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Anybody else? Do you have a bike that gets neglected because it gives you the heebie jeebies?
Friday, October 19, 2012
Fear the bicycle
I'm afraid of my Specialized Dolce. She's a beautiful bike and satisfies my need for speed, but she's so light and twitchy that I never feel fully comfortable on her. It's not because of the few falls I've had from her: I've suffered more, and bloodier, crashes on the Ariel. Nor is it the function of being clipped in: my clipped falls on Circe were at a near stop while my clipped falls on Lily were at speed (see "bloodier" above). I don't feel like Circe is under my complete control and it makes me hesitant to ride her.
A local friend has a Dolce, which is two years older than mine, and she feels the same way about her bike. She's not the collector like I am and this is her only bike. At least I have a choice when I want to hit the road for a bit of two-wheeled freedom.
Anybody else? Do you have a bike that gets neglected because it gives you the heebie jeebies?
Anybody else? Do you have a bike that gets neglected because it gives you the heebie jeebies?
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I personally don't have a direct fear of any bike, as I'm fearless (or dumb), however G.E. is pretty freaked out by her Bridgestone mountain bike, it's a bit stretched, and the handlebars are too flat, so it gives you that "falling forward" feeling. It's getting an overhaul at the moment, carbon risers, maybe a shorter stem. I'm mildly desperate to get her confident on that bike! The only thing that has ever really freaked me out is bikes that are too big, witch you would think would happen more often at 5ft 2 inches!
ReplyDeleteTo clarify, the Bridgestone itself doesn't freak me out, but it has a really long top tube which doesn't work well for me while attempting to mountain bike (since I already have a fear or mountain biking anyway).
DeleteI agree with the sentiment of "too big" bikes - I just don't feel comfortable riding them.
I'm wondering, Melanie, if it's the frame material, the brand or something else that makes it feel twitchy? Maybe it's not the best road bike for you? For me, if I'm not confident and comfortable on a bike, I really don't want to ride it (like the Bridgestone), but maybe that's just me?
Sam, your statement about "falling forward" resonates. That's part of what freaks me out about the road bike. I do not relish the idea of pitching over the handlebars at speed.
DeleteG.E., I think it may just be that I'm not comfortable on a road bike. Of course, my experience is limited. I might test some other road bikes eventually and see if it's this particular bike or the style.
DeleteThe last time I rode the Dolce was was the Tour de Cure in June. Wow, it's sat idle for for four months. :/ So no, I don't think it's just you.
I'm sure there's a happy medium somewhere between weight and speed. I'm still convinced a light weight steel bike might be the answer for me (though not suggesting it's the answer for everyone). I'll be interested to read more about your test rides when you have time to try out some others to see what you think. Of course, generally the steel bikes available for test rides tend to be much heavier anyway, but it will still be good to hear what you think of the bikes you try out.
DeleteI'm not afraid on any of my bikes now. If I were, I'd either be figuring out why it wasn't working for me and fixing it, or getting another bike.
ReplyDeleteWhen I started riding again in the early 90's, I had to buy a new bike. SO MANY of the bikes I tried then felt odd and twitchy and not the way I remembered a bike feeling. I kept looking till I found a bike that matched (more or less) what I wanted. That was a Trek hybrid, one of the bikes I still ride today. It's gone through several handlebar changes as I've gotten older, but not much else. :) My other main bike is a Novara (REI brand) Randonee, a touring bike (though I don't tour.) It's comfy and stable and makes me happy. I'm probably going to change out the drop handlebars at some point, and maybe lower the gearing when I can afford the update. My Brompton folding bike is a little more twitchy than the others, but that's largely cause by the difference in wheel size and weight and (maybe) wheelbase. It takes about 2 mins of riding to feel stable on it after the big wheel bikes.
Of course, I'm not riding for speed these days. At 60, I'm just delighted to be able to ride all around for transport as much as I can, so that we can get by with just one car.
That's interesting about the Brompton. I've noticed the tiny wheels compared the the size of the rest of the frame and wondered how it would handle.
DeleteThe geometry and setup of bikes like that is much beloved by racers. That twitchy feeling often comes from qualities they value, like hard skinny tires, shorter wheelbases, super-stiff frame parts related to acceleration, lightweight high-tension wheels with low spoke counts, and fast steering response. Most of these are exactly opposite to a comfortable and pleasant riding experience for non-racers, though. Unfortunately, trying to convert a bike setup like a racing bike into one that doesn't feel twitchy is going to be somewhat hit or miss, since altering one or two of the factors won't address the others, and may actually accentuate them to make it feel less comfortable. Longer wheelbase, bigger and softer tires, less sensitive steering, a frame builder not obsessed with "bottom bracket stiffness", the ability to carry cargo loads easily, and more comfortable cockpit setup are more straightforward to attain with a frame and bike intended for it from the start. This is just a summary of what I've learned reading Grant Petersen and Jan Heine about the complicated issues around bicycle setup.
ReplyDeleteThat makes a lot of sense, thank you. I don't think I'll give up on my Dolce just yet. More time in the saddle should help me get over my fear.
DeleteI also have a Specialized Dolce (an older model), and although I love the lightness and nimbleness of the bicycle, it is twitchy for me when I am really tired and my riding form has degraded due to fatigue. I still ride on it and enjoy doing so, but I've decided to use it only for rides <= 100 miles, and to use my Tricross for randonneuring. We'll see if that works for me.
ReplyDeleteHmm... your comments about "nimbleness" and form degradation has struck something. I am not a graceful rider and my corrections tend toward the gross rather than fine end of the movement spectrum. That's not much of a problem on my heavier bikes and a recipe for near disaster on the Dolce. Yeah, more practice time is needed.
DeleteI recently bought a new road bike and test road 5-6 different bikes. I had an odd experience on one...I felt great on it but when I stood to sprint, I had an "oh crap" moment where- as best I can describe it- it felt like the bike disappeared from underneath me for a split second. I loved the bike overall, but ended up buying one that felt more stable.
DeleteOh yes, Brian. I wouldn't dare stand and pedal on my road bike. The hybrid, sure, but not the road bike. Yikes!
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