"The Look"

[Too Tall]

Do you think all these customers were setup by one "guy"?
http://www.rideyourbike.com/steellugs.html

[Ozz]

Can't say I saw any bikes with any drop between the saddle and bars....

That guy runs a pretty funky shop...read some more stuff on his site.

I asked him about building some wheels for me and mentioned 32H and double butted spokes...his response was essentially: "Nonsense! At your weight you need 36H and straight gauge spokes. Just let us do the job and your wheels will last a lifetime." I have no doubt they would last... :rolleyes:

He obviously caters to a particular type of rider and/or style of riding, and I don't disagree with much of what he says...he just seems to be a bit of a zealot.

[SPINDAWG]

and kept using the same setup. Keeps inventory stock down a bit.

[Climb01742]

no one told roger he had his bike pointed in the wrong direction. be afraid, be very afraid.

[christian]

Argh. Climbo beat me to it.

[scrooge]

Didn't anybody tell him that a bike's not just an accessory but that he's supposed to ride that thing?

Seriously--I wonder why he sells so many Atlantis frames and no Rambouillets.

[weisan]

I was intrigued by the change of the same backdrop (the city streets) in different times of the day and at different season of the year. That is always interesting. Back to childlike joy of riding.... :D

[keno]

worries me.

keno

[Ray]

Didn't anybody tell him that a bike's not just an accessory but that he's supposed to ride that thing?

Seriously--I wonder why he sells so many Atlantis frames and no Rambouillets.
He has a few Kogswells in there, which are nearly geometric clones of the Rambouillet for a bit more than half the price. Maybe he steers those customers towards the less expensive frame.

In terms of the high bars, a lot of beginners can't stand road bikes because of low bars (even level with the bars). So many "comfort" bikes have the bars well above the saddle height. These bikes give them that position and bikes that will ride a lot better than a cheap mtb or hybrid with high bars. And if they ride enough, the bars will likely start coming down. I started riding about 9 years ago and quickly gravitated to the Rivendell fit because I liked the bars at about saddle height and couldn't get comfortable on most road bikes. I'll never be a racer or have my bars really low, but they're 5-6 cm below saddle height on my drop bar bikes now. Grant's pushing even higher bars now, which I can't relate to, but if it gets more people back on bikes, I can't find anything bad about that.

-Ray

[Too Tall]

How 'bout saddle placement. By and large too far forward?

[sspielman]

I always think that the perfect position on a bike bike is something that we should aspire to. It is not always possible for all people, and compromises sometimes must be made accordingly. However, I have to say that I am having trouble imagining the circumstances under which every bike pictured is set up in such a goofy way......I have to assume that it is a result of their fitting procedure......which according to their website is a $100 value.

[Too Tall]

I recall a popular button a few yr.s back "Question Authority" :)

In 2002 we were bombing through someplace midwest during a race and after seeing a bunch of local riders / racerettes who came out to cheer us on someone in our van said "why do all the riders look like bears on bikes"? Hey, it wasn't what you're thinking that's (cough cough) ILLEGAL ;) I think the local "look" included excessive reach and very low bars making for that bear on a bike look...you know elbows locked shoulder around your ears etc. Could have been due to a "guy" who set them all up? Beats me, it's a case for the forensics department.

CSI / Forensics - Book em Dano

[Ozz]

you may not like the "look" of these folks bikes, nor understand the fitting process, but at least they are out on the road, on bikes they like. Their faces are those of proud owners, and to me, the bikes look "functional"...

If you are looking for a "racer-boy" bike, this is not your shop....

Read some more parts of this guys website before being too harsh...you may not agree with all he has to say, but he is an opinionated, cycling advocate. We could all use one of those in our community.

I would be interested to hear if Curt knows this guy and what he thinks......

[Too Tall]

Ozz, I'm not criticizing honest. It's a good thing as you say. Just observing the process of how people come to what they own and resulting trials with equipment and such. I'm just eyeballing them that's all babe.

