NZPeterG Nomad MK2 named "Tom"

[NZPeterG]

Hi All,
This is a short clip about the Pro Bike Fit I got this week 

http://youtu.be/ELnHNNg4sGM

So after a Few days riding  I have more power, no more pain, my bike is more fun to ride.

So All is Great a must Do!

My Brooks no more (too wide) my Jeff Jones Loop Handlebars no more (wrong angle in my hands) trying out a few more STD Handlebars.

Pete 

[Andybg]

Glad to hear it is all working out for you. What saddle have you changed to? I run a b17 narrow and find that very comfortable.

Andy

[Danneaux]

Wow! Some very big changes there, Pete, but all worthwhile if you can ride pain-free.

Very much looking forward to your long-term reports on this, and hoping for some updated photos of Tom in his gallery once things settle down from your handlebar trials.

So...the Big Questions: What happens to your Brooks collection? And will you take these new "fitting lessons" and apply them to your other bikes as well?

Best,

Dan.

[jags]

So Pete tell me what major changes were made. like me i' guess you have  been  riding all your bikes with exactly the same set up for years  .what made you think you were set up wrong all these years.
did he change things by centermeters or MM ,if you were comfy with your saddles then why in gods name change them i cant get my head around this one.
what ever happened to the day when you could just drop your saddle by an inch or so raise the bars and ride all day with little or no pain, we are all becoming softies.

[Relayer]

I can't help wondering how a saddle that is too wide would cause a problem    

OK, a saddle too narrow is easy to understand, but too wide just means a bit of excess leather, weighing a few grammes?

As an aside, I am trying out a B17 Select on my RST and a Brooks Team Professional on my audax bike because standard B17s are just too soft these days.  

P.S. On further reflection I can understand the concept in relation to gel type saddles where you would want your sitbones perched on the optimum part of the saddle, but for a Brooks which moulds to your shape/sitbones surely extra width doesn't matter.  

Pete, I'm looking forward to reading more about this, but the important thing is I'm very glad the new setup suits you well.  

[Danneaux]

As an aside, I am trying out a B17 Select on my RST and a Brooks Team Professional on my audax bike because standard B17s are just too soft these days.

<nods> I've found this myself, and long for the days when the Standards were "harder" than they are now. I have a B.17 Champion Special I got some years ago, and it has remained nice and stiff with the slightly domed shape I prefer...apparently due to the thicker cut of leather used by Brooks when making it. It is a nice darkened honey color with chrome rails, but unfortunately not ideal in appearance for transfer to the Nomad.

Like you, I am very interested to hear more about the details of Pete's new journey post-fitting session. There are some aspects that seem counter-intuitive to me, and I am eager to learn more and see how it all works out in the long run for him. I have reached my ideal cycling position some decades ago after addressing the kinks one at a time, until nothing hurt and my position on brake hoods and drops remains comfortable over 300-400km rides ('cept my hands, but that is due to another issue). Seems to work alright, and I just transfer the measurements to each new bike as I get it. I'm fortunate to be on the average in terms or height/weight/proportions for my age cohort, and count myself very fortunate indeed.

Please, Pete; keep us posted as you spend more time with Tom's new setup!

Best,

Dan.

[NZPeterG]

So...the Big Questions: What happens to your Brooks collection? And will you take these new "fitting lessons" and apply them to your other bikes as well?

Best,

Dan.

1st off

Hi Dan,
My Brooks Collection ? I'll be selling off most of them. I'll keep my old Brooks Flyer (off my old MTB, Africa Bike, and Tom!) and keeping my new B17 Select "World Traveller 2012" and will be hanging them on my wall! (Please note this is broking in, in only a week of riding? Soft!).
The last Brooks that I may keep and use is my Swallow 2005 Limited Edition Why? because a Swallow is almost the right size! (only a little too wide) and Swallow is the Flattest Brooks Saddle across the top rear (Seat Bones).

