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bentnut
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Registered: Nov 2002
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
Posts: 218

Cycling positions

These four photos show various positions you can use to get more power or comfort out of your Easy Racer bikes.

The first shot is just a comfortable riding position.

The second photo shows me in a slight slouch. When I'm really just flopping pedals and sometimes when I'm on a long ride I ride like this for a while.

The third photo shows me in a power position. For this to work properly your seat has to be close enough so when you lean forward you can still push off the back of the seat. I suspect a lot of you are to far back, so you might have to inch it forward a bit. When I'm climbing and sprinting or when I'm descending, I am close to a position like this. This is how I size my bike. When I sit on my Gold Rush or Javelin and with the pedal out in it's bottom dead center, my heel of my shoe can touch the pedal.

The fourth photo is of a power position you can use for very short bursts...like 5-10-15 seconds worth of time. It's the recumbent version of getting out of the saddle. It may not work for everybody, but for a lot of you it will. I use it for short burst of power like when I'm climbing or if I need to sprint.

Hope this help some of you and i suspect it will.

Freddy

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07-18-2006 03:25 PM

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celear
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Registered: May 2004
Location: Battlement Mesa, CO
Posts: 33

What is the risk to the structural integrity of a Kool-back seat when using position number 4?

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[Tour Easy]
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07-19-2006 02:18 PM

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Fast Freddy
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good question

"What is the risk to the structural integrity of a Kool-back seat when using position number 4?"

A good question and one I meant to address but left out. The big guys will probably break the seat back. I'm sort of kidding, but if your above 250lbs you might not want to try this, then again you might try and see how it works for you. I'll make this offer, if you break your seat back because you tried this, I'll sell you a new seat back for cost,

Freddy

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07-19-2006 04:52 PM

bentrider
Senior Member

Registered: Nov 2002
Location:
Posts: 151

Pinkie

Now what about the pink bike? Does that make you ride faster? I would think that it would provide more motivation to drop your friends on a climb. At least get far enough away so that they can't see you on it.

Seriously... I use all of the same positions as Fred. Accept I never tried number four. Will do that tomorrow though. Especially since I just put the Cobra on.

Could this be called the Easa Sutra?

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07-19-2006 06:10 PM

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Perry Butler
Senior Member

Registered: Feb 2003
Location: Ashby, MN - between Dalton & Melby
Posts: 163

Interesting!

quote:
Originally posted by celear
What is the risk to the structural integrity of a Kool-back seat when using position number 4?

Just opened up a new Koolback seat and packed inside was a yellow sheet explaining about the Koolback seat. The last paragraph says:

Your new seat is made of the lightest, strongest, most durable materials: Stainless steel, Kevlar carbon fiber and aircraft grade aluminum. However, we want to CAUTION you on one thing: Many automobile seats have been broken when the driver stretches between the floor boards and the seat back, trying to get change out of his pocket. A strong rider can develop more than twice his body weight in "pounds force" when pushing off both pedals and lifting his butt, and then all the force goes into the seat back. So pedal as hard as you want, but don't do a leg press into the seat back!

I have a Cobra seat and it feels strong enough to handle these postions. With my Koolback I guess I'll just cruise along and enjoy the ride up.

Enjoy,

Perry Butler

Last edited by Perry Butler on 07-20-2006 at 05:27 AM

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07-19-2006 07:53 PM

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Joao
Evil Overlord

Registered: Apr 2003
Location: New York City
Posts: 228

Re: good question

quote:
Originally posted by Fast Freddy
The big guys will probably break the seat back. I'm sort of kidding

A local guy I ride with (Shelly Mossey) is about 200lbs and strong as an ox . He always uses the same position as #4 when pushing hard, and he has broken a few Cobra seats over the years.

Personally, I use #4 when going up very short but steep hills, and something similar to #3 for most of the time.

Last edited by Joao on 07-19-2006 at 09:10 PM

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07-19-2006 09:06 PM

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bentonerecumben
Senior Member

Registered: Nov 2003
Location: Detroit suburbs
Posts: 543

Re: Cycling positions

quote:
Originally posted by bentnut
These four photos show various positions you can use to get more power or comfort out of your Easy Racer bikes.

The first shot is just a comfortable riding position.

The second photo shows me in a slight slouch. When I'm really just flopping pedals and sometimes when I'm on a long ride I ride like this for a while.

The third photo shows me in a power position. For this to work properly your seat has to be close enough so when you lean forward you can still push off the back of the seat. I suspect a lot of you are to far back, so you might have to inch it forward a bit. When I'm climbing and sprinting or when I'm descending, I am close to a position like this. This is how I size my bike. When I sit on my Gold Rush or Javelin and with the pedal out in it's bottom dead center, my heel of my shoe can touch the pedal.

The fourth photo is of a power position you can use for very short bursts...like 5-10-15 seconds worth of time. It's the recumbent version of getting out of the saddle. It may not work for everybody, but for a lot of you it will. I use it for short burst of power like when I'm climbing or if I need to sprint.

Hope this help some of you and i suspect it will.

Freddy

Freddy,

May I suggest that this information get sent to Wo for inclusion in the next issue of ERRC.

Thanks,

Joe

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07-20-2006 06:12 PM

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Fast Freddy
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I'll make a standing off to anybody who breaks their seats because of this manuver I'll sell you a new one for cost. Perry if you break one I'll give you one for free, I want you to try it.