[weisan]

I am starting to fantasize about each forum member sending in a personal photo of themselves on their bikes. Serotta_James, can we make that a new signup requirement? :D

How cool would that be!!!

[M_A_Martin]

Ah Weisan, good idea, but there was some trouble ages ago with that!

I think we all have our bikes posted don't we?


Ohhhh that would be a perfect project for BBDave during open house....

Just as these cyclists are all pictured in about the same place, Dave could take our pictures out in front of the factory...although we wouldn't get the changing seasons thing going on.

I think it odd that they don't have the store front in the pictures. Very odd. If I'm that proud of my new bike that I'll have my pic put on the web to help the shop out, I'd want to show where I bought my bike...

[zap]

weisan, some of us already have. Do we get double posting credits :D

MAM-still have a few bikes to go. especially that little serotta.

[Tom]

unless they buy a garage door.

[Ray]

I always think that the perfect position on a bike bike is something that we should aspire to. It is not always possible for all people, and compromises sometimes must be made accordingly. However, I have to say that I am having trouble imagining the circumstances under which every bike pictured is set up in such a goofy way......I have to assume that it is a result of their fitting procedure......which according to their website is a $100 value.
"The perfect position on a bike" is different for everyone though. Dependent on body type, conditioning, and the purpose of the ride. As Ozz noted, the vast majority of these aren't race bikes by any stretch of the imagination. They're highly functional, probably urban commuters for the most part. The guy's likely fitting them for whatever combination of function and comfort they've indicated to him they want. And it's all filtered through his bias, which is true for any fitter. I'll bet most of them are happy with their bikes and are out riding them, which they'd likely not be if fit for a more "perfect position".

So, goofy is in the eye of the beholder. You wouldn't want to ride a bike set up like these and neither would I (although a couple of the moustache bar bikes look just about right to me for functional urban riding). But they might look at our bikes and think they look like high priced torture devices and would never go near one. Whatever gets them out on the road is the perfect position.

-Ray

[Kevan]

Sandy tried posing with his bike, wearing nothing more than a saddlebag. The small bag certainly was sufficient to its task, but honestly, it should have been a lot bigger. :eek:

Be careful what you wish for. And one more thing there Weisan, we're all bike geeks here... please, no fantasizing, just the idea is nauseating. :D

[M_A_Martin]

Perhaps???

You know what I find very interesting about this "fit" is that the drops appear to be just a touch lower than where some of us might put the tops of our bars...almost as though the fitter was fitting the drops rather than the hoods or the tops of the bar...or like they are splitting the difference of the most efficient position...the drops just a bit lower than what we would consider the most efficient spot and and the tops of the bars just wind up where ever they wind up.
Comfort or not, some of those bars look like skyscrapers...

Myra looks like a serious commuter Keno...you should be afraid of her...very afraid.

Zap: Did you just win that Colorado III on ebay? If so Congratulations. Without knowing the angles on the bike and whether I needed a special fork for that geo, I wasn't going any higher than 500... It was the perfect size for me though...

[Dr. Doofus]

except for paige, none of those folks looks too flexible...those are all audax/city bikes...the saddles are mostly in the e-ritchie sweet spot and those positions look fine for the application...probably better if they all had moustache bars, but that doof's bias...

they look cool...except for new age cowbay ray. he frightens me.

anyway, to this doof they look a zillion times better than somebody on an ottrot with the bars flipped even with, or above, the seat...these cats have french fit bikes that look like proper old-school bikes, not "racing" inspired bikes that have been twisted into french fits


when the doof is old and fat and inflexible, he'll rock the rivendell

[weisan]

you guys just about crack me up!

I need to get a fix outside...on my fixie. Oh my heart aches for a cowhorn bar.

[flydhest]

uhh, all except one guy had a ton of stem showing. How about just one size larger??