You Spoke, I Listened

[@smilerbob]

An extra one for me about being more upright, not only does it help visibility of the road but also stops the back and neck crying out in agony after a ride 😉

[@Chigleybus]

That's true. A slightly more relaxed position can make a massive difference in comfort and pretty much eliminates neck pain, in my experience.

[@WoolyChewbakker]

That “shaft” is a “stem” 😊 Go to a bike fitter and get things done correctly.

[@grahamnutt8958]

Head down might be more streamlined but an upright position, as you stated, will allow better visibility and it might cause less back/neck pain on a long ride.

[@RenAigu]

another adjustment you could do, is flipping the stem upward. The writing will the the wrong way up, but it'll probably be fine, most stems should be able to be used both ways. With the old stem you could do that too, four options to dial it in perfectly

[@petetrundell5454]

Just a to tip to anyone thinking of doing the same: Speaking as a bike mechanic, if you haven’t come across this type of stem before get an experienced person to do this job - it’s straightforward but not obvious how. I see a great many bikes with loose or tight steering bearings because the owner changed the stem which can prove very costly for them or even dangerous.

[@WoolyChewbakker]

@@petetrundell5454 Excellent advice.

[@alexfirth]

Great little change. Not sure you'll have adjusted the headset correctly. The stem bolts on the steerer should be tightened last after all play is removed with the top cap bolt. Enjoying these road bike videos!

[@davidrowe8747]

Rotate the bars back down, so the line of the hoods is parallel to the ground (not sloping up). If they're sloping up, your wrists will be cocked (you can see that in your little demo at 2:40)and you'll end up with numb hands. First principles: Change one thing at a time. Go with the shorter stem, drops horizontal for a while, before rotating the bars upwards (you may find that's not even necessary).

[@Chigleybus]

Spot on that. I've used Deda Zero1 stems for years. Quality items, never any issues. Hopefully you'll find riding on the hoods the most comfortable position and something you won't even think about after a few more rides 👍

[@monksuu]

Try to adjust your seat height too. Mark your current setting to the tube before fiddling with it. After I lowered my seat 1 cm, my center of weight moved slightly back and I was sitting slightly more upright making me more comfortable.

[@OrdinaryJoe12]

Also cycling glasses block upper vision. I got frameless ones so that I can see forward will using the hoods and drops.

[@geetee4037]

Get a bike fit. A professional will get you properly seated on the bike for comfort, worth every penny.

[@Screech9]

Had a mate buy a triban like that, we tried eachothers bikes and I couldn't believe he was riding a 110mm. Going shorter is definitely a good idea. I swear they only put those ridiculous stems on these cheap bikes to make it "look faster"

[@TrainBusFanUK]

Not entirely sure what this is about, but nevertheless its great to finally see a cyclist who listens to his youtube audience 🤣👍👍

[@andrewnorris5415]

Hope it works out. Hard to tell until we try. Hope the weather gets better soon. Something else to consider is an angled stem to raise it a bit more if like that. More of an angle also reduces reach, so the same stem more angled will be closer to you. Shorter stems speed up steering, so be careful of reducing the stock one too much. Shorter can help avoid potholes at the last sec, while being a bit more fidgety to ride.

[@ParanoimiaUK]

Never could get on with the body position on road bikes. First time I rode one was as a kid - I had a Raleigh Chopper at the time, which was a very upright bike as you probably know. I tried my cousin's "racer" as we called them, and I instantly hated the position... I felt very unstable having so much weight almost directly over the front wheel, and I couldn't wait to get off of the damn thing. It probably didn't help that I've been 6ft 3in tall since I was 11 years old, and the whole thing just felt way too flimsy under me, especially those horrible narrow wheels. A few years later, having been without a bike for a while, I wanted a new one as I was fed up with walking to and from school. I knew I didn't want a "racer" under any circumstances, but luckily mountain bikes were just taking off in the UK. I tried one out and found the whole experience to be far better... not only were you more upright, but the position meant that the whole thing felt like it was much more balanced. And of course, the wheels seemed far more sturdy. Plus, still being a kid at the time, I loved the buzz of the tyres on the road. 😂

[@Chigleybus]

Ha ha I hear what you're saying. But you'd be surprised how robust road bikes actually are; and despite using 20 or 23 mm tyres punctures are actually a rarity. Modern road bike tyres ain't cheap mind you.

[@The_Alchemist__]

Shorter stem makes your steering feel more precise, when you say about the your hands feeling to low you should flip the stem upside down makes your handlebars than bit higher

[@matthewdray83]

I would always recommend anyone has professional bike fit, it will probably cost you as much as the bike but they will adjust all the geometry for you. Otherwise you are just trying on shoes in a shop... you will find a pair that fit, but they never be as good as a pair that were made just for you

[@Bin-The-L-Plates]

Might be worth getting a full bike fit, most bike shops do them and it fixed my ride position with a few tweaks. Although I only ride on my turbo trainer inside and don’t need to ride for observations, getting comfortable is really important to prevent injuries. Altering the stem length could have a knock on effect somewhere else.

