Set up quesrions
Last Post 06/19/2020 02:02 AM by 79 pmooney. 6 Replies.
Author Messages
thinline

Posts:323

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06/18/2020 08:28 AM
Ah, got some good rides in on the new gravel bike.  So much fun.  But, a couple set-up questions.

One, is it my imagination or is my seat post slipping a bit over the course of a ride.  CF frame and CF seat post (my first CF frame).  Just seems like it is slipping a bit, or my legs get longer!  Is that common?  Is there a fix other than cranking down ever harder on the collar?

Two, related to one, when I have the seat at the height I like for leg extension, I seem to get a little tingle in my hands.  When I look, the seat is up there compared to the handlebars.  Should I be looking at adding spacers or a riser stem to address the tingling?  I am definitely leaning more on the bars than I do on my road bike. 

Thanks for your insights!
Cosmic Kid

Posts:4209

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06/18/2020 08:44 AM
Get some carbon paste to address the slipping seat post. basically a "gritty" lubricant that will help prevent slipping. Do NOT keep tightening the seat collar!!

Finding the right position for gravel can take time....most like to be a bit more upright, some like to replicate their road position (gello!), etc. If you are getting discomfort, definitely try some different bar positions and see if it alleviates the issue.

We also need to see pics of the new bike....it has been too long since we had fresh bike pjorn!!
Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
Orange Crush

Posts:4499

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06/18/2020 09:02 AM
What CK said. Off for a 100 k gravel ride today. Oh and this is where Ben and I hooked up last year. https://www.velonews.com/culture/the-grind-oregon-trail-gravel-stage-race/
zootracer

Posts:833

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06/18/2020 09:42 AM
I never had much luck with the carbon paste in regards to a slipping seat post. For starters. make sure your seat post is slipping. Mark your seat post with electric tape or a sharpie pen. My old '07 Trek Madone seatpost slipped like I crazy. I replaced the stock Bontrager seat collar with a Salsa Lip Loc. Problem solved.
My newer Madone has a Bontrager carbon seat mast and over tightening can lead to snapping the seat mast bolt, which is not replacable, you have to buy a new seat mast (which is pricey). I bought a Bontrager pre set 5Nm torque wrench. And yes raising your seat height too high can result in numbing hands. Setting up a new bike can be a pain. I was fitted at my LBS when I bought the new Madone in 2016, but the settings were so different then what I was using I changed everything to what I had on my old bike. Too drastic of a change. I wish I had a new bike to mess around with....
longslowdistance

Posts:2881

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06/18/2020 08:17 PM
OC, thanks for the link. Breathtaking scenery! How often is the weather so nice in that part of the world?
Orange Crush

Posts:4499

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06/18/2020 09:23 PM
It was actually wet and cold on stage 2 with some folks under cooled. Other days were nice. But it had been a drier spring than usual so all the trails turned soft and sandy much earlier than organizers expected making even easy stage bloody hard. It had also been cooler than usual so there was a detour due to snow and still a minor snow crossing on final stage.

If the weather ever turns properly foul on that event it will be a true survival fest. And oh, CK said I also had some cool scenery today, for those on strava https://strava.app.link/R3cMEHbWq7
79pmooney

Posts:3178

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06/19/2020 02:02 AM
OC, that VeloNews link is a little deceptive. They don't show the sand or the deep ruts on the downhills. The roads they show are some of the best ones.

And survival - it was really obvious that if a pioneer's wagon bogged down in that sand or hisr horse wasn't at his best and the weather turned, it would not have been pretty.


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