Few Adjustments

I did a few adjustments last night to the bike before my morning 20 km ride today. First I reduced the pressure on my tyre and next I tilted the handle a wee bit up. Both added to a more comfortable ride this morning.

First the tyre pressure. I was keeping the tyre pressure at 110 psi. That's the recommended and suggested number that you see everywhere on the internet. The ride always felt very hard on the small potholes or uneven surfaces. I reduced it down to 80 psi last night on the advice of one particular blog. My weight being between 60 and 65 kg, 110 psi was too tight for me.

The potholes became more bearable this morning. Of course, I didn't wear my cycling bib today, choosing to go with the general Slazenger running shorts that Chenku gave me, otherwise it would have been more comfortable for my bums.

Now the handlebar angle. My bike came with a 110 mm stem. That's the usual norm for a racing cycle, where you are supposed to lean forward on the handlebar to make your body more aerodynamic. But it made my reach a little too long and leaning forward on a long ride is not comfortable. I ride on the hoods. The hand grip on the hoods was angled down a little, making braking a little difficult and uncomfortable. I have the option to change the stem and go for something shorter like 90 mm, which I will probably do. But in the meanwhile I decided to tilt the handle up a bit so that I can grip the brifter (brake and shifter lever) more comfortably.

I loosened up the four allen bolts and tilted the bar up a bit. The guy who fitted my bike, Someswar Rao, kept it at a neutral position. I was a little hesitant to change it. But once I did, it made a lot of difference.