BigFooty Bike Store (Bike Advice)

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I've got a couple of queries....

Crank length. Do you folks buy into the arm length being proportional to leg length argument? I've got 172s at the mo which came stock with my Bianchi Sempre. I've had them for a few years. Riding around Sydney for a couple of hours is fine but doing some of the sportives such as Alpine classic and 3 peaks etc and I'll get back cramps half an hour into a climb. I've had a fit so my position should be fine. I'm 174cm (5'8") with a 79cm inseam comprised of short femurs - I'm more torso than leg. Basically, I've got a bit of room to play with in airline economy seating. I'm thinking that my pedal circle is too big for my proportions leading inefficient pedalling at the 10-2 of the pedal circle, and greatly reduced hip angle on climbs or when I'm in the drops. I need new cranks as my FSAs are rubbish, and I'm considering changing to 167s. Anyone else had experience with decreasing crank length?

It leads me to my second q. I'm running Campy veloce 10s and want to buy a force or red crank because they are one of the few models that come in BB30. Apparently, they require SRAMs yaw front mech to work properly. Does anyone know whether these 11sp rings/mech will be compatible with campy 10s shifters? I'm also considering upgrading to 11s at some stage which is why I'm getting an 11s crank, but this upgrade will also be Campag - prolly Athena.

Cheers.
 
What kind of fit did you have, I've paid for 3 and they all varied, 2 were totally opposite to one another. I think its wrong to presume just because you paid for a fit everything is good in that regard, bikefit opinions vary greatly. Shortening the crank length by that much will throw your saddle position out. Crank length is not normally associated with back issues though, moreso for knee problems.
 
Handlebars, stems, seat heights are all variable. Have a play. Just because you have been fitted out according to some formula doesn't mean that will be right for you - it's a start, but that's it. You have your own muscles, joints, flexibility, back problems, etc. The shape of your saddle and how it fits your arse can have a big bearing on the pressure points when you sit on a bike, for example.

Grab the screwdriver and get fiddling.
 

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Thanks for the replies. I hadn't realised there were any as they didn't show up in alerts and I hadn't checked the thread.

Re my second query, I've taken all uncertainty out of it and upgrading to chorus 11.

Re the cranks and fit, I've gone 170 on the former and will have a follow up on the latter. I think the 170s will be better as my pedal stroke feels stronger on the watt bikes I do indoor workouts on which have that length.

I do feel like I'm reaching a bit too the hoods so I think I may need to adjust seat distance or length of stem. I'll give those a go too. It's just frustrating that the issues only seem to appear on sustained climbs.
 
I
mcgarnacle said:
Thanks for the replies. I hadn't realised there were any as they didn't show up in alerts and I hadn't checked the thread.

Re my second query, I've taken all uncertainty out of it and upgrading to chorus 11.

Re the cranks and fit, I've gone 170 on the former and will have a follow up on the latter. I think the 170s will be better as my pedal stroke feels stronger on the watt bikes I do indoor workouts on which have that length.

I do feel like I'm reaching a bit too the hoods so I think I may need to adjust seat distance or length of stem. I'll give those a go too. It's just frustrating that the issues only seem to appear on sustained climbs.
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would never train on same bike on indoor trainer that I race on- just me
 
Lethality said:
If my bike is a bit too small for me, can it be fit so that I don't get back pain? I am thinking of moving the saddle back a little so I don't hunch over the bars as much.
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If your leg length and angles are wrong..
 
fumbler said:
Have just started going to the Gym and have built up to 20 mins on the bike in the gym, what sort of bike should i go for?

Mountain bike
Road
or something else?

TIA.
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I'm no expert on the matter at all, but I'd say look at what kind of riding you're looking at doing and where you live as well.
 
James_Blues said:
I'm no expert on the matter at all, but I'd say look at what kind of riding you're looking at doing and where you live as well.
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Tempted to give X terra a go- talk me out of it
 
Shout out to all the cyclists on BF :thumbsu:

Been riding a Trek DS 8.3 for the last couple of years and thinking of buying a road bike.

I go cycling everyday and ride just over 20 kms but always on cycle paths and a bit of road. Don't really use the off-road capability of the Dual Sport and tbh will probably never. As I said thinking about buying a road bike and had my eye on a Giant Defy 1 Disc , a lightweight aluminium road bike. Not tempted to try a carbon frame and haven't got the dollars anyway, The Giant bike is $1,800 and at the top end of my budget.

Any thoughts ? Any recommendations for another bike around this price ?

Thanks in anticipation.
 
