Top Hacks To Make Your Road Bike More Comfortable
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 16. 07. 2024
- Riding your road bike in comfort is one of the best feelings for a cyclist! No matter how often or how hard you ride you can always take steps to be more comfortable on your bike. Manon is with us this maintenance Monday to share her top tips to keep you riding in comfort!
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Did we miss any comfort hacks? Let us knowđ
What about handlebar height?
Instead of dubble wrapping the tape, there are gels for under the tape. Works better for shocks, according to me :). Less added thickness as well.
The right Pants/Shorts
ride steel frames
Manon is so beautiful!!
Tip for the double wrapping of your bars: Just put 1 or 2 strokes of bartape in the length direction of you bar were you rest your hand the most. Just wrap handlebar tape over it like normal
She is bringing some fresh air into the videos. I like her and she is getting more comfortable in front of the camera. :)
ColinOtis et al: Monon is low key but animated and seems to really be enjoying taping her segments. She comes across as very natural - just being herself - and that is very important IMO. Keep âem coming Manon!
Always enjoying Manon's presentations!
Im more likely enjoying european english accent than americans....
Manon's the best!
Manon on Monday. nice way to start the week.
Lets name it Manonday
Someone mentioned saddle angle, and I agree, itâs a big deal. Also, something I accidentally discovered was that going down to 170mm cranks eliminated saddle sores.
Proper seat angle is everything.
đ Spotted
...and no mention in the video.
Ehehe
Especially for us women! We cannot adjust where stuff is. So strange this woman does not mention this.
Iâd back up even further. The proper seat is the very first step before talking about angles. I had a bike fit done and all we did at first was swap out the saddle. Instant improvement in everything.
One of the best pieces of advice I ever got when I first started was to have a light grip on the bars and bend the elbows. Sore hands often mean you have a death grip on the bars. Bent elbows help to mitigate the shock of the road. Think of them as front suspension for the body.
heavy feet , light hands
@@I.Gave.Up. Also Activate the core for balance!!!!!!!
This is all also true for riding sport motorcycles :)
@@Simonewhitesim-1music Proper positioning will cause it to happen without too much thought. If you have to think about it, you're probably already in over your head and need to back off until you've done the work off the bike to progress the position(if even necessary)
@@yannickokpara4861 yes. All great point's. We could go on forever. Cheers everyone.
I'm not a cycling guru but I've discovered two things worth sharing:
A company called Silca has a tire pressure calculator on their website. You need to know body + bike weight, the actual measured tire thickness (depends on your wheel, so has to be measured) the surface you are riding on (smooth tarmac, new pavement, old pavement, cobbles, gravel) and your preferred riding position (front to rear weight distribution). It spits out recommended pressures. It really changed my life. I was riding too high a pressure by about 10 psi, and I thought I was already on the low end of what was prudent.. Going with their numbers has made me a little faster and a lot more comfortable. No flats as yet due to this. The calculator is they claim based on extensive engineering analyses and on some other youtube video one of their engineers said that they consulted with some world tour teams, especially for spring classics. In any case it has worked for me. And it's free.
Extra thick facial moisturizing creme is identical to chamois creme and 1/4 the price. A good brand in the US is Eucerin. They make more than one kind. The good stuff is Eucerin Original Healing Creme.
Manon is a natural
Manon, I am very happy to see you hosting more video's, and you have done a creditable and informative job as usual.
move your saddle forward or back by 1mm increments for best back/upper back position, adjusting saddle angle by 1 degree increments can change things too.
Most important, make sure you are on the right frame size. :)
great tips and well done for flying solo today Manon
I think Manon got the most important! She has a great voice and are so relaxed and have the presenters ability in her genes. Can not be mush better!
Love Manon's presentation. Fresh new look of GCN
I think this is the first time ive seen jeans on this channel. Lol
More Manon please!!! Im like done with the boys for all those years đ€Ł
For me, making sure my wrists are as neutral as possible while in the hoods and drops helps quite a bit. Once I start putting pressure on them while cocked up or down, I almost immediately start having problems with my hands and wrists.
Yeah. it affects everything up and down the chain one way or the other if you deviate your wrists. If your wrists stay more or less the same before and after you let your hands mingle with the bar, it's usually a sign you've obtained a relaxed/neutral wrist angle, which will set you up for relaxed shoulders and neck, properly activated lats, removal of involuntary pelvic motion and spinal flexion, the list goes on. Everything is connected.
