Stupid questions from a newbie roadie

seamus

OK, few quick ones. Did my first short trip on the new bike this morning. Loving it, except that my hands (and eventually arms) were killing me (combination of different position + no suspension). Stupidly fast compared to the MTB. Just a couple of quick ones:

1. How does the shifter work for the front mech (compact)? It's a double/compact shifter, it seems to shift up fine without problems, but shifting down there's one huge clunk, which releases the mech. Then I have to shift up once to properly align the mech with the smaller ring, and a second time to get back onto the big ring. Does that sound normal? It's definitely a double shifter on the front and not a triple. Though the rear mech isn't adjusted correctly, so it might all just need some tweaking.

2. Are there any particular guidelines on the angle of the bars? When I got it first, the angle of the bars felt a little bit uncomfortable - using the drops felt like my wrists were pointing upwards and I wasn't "reaching" very much. So I angled them a little bit more downwards which feels much more comfortable on both the drops and the top, and the reach feels more normal. I'm assuming it's OK to do this, just doublechecking.

3. I'm avoiding the drops for the moment because it feels weird. The narrower tyres and different hand positions mean that I'm a tiny bit wobbly anyway and switching to the drops is a bit unnerving. Should I steel through it, or wait until I'm more comfortable on the top before I start using the drops?

I think that's it. Anything else I should know about the bike?

Lumen

seamus wrote: »

Are there any particular guidelines on the angle of the bars?

One rule of thumb is that the lower part of the drops should form a line which bisects the seatstays.

More importantly is to have a flat, horizontal section of bar running forward to the hoods.

Brake levers/shifters should be vertical.

Chips Lovell

seamus wrote: »

1. How does the shifter work for the front mech (compact)? It's a double/compact shifter, it seems to shift up fine without problems, but shifting down there's one huge clunk, which releases the mech. Then I have to shift up once to properly align the mech with the smaller ring, and a second time to get back onto the big ring. Does that sound normal? It's definitely a double shifter on the front and not a triple. Though the rear mech isn't adjusted correctly, so it might all just need some tweaking.

Some front shifters allow for trimming, i.e. you can move the front mech through more than one position. This means you encounter less chain rub was you approach big/big or small/small combos. However, by the sound of yours, your limit screw needs to be adjusted for the inner ring as it seems as if the mech is dropping in too far and you have to trim it back again to prevent rubbing. In short, you've probably got the right shifter, just the mech needs a bit of adjusting.

seamus wrote: »

2. Are there any particular guidelines on the angle of the bars? When I got it first, the angle of the bars felt a little bit uncomfortable - using the drops felt like my wrists were pointing upwards and I wasn't "reaching" very much. So I angled them a little bit more downwards which feels much more comfortable on both the drops and the top, and the reach feels more normal. I'm assuming it's OK to do this, just doublechecking.

It's OK. You see people using all sorts of different angles. Traditionally, the idea was to have the bottom of the drop level with the ground, but you see a lot of folks tilting their bars up or mounting their shifters higher on the bars. So much so that you see some shops selling bikes already set up like this.

seamus wrote: »

3. I'm avoiding the drops for the moment because it feels weird. The narrower tyres and different hand positions mean that I'm a tiny bit wobbly anyway and switching to the drops is a bit unnerving. Should I steel through it, or wait until I'm more comfortable on the top before I start using the drops?

I'd say give your self a few spins to get used to the bike. The position in the drops can feel very extreme for a first timer, so I wouldn't sweat it too much.

seamus

Thanks for that guys, I'll tweak the mechs and keep an eye on the bars. I did think the bars looked a little off-angle when I first got it, but I'll doublecheck what I've done based on Lumen's rule of thumb.

Blowfish

seamus wrote: »

3. I'm avoiding the drops for the moment because it feels weird. The narrower tyres and different hand positions mean that I'm a tiny bit wobbly anyway and switching to the drops is a bit unnerving. Should I steel through it, or wait until I'm more comfortable on the top before I start using the drops?

Steel through it. It does feel a bit odd at first, but I'm only a few weeks in and am at the point where I do my whole commute on the drops as it actually gives more control than the hoods. The one thing to watch for though is to make sure you keep your elbows bent and don't lock them. It gets painful pretty quickly if you do lock them.

ROK ON

Different bikes are doifferent. Some bikes, you will take to in terms of fit pretty much immediately, whereas others reuire a bit of work with seat and bar position as well as stem length. Take your time to get the feel of the bike.

On the drops, they are there for a reason, but again you will just need to get used to them. FWIW, it is significantly easier while descending to control/brake the bike in the drops.
Best of luck.

seamus

I knew there was something else:

The brakes are cabled up euro style. This is a bit offputting but it's handy because it allows me to brake with the front and change gear at the back, at the same time. Is this standard for road bikes?

Lumen

seamus wrote: »

I knew there was something else:

The brakes are cabled up euro style. This is a bit offputting but it's handy because it allows me to brake with the front and change gear at the back, at the same time. Is this standard for road bikes?

Varies geographically.

I get mine set up that way as it's useful for braking whilst indicating to turn right, especially downhill.

Got a Cube MTB delivered yesterday also set up this way, but didn't request it. I think Cubes are German, which would explain it.

blorg

seamus wrote: »

I knew there was something else:

The brakes are cabled up euro style. This is a bit offputting but it's handy because it allows me to brake with the front and change gear at the back, at the same time. Is this standard for road bikes?

Generally not in Ireland and the UK although it is how they do it on the continent. It's easy to change, but if you are happy with it as it is no reason to. Key really is to have all your bikes one way or the other I think.

tomasrojo

Sheldon Brown preferred the UK/Ireland-style, as it meant that the dominant hand (for most people) was controlling the most important brake.

Trojan

The fitter you are, the better the drops will feel. I still rarely use drops, maybe 5% of the time (fast descents and strong headwinds).

+1 for Al and Seamus* sized roadies**!


*I'm sure you're delighted to be lumped in with me there
** Well, I'm almost roadie. Ok, not much. Maybe a little.

BostonB

What are euro style brakes?

Lumen

BostonB wrote: »

What are euro style brakes?

Left brake front, right brake rear.

mcgratheoin

tomasrojo wrote: »

Sheldon Brown preferred the UK/Ireland-style, as it meant that the dominant hand (for most people) was controlling the most important brake.

On that note, as a new cyclist it's very worthwhile reading this article by Sheldon. Most people grow up listening to their parents tell them not to use the front brake, when it should actually be your main source of stopping power.

BostonB

Lumen wrote: »

Left brake front, right brake rear.

Ah thanks. Now that I think about it I've noticed it different on some bikes and wondered why. That sheldon bit clears it all up.