AceAndy said:
Shout out to all the cyclists on BF :thumbsu:

Been riding a Trek DS 8.3 for the last couple of years and thinking of buying a road bike.

I go cycling everyday and ride just over 20 kms but always on cycle paths and a bit of road. Don't really use the off-road capability of the Dual Sport and tbh will probably never. As I said thinking about buying a road bike and had my eye on a Giant Defy 1 Disc , a lightweight aluminium road bike. Not tempted to try a carbon frame and haven't got the dollars anyway, The Giant bike is $1,800 and at the top end of my budget.

Any thoughts ? Any recommendations for another bike around this price ?

Thanks in anticipation.
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The defy looks pretty good, its worth noting thats its up specd from entry level and priced accordingly. Essentially you could get a cheaper bike (by about half) as a decent entry level but the components wouldn't be as good. That option is usually what people do if they are not sold on road biking 100%. You sound pretty confident so may as well spend the coin. Good buy.
 

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In terms of component spec - a lot of it is wank. For example - of you use Shimano gears, brakes and cranks, Tiagra (2nd lowest spec) is pretty good and will do most people fine. The roadbike levels up are:

Basic 'Shimano' branded - Intro bike level. (Sometimes branded 'Tourney').
Tiagra - will work fine. Mostly on Aluminium road bikes.
105. Good mid-range, reliable. On good Aluminium frames, and reasonable carbon fibre frames. A bit serious.
Ultegra. On high-level aluminium frames and good-to-top class carbon.
Dura-Ace. High-level Carbon. Basically for racing and/or 'I have so much money, I don't care about price'.

Every couple of years, the group-sets are upgraded. For example - about 5 years ago, Dura-Ace brought out electronic shifting. Then about 2 years later, Ultegra went electric. In general, today's 105 is pretty near as good as Dura-Ace was 7-8 years ago. Tourney of today is probably better than Dura-Ace from 20 years ago. None of them will help you get up the hill faster.

Obviously, there's a bit more to it - construction, materials, weight etc. Most people who ride a bit for fun have about Tiagra/105 level (it's very common to get a bit of mix-and-match in your components). Learning how to maintain and adjust your running gear is more important than the actual components you choose. The difference in actual riding feel between well-maintained Tiagra and Dura-Ace is miniscule.

Campagnolo and SRAM have their own levels - you can work this out by a bit of googling. If you get seriously into riding, componentry wanking is a part of the sport - in the same way that hack golfers use Tiger Woods Carbon-fibre, rocket-assisted clubs or weekend tennis players spend a fortune on the latest racquet - despite the fact that it will barely improve their game - if at all.
 
phantom13 said:
I personally find the longevity and performance between 105 and Tiagra to be enough to justify the cost difference (a couple hundred bucks) but to each their own.
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The difference between the Defy 1 Disc (105) and Defy 2 Disc (Tiagra) is $250. The Defy 1 does have a slightly different wheel/hub configuration (I assume an upgrade) but guessing the $250 is pretty much the group set.

From what I have read/heard the additional $250 for 105 group set is good value. Agreeing with phantom13 here.
 
Havent looked at bikes in this range for a few years but alu framed, 105 specced bikes were normally found for less than $1500. This was before discs came in so maybe the prices have jumped a bit. 105 is fine on a well built bike, good cabling is the key, I have it on my CX and it doesnt skip a beat and thats with the chain getting covered in dust/dirt.
 
Wallaby said:
In terms of component spec - a lot of it is wank. For example - of you use Shimano gears, brakes and cranks, Tiagra (2nd lowest spec) is pretty good and will do most people fine. The roadbike levels up are:

Basic 'Shimano' branded - Intro bike level. (Sometimes branded 'Tourney').
Tiagra - will work fine. Mostly on Aluminium road bikes.
105. Good mid-range, reliable. On good Aluminium frames, and reasonable carbon fibre frames. A bit serious.
Ultegra. On high-level aluminium frames and good-to-top class carbon.
Dura-Ace. High-level Carbon. Basically for racing and/or 'I have so much money, I don't care about price'.

Every couple of years, the group-sets are upgraded. For example - about 5 years ago, Dura-Ace brought out electronic shifting. Then about 2 years later, Ultegra went electric. In general, today's 105 is pretty near as good as Dura-Ace was 7-8 years ago. Tourney of today is probably better than Dura-Ace from 20 years ago. None of them will help you get up the hill faster.

Obviously, there's a bit more to it - construction, materials, weight etc. Most people who ride a bit for fun have about Tiagra/105 level (it's very common to get a bit of mix-and-match in your components). Learning how to maintain and adjust your running gear is more important than the actual components you choose. The difference in actual riding feel between well-maintained Tiagra and Dura-Ace is miniscule.

