Seoul Cycle Design Competition Winner

Tºm Shermªn™ °_° wrote:
On 12/9/2010 5:27 PM, James Steward wrote:
Tºm Shermªn™ °_° wrote:

With a slack enough angle, a real seat [1] instead of a saddle with
high pressure points can be used. The slack angle also takes all the
pressure off the rider's hands.

[1] http://www.ransbikes.com/Zenetik09/Enlarge09.html


Is that design strong enough for heavier folks? Looks to me like the
seat tube would bend pretty easy, or the seat post.

Rated for 275 pounds: http://www.ransbikes.com/zenetikspecs.htm


Eek! Don't hit a bump ;-)

JS.

In article ,
Michael Press wrote:

In article ,
Tºm Shermªnâ≥¢ °_° " wrote:

On 12/5/2010 12:06 AM, Michael Press wrote:
In ,
TÃâ‰*ºm ShermÃâ‰*ªnââ•ı¢ Ãâ‰*°_Ãâ‰*°""twshermanREMOVE\"@THI$souths lope.net" wrote:

On 12/1/2010 8:48 PM, Michael Press wrote:
In ,
wrote:

On 11/29/2010 6:17 PM, James wrote:
On Nov 30, 10:55 am, TÃ∞â•˚Ãâ‰*ºm ShermÃ∞â•˚Ãâ‰*ªnÃ∞¢âââ‰*¬zË ΩÃâ‰*¢ Ã∞â•˚Ãâ‰*°_Ã∞â•˚Ãâ‰*°""twsh ermanREMOVE\"@THI
$southslope.net" wrote:

If new persons older than their early to mid 20's are to be attracted to
cycling and stick to it in significant numbers, something more
comfortable than a narrow saddle and/or drop bars is needed.

They give at least three possible hand positions while seated, and the
hoods are excellent for use out of the seat.

Most people I've seen are uncomfortable with straight bars and their
variants, and start adding bar ends for extra hand position
flexibility - still coming short of the variety offered by drop bars.

The individual is at liberty to have the bars moved up or down and
closer or further away. The drop bars don't inhibit certain
locations.

They are made in a variety of widths.

What is uncomfortable about drop bars?

JS.

Well, aside from the hand numbness and neck strain, nothing really I guess.
~

vi?

If your back hurts and your neck hurts,
you are not pedaling hard enough.

How is the newer rider going to maintain hard pedaling until he/she gets
into shape? What about times when hard pedaling may not be appropriate?

Who said it was going to be easy?
Buy if Buick Lucerne and ditch
the bicycle if it hurts that much.

So Mr. Press is an elitist who does not want to expand the number of
cyclists?

Argumentum ad hominem and two unwarranted assumptions.

No reply.

--
Michael Press

Duane Hébert wrote:

Doc O'Leary wrote:

You can't run a business supplying comfort bikes if the demand just
isn't there. *If the industry had half a clue they'd be taking more
long-term steps to shift the balance over by fitting cycling in with the
existing culture. *Instead, they're doing short-term targeting of the
existing high-end recreational market.

What do you actually mean by comfort bikes? *Bents? Touring? *Something
else?

The bicycle industry defines "comfort bikes" as MTB-derived bikes with
steeply sloping top tubes, rudimentary suspension forks and seatposts,
and high adjustable stems with riser bars. Oddly, most of these bikes
also have steep seat angles, making for a uniquely impotent rider
position.

http://www.chicagobikeblog.com/2007/...ort-bikes.html

Most of the people who buy typical comfort bikes don't ride them very
much, from what I can tell. The Electra Townie is an exception, in my
neck of the woods anyway, with noticeable representation among daily
transportational riders.

Chalo

In article ,
James wrote:

Tºm Shermªn™ °_° wrote:
On 12/9/2010 10:20 PM, James Steward wrote:
Tºm Shermªn™ °_° wrote:
On 12/9/2010 8:27 PM, Michael Press wrote:
If trikes/bents are so much more comfortable why are the roads not
flooded with them? If you really want one you can buy one. Why don't
people do that? You can blame only yourself.
Most people prefer to resemble Eddy Merckx;
rather than resembling a circus clown.

Indeed, many are too weak to resist peer pressure.


Or clever enough to realise what's better.


Yes, most are not clever enough to realize most have it wrong.


Is there a right or wrong answer? We are all individuals.

_I'm_ not.

We all have
to work it out for ourselves.

Tell me how to work it out for myself.

--
Michael Press

In article ,
James wrote:

Michael Press wrote:
In article ,
James wrote:

Tºm Shermªn™ °_° wrote:

The degree of discomfort a road bike can inflict on a new/casual rider
is not petty, but severe enough to make most give up on cycling.

Many people I observe around here buy a budget MTB as their first bike,
expecting it to be comfortable and 'have enough gears' to ride over
hills they might encounter.

If they stay with cycling they soon start to wonder why guys on road
bikes go zooming past them, and several have asked me why. It doesn't
take long from there to get them on high pressure slicks, clipless
pedals, bar ends and lowered bars at least. The next step is to ditch
the heavy and unnecessary suspension forks that they were so excited
about when they first bought their MTB.

A road bike is not far away, and when they next ride Melbourne's 200km
'Around The Bay In a Day' an hour faster then the previous year, they're
happy.

