The C8 has finally shared her name: Beatrix. I was trying to hard with the other names, but when I glanced over at her last night, "Beatrix" was the first thought to pop into my head. Scott thinks that's a perfectly wonderful name as well. (He wasn't too keen with any of the other options I'd floated.I keep adjusting the saddle and handlebars because I'm still not completely comfortable with their positions. The Selle Royal Contour saddle may simply be too narrow for the upright posture. I find that I keep pushing myself to the very back of the saddle which makes my arms straighten out uncomfortably. So now I'm leaning towards a Velo Orange Model 8 which is nice and wide and sprung. According to a quick perusal of the intarwebs, it appears that the Pashley Princess and Linus Dutchi 3 I test rode both had saddles about the same size and with springs.
I'm also thinking about changing out the handlebar for something that sweeps back a bit further... but I'll wait on that until I get a new NEW saddle and see if that improves the ride quality of my city bike.
Any opinions in blog land?
I probably shouldn't comment... but I will anyway. :O)
ReplyDeleteFirst, love the new name! Seems like a perfect fit.
Secondly, I am not surprised that you're having some possible issues with a narrower saddle. While I absolutely understand not wanting that super cushy saddle that comes on the Public, I know that I was happier having a wider saddle. There's something about being that upright that seems to necessitate the wider sitting area (at least for me). It has nothing to do with the size of ones' bottom side either, but just the sit bones having a place to rest. It's kind of a pain to test out saddles too... just not many shops that will allow people to test them without purchasing first. I know Terry allows a 30 day trial on their saddles, and there may be others online. Hopefully, you'll find something that will work well.
Lastly, though you didn't ask for commentary on it {but I like to stick my nose where it doesn't belong}, I would be cautious with a handlebar change. Of course, you will have your own set up and likes/dislikes, but I know with the change I made to the more swept back handlebar, it really changed the way the bike felt, and I just didn't like it. I'm sure you can find an option that would be more swept back, but not complete English countryside kind of swept back... if that makes any sense. As with the saddle, it would be nice to do a couple of trials before making a permanent switch. I know my biggest reason for changing them was that I didn't like the looks (it just felt too modern-city bike to me), but I also thought having my hands more to the sides would suit me better. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to really work out well.
Okay, enough of that... I'm truly just throwing it out there as something to consider, and of course, you have to make your bike comfortable for you, so take any thoughts I put out there with a grain of salt. :O)
Glad you're enjoying the Public, and hopefully you'll be able to get 'er all tuned in the way you'd like it to be. Enjoy the rest of the weekend and have a great week!
No no, I'm grateful for your comment and was hoping that you'd throw in your experience. I read about your changes to the J7 and how mixed you felt about them. Like you, I think the swept back bar would be more aesthetically pleasing, but I don't want to mess up the ride quality if a change in saddle will keep me from hyper extending my elbows so I can reach the grips. :)
ReplyDeleteEbay sometimes has some decent deals on saddles (and handlebars), if you have patience (which I often don't - although I try). There's currently a B67s in brown that has a decent price on it (at least at the moment), though the shipping from England might not keep the cost low. Not sure if you'd even want a Brooks... but just an idea. Also, Ben's Cycle in Milwaukee often has display models that they sell on their website for a discount. There doesn't appear to be anything there at the moment of a reasonable price, but I sometimes watch their shop for deals... because, well, you just never know in this house what could be needed at a given moment. :O)
DeleteI haven't had the chance to read through all your posts, but I'm wondering how tall you are... I ask because I'm considering getting the C8 and I'm 4'10". It's not easy finding a bike that fits. The only Public bike that fits is the small C. I've been searching the web and only found one site that talks about petite bikes (some of the ones she recommends run about $3K which is more than I'd like to pay for a bike).
ReplyDeleteSo, how's Beatrix treating you now? (^_^)
Hi Annalynn. It must be SO frustrating trying to find an adult bike for yourself! The small C8 (and the C7 if you don't mind a rear derailleur instead of an internal hub) has a fairly low step-through that it ~might~ work for you. If you want to take a chance, Public does offer a "love it at first ride" return policy... Granted, it might be a PITA to ship it back, but that's an option if it winds up not fitting.
DeleteI'm 5'7" and most of my height is in my legs. I can't quite touch the ground when seated on the C8 because my saddle is high enough to let my legs get almost full extension while pedaling. To be honest, Beatrix hasn't gotten much love lately mostly because it's just been too stinking hot for me to do much outside. I'm sure she'll see more action as the weather improves. :)