Part 2 – Bicycles Are Simple – Bicycle saddle and handlebars adjustment

In part 1 of Bicycles World, we introduced about the necessary tools to repair, disassemble and assemble sports bicycles. In this section we learn about how to adjust the car, adjust the saddle and handlebars so that it is appropriate for each person.

>> See the previous section: Essential tools for bicycle maintenance

1. When should the vehicle be calibrated?

One sport bicycle When first purchased, whether you have assembled or calibrated at the bicycle shop, when it reaches users, it is difficult to avoid dissatisfaction. Therefore, it is necessary to re-align the positions to be more suitable.

In many cases the car has been in use for a long time, so some laxity and position deviation need to be adjusted. The positions that need to be aligned such as saddle, handlebar, brake system should be adjusted to suit the user. Thanks to the proper alignment, the operator can go with a comfortable, faster, fatigue-free mentality.

Tool preparation: Multipurpose repair kit

2. Adjust the saddle

The saddle can be adjusted in 3 directions: low, front, back.

– Adjust the height of the saddle so that when you step on the pedal to the bottom, the legs are almost straight (slightly bent), or else you go barefoot, keep the car beside, adjust the seat to the height of your bones. hip. When adjusting, remember to rotate the saddle along the chassis, and screw the brake securely.

– Adjust the saddle position: depending on different people with short back, you let the saddle move forward or back, my principle is that the buttock is in comfortable contact with the widest part of the saddle.

– Adjust the tilt: With MTB driving posture, the saddle slightly downward (about 1 notch compared to the horizontal position) is fine. If you are walking but feel good in your groin, give it one more notch.

3.Adjust the handlebar

The handlebar position has a huge effect on your riding position. If appropriate, go for a long time still feel comfortable wrist, neck, back, shoulder.

You can adjust the handlebar up or down, rotate to suit the wrist / hand, and handlebar width to match the shoulder.

Many people usually adjust the saddle with the handlebar, but I do the opposite, adjust the saddle position accordingly and then adjust the handlebar. With MTB vehicles, you can adjust:

– Rotate the stem in the opposite direction or downward, normally the neck of the tank is not perpendicular but tilted up 5 degrees, when turning the stem back, you can lower the handlebar a bit. In addition, turning the stem downwards looks more voluminous.
– Lower the collar ring of the fork, can lower the handlebar about 3cm more. The extra washer, you put it up again.

Implementation: a hexagonal screw is required to remove the stem. First pick up the stopper and remove the screws on the top of the stem, then loosen the 2 screws on the piston. If you turn the rotor upside down, always remove the handlebar by removing the 2 (or 4) screws securing the handlebar.

The difficulty of this adjustment is when it is installed, because it is related to the collar, if it is not correct, it may be locked (hard to drive) or torn (in the bounce, you can see it in the neck of the car). First, you screw on the upper screw to slightly tighten, pay attention to the parts along the collar that are not warped, lift the test car to shake it to see if it is too loose or too tight, then position the stem let the handlebar perpendicular to the tire, and then tighten the 2 brake levers.

Seal collar, usually covered with a rubber stopper.

The tank has been turned upside down, you pay attention to the washers, which can be removed and turned upwards to lower the handlebar.

After adjusting the height properly, you should rotate the handlebar to suit the wrist, preferably the handlebar head is slightly up (a little), do not go down the road. Your hands tend to slip out. To rotate the handlebar, you just loosen the screw, turn it slightly and then tighten it.

4. Handlebar holder

Another adjustment that, in my opinion, is important, especially with a MTB vehicle, is the width of the handlebar. This is related to the shoulders and arms, if the width is not correct, it will quickly tire and make the girls look bad. The handlebar width is usually calculated by shoulder width plus 10-15cm, so for women with relative physique, the handlebar is 56-58cm wide. However, most standard MTB vehicles have 60-62cm handlebar. There are 2 ways you can do it:

– Cut the handlebars short, this is easy, but it takes some dexterity. Some handlebars even have a painted line.

– Move the position of the handle and the handle to move inside, at that time 2 handlebars may stick out a little 1-2cm, the girls take 2 ribbons and tie it to look fine, boys Then buy 2 more devices called buffalo horn installed to cover.

With some basic calibration steps, you can completely adjust the car by yourself to suit your sitting position most suitable. If you are still wondering and awkward when aligning the car you can completely consult sports bicycle technology Experienced experts and refer to the most intuitive alignment technique.

>> See the next section: Adjusting the controls