LHT First Ride Report

[Catrin]

The two mile ride two weeks ago didn't count as my first ride, for obvious reasons...but all that has changed :D

I have to sing the praises of the gearing on my LHT! No, I am not shifting yet - the shifters are a LONG way from the hoods, down by my knees. Literally. This is daunting but I know that I will learn how to do this.

Today I focused on having fun, and practiced moving my hands to different positions on top of the bars without getting wobbly. So I picked a middle gear on both chains and just left it there. Remember my rear cassette is 11-34T, with a crankset of 48-36-26t.

Please note that I was far from the granny gear - that is important. I must compare this with my Trek 7.6. In the park where I was today there are short, steep hills in the park that I can barely get up and at 3 mph at that. How did Sully do? Straight up the same hill(s) at almost 10mph - and this was without shifting. At all. And I lost momentum cornering before starting the climb.

It cut through corners just as stable and smooth as possible, and easier to go around things on the road as well - better than my Trek even. I think that I am going to like climbing with this bike! Even cornering seemed more stable/comfortable on the LHT than on my Trek that I have 140 miles on...

Perhaps there isn't a surprise in how differently the two bikes perform - one is meant to be able to go fully loaded up a mountain and the other isn't, but still - while I still love my Trek, the Surly is special! Plus he weighs less than Stella, but let's not let her know that :)

It is pure love with this bike - outside of the shifters :p However I can't even say that yet since I can't blame the bike for my not being able to move my hands that far as of yet. My hands did get a little sore, but that stopped as soon as I got off the bike, not the sheer agony of two weeks ago...

[t.ruf]

Glad to hear all is well with Sully! I have my Surly now and like you have to get new handlebars. Very awkward to reach the brakes, and it hurts my wrists, too. Have you seen this (http://groups.google.com/group/surlylht?msg=subscribe) site? Another good forum-like resource for us Surly owners.

Enjoy!

[Tri Girl]

Yippee!!! :D

Although you really need to tone down the praise for the LHT. You're gonna make me *really* want one (although I fear I already do). :p

[Catrin]

Ok...how is this for a toned down report? Ahem....mumble mumble mumble

The LHT calmly took every hill presented to it during it's maiden voyage without complaint. The rider thought it interesting that no shifting was required - which was good since she can't figure out how to get her hands down there without losing her balance.

The LHT seemed to intuitively know when the rider wanted to make a turn and did so very calmly and smoothly. No excitement needed here.

As far as that rumor that steel rides more smoothly than aluminum, that does seem to be the case.

Ok, so that isn't so toned down but I can't help it :rolleyes: :p I love this bike! I WILL get the shifting figured out, or just get the shifters replaced, but I don't want to go that expensive route if I don't have to :rolleyes: HOW DO YOU GET YOUR HANDS DOWN THERE without getting wobbly? I mean really, the shifters are at my knees and a long way from the hoods One assumes that in a few months I will be laughing at this little shifting problem :) Funny I didn't notice how far away they were when I had it on the trainer!

Don't get me wrong, I like my Trek 7.6 and it isn't fair to compare the two bikes - they are quite different. I am looking forward to seeing what Sully can do with a little dirt/gravel beneath him :D

[Melissa71]

Catrin, that's wonderful!!!! :) I'm happy that you love your LHT, it sounds like the perfect bike.

[Atlas]

Surly Love! I went on and on about my CC and got a friend to buy one. Surlys are just great bikes. I've never been disappointed by one and I've ridden quite a few.

[OakLeaf]

Woohoo!

As far as the shifters - this is a total stab in the dark since I've never used bar ends (and I admitted earlier I was kind of dubious about them... :cool:)

but how are you at just riding in the drops? Just practice riding in the drops, and getting your hands back and forth from the drops to the hoods. One hand at a time, easy as pie. :) Don't even worry about shifting yet.

[Catrin]

Glad to hear all is well with Sully! I have my Surly now and like you have to get new handlebars. Very awkward to reach the brakes, and it hurts my wrists, too. Have you seen this (http://groups.google.com/group/surlylht?msg=subscribe) site? Another good forum-like resource for us Surly owners.

Enjoy!

Have you checked to make sure you have the right brake levers as well? Surly sent a set that was too large, but they replaced them at no charge. The bars were actually the right size that they were supposed to send, but they were too wide for me. Which size do you have? I have the 46cm.


Woohoo!

As far as the shifters - this is a total stab in the dark since I've never used bar ends (and I admitted earlier I was kind of dubious about them... :cool:)

but how are you at just riding in the drops? Just practice riding in the drops, and getting your hands back and forth from the drops to the hoods. One hand at a time, easy as pie. :) Don't even worry about shifting yet.

