Members' bikes

[itsbruce]

My Planet X Ti Sportive.  No longer with the Enigma Ti forks, but with added mudguards, carradice and tiny granny ring, so slowly becoming a lighter version of my other bikes.

I recognise that saddle - comfy, aren't they?

[citoyen]

I recognise that saddle - comfy, aren't they?

Is it a Charge Spoon? I keep hearing good things about them. I might get one for the Black bike - the saddle it came with is pretty horrible, and putting a Brooks on it, as I do for longer rides, seems a little... well, perverse. (Just cos Grub does it, that doesn't make it right. )

d.

[itsbruce]

Is it a Charge Spoon? I keep hearing good things about them.

Aye, and the good things are true.  Comfortable from the get-go, more comfortable with time, cheap.

[kyuss]

Is it a Charge Spoon? I keep hearing good things about them.

Aye, and the good things are true.  Comfortable from the get-go, more comfortable with time, cheap.

If only the white ones were not so hard to get. The standard saddle on my Giant is killing me. I've been after a white spoon for ages to finish off the fixed bike, but nobody seems to have it in stock. 

[DrMekon]

Its funny really, my Pearson was set up just like yours Dr. very high seat post, flip-flopped the stem, couldn't really say i was ever comfy, did lots of 200's but always felt 'wrong'. then I got all technical, with measurements an all, with these cycling fit websites, and I ended up dropping my seatpost an enormous ammount, It was like yours but take a look at it now< I also flopped the stem back so its flat but now as high as poss. before I used the 'hoods most of the time', now I'm soooo comfy, as I sit lower down, and further back, and now use the straight tops most of the time but can still easily reach the hoods.  climbs much better too. Just dont feel cramped any more. Personal comfort is a really BIG subject. When I altered mine to the 'randoneur' fit it felt like a minuture circus bike for a while, then I lifted my seat about 6mm and all was well.

Well, I don't really know what I am doing with fit - the process was that when I got the bike, I was too fat to use the flat stem it came with without my belly getting in the way. Until last week, Id been using the 40deg stem with 2 spacers above it to get out of the wind. The flat stem went back on last week when I realised I'd lost a load of weight, and it was fine now. The seat is up that high because I've got long legs. I don't think my knees could cope with it any lower. The position feels comfy to me, and doesn't cause me any niggles. I did my first 200 on it a week or so back, and got off feeling pretty fresh, like I had another 100 in me. However, in that I am no expert, and am keen to learn, I figured I'd try raising the bars up and popping the seat back...



Initial impressions are that it's more comfy, and my legs feel a little stronger on the climbs (what little there are; I live in Cambridge), but it's harder to get out of the wind... which was why I dropped the bars in the first place. However, I found it harder to concentrate on pushing on, what with all the scenery I could now see. Somehow, despite getting off the bike all relaxed I averaged 27.8kmh over 28.7km. I was expecting the average to be in the 25-26kmh range, given the subjective effort.

I'll try it over this week and compare it to last week's commutes. If I am not losing time, I am gaining comfort and scenery for free.

[PH]

I recognise that saddle - comfy, aren't they?

Is it a Charge Spoon? I keep hearing good things about them. I might get one for the Black bike - the saddle it came with is pretty horrible, and putting a Brooks on it, as I do for longer rides, seems a little... well, perverse. (Just cos Grub does it, that doesn't make it right. )

d.

It is very comfortable bike, it's hard to judge how much of that is down to the saddle.  I may swap a brooks with it to make the comparison.  But for £20 the Spoon has been well worth it.

[Blodwyn Pig]

regarding Spoons!!! I will agree thay are a most comfortable perch, so much so that I proclaimed my undying love for all things spoon shaped to all and sundry! That was until I did the Fairies  ride last year , only 150k, but on the hottest day of the year. by the time I'd finished my ar#e was raw! then  someone told me that the gel used is the same as that used in 'heat pads' so the blo#'dy thing was getting hot and staying hot! I sold it for more than I payed new , and bought a B17 special. Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!

[Torslanda]

If only the white ones were not so hard to get. The standard saddle on my Giant is killing me. I've been after a white spoon for ages to finish off the fixed bike, but nobody seems to have it in stock. 

