Yes...lots...I restore classic bikes for a retirement pt job now!Have you looked at 7/8 motorbike handlebars?
Yes...lots...I restore classic bikes for a retirement pt job now!Have you looked at 7/8 motorbike handlebars?
Aesthetics should always come second to comfort IMHO. I also think there is a deeper beauty in bicycles set up to the riders needs. Adherence to a certain look of a certain time is all well and good, but for a rider, which I intend to put miles on and enjoy, I couldn't care less. I've done some rather ugly setups which over time have grown on me because suddenly it feels more like my bicycle.One leftfield modification I have used for long rides when my back is playing up, is to reverse the stem. This can reduce the lean angle of the rider and so improve rider posture. Doing this doesn't have the negative effect on handling you might expect and if you find the aesthetics challenging, you can put it the stem back to normal for everyday use. I must admit that I have only done this with short BMX stems.
The theory is that bicycles riding posture can reverse the normal concave shape (lumbar lordosis) of the lower spine that humans have when standing. The more the back becomes arched when cycling the more the disks between the vertebrae are pushed outwards, putting pressure on the spinal cord and potentially leading onto inflammation and pain.
I have found that riding with a back friendly posture and a soft sprung saddle can actually help to reduce everyday back pain. I can even start riding with back pain and it is completely gone by the end of the ride. Because back pain has a wide number of causes, this won't work for everybody.
The Range-Rider in the link posted earlier has been fitted with 700c wheels when it was designed for 650b, resulting in an increased chance of wheel/toe overlap.That range rider looks almost like the pedals hit the front wheel let alone my enormous feet! But I get the idea....sadly that's not really my back problem....or solution.
Very interesting bikes all the same. Thanks Graham. Got to love his inventive work on off roading too.