Swallow 2005 Limited Edition

2nd off

Hi All,
Well the changer's make up a long list (too long for me to write down tonight! Sorry)

1 Brooks Saddles I have find to be too Soft Too! there are two main points? My Old Africa Flyer Saddle is very well matched to my backside! when you look at it my left seat bone is lower on the left of my saddle (this is not good as my bum is not aligned across the rear of the saddle) the middle of the saddle is high! (this made my bum bleed! a little after 2000km's in 15 days of riding in Africa last year!)
2 Most Brooks are rounded from side to top to side and this is not any good at helping my Bum/Seat Bones seat a lined across the saddle! (left too right)
I'll be keeping my Brooks Swallow 2005 Limited Edition and may try this later on! once I have finished off finding the right Handlebars to run.


3 Handlebars my Jeff Jones Loop H Bars where/have a pull back of 45'! I changed them for a set of Moots Ti bars with pull back of 5'! changed to On-One Mary bars with pull back of 30'!
How looking at trying a 17' or 12' pull back Handlebar. Still working on it.
4 Why? because my hands where not holding my handlebars in line with the bar! with the Loop bars my hands where seating on top of the bars at about 30 degree!

5 I'm looking at changing to Speedplay Frogs Pedals (from my Looks) Why? because with Speedplay pedals I can fit shims to the bottom of my right shoe too help with making my short leg longer  

6 Why get a bike fit? when years ago you just would lower or lift your Saddle to stop any pain in your knee's etc?
Well year's ago we all ride with Flat Pedals and Clips (I always got dead foot from using Clips) and we had shoes that flexed a lot under your foot!
There was always a lost of power in our legs/body! How it is so much easier to climb hill and power along into head winds  

So this is Why  


Pete  

[Danneaux]

Hi Pete!

Thanks for filling in the gaps a bit on your new fitting approach and explaining the "whys" of it all. I find this really fascinating and will be following any reports very closely. That you're already seeing positive results in greater comfort and efficiency with less pain is encouraging in itself. Big changes, though!

Glad you'll be keeping those special saddles in your collection; just too pretty to let go! Still, I'm a bit concerned at how Brooks' saddles are getting softer...I hope it isn't a trend toward making them more "accessible" to a wider market. Hmm. May have to set my sights eventually on a black Champion Special. I keep selling-on the old ones 'cos they get too soft...but the interval is growing shorter and shorter!

Say, Pete, would a pair of those adjustable Humpert 'bars get you dialed-in more quickly? See: http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/humpert-ahs-superlight-adjustable-handlebars-254mm-clamp-prod24406/
...or...
http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/humpert-ahs-premium-handlebars-c-w-comfort-bar-ends-254mm-clamp-prod24407/

Looking forward to the next chapter!  Happy riding and all the best, Pete!

Dan.

[JimK]

I've got a Flyer Select stashed away, against the probability that my current Flyer Special won't last too terribly long. We shall see!

[Slammin Sammy]

I can't help wondering how a saddle that is too wide would cause a problem  

I find saddles that are too wide promote chafing, simple as that. My B17 feels right, but one day I'm going to try a Swallow on my fat arse! You only need enough platform area for your sit bones to support your weight, and a bit of slippery near-vertical side for occasional "body English". The uncushioned, but much slicker leather saddle was a revelation to me at first.

Gel saddles all seem to get covered in some non-slip material which, along with the sideways bulge of the gel, causes me chafing. It's like Andy B (I guess?) says in the bike brochures - everyone loves gel saddles at first, and hates them after a long ride.

Everyone, it seems, except my missuss.... 

Sam

[NZPeterG]

Well its been a time not writing about my Tom! I have been testing handlebars and riding my 2nd bike a lot too.
So after removing my Jeff Jones Loop Handle bars (45 degree) I fitted a pair of On-One Mary (40 degree), a pair of Moots flat Ti bars (5 degree), an old pair of riser bars (8 degree), back to the Mary's again (40 degree), and was about to order a pair of new Thomson Ti bars (12 degree) but the cost of $300+ RRP was stopping me from ordering them (lucky)!