There you go . . .

[Moose57]

regarding Spoons!!! I will agree thay are a most comfortable perch, so much so that I proclaimed my undying love for all things spoon shaped to all and sundry! That was until I did the Fairies  ride last year , only 150k, but on the hottest day of the year. by the time I'd finished my ar#e was raw! then  someone told me that the gel used is the same as that used in 'heat pads' so the blo#'dy thing was getting hot and staying hot! I sold it for more than I payed new , and bought a B17 special. Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh no, don't say that I've just bought two. I hope I don't have to add them to the growing collection of failed saddles. Anyone want a couple of RIDO's by the way?

[Torslanda]

Oh no, don't say that I've just bought two. I hope I don't have to add them to the growing collection of failed saddles. Anyone want a couple of RIDO's by the way?

How much? What colour? Yes I know I'm a cheeky bastard . . .

[itsbruce]

If only the white ones were not so hard to get. The standard saddle on my Giant is killing me. I've been after a white spoon for ages to finish off the fixed bike, but nobody seems to have it in stock. 

Evans Cycles in Notting Hill have one at the moment.  Give them a ring and reserve it, if this is your city.

[perpetual dan]

regarding Spoons!!! I will agree thay are a most comfortable perch, so much so that I proclaimed my undying love for all things spoon shaped to all and sundry! That was until I did the Fairies  ride last year , only 150k, but on the hottest day of the year. by the time I'd finished my ar#e was raw! then  someone told me that the gel used is the same as that used in 'heat pads' so the blo#'dy thing was getting hot and staying hot! I sold it for more than I payed new , and bought a B17 special. Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!

A spoon is the only saddle that has every left a raw patch on me. I've also ended up with a B17 special. My position on it putting in the drops a lot more than I used to, so it makes me faster too (but hands get sore faster).
Maybe a spoon bum is the inverse of a brooks bum?

[Moose57]

Oh no, don't say that I've just bought two. I hope I don't have to add them to the growing collection of failed saddles. Anyone want a couple of RIDO's by the way?

How much? What colour? Yes I know I'm a cheeky bastard . . .

Black, tenner the pair plus postage. They were fantastically comfortable, did a 300K ride on one last year no problems. This year, can't get on with them. It must be me. PM me your address.

[clarion]

I've just bought a Spoon on spec.  I was recommended a Knife but it's twice the price...

[Ham]

I've just bought a Spoon on spec.  I was recommended a Knife but it's twice the price...

How much did you have to fork out?

[rogerzilla]

Been assembling the Brompton as far as I can without the main frame (which actually has very little attached to it save the cranks and the seatpost).  That's at the dealer to have some rear bushes fitted and reamed.

This is the stem and handlebar assembly in candy apple red with the modified 4-speed shifter.  It looks rather better than the plastic Brompton thing, and does 3- or 4-speed.  I also have bottle bosses...the luxury.  I will probably have to trim the gear cable housing very slightly, as the termination point in the shifter is a bit further to the left than normal.  Otherwise that huge lever doesn't clear the leather grip.

And the Chris King 2Nut fits perfectly; in the end I just got Argos to face 1mm off the top and bottom of the head tube, which sorted the stack height.  The facing needed doing anyway.

Can you spot the small mistake that Argos made?  I know how to fix it though.

[Rhys W]

They didn't block off the clamp threads?

[rogerzilla]

No, they masked too much of the handlebar nipple threads so you can see basecoat.

Red nail gloss needed.

[GruB]

I have no idea what you are talking about.

[finch]

I must say ( and I must say it like this ) That colour is cool as fuck , My cannondale would love that.

[Rhys W]

I have no idea what you are talking about.

It's the white bit just at the wrist of the little boxing glove that sticks out at the bottom.

[GruB]

Okay. 

[Mike J]

I've just bought a Spoon on spec.  I was recommended a Knife but it's twice the price...

You could have bought a spork 

[Rhys W]

Okay. 

I have no idea what it's for, except maybe punching errant motorists in a cartoon fashion.

[rogerzilla]

It clips into a...er...clip on the fork crown when the bike is folded, to stop the handlebars swinging all over the place.