Fitting my SimpleOne not so simple

[Matt]

Hello Rivers,

I'm running out of ideas, so wondered about soliciting some brainstorming and help.

In the spring, I bought one of the last 62cm SimpleOne's on Closeout.  It is lovely, but I'm having a hell of a time getting it to fit right.

Here it is, as originally set up fixed at ~63 gear inches with a 120mm Nitto Tech Deluxe stem, 48cm Noodle bars, Nitto 83 seat post, and Brooks B17 saddle.  I'm 6'2" tall, 185lbs, with a PBH of ~90cm.

No matter what adjustments I've made, I can't get my hands and arms to feel comfortable on the bicycle. 

I know I like the vast majority of my weight on the saddle and away from my hands, so have put the saddle as far back over the rear wheel as the post will allow and have tried putting the handlebars up higher as well.  Recently, I changed out the 120mm stem for a 100mm Tallux, hoping it would move my centre of mass rearward, but my hands, arms and upper body still feel "propped' on the bicycle.  Despite the marked up-tilt on my saddle, my behind still seems to slide forward as well.

Have others experienced something similar?  What advice might you offer in adjusting the bike to fit me better? 

Is it more realistic to give up and trade the SO for a Hilborne with it's nice lax 71.5 degree seat tube angle to put my weight  where I want it?

Thanks in advance,

Matt

[Jim Mather]

I can't see the picture. What kind of seatpost? You may want one with more set-back. Also, don't be afraid of shorter stems. I've gone as short as 70mm on a road bike to get the right fit.

 

jim m

wc ca

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[Jeremy Till]

I feel your pain--been struggling with fit for a few years and only recently got to a place where I feel like i'm getting a handle on it. 

I think you're on the right track with sliding the saddle back, tilting it up, and trying a shorter stem to get your weight back.  It's a big investment, but I've gone for the Nitto S-84 "Wayback" seatpost on two bikes now in order to achieve what I feel like is comfortable setback without cantilevering my weight on rails pushed way back from the saddle clamp.  That might be a better/cheaper/more effective solution than going immediately to a Hillborne.  Recently, on my road bike, my handlebars have followed the up-tilt trend, rotating them up so the ramps are flat and the hoods tilt slightly upward, and that has also made things better and more balanced; that might be another thing to try.

Also remember that fixed gear riding, especially with low-ish gears, puts much different stresses on your body and position than a geared/coastable riding.  I find when riding fixed there's many more situations, especially riding at a brisk pace on the flats or slightly downhill, where i'm weighting my butt and hands in order to let my legs spin, or using my arms and upper body to brace my legs while resisting the pedals to slow down.  Because of this, I tend to prefer fixed gears to have upright bars and cushy grips (like Oury's), especially since I use fixed gears mostly for transportation riding.  I just built up a 64cm Quickbeam fixed gear with Bullmoose bars for this purpose, and it's great.  Pics soon!

Check out Matt Chester's articles on fixed gear setup on the old 63xc.com "offroad fixed gear" online mag.  He's got some good insights in there:

http://63xc.com/mattc/setup.htm
http://63xc.com/mattc/setup2.htm

[PATRICK MOORE]

Matt: Can't see your photo; can you re-post the link? And it would
help to see a photo of you on the bike in a "cruising mode" position;
taken from the side, of course.

Non-photo method: taking the saddle, the pedals, and a chosen spot on
the bar (example, tips of hoods), how does the SO differ from another
bike that fits you very well?

I like this quote from Matt Chester's article: "Your position should
be as relaxed as possible, so that you are draping yourself over the
bike like a piece of cloth. "

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Patrick Moore, Albuquerque, NM, USA
For professional resumes, contact Patrick Moore, ACRW
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[PATRICK MOORE]

One last comment: just maybe you are not meant to ride a B 17. I could
never get the tilt right on any Brooks -- either they (B 17 R and N,
Pro, Flyer not to mention wide, sprung ones of various sorts) goosed
me or shunted me forward onto the bars. Perhaps you could try the SO
with another saddle?

[Peter Pesce]

A Sam isn't a simple answer - my QB fits me better than my Sam (60cm), and I'm about the same height as you.

That being said, I was only able to get my Sam to work with a setback seatpost. And it actually worked better for to keep the stem as is and just move my butt back. It seems to me that a small movement of the saddle is equivalent to a larger change in the stem in terms of moving your center of gravity, perhaps because there is much more weight on your saddle.

Interestingly, my QB (a 62cm) works fine without the setback, although I currently have the bars set a bit lower in "fast roadie" mode.

Good luck. There's nothing as satisfying as that moment when you get the fit dialed in!

Pete in CT