robgul wrote:Mike777 wrote:irc wrote:.
... it may be selfish, but at the price buy 2 tickets and have a 2 berth cabin to yourself? (You don;t want to sit in a seat all night .. trust me!)
Rob
irc wrote:Mike777 wrote:irc wrote:. I've done the Glasgow - London sleeper seated before. Never again. Either a cheap daytime ticket or the sleeper for me.
robgul wrote:Mike777 wrote:[quote="irc... it may be selfish, but at the price buy 2 tickets and have a 2 berth cabin to yourself? (You don;t want to sit in a seat all night .. trust me!)
Rob
531colin wrote:Is the bike really big enough? You have the saddle as far back as possible, you have a high-rise stem...and I don't like those adjustable stems, they flex too much.
I think you need say 2 sizes bigger bike than that, so you can get the reach long enough and the bars high enough without the biggest stem you can find, or the saddle at the end of its adjustment. On a bike the right size, you can set the saddle position for comfortable/efficient pedalling, and select a stem that gives you a comfortable reach and bar height. For efficient riding you need to lean forward to brace your lower back, and so you can pull on the bars uphill.
I think the best advice is to tell us where you live....somebody on here will know a local shop where they encourage you to test ride tourers, and where they will adjust the bike to fit you.....and you can find out how they ride.
The Ridgeback (and other) tourers have been reviewed on here, if you search.
Big T wrote:Can you clarify how tall you are? 5'102?
I'm 6ft 2in and ride a 58cm Ridgeback Panorama. I have short legs (31") and a long body, so it fits me OK with a longer stem fitted, but someone else of a similar height might find it too small.
Brucey wrote:To measure your inside leg for bike frames, you need to straddle a horizontal broomstick (or similar) like you are sitting on it, i.e. with some pressure. Stockinged feet, flat on the floor, then measure from the top side of the broomstick down. Best to have a (close) friend help you do this! If your inside leg comes out at 29" still than you probably need a 50 or 52cm frame. The bike in question is available in sizes from 48 to 60cm in 2cm increments.
Frame sizes 'assume' (rightly or wrongly) that the rider is proportioned in a certain way. Often they are not. At the least this may mean a different stem, or a frame that is a slightly different size to get the reach right. About 99 in 100 people can be thus accomodated, but In extremis, you may be best off with a custom frame. Most people try a few off the peg frames first before going this route.
Best to go to a good bike shop and get yourself fitted up properly; even if it costs a few quid more first time round, it is money well spent. I mean, unless you had done it before, you wouldn't expect to buy shoes blind or mail order, would you? Not before a marathon run especially....
hth and good luck with LEJOG
cheers