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Does a bike exist that is both very light and does not need to be ridden in a hunched over position?
Here's what you need! Lightweight and upright --
30
Based on the people I've seen riding, knees-apart is a symptom.
New rider - it takes time to develop a good pedal stroke, and some people haven't got there.
Saddle too low - If your position is really bad, then the knees instinctively separate. I have no idea why - try riding a way-small bike. Relates to....
Posture - riders who might remember the Moon ...
28
Does a bike exist that is both very light and does not need to be ridden in a hunched over position?
Consider trying a recumbent. They fail on your "light" requirement, with weights well above a diamond-frame.
However for a crook back, sitting in a comfy armchair is magical compared to being on a road bike.
There will be some acclimation time - don't expect to just get on and ride like normal.... OK you go back to being a complete noob who can't even ...
15
Boardman used what is known as the "Superman" position, as shown in this image.
This position has been deemed to be against the rules by the UCI. Compare it to the position that Wiggins had on the bike, shown here.
His arms are not as outstretched, and therefore it is not as aerodynamic.
The superman position was first used in the hour record attempt by ...
12
Standing up on a bike, especially when you lack fitness, is a good way to go "anaerobic." Put simply, that means your body is working so hard, it can't get enough oxygen. You can only do that for a short amount of time, which for most people is in the range of 10-30 seconds. Then the lactic acid build up in your muscles becomes too painful and you are forced ...
10
I ride a pro racer XL BMX. They are built for speed. I keep my seat down for 2 reasons.
all my pedaling is done standing up -- power is everything for a racer.
My saddle is made of one material only -- composite material -- its like sitting on a steel plate.
I only use it to coast on and relax -- and that is only after the race. However, If I have ...
10
I really doubt it. A number of problems pop into my head immediately.
Corners.
French/Italian/Spanish road surfaces.
Holding your legs up long enough to be worth it.
I'm pretty sure this video is staged.
Chris Froome caused a stir this year at the Tour just sitting on his top tube and that looked sketchy enough at 100kmh, twitchy and uncomfortable.
10
I've almost done this, and its not "easy" but it should be possible.
However a non-stop 100 km is much harder than simply doing 100 km. Try working up do it. I don't know what your current distance is for a "big ride" but start with 25 km non-stop, then work up to 50, 75, and then 100 km.
Leave early in the morning on your big rides - it seems to help ...
10
When you switch to the crankset behind cogs, you need to move the derailleur above the cogset.
Think of it as rotating the entire drive train 180 degrees forward or flipping the entire bike over the bars and then moving wheels down until they touch the ground.
Note that the different crank positions require different chain length.
10
Potential for damage to wheels depends on sharpness of the bump, speed, bike and rider weight, tire volume and pressure, and how tough the wheels are.
Moving your weight back or pulling up on the bars will lessen the impact to the front wheel but will increase impact on the rear.
Large or sharp bumps are best avoided altogether. Standing on the pedals with ...
9
I think most people find the bike-to-run transition quite difficult while the legs adjust from going in a circular motion to running. Particularly for longer distance courses.
Here's an interesting article from a renowned triathlon athlete/coach:
http://www.trainingbible.com/joesblog/2007/01/cleat-position.html
The article discusses the merits of putting ...
9
I would suggest attaching the bars and doing some test rides.
Is your bike, with it's aggressive geometry, stable when using them?
Are you comfortable using them?
Does this new position provide some relief, or is it just more annoying?
I think you're the only one who can determine if they'll be an advantage to you. In general, I'd think the extra position ...
9
Of course, you will have less control over your bike if you don't hold the handle bars, especially if something unexpected happens (like a truck coming out of nowhere at full speed for example).
Regarding sitting upright, you are very lucky to be able to keep your back straight like that, most people have a bad posture, and are not comfortable sitting ...
9
It's all about core strength, not arm strength. If you want to ride like this for long periods of time you should be supporting most of your weight with your core muscles - not your arms. Your weight should be on your sit-bones, anchored on your saddle. Then your back and abdominal muscles stabilize your pelvis and share the load with your arms. Your ...
9
Your observations are confounded with time and lots of things can change in the intervening time, this include your flexibility (e.g., hips and/or hamstrings) and your components (e.g., your saddle).
Flexibility, is often the first thing to change, if you were relatively inflexible in your hips you may have adopted posterior rotation of your hips (i.e., ...
9
Does a bike exist that is both very light and does not need to be ridden in a hunched over position?