Another victim to glamour.


If it makes you happy.

JS.

You've lost the plot line.

--
Michael Press

On 12/9/2010 8:27 PM, Michael Press wrote:
If trikes/bents are so much more comfortable why are the roads not
flooded with them? If you really want one you can buy one. Why don't
people do that? You can blame only yourself.
Most people prefer to resemble Eddy Merckx;
rather than resembling a circus clown.

Indeed, many are too weak to resist peer pressure.

--
Tºm Shermªn - 42.435731,-83.985007
I am a vehicular cyclist.

Michael Press wrote:
In article ,
James wrote:

Tºm Shermªn™ °_° wrote:

The degree of discomfort a road bike can inflict on a new/casual rider
is not petty, but severe enough to make most give up on cycling.

Many people I observe around here buy a budget MTB as their first bike,
expecting it to be comfortable and 'have enough gears' to ride over
hills they might encounter.

If they stay with cycling they soon start to wonder why guys on road
bikes go zooming past them, and several have asked me why. It doesn't
take long from there to get them on high pressure slicks, clipless
pedals, bar ends and lowered bars at least. The next step is to ditch
the heavy and unnecessary suspension forks that they were so excited
about when they first bought their MTB.

A road bike is not far away, and when they next ride Melbourne's 200km
'Around The Bay In a Day' an hour faster then the previous year, they're
happy.

Another victim to glamour.


If it makes you happy.

JS.

Tºm Shermªn™ °_° wrote:
On 12/9/2010 8:27 PM, Michael Press wrote:
If trikes/bents are so much more comfortable why are the roads not
flooded with them? If you really want one you can buy one. Why don't
people do that? You can blame only yourself.
Most people prefer to resemble Eddy Merckx;
rather than resembling a circus clown.

Indeed, many are too weak to resist peer pressure.


Or clever enough to realise what's better.

JS.

On 12/9/2010 9:41 PM, Chalo Colina wrote:
Duane Hébert wrote:

Doc O'Leary wrote:

You can't run a business supplying comfort bikes if the demand just
isn't there. If the industry had half a clue they'd be taking more
long-term steps to shift the balance over by fitting cycling in with the
existing culture. Instead, they're doing short-term targeting of the
existing high-end recreational market.

What do you actually mean by comfort bikes? Bents? Touring? Something
else?

The bicycle industry defines "comfort bikes" as MTB-derived bikes with
steeply sloping top tubes, rudimentary suspension forks and seatposts,
and high adjustable stems with riser bars. Oddly, most of these bikes
also have steep seat angles, making for a uniquely impotent rider
position.

http://www.chicagobikeblog.com/2007/...ort-bikes.html

Most of the people who buy typical comfort bikes don't ride them very
much, from what I can tell. The Electra Townie is an exception, in my
neck of the woods anyway, with noticeable representation among daily
transportational riders.

The Electra Townie is a crank-forward design, and not a traditional
upright geometry bicycle:
http://coolmaterial.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/electra-townie-bike.jpg.

--
Tºm Shermªn - 42.435731,-83.985007
I am a vehicular cyclist.

On 12/9/2010 9:11 PM, Michael Press wrote:
In ,
Michael wrote:

In ,
Tºm Shermªnâ≥¢ " wrote:

On 12/5/2010 12:06 AM, Michael Press wrote:
In ,
TÃâ‰*ºm ShermÃâ‰*ªnââ•ı¢ Ãâ‰*°_Ãâ‰*°""twshermanREMOVE\"@THI$souths lope.net" wrote:

On 12/1/2010 8:48 PM, Michael Press wrote:
In ,
wrote:

On 11/29/2010 6:17 PM, James wrote:
On Nov 30, 10:55 am, TÃ∞â•˚Ãâ‰*ºm ShermÃ∞â•˚Ãâ‰*ªnÃ∞¢âââ‰*¬zË ΩÃâ‰*¢ Ã∞â•˚Ãâ‰*°_Ã∞â•˚Ãâ‰*°""twsh ermanREMOVE\"@THI
$southslope.net" wrote:

If new persons older than their early to mid 20's are to be attracted to
cycling and stick to it in significant numbers, something more
comfortable than a narrow saddle and/or drop bars is needed.

They give at least three possible hand positions while seated, and the
hoods are excellent for use out of the seat.

Most people I've seen are uncomfortable with straight bars and their
variants, and start adding bar ends for extra hand position
flexibility - still coming short of the variety offered by drop bars.

The individual is at liberty to have the bars moved up or down and
closer or further away. The drop bars don't inhibit certain
locations.

They are made in a variety of widths.

What is uncomfortable about drop bars?

JS.

Well, aside from the hand numbness and neck strain, nothing really I guess.
~

vi?

If your back hurts and your neck hurts,
you are not pedaling hard enough.

How is the newer rider going to maintain hard pedaling until he/she gets
into shape? What about times when hard pedaling may not be appropriate?

Who said it was going to be easy?
Buy if Buick Lucerne and ditch
the bicycle if it hurts that much.

So Mr. Press is an elitist who does not want to expand the number of
cyclists?

Argumentum ad hominem and two unwarranted assumptions.

No reply.


Why reply to an unresponsive non-answer?

--
Tºm Shermªn - 42.435731,-83.985007
I am a vehicular cyclist.