Optimal Riding Possition

[EvilBetty]

If this has been discussed specifically about the Girly, I apologize, I wasn't able to find a fully applicable thread.

I'm trying to make sure to find out "how" I should be sitting on my bike.

I found this thread, but it seems to be referring more to sport touring bikes...
http://bmwsporttouring.com/ubbthreads/u ... umber=2739 (http://bmwsporttouring.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2739)

How much of that article is applicable, and what should I do differently on a 2005 Tiger?

Thanks guys!

[HappyMan]

It all applies.  Having ridden the BMW and now the Tiger there is little difference in the riding techniques.

Also, check Sargent's site for this. The Road to Comfort.
http://www.sargentcycle.com/csroadcom.htm

[EvilBetty]

Good info.  I'll continue toying with all of this, but I have also been wondering if I need to make some adjustments to my bike.

I've not run into anyone competent in bikes ergonomics in person, and I haven't taken my bike to the dealer like I had planned to have it adjusted, if that's even doable / necessary.

The one thing I think I need to do is adjust my shifter position.  To downshift I have to pick my foot up off the peg and stomp it down.  My foot won't bend enough on the peg to do otherwise.  I don't have any problem up shifting and like that I can ride with my foot loose under the shifter without accidentally bumping it while adjusting my position.   But I'm guessing it really needs to come down some.

I adjusted the seat to it's highest position (was on it's lowest) and I think I like that better, but I'm still getting monkey butt at the end of each leg of my daily route (27 miles each way).  Not sure where to go with this.  Gel seat, rebuilt seat, sheep skin, etc.

I'm also not real sure on where my arms should be.  Lately I've been wondering if the bars should be raised and closer, but without trying it, or someone telling me otherwise it's really just a feeling and a guess.

Anything else I should consider?  Should I take the bike up to the dealer for advise on the bikes ergo adjustments?

[flux]

Screw the dealer, they won't be able to tell you jack.

How tall are you man?

What kind of pants are you wearing?  They got a seam down the inside of your leg like jeans do?  I've never gotten chafed there after only 27 miles.  

Time for a better seat?

I am 6'3" and I try my best to sit up straight but I have terrible posture so its something I have to remind myself to do.  

Here's my setup and it works great.

Pro Taper ATV Mid bars (the stock bars were all wrong for me, especially standing) and Rox risers which offer infinite adjustment.  

Corbin seat for me really transformed the bike into a serious mile eater.  The stocker has been on a shelf since I got the Corbin.

MRA Vario screen has really helped with the tendency I had to lower my head at the neck to get out of the buffeting wind flow.  Helmet choice helps this as well.  

I have some Fastway footpegs from a GS I need to drill out the collar of to a wider size.... this will lower my feet a little and give me nicer, wider pegs to stand on.

[walker]

lower pegs, better seat (bill mayer), adjust the rear brake / shifter pedals. I always adjust the brake lever / clutch lever on the bars so that my hands are in a specific position - keeps the wrists up (not as much of a problem on the tiger, more of an issue on sport bikes).

reach to the levers can also cause some issues - I put the clutch lifter from a 2006 in mine to make the clutch pull easier, then adjusted the lever so it was closer to the bar. Put an adjustable brake lever from a bonneville on there to reduce the reach for the brake as well (I had some spare brake levers sitting around, which is why I used it).

[Tom Herold]

Sorry for the thread hi-jack: is there a specific year I should look for on the Bonneville clutch lever to retro over to my 05 Tiger?

Hijack over, please return to your normally scheduled program.....

[EvilBetty]

NOVEL

Monkey Butt may have been the wrong term.  "Goat Ass" seems to be what your describing in my terminology.  I always thought monkey butt was soreness from sitting / discomfort around pressure points.  At least that's what I was trying to convey :)

I'm 6'2", 240lbs, and have a "generous" posterior...

Beginning early last year I really stepped up my workouts and was doing a lot of core strengthening.  I was down 20 pounds, and I even started Judo up for a while, but the rest of the family really didn't enjoy it much.  We went on vacation in June and we never went back to Judo after that.

Then in July I was in minor car wreck were I was rear-ended while sitting in traffic.  (Scarily I realized later I would have probably been dead on the bike :shock: )  At first I thought I was fine but the neck pain came a week later, then my posture went to hell, then my back started hurting.  I went to a chiropractor for a couple months, then tried out physical therapy.  I started feeling a lot better after physical therapy but a couple of months later starting having posture problems and weakness in my back and neck at times.  This is all amplified on the bike.

I'm working on getting my core fitness back to pre-wreck levels, but that also includes fighting the bad posture in every situation, which leads me to this point of trying to perfect my riding position on the Girly.

I don't want to start throwing money at seats without having any kind of clue what is going to work for me.  If trial and error is the only way, the cheapest routes to start seem to be the Gel seat, or the Spencer's modification.  I have a spare seat coming and had planned on having the $75 modification done and see how much that helps.  Either of these options I could probably recoup most of my losses if they don't work out.

With my generous posterior I had thought the Corbin would be the best fit but it's so expensive, even used, that I'm fearful of making the investment in a new one and not being able to sell it if I don't like it, or buying a used one and realize that it had been custom made for someone with a completely different rear / leg length.  Same issues with the Rodger's and Sergent's modifications.

I've thought about the adjustable risers, but I don't know if I need them.  Sometimes my arms and grips feel perfect.  Other times I feel like I'm being pulled too far forward, or hanging too far back and slumping over to reach... :?

All of this I'm sure is next to impossible to sort out through a forum which is why I was hoping for local help from the dealer, which I figured was a long shot :)

Maybe video conferencing?   :lol:

/NOVEL

[walker]

you're on the right track. Keep your elbows in - forearms should be roughly parallel to the ground. wrists should be aligned with your hands / forearms (so wrists flat, not down, and hand should be aligned straight ).

Try holding the bars with your fingers out covering your levers.... move your elbows out, then back in - pay attention to what happens at the bend of the wrist... (while seated on the bike, don't do this when riding around at first).

use your knees and torso to hold yourself up - your hands should rest on the bars, not be used to prop yourself up. Keep a "light touch" on the bars.

that, in itself, will go a long way.

For the adjustable lever - I'll do a quick write up and post images in a separate thread :)

[EvilBetty]

That's the one area I've been practicing and have actually made some progress.  No more sore palms, no more sore and tight shoulders and upper back.  It's pretty much all in my butt and lower back now.  It could be that I've actually gotten my posture on the bike correct, but am still just having problems with muscle weakness.  Or I could still be doing something wrong...

Looking forward to more swiss ball fun tonight!  :?