Compendium of Internet Fit Advice

[crowding1]

Riding with a backpack makes me want more setback and a higher back angle IME.

[halbritt]

If I were building up a commuter road bike, I’d shoot for zero saddle to bar drop. Reach is going to shorten way up and more weight is going to move toward the ass. The notion that you’d want a road fit on a commuter or grocery getter is kinda silly.

[Orc]

@Roundabout

I’m new to this but maybe the better question is how do people like their commuters set up in comparison to a race bike?

I don’t race, but my randonneuring bike has ~10cm of drop, my xtracycle has ~12, my fixed-gear bike has ~11, and my project bike has ~7. The rando bike and xtracycle have rando bars on them, so the effective drop is ~9cm and ~11cm, but the other two have flat-topped bars so the approximate drop is, for lack of a better word, accurate.

[eric_ssucks]

My commuter bikes have all had somewhere around 3-6 cm drop. I started level with my saddle when I switched my fork, and I’ve dropped the bars about 4cm since then. However, I’m using panniers, so a backpack may leave you wanting slightly less drop. That said I did use a backpack with at least 6cm of drop on my paddy wagon. Remember, you can always cut your steerer, so start high and fiddle with it.

[white_folks]

my first bit of advice: ditch the fucking backpack. they are the worst. bad for your posture, bad for your back, and they make you sweaty.
get a basket or some panniers.

for me, saddle is down about a 2cm, and forward 1cm.
i tend to pedal mid-foot on platforms, and im not wearing a chamwow
bars are far enough forward my glutes are activated if i really hammer while sitting.

actually kinda love my basket bike. gives me jollies just going hella slow everywhere.
had to ride it home in spandex the other day, got some awesome “WTF” looks

[halbritt]

Occasionally wish I had a bike that was fun to ride slow.

[catdrew_f]

@Flamandrio Schwaschwa

If you need to raise your bars more than 1-2cm relative to your race bike to be comfortable on your commuter bike then your position on the race bike is probably too low IMO. I’m comfortable on my race bike so my other bikes are set extremely close. Even with a backpack the fact that I’m not on my commuter bike for 3-5 hours at a time means I don’t really need the bars higher for my back to feel good. Like I said I don’t understand why people seem to think you need a FOP position to commute. Get there more quickly and safely with a good position.

Sounds like the bars on your road bike are too high

I commute on a “race bike” all the time with and without a backpack. All that changes is how fast you need to go before the pain disappears

[Dickason_Daniel]

@Roundabout

When I commute, the point isn’t to go the fastest, it’s to get to class/work at a predictable speed without showing up drenched in sweat.

your Cat 6 upgrade has been rejected.

[DoctorCat]

@halbritt

Occasionally wish I had a bike that was fun to ride slow.

mountain bike.

29er hardtail.

seriously.

[rabbi]

@Sneaky Viking

[quote=Roundabout] When I commute, the point isn’t to go the fastest, it’s to get to class/work at a predictable speed without showing up drenched in sweat.

your Cat 6 upgrade has been rejected.[/quote]
Greg Aiden must be his upgrade coordinator.

[hambeki]

@catdrew f

All that changes is how fast you need to go before the pain disappears

Awesome quote.

[Flamandrio_Schwaschw]

@catdrew f

[quote=Flamandrio Schwaschwa]If you need to raise your bars more than 1-2cm relative to your race bike to be comfortable on your commuter bike then your position on the race bike is probably too low IMO. I’m comfortable on my race bike so my other bikes are set extremely close. Even with a backpack the fact that I’m not on my commuter bike for 3-5 hours at a time means I don’t really need the bars higher for my back to feel good. Like I said I don’t understand why people seem to think you need a FOP position to commute. Get there more quickly and safely with a good position.

Sounds like the bars on your road bike are too high

I commute on a “race bike” all the time with and without a backpack. All that changes is how fast you need to go before the pain disappears[/quote]

Unlikely that my bars are too high, 9cm of drop and a 140mm stem on my good weather ‘commuter’. Totally comfortable with a large backpack, have even done group rides with it on. After so many miles you just get used to it, granted I have a really good cycling specific backpack which is a must IMO. I know that many people on here disagree with me but I know lots of people in real life that ride fairly aggressive road bikes as their only transportation and they don’t have problems riding with bags all the time either.

[catdrew_f]

Yeah

I commute on a road bike pushing 18cm of drop with a backpack

Ride whatever you want

I’m just saying if your commuter bike has the same effective drop as the road bike you are probably sitting too high on the latter

[hambeki]

To be fair: Aren’t you like 6’14"?

[halbritt]

Tall fuckers ITT

[catdrew_f]

6’5

[amy]

with monkey arms

[halbritt]

I’ve seen Andrew. Definitely has monkey arms.

[catdrew_f]

queue photo of me riding mikeys bike

[white_folks]

haha theres a guy here i actually call monkey arms
the dude in front/left of me

PIR Tuesday 04/30/2013 | 39846

too bad you cant see his face. he really looks simian