Bike Noob

Because I'm Always Learning Something New

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Partners

Archives for September 2012

Sitting on the Sit Bones? Maybe Not

09.16.2012 by Ray Niekamp // 8 Comments

Long-time readers of this blog are aware that I have had an ongoing battle with various saddles. It seems that after about an hour’s riding, my butt starts to hurt. I’ve tried several different saddles, and thought I had finally hit upon one that was acceptable — not perfect by any means, but one that seemed to work better for me than most others I’ve tried.

Even with this one though, I have to resort to some tricks to stay comfortable. I stand and pedal every so often. Whenever I coast, I take the weight off my butt. I vary my hand positions on the bars constantly. But when riding Friday, I accidentally scooched into a position that was mahvelous.

The admonition when riding is to sit on the sit bones — the “ischial tuberosities” — that protrude from the pelvis. I’ve always been aware of this saying, and I thought I had always been abiding by it. But this shift of position moved me to the real sit bones. I could tell the difference. Suddenly, my bottom felt at ease — as though it should have been in this spot all along, and should continue there from now on.

Funny thing is, I’m not really on my sit bones. At least, not the sit bones we all think of. It was all cleared up for me when I stumbled onto Steve Hogg’s Bike Fitting Website. Hogg writes extensively about the arcana of a proper bike fit (Reading his articles is a great way to spend a rainy afternoon when you can’t get out for your ride) and you’ll learn a lot by visiting his site.

According to Steve Hogg, we really sit on the pelvic bones just forward of the ischial tuberosities.

He points out that the pelvis is not constructed for us to sit on the ischial tuberosities. Instead, the bones on each side of the base of pelvis curve a little bit lower than the tuberosities protrude. They angle from wide at the rear to narrow at the front, and if the saddle is the right design, they’ll rest right on top of it.

I must have rocked back just enough that these bones rested on the saddle, instead of my perineum. I’ve been crushing my taint all along, and apparently thought that was what we had to put up with when riding a bike.

It seems a lot of cyclists have trouble with finding the right spot. As our frequent guest poster Jeff Hemmel pointed out in a review of the Bontrager Affinity saddle, Bontrager designed its perch to facilitate finding the right spot on the pubic arch.

I spent the rest of Friday’s ride, and Saturday’s, changing my position on the saddle so I could practice getting back to the exact spot I needed to get to. I think I have it down. At any rate, my rides seemed more comfortable to me than they usually are after I’ve put in 15 miles or so.

Now, you might think that if I’m putting my weight a bit forward of where we have always thought it should be that I’d be crushing my softy bits. In my case, the Forte Classic saddle I ride has a cutout, so there’s no pressure there anyway. I’d be interested in trying one of my other saddles that don’t have a cutout to see just what the results would be — but I’m in no hurry to do so. For the time being, I’ll just enjoy my rides.

Like this:

Like Loading...

Categories // Bike fit, Equipment Tags // bike fitting, saddle

My Latest Purchase

09.13.2012 by Ray Niekamp // Leave a Comment

The other day, I went over to the LBS to drop some coin on an accessory I’ve been putting off getting for far too long. I finally got some replacement cleats for my cycling shoes.

I have a bad habit with cleats — I keep them on much longer than I should. The pair I just got rid of had been worn down to nubs. They’re Shimano SPD-SLs, and the yellow band around the clip had completely worn away. On both cleats.

Oddly, it didn’t seem to affect their usefulness. Either that, or I’d just gotten used to them. In fact, they were still on my shoes last month when I did the epic century ride.

But it being the beginning of the month, we had a little extra in the bank account, so I figured it was a good time to get the much-needed replacements.

It’s been so long since I’ve had new cleats on my shoes, I’d forgotten the difference. All of a sudden, clicking into the pedals became much easier. I could do it by feel again — nudging the pedal forward with my toe, and dropping the cleat right on top of it with a satisfying click! With the old worn ones, I was often moving my foot around, trying to find just the right interface between cleat nub and pedal.

And maybe it’s just the placebo effect, but I think I’ve got a little more power to the pedals now. On a ride the other evening, I easily cranked along in the big ring in a higher gear than normal. (Maybe it’s just that I’d had two days off the bike, so was fully recovered from the weekend rides.)

To make sure these new cleats are around for awhile, and function as well a year from now as they do today, I also sprang for a pair of cleat covers. Sticker shock — these things are now up to $17 a pair! The tab for cleats and covers came to over $51. That’s a good argument for keeping the covers in place whenever my feet are not in the pedals.

Not a big deal, but it’s a bit like washing your car. Suddenly, it seems to run better. Suddenly, I seem to pedal better.

Like this:

Like Loading...

Categories // Accessories Tags // cleats

Helpful Apps for Cyclists

09.11.2012 by Ray Niekamp // 7 Comments

A guest post by Matt Powell.