Campagnolo and SRAM have their own levels - you can work this out by a bit of googling. If you get seriously into riding, componentry wanking is a part of the sport - in the same way that hack golfers use Tiger Woods Carbon-fibre, rocket-assisted clubs or weekend tennis players spend a fortune on the latest racquet - despite the fact that it will barely improve their game - if at all.
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I know it is wanky but once I got sold on electronic shifting it is hard to ride competitively without them. Saying that I am not impressed with Magura Hydr brakes. Wife has them but I ripped them off and replaced them. Bike fit is paramount
 
Wallaby said:
The difference in actual riding feel between well-maintained Tiagra and Dura-Ace is miniscule.

Campagnolo and SRAM have their own levels - you can work this out by a bit of googling. If you get seriously into riding, componentry wanking is a part of the sport - in the same way that hack golfers use Tiger Woods Carbon-fibre, rocket-assisted clubs or weekend tennis players spend a fortune on the latest racquet - despite the fact that it will barely improve their game - if at all.
Click to expand...

What a load of crap. Dura-Ace is miles and miles ahead of tiagra, shifting cannot be compared, weight is a big difference and longevity of Dura-Ace far outstrips Tiagra. Not to mention Di2 craps all over a mechanical tiagra.
 
Wallaby said:
In terms of component spec - a lot of it is wank. For example - of you use Shimano gears, brakes and cranks, Tiagra (2nd lowest spec) is pretty good and will do most people fine. The roadbike levels up are:

Basic 'Shimano' branded - Intro bike level. (Sometimes branded 'Tourney').
Tiagra - will work fine. Mostly on Aluminium road bikes.
105. Good mid-range, reliable. On good Aluminium frames, and reasonable carbon fibre frames. A bit serious.
Ultegra. On high-level aluminium frames and good-to-top class carbon.
Dura-Ace. High-level Carbon. Basically for racing and/or 'I have so much money, I don't care about price'.

Every couple of years, the group-sets are upgraded. For example - about 5 years ago, Dura-Ace brought out electronic shifting. Then about 2 years later, Ultegra went electric. In general, today's 105 is pretty near as good as Dura-Ace was 7-8 years ago. Tourney of today is probably better than Dura-Ace from 20 years ago. None of them will help you get up the hill faster.

Obviously, there's a bit more to it - construction, materials, weight etc. Most people who ride a bit for fun have about Tiagra/105 level (it's very common to get a bit of mix-and-match in your components). Learning how to maintain and adjust your running gear is more important than the actual components you choose. The difference in actual riding feel between well-maintained Tiagra and Dura-Ace is miniscule.

Campagnolo and SRAM have their own levels - you can work this out by a bit of googling. If you get seriously into riding, componentry wanking is a part of the sport - in the same way that hack golfers use Tiger Woods Carbon-fibre, rocket-assisted clubs or weekend tennis players spend a fortune on the latest racquet - despite the fact that it will barely improve their game - if at all.
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Haha I like this post.

I'm hardly a serious rider, but despite having ridden both Tiagra and 105s to a decent degree, I don't think riding with the 105s makes me a better rider by any measurable degree.

Was debating recently whether to upgrade the warrier (comparatively, Orbea Aqua TTG from 2012), when I decided, * it, buy a new wheel set which makes a bigger difference for me, and then decided I would get a cyclocross (I like offroading/gravelling with a bit of speed and tenacity).

Yet to pick one out yet (Mainly due to being a poor bastard) but still confident it's the right way to go given its a simple wheel swap to get some speed back (Even if on-road you would be hoping for a bit more depth in the gears to keep up with the fast buggers around, but that doesn't phase me too much).
 
No doubt there is a considerable degree of "wank" around components but for mine $250 to go from sora-tiagra or tiagra-105 is worth it as is the $400 or so you would have to pay for 105-ultegra and the f**k knows from ultegra to Di2 for a whole bunch of reasons.

But... never forget the wank, its all about how the steed looks and sells at the local coffee shop with your rapha kit and giro shoes on #aeroforever
 
phantom13 said:
No doubt there is a considerable degree of "wank" around components but for mine $250 to go from sora-tiagra or tiagra-105 is worth it as is the $400 or so you would have to pay for 105-ultegra and the f**k knows from ultegra to Di2 for a whole bunch of reasons.

But... never forget the wank, its all about how the steed looks and sells at the local coffee shop with your rapha kit and giro shoes on #aeroforever
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The only cred you get from me is based on the depth of your V's.

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