Hola again... this is Ricardo from California

[ricardo kuhn]

Hi ricardo.

Thanks for more great advice.


I'm going to try raising the seat a bit more too.

a exelent trick is to use a folded towel or a thick piece fabric so you can add layers (so you can measure how thick each layer is) until your legs (and whole body) are very confortable, also if you ride in the dirt a lot build, the seat as tall as you can manage (narrow at the "waist" so you can reach the ground but tall so you can have ull leg extension), that way your transition from seating to standing will be much easier, then when you are sure everything is fine make your own seat, or even better add blocks to the bottom of the seat mounts (the only problem is that you end up with a gap in between the seat plastic and the tank) or even simpler get a sheep skin from Lady BARBara at alaska leather and you will gain about 2cms right there..

An hour and a half in the saddle and my knees begin to lock up because I can't move them. So on a long ride I try to stand up every 20 minutes or so.

Nin just looking at your pictures i feel your pain...

Force any joing of your body to a angle more accute than 90 degrees and you are in trouble, specially since your knee is being Bend about 120deegres.

optimally i like to see about 30 deggres ( just do some squads, frogs, whatever you want to call that exercice and see how diicult is to walk when your knees are extremlly bend), oviuslly this will make for really tall seat or a bike with really poor ground clearance, so about 70-80 deggres is somehow acceptable, this also apply to your elbows, wrist, neck, even your fingers, the closer the joing (articulation) is to rectilinear (straight line) the less energy is require to generate a outcome

Er yeah - my neck was killing me, till I stopped riding a couple of weeks ago.

I explain this a million times already but i'm going to do it just for YOU ones more...

when your hands are forced by the angle of the handlebar grips into a posture that is not-natural (distal lock = when your wrist can not move anymore to the outside) the body compensates by moving your elbow closer to your torzo forcing the elbow to also get lockup in place, the end result is that you end up like one of the ladys at "River dance" doing all the movement with your shoulders and the upper part of your spine generating a lot of unnecesary tension that end up producing pain (sometime BiG TiMe pain)

The distance between my shoulder joints (where they rotate) is about 45-46 cm.

Nice arse too

tell Me about it....

 

[Nin]

The Fastway pegs should be here at the weekend, so I'll stick them on and experiment with the seat height like this

... add blocks to the bottom of the seat mounts

I'll take some pics and post 'em here.

... get a sheep skin from Lady BARBara at alaska leather and you will gain about 2cms right there..

Might just try that too

I explain this a million times already but i'm going to do it just for YOU ones more...

when your hands are forced by the angle of the handlebar grips into a posture that is not-natural (distal lock = when your wrist can not move anymore to the outside) the body compensates by moving your elbow closer to your torzo forcing the elbow to also get lockup in place,

It's the first time I've heard it. Sounds like sense to me. In about 25 years riding bikes no-one has been able to explain how to get over the knee/shoulder/wrist/neck/back problems. The usual response is "deal with it". It's mostly why I ride a GS, becuase it's so big. You should see me on a VFR or Fireblade - I make them look like a minimoto! Ride them the same way too ...

he end result is that you end up like one of the ladys at "River dance"

You seen me ride then ... You know that I'm going to have to buy a set of your bars after all this Ricardo.

Nin

 

[ricardo kuhn]

The Fastway pegs should be here at the weekend, so I'll stick them on and experiment with the seat height like this

install them on the LOW setting of the two.

rom the pegs you are going to gain about 5centimiters and from the seat another 3cms i not more, so i'm sure you will gain at least 10deggres at you knee (also hip and ancke will benefit.)

I'll take some pics and post 'em here.

awesome let your example help others along the way

Might just try that too

BARBara is super duppercool, but is many other sourses or them, i just like to sopport the good industry people...

It's the first time I've heard it. Sounds like sense to me. In about 25 years riding bikes no-one has been able to explain how to get over the knee/shoulder/wrist/neck/back problems. The usual response is "deal with it". It's mostly why I ride a GS, becuase it's so big. You should see me on a VFR or Fireblade - I make them look like a minimoto! Ride them the same way too ...

well times are about to change, the scince of ergonomics is being around for a long long time, but was mostlly aplly to "Static" works stations , the even more challenging part is to apply it to Dinamic machines were the human body is just not "Seating there" and is in constant movement (micro movements like activating a clutch level or macro movements like pushing the bike around) what is funny is that most of what I know comes from my years of studying bicycles than my deggre in ergonomics,,, well maybe because I have this interest in human power is why i was able to treat it as a scientific subject...

You seen me ride then ... You know that I'm going to have to buy a set of your bars after all this Ricardo.

Nin

NIN I start the Ricky bar business because I saw a specific need were I have some deep inside in the subject, but more than anything I want to contribute to the comunity...

ater all I'm much more of a designer than a Merchant that can be selling anything that will bring a profit...

I be here i you need me, but I'm sure you can solve the problem somehow on your own, is all about the level of quality you are willing to live with...

 

[ricardo kuhn]

How about another Lab Rat but this time somebody on the opposite end of the spectrum, so we can extrapolate the diferences and learn even more about this topic...

 

[Nin]

I be here i you need me, but I'm sure you can solve the problem somehow on your own, is all about the level of quality you are willing to live with...

Excellent. Top man Ricardo. I'll post again here when I've got something new to show.

Nin

 

[ricardo kuhn]

you see....
and then you guys wonder why i get bored of posting here, since nobody have any question or fun thing to look at or think about...

come on say something nice

 

[Nin]

Nippy Norman isn't being too Nippy - my Fastways haven't arrived yet .... probably at the weekend.