On looking at all the handlebars made and angles (plus the testing I have been doing) I have come up with looking for a bar in the middle of them all as 45 degree's is too much for me and 8 degree's was far too little. I can across Luv handlebars at 23 degree's and on trying to place an order find that they was a long waiting list.
So I started looking for any handlebars made with a bend of around 23 degree's and I find Salsa Bend 2 in 17 and 23 degree's! I phoned the wholesaler about if he had any in stock in 23 degree's and luck would have it he did, I order them and fitted them on Friday night  and have been riding them and loving them  It's great no more pain and I'm in love with Tom again. . . .
 

Pete 

More too come................................

[Danneaux]

Hi Pete!

Yes, we've missed hearing about Tom, but it is surely nice to find you're honing-in on the things you need to get a good, comfortable fit -- and that seems to be paying performance dividends as well!

Looking forward to photos of Tom in his latest outfitting.

Best,

Dan.

[NZPeterG]

Hi All,
Well today some more parts came, new 0 degree 90mm stem and a 30.0mm x 410mm seat post! all are top end strong (USA Made) Thomson.

So I have replaced the seatpost shim (I have been running a Cane Creek 30.0/27.2 because the Thorn shim was under size!) and STD 27.2mm with just a 30.0mm seatpost to help stop my Saddle work it's way lower over time when I'm riding my Nomad offroad at speed.

I will be adding some new finished (so far?) Tom photo's in the next few days . . . . .  .

My Tom is looking Strong 

Pete 

[mickeg]

I also find the B17 (and Flyer) too wide.  But if I was using flat bars, I think it would work well with a more upright posture.

I prefer the narrower Conquest (discontinued model, same shape as Pro, but sprung) and have Conquests on my three touring bikes.  I use the drops on my drop bar bikes about a third of the time, the narrower saddle fits better when I am using the drops.  But when I have my hands on the bar tops, a wider saddle like the B17 or flyer would work well too.  Thus in my case, I want a saddle that will fit well for different amounts of forward lean of my lower back.

The B17 also appears to be flatter at the back, the Conquest (or Pro) more rounded in shape with more downward slope to the sides, I also notice the difference in shape between the two models.

If Brooks made a saddle that was two thirds Flyer and one third Conquest, I think for me that would be ideal.  I would like a saddle a bit wider then the Conquest, but not as wide as the B17.

I have a Flyer currently not used but I think I will use it on my fold up bike, I use the drops on my foldup less than on my other bikes.  I pulled the Conquest off of the foldup bike to use on the Nomad I recently finished building. 

My B17 has been used in winters when I put a bike on a trainer to use indoors, on a trainer I sit more upright and the B17 works better for that posture.

[NZPeterG]

Hi Mickeg,
I have a good unused second hand Brooks Conquest too!
It is too rounded like you say and also too wide! for me, The closest Brooks to match my seat bones is a Swallow! of watch I have a New Swallow 2005 Limited Edition just seating on my bookcase (never been on a bike) this Brooks has the flat's top of any Brooks, But I'm still looking to stay with a Specialized PHENOM 143 Saddle.

Specialized has the largest R & D of any cycle maker in the world and here is the low down on them.

Developed with ergonomic expert Dr. Roger Minkow M.D., our Body Geometry saddles are scientifically tested and ergonomically designed to reduce pressure for all-day riding comfort.
Comfort: The anatomically designed Body Geometry cut-out or groove takes pressure off arteries and soft tissue for improved blood flow and comfort. Pressure mapping research helps us determine areas of high/low pressure so we can optimize the design of each saddle. Fit: Since a properly sized saddle increases your comfort and power on the bike, Body Geometry saddles come in a range of widths to fit every rider. Efficiency: We design the shape of every saddle to complement the way you ride. Based on your position and preferences, you can find your match from a variety of flat, curved, and comfort saddles.

Plus after year's of riding using Specialized Shoes (starting in 1988), Gloves, Helmets, and Saddles, I get looked after by my LBS for using them! a Win Win  

It's also New Zealand I live in and it Rains a lot in NZ? this is a pain with a Brooks  

Pete  

PS Specialized have a Touring bike coming out for 2014 called Awol