Cycling computers, whether basic speedometers or complex Garmin GPS units, are a must-have for cyclists but smartphones can now perform many of the same functions. Like GPS units and PDAs the not-so-humble smartphone is gradually replacing dedicated gadgets in yet another market.

To get you started here are some of our favourite smartphone apps for cyclists:

CoPilot Live

Google Maps is a perfectly adequate mapping and navigation tool…provided you’ve got a signal. It relies on a data connection to download maps as you go which is something of a hindrance if your cycle route takes you out into the sticks.

Rather than hoping to run back into an area with some glimmer of a signal every cyclist should have a standalone GPS map package.

Not only will it prove life-saving if you manage to get lost, but with an appropriate bracket you can mount a smartphone on your bike handlebars. Particularly helpful when riding a new route as you don’t need to stop at every turn to check a paper map, plus it makes your cockpit look awesome.

Both Android and iPhone have a huge range of GPS apps. There are several free options for each platform, though if you find yourself needing this regularly it’s worth investing in a premium package.

Our pick is CoPilot Live. It’s packed with features (turn-by-turn voice, 2D/3D maps, traffic notifications etc etc), is quick and responsive and relatively inexpensive too. More than you’d normally pay for an app perhaps, but dedicated cycling GPS units run into the hundreds so this is a huge money saver. Oh, and you can use it in your car too.

Google My Tracks

This excellent freebie from Google uses the GPS hardware in your smartphone to track and record your route, providing helpful and/or interesting data on your workout.

As well as displaying the path over Google Maps it’ll also give info on elevation, speed and distance. This information can be viewed and annotated in real time, and once you get home it’s possible to extract it in various formats, which is helpful for logging your training routine or showing friends a great new cycle path you’ve discovered.

This one is Android only but a similar tool available on both iPhone and Android is RunKeeper.

Bike Doctor

Breakdowns are an unavoidable hazard for any cyclist. Sooner or later you’re going to run into some kind of problem, whether it’s a simple flat or more serious crankset and derailleur issues.

Bike Doctor is a computerised database of common problems and solutions for bike repairs, helping guide you step by step through all kinds of issues so you can get rolling again.

Veterans may scoff but this app can still prove useful for experienced cyclists who run into a previously unknown problem, and it’ll only encourage more cyclists to get out there which we can all agree is a good thing.

Cyclemeter

Throw away your bike computer, your smartphone has made it obsolete. Cyclemeter is a biking computer tool which is packed with functions.

It’ll give you time, distance, speed and all the other basics, but there’s an almost obsessive level of information hidden away in here. While riding along you can quickly swipe between screens of maps and stats to access a wealth of data.

It’s a great training tool as well. There are training programs built in and data can be shared with other users, so you can import a friend’s route and attempt to beat their times.

This is an iPhone exclusive right now, Android users might want to check out Move!

Author Bio: Matt Powell is a writer for the consumer information site Broadband Genie, which covers everything from broadband, to the latest iPhone 5 deals. 

Like this:

Like Loading...

Categories // Equipment, guest post Tags // apps

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • Next Page »

Get Email Updates

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 259 other subscribers

Categories

  • Accessories
  • Bike fit
  • Bikes
  • Blogging
  • Books
  • clubs
  • Cold weather
  • Community
  • Commuting
  • Components
  • crash
  • cycling
  • Equipment
  • Favorite rides
  • fitness
  • food
  • guest post
  • Heat
  • Injury
  • logs
  • Maintenance
  • Mental
  • Nutrition
  • Odds 'n ends
  • People
  • Poll
  • Racing
  • Records & stats
  • Review
  • Rides
  • running
  • Safety
  • soreness
  • Specialized
  • Technique
  • Technology
  • Tips
  • tires
  • training
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Partners

Recent Posts

  • Getting Back on the Bike: Road Cycling Tips for Older Cyclists
  • Are BCAAs and EAAs Good for Cycling?
  • How to Fix Numb Toes When Cycling
  • How to Find and Vet a Bike Club
  • Celebrate Pearl Izumi with Big Savings in the Memorial Day Sale

Categories

  • Accessories
  • Bike fit
  • Bikes
  • Blogging
  • Books
  • clubs
  • Cold weather
  • Community
  • Commuting
  • Components
  • crash
  • cycling
  • Equipment
  • Favorite rides
  • fitness
  • food
  • guest post
  • Heat
  • Injury
  • logs
  • Maintenance
  • Mental
  • Nutrition
  • Odds 'n ends
  • People
  • Poll
  • Racing
  • Records & stats
  • Review
  • Rides
  • running
  • Safety
  • soreness
  • Specialized
  • Technique
  • Technology
  • Tips
  • tires
  • training
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized

Archives

  • May 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • March 2022
  • October 2020
  • November 2018
  • May 2018
  • September 2017
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • January 2016
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008

Copyright © 2026 · Modern Studio Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Go to mobile version
%d