[@darrenthomas9928]

I think mine is 120mm , but cycling is something I've done for years , with yoga so no pain in the neck or back

[@andrewnorris5415]

Yeah more flexible people tend to be able to go more aero for sure. Some online vids for stretches in order to be able to get lower. With practice you can still see and look around well.

[@BarnardoPlays]

If you want to sit more upright, to me that saddle looks really high (though that could be the size of the bike frame) and the stem is really slammed low. Overly wide bars will also impact comfort - too wide and they can push you towards sitting with the hands further back on them in the way that you're looking to address. If you cycle a lot it could be worth finding somewhere local that does bike fits to get everything dialled in. There are a lot of variables to tweak to figure out how to achieve what you're looking for and a fitter should have all the tools to check that all together.

[@ibs5080]

I see what you did with the title there Ash. Aka "You Spoke". I take it that was a deliberate spoof for "bike spoke". You are an excellent "Spokes-person". 😊

[@smilerbob]

@@ibs5080 Could easily have been “It STEMmed from a comment” I’ll get my (thick winter) coat and see myself out

[@thomaselliot2257]

I have a feeling I commented on this before, but i ordered a bike from Halfords in Motherwell round about 1990 and picked it up a month later. Was going to use it to go to work, but realised when i got on the roads that this adult bike was too big for my 5 feet 4 frame, and i couldn't even put my feet on the ground when i stopped at lights, which was a bit awkward and dangerous.. Went back to the shop and they couldn't lower the seat for me as this was at the lowest. They tried to get another adult one with a lower seat, in vain. By that time i lost the notion. Fortunately they gave me my money back.

[@BarnardoPlays]

You can lower the seat further, introduce the saddle post to a hacksaw. Though probably the overall frame was too large anyway, so then you'd have met the next problem with its sizing. Nowadays there are bike size calculators online that can give you a ballpark of what to look for.

[@thomaselliot2257]

I thought it was just the right size when I stood next to the display model 🙄

[@mrcellophane99]

Plenty of independent on-line and local bike shops that are better than using Amazon

[@smilerbob]

Are you planning a “Riding in the ice / snow” video at all for those on two wheels? That is peddle power or engine power. I know I always avoided it where I could but there were times when I got caught out, miles from home and the snow starts to fall and settle on untreated roads. It is an experience and the times I got caught I ended up walkinga as it was safer

[@AshleyNeal-JustCycling]

I'll go out on my mountain bike with pleasure but the road bike and the Triumph are staying put

[@chrisl1797]

A work colleage decided to cycle to work in the snow and ended up collapsing on arrival at work. The bosses had to call the paramedics. The thought being the extra resistance from the snow caught them out. Please be careful cycling in snow, not just from the it is slipery angle. Think of your heart and lungs too. Stay safe everyone.

[@GG-ml3vr]

​@@chrisl1797Gasping in sub zero air is not recommended.

[@philipsmith9688]

I’ve been hoping to get into Manchester this past week to see how I fare with trams, tramlines and the pedestrians. The aware, the mouth and the clueless pedestrians all in one day. But narrow wheels I thought better of it not to mention temperatures are in minus figures now. 🥶

[@grahambonner508]

No matter how good a cyclist you may be, in snow and ice you have to take up unusual lines and road positions in order to stay upright and you have no control of those motorists slip sliding around. Off road on the other hand is great fun.

[@leetori1]

You need to get a bike fit by a professional bike fitter like myself. There are many minor settings and adjustments which make a huge difference to comfort and injury prevention. The proceeds from my fits go to charity.

[@6JackOfClubs9]

I prefer a more endurance focused frame.

[@qwerty261]

Watching your older video back , I can see why people suggested a shorter stem. However, looking at your riding I would suggest some flexibility work as well. This will make the ride more comfortable. Also agree with a bike fit if you are serious about it. This is how you have the excuse to buy a new bike.

[@DemiGod..]

I would ride with my hands back like you but lean forward to have my hands covering the brakes going downhill and also giving more control of the bike which you need at speed.

[@alanstebbings2886]

Riding as I do in town and for transport rather than pleasure I ride a hybrid for the better visability Only ever rode a road bike once about 40 years ago when the gear change was a lever on the frame Never again It felt far too unstable to take my hands off the bars to change gear

[@philipsmith9688]

If the road saftey hedgehogs rode bikes, who would be learning Ash or the hedgehogs? Seeing what’s going on around you and being seen doesn’t happen enough on Cycling X