LHT back at LBS

[OakLeaf]

Glad it's such a simple thing! Hope they get them swapped out quick and the bike is EVERYTHING you dreamed of once they do!

[alimey]

Sounds like another very good reason to shop at your LBS, rather than buying on the net. We frequently get customers who want us to put together a cheap kids bike they have bought online - it's usually a BSO, but ends up costing more than a decent bike from a shop because of the labour cost. We also get plenty of customers who either ask us to match online prices or provide all the necessary parts having bought them on the web. It's very difficult as we really want to please our customers - but we need to make a living too. It's nice when it's not all about price.

50% of The Bike Whisperer

[Catrin]

Glad it's such a simple thing! Hope they get them swapped out quick and the bike is EVERYTHING you dreamed of once they do!

I think it will be - even with the pain and a very short ride on Sunday, I fell in LOVE with how smooth that bike rode! It was as smooth as silk...now I need to get my skills ramped enough to take full advantage of such a sweet ride. 2 months from now I won't even remember what happened Sunday morning.

Can overly-large bars cause over-responsive steering?

[sarahspins]

Can overly-large bars cause over-responsive steering?

No, that's actually from narrow bars Even the widest road bars would be quite an adjustment from your fx. I know I noticed a huge change just going to my 490mm sparrow bars from the 580mm bars that came with my fx, and moreso once I had a bike with proper drop bars (my Mixte came with 38cm bars, which were too narrow for me.. I put 40's on there, and that's what my Felt has too). The best way I've seen it described is "twitchy" and it is true.. I didn't like the feeling AT ALL when I was test-riding bikes a year ago, which is how/why I ended up with my fx and not a road bike, even though I think I wanted a road bike all along (and I am glad to have both now, honestly.. I don't regret my fx at all.. it's easier to pull the kids in with it's lower gearing, and with an extra 90lbs of kids and trailer I need the lower gears). You do get used to it though.

That is kind of crazy that Surly shipped the wrong levers AND bars... but I'm glad you're getting taken care of now

[Catrin]

No, that's actually from narrow bars ....

That is kind of crazy that Surly shipped the wrong levers AND bars... but I'm glad you're getting taken care of now

They only shipped the wrong levers - my fitter tells me that the 40cm bars they do (and did) ship with my LHT are too wide for me - that I "require" 38cm bars and he has already ordered other bars for me.

It is good to know that the "twitchiness" was from the different style of bars, knowing what it is from does help. That means that I will be remaining in the "circle" drive at my favorite park until I can hold something of a reasonable straight line, at least with this bike. I don't think it will take that long - it may take longer to shift properly In the meantime I hope to graduate from the park soon with my Trek.

They did tell me at the LBS that there really are no shorter stems than what is on my LHT, so if I am reading you and OakLeaf correctly it is likely a factor of both bars and stem. That is helpful information. It is worth it to get that smooth ride I am looking forward to seeing what that gearing will do with THE hill in the park. Since it is geared to go loaded up a mountain side, it should make that hill much easier (ok, so I need to force my hands off of the bars to the shifters, but I will get there)

[sarahspins]

I think it's a combination of both - same principle at work, anyways

Your hand pain will most likely resolve with the narrower bars.. and the right levers!

[moderncyclista]

Oh good. I'm glad to hear that they've found a simple solution. Wonderful. When you get her/him back from the shop - have fun riding!!

[OakLeaf]

Can overly-large bars cause over-responsive steering?

What Sarah said, but also (more likely) a shorter stem can make a bike feel twitchy, and so can less rake and/or trail in the forks. I don't remember what you'd been riding, but with the LHT it's a lot more likely to be the former than the latter! You'll get used to it I'm sure.