How the bejesus do you ride over rougher stuff at a reasonable pace without having the saddle hit you in the knackers as you absorb the bumps with your legs 😕 Tried it last night as i usually have a dropper post and it wasn't the best. Relatively flat trail so no need to be hanging over the back of the bike.
Sumo suck.
Never found it a problem. Just stand up a bit where you need to, even if it's just for a second.
As above.
If you've say 175 cranks, stood up with level pedals you've 17.5cm of "travel" before the sack hits the saddle anyhow. And that's assuming you're not infront/behind/beside the saddle when it gets proper rough.
There's no question of sitting down on this bit. Its rooty and you're hitting it relatively quickly. Tried picking the smoothest line but still enough to buck the bike around. Too long a stretch to bunnyhop (for me anyway) and that's a challenge in itself with the saddle right up.
I dunno, just do.
Think more allong the lines of weight back rather than weight down. Moving down on the bike does make you more stable and if you imagine the bike pivoting arround a fixed point at any one time (e.g. an imaginary point on the ground mid way between the wheels), being closer to that fixed point means small movements bring your COG foreward/back relative to that point. Doing the same with the seat up required a bigger movement to move in the same arc arround that point, but it's all still possible.
Wearing Lycra rather than baggies helps a lot too, I'm forever snagging my shorts if I try to ride the XC bike in baggies!
I don't have knackers! \o/
never had a problem, just move around on the bike more!
Oh, are you on flats? Cos that makes seat up rough stuff FAR harder IME. You need a bit of clearance then, as you need to bend your legs more to keep feet on the pedals.
I think baggies without padded shorts underneath to keep the tackle tucked away may part of the problem. Think thats enough detail to avoid putting anyone off their lunch 😀
TINAS - i think i follow your logic. Fully rigid bike arriving friday so i'll get lots of practice.
IA - Yes, i was on flats last night. Will be on clips on the bike where i'm riding seat up all the time though.
sack hits the saddle
Reported. I don't need to read such ball-shivelling words this early in the day...
Yes, i was on flats last night. Will be on clips on the bike where i'm riding seat up all the time though
Makes a huge difference, on flats compared to clips I'd need to drop the saddle 2" to keep the same speed (roughly)
IA - MemberOh, are you on flats? Cos that makes seat up rough stuff FAR harder IME. You need a bit of clearance then, as you need to bend your legs more to keep feet on the pedals.
+100, as I found out this weekend. First time using flats in a while. You definitely need to drop your post a bit.
Like the good old days before suspension, level cranks and stand up using legs and arms to absorb the bumps. As has been said ^^^ it should lift you clear of the saddle sufficiently. Never had a problem but then I may be lacking in other areas as well as riding ability!!
Just move back a bit:
[url= http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7107/7759781936_fa54ecec90_z.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/7759781936/ ]Liam Killeen, Olympic Mountain Bike Race, Practice Session, Hadley Farm[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/brf/ ]brf[/url], on Flickr
Will try with clips and see what difference that makes, sounds promising though.
As per the clip above - its a lot flatter than that and you are carrying speed into the section. Relatively short stayed bike with a slack seat tube angle so to get off the back you're a fair way back and would just be hanging onto the bars with no traction on the front wheel.
Thanks all.
Stand and pedal. Float over the ground 🙂
drop the seat about 10-20mm from 'perfect for pedalling height' I read somewhere this gives enough flexibility to move around without compromising pedel efficiency.
or something.
Also: whatever the length of your cranks, i'm pretty sure that isn't the distance from saddle to ballsack when you stand up, with the pedals level (the crank length is the 'a' or the 'b' not the 'h' in Pythagoras theorem).
I bet they'd put em darn if they were doing reyt stuff! 😆
Footflaps>
[trolling] didn't Liam crash on that race - thus proving he should have had his seat lower? [/trolling]
I bet they'd put em darn if they were doing reyt stuff!
In English? 😕
didn't Liam crash on that ride - thus proving he should have had his seat lower?
I was gonna say that, that's the practice session though - perhaps he decided to lower his saddle and then crashed in the race 😉
Something i read about how pro roadies tackle rough cobbles, which works for me on rougher offroad sections.
hover just above the saddle, pick a biggish gear, your not trying to spin but your also not griding the gear. Then go as fast as you can, the faster you are, the easier it is on your body as you float across the top of the rocks and roots.
All this maths on crank length surely falls foul on two spots.... first of all when pedalling my leg is near enough straight with just a slight bend. When stood up over rough stuff they are bent and therefore decreases the 17.5cm. Also, since i was in baggies and pants as it was just a quick after work blast for an hour or so, there will be some sack sag eating into that distance. All in i reckon down to 10cm.
mrmo - No chance of pedalling over this section on flats even with the seat down. You'd either bounce a foot off the pedals or stand a good chance of catching a crank on a root.
crotchrocket - interesting. I might have a look at the pros to check leg extension comparatives. Whilst definitely not the most relevant pro to use emily batty should provide a decent guide for leg extension 😀
Mrs Toast - MemberI don't have knackers! \o/
Point taken, but there's no need for dirty pictures.
you use riding technique rather than rely on expensive and shoddy tech.
Gotama - interesting questions that I often ask. I have only ever ridden a HT (ex demos) and basically had to learn more technique and be more dynamic on the bike (I guess). Moving the seat post also made a big difference despite being a pain in the * (little joke there!).
However, many XC bikes I have tried recently have less adjustable/semi-fixed (in practice) seat posts, so I have been experimenting with trying to keep my saddle at one height. Obviously this is good from race training but I must admit to finding it quite hard. I am getting better but still hate the kick in the * (no joke this time) that you get riding fast on ST with lots of rooty, little drop offs. On the other hand, I had developed a habit of hanging too far off the back and losing front wheel control. so swings and rounabouts I guess.
The good news, this is always an excuse for more practice!!!
mrmo - interesting ideas there. I was riding recently with jambalaya and he had been recently jedi-ed. He pointed out that I was hanging off the back too much. He also got me riding in the big ring (more to stop chain problems initially) but it has the same effect as you suggest ie, ride a little faster, and smoother. Did the same run three times on Saturday afternoon. 2x in middle ring, 1x in big ring and the latter was def the smoothest.
^^^i thought the op has trying to keep out his big ring? :-). If the single track is on the flat could you move your weight forward so the seat bounces around behind you? or would weight be too far forward then?
Did the same run three times on Saturday afternoon. 2x in middle ring, 1x in big ring and the latter was def the smoothest.
So you rode the same bit of trail 3 times and were smoothest on the 3rd? 😉
IA 😉 actually it (the big ring) was on the second run and I was experimenting!!!
But watching the Olympics has made me go back a bit more (my old style) but try to adjust quicker.
I think baggies without padded shorts underneath
That must be so uncomfortable