. Started really enjoying it and did a 100K ride in Jan as well and thoroughly enjoyed the ride. With the sustained interest, plan to bite the bullet and get a new one. I went through this entire thread multiple times over the past few months and got lots of feedback on doing 100K, types of cycles, accessories etc.. Thanks to all the members who contributed that valuable info.

I am planning to get a Flat bar Road bike or a fixed fork Hybrid Bike (models which lean more towards a road bike than MTB like fitness bikes with 700/32c or 28c tires) and need your suggestions. I rented out Merida Speeder 100 a few times and love that bike.

I am travelling to US next week and plan to get one from there. Budget $450 - $600 (If I really love the bike). I am fine with V-brakes and don't care about disc. Any inputs on

1. Which models to look for in US? Didn't like Specialized (Merida owns some share in Specialized and so doesn't sell in US) Hybrid/Flat Bar road bike models.

2. Currently inclined towards Trek FX2 with plan to check out FX3 (heart is pushing for it based on the specs). Any inputs on these Models?

Thanks in advance guys!!

[ani_meher]

My Btwin 7s has a quill stem handlebar. Can I raise the height of the handlebar? Currently it is placed at the highest setting and still I feel it should be more risen for back comfort.

Are there any risers for such quill stem handlebars? I saw one which can raise the height max by 8.25 inch, but it's shipped cost to India is 2-3k! Any local alternative for this one?

[roy_libran]

Originally Posted by ani_meher

My Btwin 7s has a quill stem handlebar. Can I raise the height of the handlebar? Currently it is placed at the highest setting and still I feel it should be more risen for back comfort.

Are there any risers for such quill stem handlebars? I saw one which can raise the height max by 8.25 inch, but it's shipped cost to India is 2-3k! Any local alternative for this one?

If Back Comfort is the problem that is leading you to think of raising your handlebar so significantly, I would rather tend to think that there is something wrong with your bike fit in the first place. It is possible that you are sitting either too far back or too low or have a long stem, or worse you have a bike size that may be incorrect.
Have you had a proper bike fit done? If yes, try once more with some other professional.
Raising the handlebar significantly will have an impact on the overall geometry of the bike, and it won't be comfortable at all. At least that is what my experience has been with both hybrids and roadies. Cheers.

[ani_meher]

Originally Posted by roy_libran

...
Have you had a proper bike fit done? If yes, try once more with some other professional....

I have not done the fitting professionally, I did it myself by watching youtube videos. I will try to get it done professionally.

I am more at home at a upright riding position. Even for my Ninja, I have used 2 inch risers and now the riding is far more comfortable. This is why I feel that risers will help me getting more from the bicycle. But the quill stem handle doesn't have any cheap rising options in India :(

[ani_meher]

Where can I find good used hybrid cycles in Pune? I am trying to find Schwinn Sporterra or some other hybrid bike under 10K/15k, but so far OLX/quikr is not useful. If anyone in Pune knows someone who is looking for selling, please PM me.

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by ani_meher

My Btwin 7s has a quill stem handlebar. Can I raise the height of the handlebar? Currently it is placed at the highest setting and still I feel it should be more risen for back comfort.

For back comfort, your saddle height should be set correctly first and foremost. By that, I mean that there should be 25-30 degrees bend at the knee when fully extended. It is amazing how that affects your back.

After that, comes the saddle fore and aft position.

Another thing to keep in mind when riding is that your weight should largely be supported by your legs. Not your shoulders or arms.

But if you have tried all that and still find upright riding position is best for you, then stick with that. There is no golden rule to bike fits.