The drops seem so far away..though they really aren't I figured that I would start with just being able to move my hands along the tops of the bars and just take it one step at a time. I CAN almost touch the shifter with the tip of my thumb on the top of the bar - though I haven't tried this riding. Amazing what you can do when the bike is leaning against the couch ;)

Yeah, this was the part that I was always dubious about, but the bike is so great that it is worth the trouble. I already know what it will cost to change to STI shifters if I can't adjust, but as I don't know how to shift those either it seems better just to go ahead and learn how to use these. For some reason, on the trainer, the bars and shifters didn't seem so......LOW :p :rolleyes: :p

ADDED: Then again, I've never used road bars before, Stella has mountain bars and trigger shifters. I even had the wild idea yesterday that a taller stem might solve it! It is about the hand movement though, I really don't think the stem is too short.

[Skierchickie]

Just keep riding, and and I'm pretty sure you'll get used to it. Someday you'll wonder why it ever seemed so difficult, but right now it's a foreign setup for you.

You're gonna love it! I have a bike with bar end shifters, and I love them. I do remember the days (many years ago, but I'm old ;) ) of feeling uncomfortable switching from the hoods to the drops, but now it's easy-peasy. Just ride, ride, ride!

[moderncyclista]

Which chainring (front) are you on and which ring on the rear cassette are you on? If you pedal in a higher gear your bike won't "wobble" as much. Also, if your going faster in general - but I'm not sure you're quite ready for that. Put your Surly on your trainer and practice shifting on a stable platform first - or in a parking lot. It might be somewhat dangerous on the streets if you don't know how to operate the bike yet. Keep one hand on your bars when shifting (usually the left), move your right hand down to the bar end - down for higher gears - up for lower gears.

Also, I have bar ends and I ride most of the time on the hoods, rarely use the drops. It is the easiest shifting from the hoods for me. Doesn't help me much to get into the drops and then shift. It should become intuitive where your shifter is, so you can reach down without looking and shift.

[Catrin]

Which chainring (front) are you on and which ring on the rear cassette are you on? If you pedal in a higher gear your bike won't "wobble" as much. Also, if your going faster in general - but I'm not sure you're quite ready for that. Put your Surly on your trainer and practice shifting on a stable platform first - or in a parking lot. It might be somewhat dangerous on the streets if you don't know how to operate the bike yet. Keep one hand on your bars when shifting (usually the left), move your right hand down to the bar end - down for higher gears - up for lower gears.

Also, I have bar ends and I ride most of the time on the hoods, rarely use the drops. It is the easiest shifting from the hoods for me. Doesn't help me much to get into the drops and then shift. It should become intuitive where your shifter is, so you can reach down without looking and shift.

Thanks for everyone's tips, they will be helpful. I've a nice large park with every kind of road imaginable (flat/hilly, curves, and straight) to practice shifting the LHT in. I am comfortable pedaling around 13mph or so, though yesterday we got up to 17.5 in a tailwind - and it was my other bike.

Saturday I had the LHT in the middle chain, and about the middle of the small gears. I actually didn't NEED to shift, and I hit every hill in that park outside of THE hill. I thought it good to practice just moving my hands on the top of the bars to get comfy with just doing that - I've been unable to do that. Yesterday I did manage to adjust my mirror on my Trek though, so progress is being made :)

[Catrin]

I have a confession to make, I can't avoid it any longer. I start the bike when seated. My bare tip-toes are only touching the ground yet I still manage to do it - though it unbalances me. I have this mental block about doing it properly - though I've certainly seen plenty of people do this. It is TIME to change this, it slows me down at intersections/so forth and isn't the safest way to start.

I think it is a trust thing - I am afraid the bike will fall over if I commit my weight to that one pedal :o

Am I unique here? If I am not, how did you get over it?

[t.ruf]

I have a confession to make, I can't avoid it any longer. I start the bike when seated. My bare tip-toes are only touching the ground yet I still manage to do it - though it unbalances me. I have this mental block about doing it properly - though I've certainly seen plenty of people do this. It is TIME to change this, it slows me down at intersections/so forth and isn't the safest way to start.

I think it is a trust thing - I am afraid the bike will fall over if I commit my weight to that one pedal :o

Am I unique here? If I am not, how did you get over it?

I'm having trouble visualizing what you're doing and what you think you're supposed to be doing. My husband does some nifty guy thing of stepping on the left pedal with his left foot, and then swinging his other leg over the seat while in motion. Looks very cool, and he can even do it with clipless pedals, although it scares me a bit to watch him do it. Is that the kind of commitment to one pedal you mean? :confused:

Or do you mean that you balance yourself at stops on both tiptoes rather than leaving one foot on a pedal and propping yourself up with the other? (Like one leg is a kickstand...)

[Catrin]

I'm having trouble visualizing what you're doing and what you think you're supposed to be doing. My husband does some nifty guy thing of stepping on the left pedal with his left foot, and then swinging his other leg over the seat while in motion. Looks very cool, and he can even do it with clipless pedals, although it scares me a bit to watch him do it. Is that the kind of commitment to one pedal you mean? :confused:

Or do you mean that you balance yourself at stops on both tiptoes rather than leaving one foot on a pedal and propping yourself up with the other? (Like one leg is a kickstand...)

This thread wound up in two places - sorry about that...

Neither of the above - if you go to the other thread found here (http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=37323) then it might help clarify things - at least I hope so.