Hi all,

I have a medium Cotic Soul and due to some VERY boggy bridleways and sections too steeps to ride I’m sometimes forced to shoulder the bike. This would be ok apart from the fact that due to the top tube routed cables, the large cable stop/hose guide nearest the seat tube is pretty painful when running.

Any one got any solutions apart from telling me to ‘man up’ or resorting to some Cosmic trail kit?!!

walk and or pipe lagging

walk and or pipe lagging

Thanks, I had thought about pipe lagging, but was hoping for something slightly more aesthetically pleasing to be honest. Walking is not an option!

a cut down chainstay protector?

euro-style, down-tube across your shoulders.

Put bike across you, in front of you, facing to the left (ie chainset away from you)
Turn bars 90 deg to the right.
Put left pedal to the bottom.
without leaning over the bike, grasp right fork leg in your left hand and seat-tube in your right hand.
Pick bike up and over you head
Rest down-tube on your shoulders, or let it slide down to your rucsac if you have one.
you can always move your right hand to your left-crank for more leverage to steady it when its up there.

when you take it off, remember to lift it off you rucsac back onto your shoulders, and move your right hand back to the down-tube, then up and over your head and back down.

You’re not carrying it right.

Or

The seat-tube shouldn’t be anywhere near you, and you should have more weight on your right fore arm.

What the F is that yellow Cosmic thing (bottom bike in pic) is that in case your so tired you cant dismount and you can just have a little kip on the top tube?

Man up, or change your frame to something that routes cables differently, it cant be for very long you have to carry it.

what ir-bandito said.

most of my rides include a bit of a carry. by far the easiest way to carry your bike for any length of time.

(right-click on pic for more detail)

Thanks all,

Look like I’ve got some different carrying methods to experiment with tonight, much appreciated.

Man up, or change your frame to something that routes cables differently, it cant be for very long you have to carry it

The frame won’t be changing, Its the best I’ve ridden. Sometimes about 1/2 a mile run carrying the bike so a bit of comfort wouldn’t go amiss.

euro-style, down-tube across your shoulders.

Sounds promising…. Not seen this technique before, thanks mate.

Top tube resting on my pack is the way forward for me. I don’t do the euro way as I don’t run a bash ring and the thought of slipping and slicing my neck open doesn’t really appeal. Funny that!

Alpin
Nice pic. Where is that?

Do you use a Camelbak? If so why not pad the shoulder strap with foam rather than the bike and rest the frame on that?

Tegernsee, Bavaria.

was worth the effort…..

(again, right-click for big pic)

I’d tend to go with a nice bit of lagging. Weighs hee haw and sheilds those vcable stops from gouging your shoulder nicely.

Lagging ftw.

euro-style, down-tube across your shoulders.

Sounds promising…. Not seen this technique before, thanks mate.

Picked it up after watching the videos of the crazy austrians and swiss carrying up massive mountains to ride back down mentally steep stuff.

I don’t do the euro way as I don’t run a bash ring and the thought of slipping and slicing my neck open doesn’t really appeal

You’d be surprised how far away the chainring is, and if you did slip and drop it, it’d fall off your back, not onto your neck.

Also useful for odd-shaped full-sus frames which may not have access to a top-tube.

Interesting thread, a question I was going to ask but for slightly different reasons. I broke both shoulders in a bike [motor] accident and have real problems shouldering CX style due to pain where TTube rests on shoulder. However the bottom bracket method looks like it should work for me. Anybody tried an extra webbing tsrap to steady the bike while in the air ?
Right off to find a big hill, shouldn’t be hard in the Peaks!

Here you go:

Me (in green) and Eddie carrying up Nan Bield week last saturday

I generally have the down tube on one shoulder, and the seat tube on the other, with the BB behind my neck, crossbar in front. Its not great, i’ll try that ‘euro’ way I think.

I use a variant of the cyclocross method but so that the bike’s top tube runs across my back parallel with my shoulders not just over one shoulder.

You get the bike on you back like the guy in the 2nd cyclocross picture but instead of putting your right arm through the frame you hold the stem in your right hand and reach up and behind you with your left arm to grab the saddle or seat post. If you’re wearing a rucksac or camel back you can rest the top tube across the top of it and it’s really comfy. Also works with a 2006 Yeti 575 (ie. a frame that doesn’t have a standard top tube).

Try sticking a sanitary pad on your shoulder where the bike rubs?

I put the nose of the saddle on my shoulder and hold it by the downtube. Leaves left arm free to stuff.

Then again, not many unrideable climbs in the alpine passes of Wiltshire.

I asked a similar question over on MTBR! 😯 😆

Had to carry my 456 for 4 miles on Saturday as the rim split and couldn’t wheel it. Strapped it to my camel back and supported the weight then walked. Bastard wheel.

Across shoulders, make sure your cable ties are trimmed ad out of the way. Hold saddle/post with 1 hand and bar with other. Try and stay upright. That and MTFU. Should be good for a couple of hours and probably up to Grade 2 scrambles

. Should be good for a couple of hours and probably up to Grade 2 scrambles