[photosbymark]

For some reason I wanted a change today so I took the Fuji Newest 3.0 out today. I really enjoy riding the bike, and just after a second or two on a real road bike I realize just how much faster it is than the Sunray. Even an entry level bike, it handles well and shift well. The one thing I hate about the Sunray is that twist grip shifting.

After a few minutes I remembered again why I don't ride it much. Though its much better than it was, nothing I've ever ridden compares to the comfort of the Sunray. Though the pain in the bikini bottom was there as it is in all bikes, the pain I was worried about is in my knee. I don't think its fitness. Though I haven't been on this bike in a while, its a distance I regularly ride on the Sunray without problem or pain.

The pain, (and I should really call it discomfort rather than pain. It the body telling me something but its not yelling yet.) is at the outside of the knee toward the back. I thought about cleats but I use the same pedals on both bikes and basic campus pedals with spds on one side so there should be plenty of float there. Isn't discomfort to the back of the knee to go up with the seat??? And to answer everyone's question, yes it got better when I spun fast and quit being the masher that I shouldn't be. I know someone here says spin spin spin. Yes it did ease some of the stress on the area and the discomfort went away. OK I'll make your day. You are right. There I said it. Raising the seat just a skosh more just might be the ticket, assuming I am right with pain in back seat goes up, pain in front seat goes down.

Still a fun ride, about 10 miles so no big adventure.

 

[SprocketGirl]

my understanding is you are right on... glad you got in the ride.
hope the seat adjustments solves all your worries.
good job getting out and spinning my friend!

 

[sorbut]

Don't know if I'd pin the source of your discomfort on any one thing after just one ride, unless it was especially obvious. That doesn't appear to be the case. Should the same discomfort reoccur on subsequent rides, then trying to pinpoint the source of that discomfort may be by trail and error.

Do you have the discomfort after you are off the bike? Do you feel the discomfort when walking after getting off the bike? Any discomfort when climbing stairs? Consider the variables, try tweaking the seat. Maybe that is the solution.

 

[photosbymark]

This has been an on going problem with this bike. Its not just one ride. The bike was just a bit too small for me, but I compensated with a fairly aggressive set back in the seat post. Its about 3 to 4 inches, but really don't know for sure. I made the post with a pipe bender. Then I had to take a dremel tool and and increase the opening for the up down adjustment on the saddle less the manhood be crunched. That fixed, I had to adjust the handle bars because the entire balance points changed with the seat set back.

Raised them as high as I could, and then rotated the bars so I found the 3 points of contact to be somewhat comfortable. No discomfort off the bike. Nothing on stairs other than I am old and gray.

I know I am close. IF I take the seat back more, the bars have to go up otherwise the balance would be off. I won't push it again. The last time I did that was about 6 weeks letting a knee heal. Been there, done that, have the tee shirt. I think I can take it UP and not have any significant balance chances. You are right on though, it has been trial, error and fix repeat.

 

[chibibike]

I think you should just sell it and get a bike in the right size for you. It sounds like this bike is causing a lot of pain because it's not the right size and the corrections your making to it might make it not perform as well and still not be good for your body. I donno about putting the seat back, how about getting a longer stem?

 

[SprocketGirl]

3t used to make a setback seat post... not sure if they still do? what size post does your bike take i have one i would gladly give to my good buddy if it fits his bike. i can ship it right away!

 

[chibibike]

but that much setback? that seems like a lot, more than any seatpost will do from what I've seen.

 

[photosbymark]

Actually I made my set back seat post. It seems to be about right. I saw some in catalogs as much at 120mm of set back. Lets see at 25.4 mm to an inch and the post I started with had 25mm to begin with. The bought seat post would have been about $150. The made one was a post for $20 and a neighbor with a pipe bender, metal working skills and basically a machine shop behind his house. For him its no big deal. It was worth the $20 bucks to find out. I wouldn't have been worth $150 to maybe have a bike I could ride at the end. Mine is the 27.2, but that angle seems about right. That $150 was better spent being applied to a bike I know I can ride. Which I did.

It is worth trying again every few days or so for short rides to find out. Raising the seat a bit is the next step. It isn't worth pushing hard enough to wind up with knee problems again, the mri and medical issues to go with them. I could buy 4 bikes with the cost of 1 mri. Hey I wonder if that would work with the wife???

 

[photosbymark]

Well just an update. Went to the answer man Sheldon Brown site and there was one other thing that I realized could also be a contributor. He have a fancy medical term, but I'll just call it crooked pedaling syndrome. I don't ride for speed, and really have no desire to worry about my pedal stroke to get the max power out of it. I also don't want the knee to hurt. What I think is happening is the position on the sunray forces me to naturally assume the correct position. The fugi less so and likely isn't straight when I apply power ie there comes the discomfort.

Maybe a brace, but its getting close to summer time and 100 degree heat isn't far off here. At least I'm on the right track