I like Manonâs videos đđŒ
Very informative show , I learn every time just from GSN show , that's GREAT
When I heard "Chamois crĂšme" I immediately thought that it is made by Xiaomi đđ
No wonder, considering they even have a car in their range
JĂ©Ă©, egy magyar! :D
@@mateagoston8145 JĂ©, egy mĂĄsik magyar! đ
Always love watching Manon
I'm excited to see where Manon finally lands and finds her niche in the lineup.
I like that heel trick!!! Thanks for sharing!!
Really enjoying the new presenters GCN :D awesome video.
agreed
Tanks GCN for many excellent videos !!! I learned a lot from your great channel !!!
1. Clean your bottom, dry it and use baby powder oder vaseline for long rides.
2. use a saddle with a long slot to reduce pressure on your testicles + slight angle downwards.
3. if you still got a sore bottom, use a second pair of underwear with one size bigger for better fitting.
4. instead of a stronger cushened grip-wrap, use 2 pairs of gloves. the second pair also slightly bigger. this will give more comfort anywhere your hand goes on, instead of the foam tubes which only is placed on certain areas.
5. a bigger back tire helps for less vibrations but add more comfort and traction in corners.
6. if you got knee problems, try not to paddle at the same speed for a long time (like on a home trainer), but rather mix your speeds a bit.
There's something about the way Manon speaks that makes us pay attention
Makes you stand to attention.
GCN : Slam your stem
Also GCN : Comfort is important
One doesn't exclude the other. If you've got the type of bike(endurance, aero etc), size and brand to accommodate your needs and restrictions then it's not too hard to have a slammed stem without being out of your depth. I've got mine right down with some 13cm drop and it feels totally chill like I'm riding a granny bike. Can ride both an S and XS Giant with a few spacers under and even lower than my current position. No reason to for now though⊠nearly flat back in all aero positions and on the limit of knees to gut/chest in those positions + hips won't allow it, so power drops for nothing but looking pro .
@@yannickokpara4861 So your slammed stem is for vanity reasons basically?
Some people like to ride a frame that's smaller than their "true" size and then they might need spacers under the stem to compensate for the shorter head tube. A frame in their true size without spacers might end up having the same stack as the smaller size frame with spacers. With compact drop bars it doesn't have to be particularly hard to ride in the drops compared to the hoods. So depending on how your bike is set up, and especially if you have long arms and no major flexibility issues, slamming the stem doesn't necessarily have to be uncomfortable.
this is good as hell, thanks gcn
Two things that massively improves the comfort of your ride are the saddle you use and the bib shorts you wear. For the first - the saddle - you should definitely try a few different ones to see which design fits your shape. For the bib shorts you get what you pay for. Great comfy bib shorts (or tights) have quality chamois pads and don't come cheap. But if you're in the saddle for hours on a long ride your bum will thank you for spending that cash (and I can definitely recomend the GCN pro shorts :-) )
A good pair of cycling gloves will help dampen vibration, give to better grip... so you can grip a little looser.
+
@John Seba Pearl Izumi Elite Gel are comfortable and cool. A bit expensive, but worth it.
You also tend to put your hands out when you come off, so they're often the first thing to contact the ground and slide along it. I'd rate gloves equally as important as a helmet for that reason.
It's bloody difficult to control your bike anywhere near properly with gravel rash on both palms!
Good intro for someone who is already buying bike shoes and all the gear ect. Can we get an intro for rest of general public who are moving from leisure bikes in the park to possibly road bikes on public highways please. Much appreciated GCN
Handle-bar reach and drop, and brake hood tilt are also important - for avoiding discomfort in the hands, wrists, neck and back
Wicked Pissah Cool Video GCN big fan of your channel in J-Powâs home State Massachusetts đ
That's the most serious and proper explanation of chamois cream I've ever heard đ
What about a nice review on the redshift suspension stem and seat post ?
I don't think there's a need to squeeze feet into narrow shoes. It's a shame that I have to go up a size to get enough width, but there are some decent options out there for a bit more room. Numb toes are no joke.
Bonts are great for wider feet.
Lake cycling shoes is what you want.
I really like her!!!
Saddle height. Indeed. But also tilt angle and fore-aft position can have a big impact.
Planks have come a long way to giving me some extra comfort too!
