YOUR BACK SHRINKING

[Charlie]

 I USED TO RIDE ON DROP BARS . ONE TIME I NOTICED I WAS RIDING ON THE TOPS ONLY.  SO I CHANGED TO UP BARS ( 3 SPEED BARS ) . I HAD LOST 2-3 INCHES IN MY HEIGHT.

I NOW RIDE A SMALLER BIKE .

Charlie Petry JENERSVILLE PA

[Jon Dukeman]

Yes getting old is a slippery slope.

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[aeroperf]

I used to ride a drop bar road bike.  I still have it, but I had to put on a stem with a lot shorter reach.
Finally I’ve given up, and stick exclusively to a Sam with Albatross bars and a Soma Saga with Osprey bars.
Getting old is, indeed, a slippery slope.  I’m just glad I found Rivendell, and the Sam Hillborne, before giving up on biking entirely.

Anybody need a nice size 54 road bike, completely rebuilt to 27-speed in 2019?  [1982 Team Fuji - $500]  I’ll throw in all the original parts including stem and bars.

Photos - Stripey bar tape - when I was young.  Solid bar tape - when I got old.  Difference in reach - 25cm.

I just don't bend that well anymore.

[aeroperf]

Ouch.  Difference in reach - 25mm, not cm.
 

[Karl Wilcox]

Yes, I used to be 6’7” tall.  At 62, I am now one inch shorter.  I have moved my saddle closer to the bars.  It immediately solved my aching lower back on steep climbs.

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[Kim Hetzel]

As we get older, the handlebars get higher and the gears get lower.

I used to ride in the drops for 40 years. It affected my posture a lot to the point that I had to retire my favorite bike and find a different one. I longed to ride upright.

At 67 years old, I now ride and feel very comfortable riding my new Clem Smith Jr. "L" bicycle.

Kim Hetzel

Yelm, WA.

On Thursday, September 22, 2022 at 6:19:11 PM UTC-7 kwi...@weimar.edu wrote:

Yes, I used to be 6’7” tall.  At 62, I am now one inch shorter.  I have moved my saddle closer to the bars.  It immediately solved my aching lower back on steep climbs.

On Thursday, September 22, 2022, 'Charlie' via RBW Owners Bunch <rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

 I USED TO RIDE ON DROP BARS . ONE TIME I NOTICED I WAS RIDING ON THE TOPS ONLY.  SO I CHANGED TO UP BARS ( 3 SPEED BARS ) . I HAD LOST 2-3 INCHES IN MY HEIGHT.

I NOW RIDE A SMALLER BIKE .

Charlie Petry JENERSVILLE PA

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[James Valiensi]

Hi,

I noticed that shorter stems felt better. I measured my height and I think I lost an inch or more (I’m 59). So, the shorter stem makes since, but my saddle height hasn’t changed. 

Before the pandemic my favorite bike had the bars about 4” lower than the saddle. At the end of the ride, it felt like I peeled my self off the bike, like bare legs on a vinyl seat on a hot sticky day. Durning the pandemic the low handlebars became too painful to ride and I started raising them. I’m much happier with the center of the bars about the same height as the saddle. I sit more upright, and as a result have much less back and neck pain. On the down side, I couldn’t mod my favorite bike and it is no longer used. 

Best-

James

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[Richard Rose]

I (&67) have discovered that I can still ride drops, but I choose not to. I had kind of gravitated to a more upright position & am now “full monty” with the Clem. Recently several traditional road bikes fell into my temporary stewardship. Most are too big for me but there is this one - a drop dead gorgeous J.P. Weigle - that fits me to a “T”. I can ride it, but why would I? The Clem is right here.:)

Sent from my iPhone

On Sep 26, 2022, at 12:56 AM, Kim Hetzel <krhe...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[lconley]

I am 66 and 5 months - reached SS "full retirement age" last month but I am still riding drops and flat bars (and working). Riding upright is the most uncomfortable thing for me. Drops and flat bars takes some weight off of my butt - I am overweight. I hate the "tippy" feeling of sitting upright and upright bars are always way too close. I like being able to move my hands to different positions on the top of drop bars. I basically only use the drops for going down hill. 