Many of the (continental?) European "every-day" bikes have a relatively upright and straight back position (you basically get a continuum there from sportive strongly forward tilted position to upright or even slightly back tilted.)
Typical features of such a bike with more upright/straight back position are U (or M) shaped handle bars (the ends are ...
8
As @Daniel has commented, and I agreed, you probably have a bike fit problem. We cannot be sure; the only way to find out for sure is to get a professional fitting done. Having said that there are still a few things you can try.
While you say you try to adjust my hand positions, what positions do you use most?
...
The Allez handlebar setup is one I ...
8
Does a bike exist that is both very light and does not need to be ridden in a hunched over position?
Does something already exist? Probably not. Could something be custom-built for you? Definitely.
Super-light bikes are generally only in the "hunched over" aggressive positions, because generally only the most aggressive, competitive riders demand and are willing to pay for them. However, there are custom builders all over the place that can build bikes ...
8
Does a bike exist that is both very light and does not need to be ridden in a hunched over position?
How upright are we talking? It’s true that racing oriented road bike frames have geometries for a relatively hunched-over seating position. However, training road bikes or “fitness” bikes (road bikes with straight handlebars) have relaxed seating positions to start with. You can additionally raise the handlebars quite a lot using a stem with steep upwards ...
8
Whether they work: Short answer yes, they do not have major widespread problems. Most problems that do occur are related to undertightening the bolts on them to start with, or adjusting them without following the right sequence (on the ones with the out-of-view bolt underneath the extension) or without proper torque or lubrication. Most of them are designed ...
7
Regarding part 1:
I'd start by raising the stack height a bit so that you lean on your wrists with less weight; your position will be more upright and less aerodynamic. Along with this, make sure your saddle is properly adjusted for height.
More importantly you should try strengthening your abdominal muscles. With a stronger core you will be able to ...
7
Pedaling while standing always takes more effort; we do it when we need the extra boost.
When you were younger and rid[ing] a bicycle a lot, you were also fitter. I'm guessing you have had a sedentary job for a while, so now your whole system needs to build up again. This is, unfortunately in our modern world, normal.
As with any strength / fitness program,...
7
it might be for therapeutical reasons.
once I hit a pole with my knee and it hurt. I asked a physiotherapist how to ride until it gets better (I had to because I was working as a messenger) and I was told to stick my knees out. it did help.
the other explanations given by @Criggie may be more frequent, but this is a valid reason too.
7
it would seem to me that nutrition, hydration, waste disposal and arm fatigue would be the greatest challenges
Nutrition: isn't that hard, although if you haven't already, you might want to spend some time figuring out what food works for you on the move.
You want things that are fairly calorie-dense, probably not too much fibre (see point #3) and agree ...
7
Kevin's answer about core being used to hold the position is correct, but I wanted to add some clarifications about factors that can affect how you engage your core muscle when in an aggressive position:
Total power output
Hip position
Overall flexibility (e.g., hamstring).
1) Power output
When you ride in an aggressive race position, you are usually at ...
7
Hitting any obstacle with the front wheel has always a worse events development potential compared to hitting the same obstacle with the rear wheel: one can loose control over the bicycle and fall down. Achieving the same result after a hit in the rear wheel is also possible, but much less probable (however, another possibility to be thrown out of saddle if ...
7
Does a bike exist that is both very light and does not need to be ridden in a hunched over position?
I will add another suggestion to the conversation, by throwing in the Pedersen.
It is a very unique and stylished bike, which would definitely fit your requirements :
It has a hammock saddle, which would ease up a lot of the road bumps.
It offers what is probably the most upright position that I know of (even more than a Dutch bike).
It is fast and light (...
6
As others have said, just because the bike shop says it's a good fit, doesn't make it so. Their incentive is to sell a bike off the floor so they'll find the one that fits best and sell it to you.
I got a custom fit and I have longer thighs than most people. This meant that to get the seat position right, I had to have my saddle further back from the pedals ...
6
This is most likely because you are putting your weight right on the median nerve (see first picture). Padded gloves may help a bit, but I suspect your hand position is more likely to be the problem.
Other common hand nerve problems with riding can compression of the ulnar nerve, which will present itself as a different area of sensation than what you are ...
6
My scrotum (pardon my french) prefers this style of saddle:
I also tried this, but didn't like it. It seems good on paper, but my butt always wants to slide forward, plus not being able to squeeze the saddle between my thighs when going over obstacles means less control over the bike.
Anyway, your best bet may be a recumbent bike. I have one, the big ...
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