Nin

 

[Nin]

Hey Ricardo

do you get the feeling we're the last two in the room?

Nin

 

[Shep]

Hey Ricardo

do you get the feeling we're the last two in the room?

Nin

Oh no your not! i'm just waiting for the short and fat on 1200GSA's section to post their pictures. the bars on mine feel swept back too much, body position is ok(ish) but would be improved by moving the bar ends forward by about an inch and rotating the controls forward for better control whilst standing up.

So keep it up, I'm learning lots from all this

Shep

 

[Gramps]

Keep Going!!

Smashing post. Been reading every word.

We are all here, waiting on the short fat test case to come up. I need to think on some of the points you have described. I'm sure that I can increase my long distance capability.

Going home at lunch time to sit on me bike and muse!

Thanks Ricardo, keep it going. Perhaps need a comfort/ergonomics section with advice and product solutions.

Gramps.

 

[Vern]

Hey Ricardo

do you get the feeling we're the last two in the room?

Nin

Yeah,but have you seen all the people looking through the window

 

[GlynnJ]

How about another Lab Rat but this time somebody on the opposite end of the spectrum, so we can extrapolate the diferences and learn even more about this topic...

Ricardo

If you are still looking for another lab rat, I am happy to volunteer. I am 5'8" small with short legs that only just reach the ground (when sitting on the GS). I weigh 160lbs. My bike is a 2002 1150 GS.

The biggest problem I have is wrist ache; and after reading this thread I understand why. Also, I always seem to ride with my abdomen thrusting forwards (!) towards the gas tank which arches my back and causes pain after a while. I have always done this and can't seem to stop!

Anyway, if not too late, let me know what info you need.

Glynn

 

[taz]

pro-taper conversion

HI Ricardo,
Glad you are back, i have read good things of your bar conversion do you have any kits left for my 2000 1150 any colour except gold as its mandarin let me know and i will give you some stats.
thanks taz

 

[ricardo kuhn]

Smashing post. Been reading every word.

We are all here, waiting on the short fat test case to come up. I need to think on some of the points you have described. I'm sure that I can increase my long distance capability.

Going home at lunch time to sit on me bike and muse!

Thanks Ricardo, keep it going. Perhaps need a comfort/ergonomics section with advice and product solutions.

Gramps.

well Gramps Be the short Fat guy and we go at it right now..

maybe put a paper bag over your head or something if you are shy...

 

[ricardo kuhn]

Oh no your not! i'm just waiting for the short and fat on 1200GSA's section to post their pictures. the bars on mine feel swept back too much, body position is ok(ish) but would be improved by moving the bar ends forward by about an inch and rotating the controls forward for better control whilst standing up.

So keep it up, I'm learning lots from all this

Shep

Cool I was getting kind of Bored...

I will need to see some fotos to really tell you what is best, so take the camara out and start a little fire.

 

[ricardo kuhn]

Yeah,but have you seen all the people looking through the window

well Vern the Roman circus was kind of that way, and as far as I know most of the "actors" did not have much fun unless they were Lions...

 

[ricardo kuhn]

HI Ricardo,
Glad you are back, i have read good things of your bar conversion do you have any kits left for my 2000 1150 any colour except gold as its mandarin let me know and i will give you some stats.
thanks taz

sure Dave I have some left...

and don't worry Silver is the new gold anyway...

anytime you want..

 

[Shep]

Cool I was getting kind of Bored...

I will need to see some fotos to really tell you what is best, so take the camara out and start a little fire.

I'll take some pictures over the W/E and post asap (no camera here at work and no t'internet access at the moment at the boat (home)

Thanks Shep

 

[ricardo kuhn]

Ricardo

If you are still looking for another lab rat, I am happy to volunteer. I am 5'8" small with short legs that only just reach the ground (when sitting on the GS). I weigh 160lbs. My bike is a 2002 1150 GS.

The biggest problem I have is wrist ache; and after reading this thread I understand why. Also, I always seem to ride with my abdomen thrusting forwards (!) towards the gas tank which arches my back and causes pain after a while. I have always done this and can't seem to stop!

Anyway, if not too late, let me know what info you need.

Glynn

Hi Glynn do you have a White Coat.....??


Upss sorry I'm soppose to be the one with the white coat, no big deal

sure lets go...

the back is the "Ohlins" shock of your whole body but it only works if the proper shape is achive, if somehow lower curv specailly (lordoxic) is convex (like a hunch back) and opose to concave (like a preetyy brasilian sanba dancer) the accordion effect provide is minimal, this can actually be very serius and also bring long lasting affect (Hernias, damage disc) specially if you are jumping around,,etc,,think parachute accident, when the back is full extended)

what kind of seat are you ussing...?
i think the first thing we need to do is to move your butt as far forward as possible, for two reasons, first for better reach to the handlebars and second because your legs will be on the narrower portion of the seat...

in my own personal dream I view seats for short people as a "landing gear" were you have a transition part that is very skinny so you legs can be a lot more paralel and in the long term longer and then you move a little to the back were your butt can achive full confort Like I talk about here in post #72

if you can take some pictures and we go from there so we can all learn a little more..

 

[ricardo kuhn]

I'll take some pictures over the W/E and post asap (no camera here at work and no t'internet access at the moment at the boat (home)

Thanks Shep

Cool a Boat...

maybe we can make the GS into the spare engine for the boat, she will look really cute with paddle wheels don't you think...???