Oh, good call Joe, I'll forward the knee and positions up to WO

Freddy

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07-20-2006 09:06 PM

johnp
Member

Registered: Nov 2002
Location: Moses Lake, WA
Posts: 92

I tried it!

OK, I am familiar with riding positions 1-3 but I only used the #4 position when crossing railroad tracks and then I wasn't peddling. So today I was cruising along a fairly flat stretch using the hunched forward position holding a little over 20 mph but there is a bridge over the freeway that always kills my momentum on this particular ride. To get to the point I waited till I was starting to lose speed and then tried to lift my butt out of the seat and keep peddling. It was like magic. I was accellerating up hill. I could hardly keep up with my pedals.

I lasted only seconds before those new muscles all gave up but I think with practice this will be a good way to get over short hills at a good clip. Thanks for the tip Freddy.

John

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07-20-2006 09:14 PM

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Got 'Bent
Member

Registered: Jul 2006
Location: Gulf Coast, Mississippi
Posts: 41

What kind of seat bag is on the 'bent in the previous post??

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07-23-2006 12:10 PM

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Got 'Bent
Member

Registered: Jul 2006
Location: Gulf Coast, Mississippi
Posts: 41

Is this your purse?? If so, it looks good. When you adjust the seat, I would think you use position 1 or 2 since this is your "normal" riding position. Positions 3/4 will take you further from the pedals and your heel will not (and I'm assuming should not) touch as it does when adjusting your seat. Use it only for short bursts of energy...I think! I just looked at the original post and see that FF sizes his bike to position 3, though, so maybe I'm confused. I have sized mine to positions 1/2.

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Last edited by Got 'Bent on 07-23-2006 at 02:10 PM

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07-23-2006 02:04 PM

Fast Freddy
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Helmer, it looks like you are to far back from the pedals, you need to be close enough to the pedals to drop your heel. A lot of you who moved their cleats way back may not be able to drop the heel as much. I personally don't like the cleat back position, I think it robs you from being able to flex your ankle and pedal perfect circles.

Freddy

Your heel should be able to hit the pedal, maybe even put a little pressure on the pedal with bare feel.

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07-24-2006 10:16 AM

macpublish
Senior Member

Registered: Jul 2006
Location: Connecticut, USA
Posts: 379

Seat position fine points

I've only got a few hundred miles on my TE so take this for what it's worth. I am in the process of refining my position. Freddy, this thread has been very helpful. I looked into the archives and found some more info. I think Gardner would have placed the seat a bit further back than what you suggest (I am not saying one is right and one is wrong, just bringing it up as an alternative). Further elaboration:

quote:
Originally posted by Fast Freddy
Your heel should be able to hit the pedal, maybe even put a little pressure on the pedal with bare feel.

In another thread, I found this:

quote:
Originally posted by easyadmin
Gardner's way of determining seat placement is: place one of the pedals at the 4:00 o'clock position (being a particular man, Gardner always said it should be at 4:30--not 4:00, but he always said that with a twinkle in his eye!). Sit on the bike in your normal sitting position with your regular riding shoes on. Place your heel on the pedal at 4:00. Do not slide down in your seat or scootch forward to acomplish this. Your heel should barely touch the pedal. You should not be able to rest your heel on the pedal. If not, adjust until you can. Then when you pedal with the ball of your foot on the front of the pedal, you should have the correct extension, (of course, you may to change your other adjustments, then.)

Happy trails,
Sandra

Now, the way I read that is to place the seat a bit further back than what Freddy suggests. Maybe I am wrong and if so, I would love to be corrected. I tried both and for me, I like Gardner's position better. I just feel a bit less cramped and I can still use the different riding positions that Freddy suggests (such the power position). I guess it's like anything else with bikes, there is a range of optimal and then you have to fine tune to your own taste. I hope no one thinks I am being a smart**s. I am just putting this out there in case other people find it useful. It should go without saying I had great respect for Gardner and do for Freddy as well.

Cheers,
Perry

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08-30-2006 07:42 AM

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john riley
Senior Member

Registered: Nov 2002
Location: San Francisco, CA USA
Posts: 419

Re: Seat position fine points

quote:
Originally posted by macpublish
...
Now, the way I read that is to place the seat a bit further back than what Freddy suggests....

Note that Freddy says he checks his seat position when he is hunched forward. The Gardner comments don't say that, so I assume "normal" position. There is a slight difference in these positions - I suspect you are slightly further back when hunched forward. I suspect the seat would end up about the same with the different positions and different heel tests.

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08-30-2006 08:50 AM

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macpublish
Senior Member

Registered: Jul 2006
Location: Connecticut, USA
Posts: 379

Re: Re: Seat position fine points

quote:
Originally posted by john riley
Note that Freddy says he checks his seat position when he is hunched forward. The Gardner comments don't say that, so I assume "normal" position. There is a slight difference in these positions - I suspect you are slightly further back when hunched forward. I suspect the seat would end up about the same with the different positions and different heel tests.

John,

Respectfully, I think it's the other way around. First of all, I agree when you say that hunching forward will likely put you further back at the seat. Say you set up per Gardner's recommendation. Your heel is already barely touching the pedal and now, if you then hunch forward, it will put you further back at the seat and your heel will be further back still (and probably not even come in contact with the pedal). Freddy says you should be able to apply a bit of pressure on the pedal with you heel when you are hunched forward. You are actually going in the other direction. Right?

Does that make sense of am I way off on this?

Perry

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08-30-2006 11:34 AM

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