I am 6' but have the legs of someone 5'8" and the torso of someone 6'4". I have step throughs: Clementine, Rosco Medium Mountain Mixte and a Rosco Baby that I am experimenting with - the Keven's Cargo Bike mixte doesn't count as it is still too high to step through. I can still swing my leg over, but it is becoming more difficult. I have high hopes for the Rosco Baby - I am thinking of trying the Chocomoose bars for it and maybe the Keven's Cargo Bike. The Rosco Baby TT is 20 cm longer than the ST and may allow me to use bars with back sweep. The Rosco Baby wheelbase is only two inches longer than my custom.

Laing

[George Schick]

I can relate to all of this.  I'm in the early years of my seventh decade now and I've only lost and inch in height, but I'm finding the stem length of 110mm on my Ram to be a bit longer than what was comfortable when I first got it almost 20 years ago.  I hate to think about it, because it will mean removing and replacing bar tape in order to install a shorter stem, but as we trudge along we have to face issues like these.  Oh well...

[Joel S]

I lost 2” after my second back surgery.  I was riding Albatross way before then and always used a short stem, never changed from my drops. I finally got longer stems and that is better but only because I was riding too short stems.  My stems now with Choco bars are 8 and 9 cm where I was riding 7cm before. I just had a third surgery but much less invasive and I suspect when I can ride again all will be ok with my bikes setup. As Jon said, getting older can be slippery.  

[Ryan]

Was it Bette Davis who said "getting old ain't for the faint of heart" ? 

I, too, will hit my three-score and ten in December and I know my bike accident in 2016 where  a car turning right into the bike lane landed me with an L1 compression fracture...mostly healed and I'm a little arthritic, so less limber than I used to be.

That being said, the configuration of Moustache bars, 9cm stem and saddle level with the stem , so I'm leaning at about a 45 degree angle still works the best for me. If I can still ride for a couple of hours steadily, regardless of what the actual distance is...(and I know I can download Strava if I want to)...I am good with that and grateful I can still do it. On a single-speed with a low gear. But still under my own power, however  diminished it is. 

[JRStern11]

Exactly.  My speed is now just slow and I don’t care, my distance is shortened.  I think this season is over for me so I will see what next year brings.  I tuned 71 in August, had an injury this year that kept me off the bike most of the time, I watched my speed and mileage diminish.I am was able to ride a few weeks before my Sept. back surgery.  Now to heal.  I am most happy when I ride so looking forward to getting back on the bike.   

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[Ryan]

Well, I do hope your recovery goes well and you can get back on the bike. I try not to obsess about this, but who knows how many miles are left on the odometer, right? And since I walk rather than ride in the winter...I  figure...carpe diem

[st nick]

I see there are plenty of older folks on this list  me included.

I'm in the early 70's group also.

Upright bars are on all my bikes now.

I've occasionally mounted drop bars with a taller stem but then switched back to upright bars.

I just no longer like riding in the drops so no need for drop bars for me.

Plus I like the convenient position of thumbies and brake levers on my upright bars.

I'm still pretty limber to lift a leg over a regular diamond frame TT but keep a lookout for a Clem or Platypus for the future. However they appear to be scarce.

My average speed has also dropped but like someone else mentioned I don't really care about that.

I'm glad still still be able to ride and enjoy it a lot.

Many my age I know are not able to ride and a third of my high school graduating class are already deceased. 

One has to count their blessings I think.

Safe riding, 

Paul in Dallas 

.

[Joel S]

Thanks Ryan.  I am hoping to be able to walk more than 2 blocks soon, as this was a relatively easy procedure.  Walking looks great right now.  

[Ryan]

Nothing wrong with walking...and it's good you're being careful. After my 2016 run-in with a car, a few days later, I thought I could do a little 2 kilometer walk , and man, did I pay for that. Bad enough I couldn't ride for the rest of the fall, which is my favorite riding time...but I also had to slow my roll for a few weeks where walking was concerned. Sounds like you're being smarter than I was, however.

All the best

[JRStern11]

Ryan, I went through this 10 years ago.  Car accident while working in 2010 (rear ended by teen in a Jeep doing over 50 while I was at a standstill in order to make a left turn), second very aggressive back surgery in 2012, so yes, I am going slow.  Right now I just want the draining to stop, it’s been 8 days and is too long but as they sat patience is a virtue.  And besides my wife gets me out every day for a short walk and watches me like a hawk.  

Thanks

Joel

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