One mod you missed was seat post clamp length. I've discovered that short seat post clamps allow the saddle rails to flex a bit increasing comfort. Full length clamps hold the rails very stiff. Downside to shorter clamp length is the likelihood of increased stress on the rails and shorter fatigue life.
Handlebar height and width is key for shoulder and lower back comfort. My handle bar is not slammed. I ride to complete, not compete. An aero position is not a priority over comfort. I have very wide shoulders, finding a 46cm bar was a challenge, but it's made a world of difference.
Just a tip for bar wrapping and comfort, I buy gel heel shoe inserts from eBay, they are very cheap from China, place as many as you need on the bars where you most need the shock absorption, then simply wrap with a single roll of tape.đđ
I find that a few lighthearted jokes, and/or perhaps a question or two about its hobbies, makes my bike feel a lot more comfortable.
Beautiful.
Cheap chamois cream substitute, is to use Sudocrem. Cheap, you can get lots of pot sizes up to 400g, and even a little pocket pot to re-apply some on a long ride. Most supermarkets and pharmacies stock it.
This is how I get my saddle height perfect. 1) make sure bicycle is on a flat surface. 2) turn the cranks until the drive side crank is parallel with the seat tube. 3) on the non drive side measure from the point that the centre of your cleat sits in the pedal to the highest point on your saddle. 4) set your saddle height to match your inside seam. I tried all of the other methods, but was struggling to get my saddle height perfect and get comfortable as I cycle 30km per day. I came up with this method to stop the pain in my backside.
Well done for holding it in at the end đ€Ł
Manon is so aero she drops the âgâ from all her ââŠingâ-endinâ words. đ
Saddle sores are the worst. And disgusting! But they're fully preventable (in my experiences) by keeping your body and your bib VERY clean! Wash it daily if you ride daily. I always adhere to this and now, I don't have any problems at all.
Great advice Manon. Keep it up @GCN!
It works well
Instead of double-wrapping the handlebar, you can get gloves with gel pads. Or you can install gel pads under the handlebar wrap. Or both.
On long rides, be sure to change up your grip from time to time. Also don't lean too heavily on your bars. I got temporary palsy in my hand from staying in one position for too long...and by temporary, I mean days, and it was a nightmare. Couldn't tie my shoes or zip things.
Double wrap tape. Indeed. Core strength can also lessen hand pain, by virtue of more body weight held with core muscles as opposed to leaning on hands.
Great point! Hank has done this great workout video that you can follow to help improve your strength đ czcams.com/video/ymuQtR_-Loc/video.html
@@gcntech Hank seems naturally strong, and youth is in his favor, but surely those exercises will still benefit. Thanks!
Wider tires permit lower tire pressures that allows them to absorb more vibration. A good supple wide tires does not mean a slower ride. My minimum width tire these day is 35 mm. Also: Get in the habit of coming off the saddle when encountering road bumps.
Personally I find that wider tyres ARE slower on anything but pretty bad roads. But it depends on rider weight, speed, riding style etc.
Wider tires also mean way more cornering grip.
Love that orbea
I think that stem length and pitch is just as important as saddle height as it really makes a difference in the pressure you're putting on your arms and the arch of your back. What are your thoughts on this for those long rides for those of us who don't necessarily have the core strength to slam our stems like the pros?
When you say mud guards keep your bike clean, I have one on the rear of my gravel bike and the back wheel is always dirty, the front one however is like new.
Double wrapped tape is good, but for really long rides wear two pairs of padded shorts. On rough roads, use a second saddle on top.
Good quality shorts and good insoles, I find most standard insoles in cycling shoes are too thin.
Could you explain more about saddles?? I ride a mountain bike on the road for 70-80 km on a single ride.
Is a harder saddle better for these rides?? I wear a padded cycling shorts and a gym lower over it. Would you recommend a hard seat? My saddle feels hard enough, they are slim like the road bike sales and have a deep groove in the center.
So Cute GCN Presenterđ„°đ„°đ„°
Got some tips: Bike fit tuesdays!
As is tradition, it's not on a Tuesday.
Cleats rotation fixed my knee pain.
Hacks or tips ? Good info. Thanks
For hands, wear gloves. Don't have to be bike specific, but bike gloves have extra padding in the palm, which you might like.
