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davemosstuning

Monthly blog post to help riders cover the basics in a simple step by step basis

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It was apparent that the most overlooked part of basic set up was ergonomics. As such, being comfortable on your bike is not an option - it is mandatory. Let's run through each one in detail and if you have old injuries, respect them and adjust accordingly even if that means something isn't perfectly symmetrical.

Handle bars
Most stock bars have some adjustment. Not a lot at the triple clamp end but certainly a lot at the bar end, and that's the critical part. Do you know how to adjust the bar sweep angle? If not, there's an easy way to find out. Loosen the bolt that clamps the handlebar in place on the fork and see if it will move forwards or backwards. With stock bikes, forward is generally better unless you have quite short arms, then there's not so much load on your wrists.
If there is no adjustment at that point, there may be a bolt holding the bar in place to the or through the upper triple clamp. Take it out and set it aside and reposition the bars. Just torque the handlebar bolt to the fork leg correctly. Is comfort worth a missing bolt?

Brake lever
You have to sit on the bike and move the brake lever perch to the right angle for your wrist and hand. SO MANY front brakes levers were high that riders were potentially accelerating into a braking situation and worse, significantly increasing the amount of time it takes you to apply the brakes. The angle depends on torso and arm length. Take some time to set this angle correctly for YOU!
Most brake levers these days are adjustable but make sure you have your glove on and fastened. The first finger tip MUST go over the lever completely and be correctly positioned so the middle of the tip is in the middle of the lever. The second finger is for pulling power so the second part of the finger must be positioned in the middle of the lever ideally. We all have different fingers and so this may be a bit of a compromise. If you have to compromise, do so on the second finger.

Clutch lever
The same process applies to the clutch perch. Unfortunately most clutch levers are not adjustable in reach, so is it worth you buying a clutch lever? How many times do we use the clutch compared to the brakes? A lot more - so an investment there is very well worth it. Same principles apply to finger positioning.

Rear sets
Do you know if your frame has multiple tabs to allow you to move the rear sets around based on inseam? If not, are you close enough to being able to lock into the tank with your upper thigh? Do you have to move you feet around then flex your foot up to get the knee if the right position or do you have to rest your heel on the peg to get your thigh into the tank shape as your legs are too long?
If there's no adjustment there, do you need to invest in rear sets to get yourself and legs correctly positioned? For the track and racing yes. For street riding - that's your call.

Brake and shift levers
In general, one size fits all is the mantra here and while you can adjust the lever angle to suit your foot position, there's no way to accommodate various boot sizes. We shift constantly, so getting something that meets your needs there would be appropriate. If you use the rear brake all the time, changing that would be a good idea as well.

Not huge investments here that we are looking at, but more importantly essential ones that need to happen.

It's your bike and has to meet your needs. Ergonomics is a critical part of this as a fundamental starting point. Take some time to work through this and preferably do it as a group to make it a social occasion which passes on comprehensive understanding to all in attendance who can then pass accurate information on to other riders.

For more information and video go here:
http://feelthetrack.com/?page_id=280

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Comments

  1. Maha's Avatar
    All very good points about the ergonomics pertaining to your bike, for you... the indvidual.