I had a Mexico vacation and we rented bikes to ride to the cenotes and I couldn’t get the seat near high enough. Too low was very uncomfortable. I’m not sure why you think it is “unbelievably” uncomfortable to ride a few blocks with the seat adjusted correctly for the rider. I’ve been riding at the proper height for decades (roughly 5) and that picture is around the proper height for me and it is the most comfortable.
I’ve learned from this thread that people that don’t want to ride bikes, or are very casual riders, want to have ease of foot-ground relations. I still think: “Damn, your seats are way too low…learn to ride a bike properly!”
I ride a bike properly setup for me. I’ve ridden ones with seats too low. I can tell which one is more comfortable. I ride a lot and would say I’m a bit of an expert on it. But, don’t trust the experts.
What is your expertise and what are your opinions on that subject? I’m probably not an expert in that arena, but I can come in and make fun of your thoughts on the subject on a public message board.
In my entire lifetime of cycling, I doubt I have spent $500 on Lycra.
People love to dog on cyclists and their apparel. The anti-cycling snobbery is unique. Fuck all those that buy gear unique to their endeavor! Running shoes should be scorned just as much. Can’t you run in your Crocs?
I think also that most people assume proper bike position is equivalent to a Harley, whereas it’s actually more like a Ducati. They see the forward-leaning position as a threat to their spines (literally) and their self-image as a casual low-riding cruiser. Proper bike positioning is a bit harder on the back/neck, hands, and feet, because you’re distributing more of your weight onto the handlebars and pedals. However, sitting more upright with a lower saddle is harder on your knees and butt, because much more of your weight is on the saddle, and your legs have poor leverage. It literally makes sitting hurt more, and you’re less effective at moving forward, so you’re on the bike longer. That positioning looks more relaxed because it is more relaxed, but that doesn’t make it better. I wonder if it may even be worse on your back due to geometrical direction of forces (a topic for another day).
In any case, there are cruiser and city bikes that have a more upright geometry by design. They’re still going to be uncomfortable if the seat is too low, but those aren’t the obvious ones. It’s the cheap Wal-Mart mountain bikes and BMX bikes that are most evocative of a Harley but either aren’t designed for an upright sitting position, or aren’t designed for riding while sitting at all. There aren’t many 12 year olds or neighborhood bros tooling around on wrong-sized steel Schwinns anymore because racing bikes have gotten too high tech and they don’t filter down to that level like they used to. Plus road racing in general is in a slump, so there just aren’t as many out there to begin with.
That’s not how I read the quote. It’s not a slam on all cycling experts, but specifically those who go around telling people that they are wrong about what they find comfortable. It’s those who go around telling everyone they’re doing it wrong because they don’t ride the way someone who rides multiple hours in a row and wishes to be as efficient as possible.
It’s the same thing that happens with any experts who opine about how non-experts should be doing things. See also chefs that tell you how you should cook or eat.
I’d say that the thoughts “Damn, your seats are way too low…learn to ride properly” are not great. Something like “People would likely find it a lot more comfortable if they raised their seat” would be far more preferable. No need to judge people as being “wrong” for not doing it the way an avid pro cyclist would.
You have a lot of nerve suggesting that there ought to be any objectively supported standards for what is or is not more appropriate, or that any learning or effort ought to be involved. Instead, what is best is to be solely based on each individual’s personal opinion, preferably based on ignorance and inexperience.
When a coach tells you something is wrong with your technique, most of the time it is because they know what the fuck they are talking about and you are doing it wrong. I have gotten free unsolicited advice on the running track, but the idea was they wanted me to hire them as a regular trainer.
As for people riding around the city,
is my experience.
One thing I have noticed is people riding what looked like 16- or 20-inch wheels on non-foldable electric bikes. Either I was mistaken and those bikes are indeed collapsible, otherwise why would you want little tiny wheels? (I’m not counting the dude who apparently put on automobile tires or something.)
Have e-bikes been mentioned yet? A couple of my employees ride them to work and the seats are quite low. Like where I would want them on a motorcycle. Which is, I suspect, exactly what they are using these bike as a substitute for.
Not by me in this thread. Elsewhere previously I’ve expressed that I am not a fan (at least of how I most often encounter them. I have no objection to adults using them to commute/run errands/otherwise travel on city streets.)
AIUI, and I don’t ride those bikes myself, but I think it’s specific to urban riding: combination of desiring maximum maneuverability and not needing high speeds.
Biking today, when we stopped, I noticed my sister had both of her toes on the ground. I assumed she was off her seat, but when I looked closer and asked her, she was on her seat. My practice is consistently to stop with one foot/toe on the ground and the other on the pedal, but when I tried it one time, I was surprised that I had no difficulty placing both toes on the ground while remaining on the seat. And not just my tiptoes either, but back to the ball of the foot.
We ride 20-35 miles 2-3x a week, and think we have properly sized and adjusted bikes. I believe others when they say their experience is different, but just wanted to report back.
And one time when we stopped, I made a point of getting off my seat, standing with both feet on the ground, and then starting again from that position. Seemed unnecessarily a lot more cumbersome than my preferred staying on the seat with one foot one the ground.
One thing we realized is, a lot of biking is not necessarily right vs wrong, but instead, just what you are used to. For example, I’ve been experiencing arthritis in my left hip which makes it difficult to swing my left leg over the seat. So I have been trying to mount from where I can start standing on a step or curb. But after a year or so, I realized that it is a lot easier to lift my RIGHT leg over the seat. If you had asked me, I would not have thought I had a preference for mounting from one side or the other, but in act I ALWAYS get on my bike from the right side. Doing it from the other side just feels weird, but I’m going to work on it.
When I spoke with my sister, she said she ALWAYS mounts from the LEFT side!