But yeah, moving around on your hands (and butt) help very much. Don't let the same spots be supporting your weight full time. You may be surprised how a small adjustment provides a ton of relief. Adjust regularly, before it starts to hurt. And of course, standing provides max butt relief. You might want to throw that in every once in a while.
As you ride more, you get stronger and/or develop resistance and/or callouses. Result: positions that used to be uncomfortable, become ok.
I donât know if this is a big no no in the cycling community or not, but I always double up on my cycling shorts for long rides, makes a massive difference
Whats wrong if my back neck hurts? What do I need to adjust? I really need some advice please. I cant have a comfortable ride especially long rides.
Chamoise Cream honestly seems like a band aid for a totally different problem causing the friction. Bikefit, bikefit, bikefit... clean clothes, clean clothes, clean clothes. Right size, right size, right size.
i put a beach cruiser seat on my road bike so i ride really comfortable just need some mud guards
Put her on more often. Very cute.
I am curious. How many actually have a static trainer at home?
Manon â„ïž
Unless you mudguards have a tail that goes right down to the tarmac they do little to prevent the person on your wheel in a group ride getting sprayed !!
Pins and needles in my hands after about an hour 30, have to shift them around after that.
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
I came here for Manon, and so did you
I believe there are MANY other comfort "hacks" available. From wearing a material under one's jersey that helps suck up the sweat and distribute it rapidly (in the hot weather it feels like an air conditioner aimed at your body) to attaching a daylight styled light to your bicycle (it's quite comfortable to find that autos notice you). Just make sure you're not too comfortable as sleeping while riding your bicycle is only comfortable for a very short time! :)
Stretch/relieve the muscles at the back of your neck. If you get a stiff neck on long rides from always looking up, it really helps to do this. Just take a few seconds every now and again on a section of clear road to drop your head so that your chin is on your chest. Just don't do when there's a risk of any traffic or obstacles!
i love manon, i dont know why
A professional bike fit is the best answer. Also I have to say that the roads in england are so bad with pot holes every where.
You are amazing girl.
Clicked the thumbnail coz of Manon =)
One size wider tire can improve comfort and aero.
Sounds odd but remember pear shapes are the most slippery. (Wide side forward)
Slight increases in rotating mass can have a beneficial effect to rolling performance.
Unnecessary fatigue reduces endurance.
You mention double wrapping your bars. But I spend the majority of my time on the hoods. Do you know of a way of making these more comfortable.....other than strapping compede pads to your palms ?
Gloves
wider tires improve comfort?
Which fizik is she riding ? Thx!
Thank you for letting Manon do a show by herself without any manterruption. What a difference.
I'm interrupting this comment to remind you to fit Mudguards.
or use one lot of bar tape on your bars and wear mitts hey presto and they will also protect your palms should you come off
Eyyyy noice
GCN the best bike Channel ,may Channel PLANETA DA BIKE S/A, fron Brasil.
I haven't watched the video yet....100% sure it is going to say something about tyre pressure
If i may suggest: There are high quality gloves out there with lots of padding.I use them.They cost a bit.With these gloves,there is no need to put a " pillow " on your handle bars.Ciao
@John Seba Castelli.I only use Castelli clothing,etc.It costs more than other brands,but you never go wrong with it.
I have been using it for years.
If you buy something that does not satisfied,you can take it back.If the seller does not take it back.
Contact Castelli Italy direct.They will get matter resolved.Ciao
link to cleat setup video please
At this point, I don't wrap my handlebar, I use foam tubes.
I have my weight transferred to my hands in my MTB....This makes my forearms and wrist sore after some time....I am 5'11". Is it because of my height?? The handlebar seems too low for me or I don't know...
Rotation of presenters is just crazy. At least I saw a goodbye video with Matt (though I wished the core trio last), but what happened to Emma?
she already said goodbye I think it was instagram and moved to switzerland for her job, I think it was a scientist Job
@@taufikabidin412 Indeed, thank to you I found it: instagram.com/p/BvaG0I1gKno/?hl=en
Oh yes! The end of the winter is upon us and the rear end is exposed to elevated time in the saddle and not liking it ;)
3:58 I think saddle cream reduces friction between the chamois and your skin, not the saddle and your clothing. I don't even know how it would do that, since it's not in contact with either.
Yep. She was desperately trying not to describe it how everyone else describes it which I found really weird and, as you say, it was inaccurate. Good video, though; I'll be thinking about new bar tape and may not replace my stock saddle now I've heard this advice.
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