Yesterday was my first long ride on my KH-29er. I had ridden 8 miles before but never more than that. Today I went 14 miles on secluded, low traffic, roads without people around. Very nice ride.
I had my 150 cranks on and, upon return, put on my 125s on and realized that I would have enjoyed the trip more with a shorter circle to pedal and less knee vertical movement. It took me about 2 hours and I took a few stops for the sake of the saddle.
I ride a Big Apple which does very well on the pavement but I pumped it up to about 40 psi and I noticed that it reacted more to the crown in the road than it would with less pressure.
Also decided I need to buy some cycling shorts. I ordered some of those Zyflex cycling shorts one of us pointed out the other day–I hope I like them because most cycling shorts look pretty dorky. I do need the padding however. I did reinforce me earlier learned opinion that standing up every now and then while pedaling will keep certain parts of the anatomy in contact with the rest of it.
It was a beautiful day and my wife came along on her Cruiser (she says she’s not learning to unicycle in her 50s). Anyway, I realized that long distance is more a function of good equipment and reasonable conditioning.
Nice one Carey, do you use the KH29er just for road work?
Another alternative to cycle shorts is to use cycling underware with the padding built in. I use them all the time, and they work really well. You can use them with any shorts or trousers you want.
I especially use the undershorts in the winter so I can wear trousers over them.
Great going on your 29er. I’m a fellow 29er rider and at the moment ride both on and off road. I hate the traffic so I envy you being able to find 14 miles of low traffic roads to ride on.
Why did you switch from the kenda tire? I have the kenda and I really like it but maybe I’m missing something. What differences do you notice on the big apple?
>I ride a Big Apple which does very well on the pavement but I pumped it
>up to about 40 psi and I noticed that it reacted more to the crown in
>the road than it would with less pressure.
Remarkable. Most people report that it’s the other way round: less
pressure means more sensitivity to road crown.
Thanks for posting that pic Dave! I’ve been thinking about an inexpensive and simple handle for my 29’er for ages and haven’t come up with anything yet. Your idea has inspired me to dig around some bike parts bins and see what I can come up with now.
Daniel, you question is a common one. The handle on the 29’er serves the same purpose as those on Cokers. For long distance rides it allows the rider to shift their weight… a welcome way to relieve pressure on the butt!
The handle of the seat is too close to the body to do this effectively for any length of time.
