setting up 2 bikes the same.

[yostumpy]

Ok bit of a story.
11 years ago I bought a pearson 631 (Audax ish) bike. lovely bike but could never truly get comfy, more saddles and stems and bars etc....you know. I had a VO layback seat post, and a 110mm 0 deg rise stem. and I got used to it, Then the bottom bracket shell cracked, so I bought a Bob Jackson World Tour 631, 1/2" bigger frame size. The top tube was a bit shorter, and I went for a 110mm quill stem, with Nitto Noodles, and transfered all the stuff over. But its too nice to use in the filthy lanes in winter, so I had my Pearson repaired, and I've assembled components to match the BJ, (s/h or cheap). I knew the TT lenghts were different, as were the angles prob, but I wanted to set both bikes up the same to avoid the curse of....'' Fettling the unfamiliar''
So I propped the BJ against the wall, and stuck a bit of tape on the tt, and then with a plumb bob, over the axle bolt, marked this position on the tape. Then with a peice of flat alloy bar about 4 ft long, lined this up thro the axle and the mark on the tape to establish saddle set back, with the aid of some stiff cardboard on the nose bolt of the saddle , and marked where the edge of the alloy plate was, and a similar method of checking the height. Then i swapped the bikes over and diito with the Pearson, and got the 2 saddles in exactly the same corresponding position, relative to BB.
Now I must just say how comfy the BJ is, hence my wanting to set up the Pearson (winter hack) the same. the saddles are both Spa Nidd's , and having just bought a new black one to make up and order and get free p+p, I was a little dissapointed to discover the new batch of Nidds have a shiny ''Brooks like'' coating instead of the satin ''non slip'' surface they used to have. But hey ho, see how I get on.
Then on to the h/bars, ( both Nitto Noodles 460mm) so I marked up the height of the bars with the alloy bar, then marked from the nose bolt of the saddle to the c/c of the bars on the BJ. BUT when I did this the with Pearson, I was miles out! with the 110m stem, so I swapped it for a 100mm 0deg stem I had, and re checked, and I was still about 15mm out. So I have ordered a 90mm / 26mm clamp 7 deg rise stem, and I'll be almost there. Its hard to believe that my 'old' position was 25mm more stretched out, than that of the BJ, and I was quite thorough in checking and re-checking as I went. It'll be interesting how the Pearson rides now, although I suspect, as it has been 'off sick'' for 12 months, it will feel no different to the BJ when I do mange to get out on it. Sorry to go on so.

[Brucey]

the plumbline is a highly underrated device! I quite often use one to mark the top tube dead centre above the BB. This way I can later use a simple sightline + ruler method to measure the reach and the saddle setback.

The sightline through the TT mark to the BB centre allows you to get with 1-2mm of a true measure.

cheers

[531colin]

I have 5 bikes, I feel your pain.......
The 4 that get used most have all the same saddles and 3 have the same handlebars.....all I do is drop a plumb bob from the front of the saddle and measure how far behind the BB axle the plumb bob falls, and that gives me saddle setback. (75mm)
Then its saddle nose to bar boss for reach, and a builder's level for bar height relative to the saddle, and saddle angle.
Saddle height is still a bit of a fiddle, I reckon its the most critical dimension, and with different shoes for different seasons theres room for problems...http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=92633

[Mick F]

When I fitted a new saddle, I fretted about it for ages. The previous one had been on for 20years and always exactly in the same place.

I measured everything. Setback using a plumbline, angle using a clinometer, height at the front, height at the rear, distance from the stem ......... and I checked and rechecked a dozen times before I even too a spanner to the clamp.

It is possible to set up multiple bikes identically, it just takes patience.

[bikepacker]

I was taught from an early age to set up bikes to a plumb centre of the bottom bracket but in my experience not many do it this way.

As Colin has referred to changing shoes can alter leg stretch measurements and cleat positions. I now wear Shimano sandals all year round to keep leg and foot positions exactly the same. My experience of some winter boots is they have thicker soles and cleat positions are not comparable.

[andy65]

Heck! The only thing that is deliberately common on all my bikes is the saddle, I have never felt the need to go to a lot of trouble to make them the same, i just get on the bike a make sure it feels right. Of course this means that there are similarities, but all of my bikes have slightly different riding positions. When switching I very quickly adapt. I have also found over the years that a new bike that is different challenges my concepts of what works. For instance the frames have progressively got smaller. If I were to compare the bike that I rode in the 1980's with the ones that I ride now they would be markedly different.

[reohn2]

With saddle height correct for me(890mm from pedal@ BDC to top of saddle inline with seatube) and at the correct tilt(level for me),a plumbline(with the bike on a level surface) from saddle nose to determine how far it's behind the BB(90cm for me).
A spirit level to determine top of the bars height in relation to saddle height( bars 35mm higher) and correct stem to determine h/bars to nose of saddle(54cm from nose to h/bar center at the stem).
I ride five machines all set up as near identical as possible.
The saddle height to BB not being too difficult to get dead on.H/bars to saddle can't be as infinitely adjustable due to stem lengths being sold in 10mm increments,but with different stem angles I've managed to get them + or - 3mm of ideal(54cm).
The sixth bike has flat h/bars and so the bars need to be further away from the saddle to get hand position a similar distance to the hoods on on drops.

Different shoes don't bother me as the sole is the same thickness on all three pairs I wear.

[martin biggs]

I quite often use different bikes , and normally I set them all up with same measurement from floor to top side of saddle , same for handlebars and then same measurement from centre line of bar to stem joint to nose of saddle . And I normally only use 1 of 2 saddles that are the same .

The above gives me a good comfy starting point then fine tune to suit each bike , can be a pain to do initially but it works for me

[elPedro666]

This is all very interesting, I have to say I don't do anything of the sort though! Massive caveat to that is that most of my bikes are offroaders, usually retro, so don't do anything like the mileage that many on here wouldn't think twice about. I tend to throw a build together so that it looks 'right', then whizz round the carpark, tweak a couple of things and we're done. Maybe one more minor tweaking after the first ride proper. So far so good.

Not a fair comparison at all really, but it is (perhaps) interesting to see that you can be comfy, at least sub-50miles, in a massive variety of positions. Quite intriguing is that my eighties mtb (rigid, steel, drum brakes, 3x6=18 speed) and my modern lunatic hardtail (150mm TALAS, alloy, discs, 2x9=18speed) fall into very very similar riding positions indeed, bar height, stretch etc similar weights too.

Everything else is variously lower, longer and lighter...

[RickH]

... normally I set them all up with same measurement from floor to top side of saddle...

One shortcoming of the floor to saddle measurement, rather than pedal to saddle distance, is that it makes no allowance for differences in bottom bracket height &/or length of cranks.

Rick.

[yostumpy]

Well, I went for my first ride on the repaired,rebuilt Pearson yesterday. It was a revelation. What used to be uncomfortable, was now comfortable, the 20mm reduction in stem length made a vast difference to how the bike felt . also now the bb shell has been replaced, and brazed up properly, it feels much more solid , and less spongy. Cant wait to try the Pearson, and the BJ back to back. I tend to get attached to things, give them names, and I believe they ( whatever they are, bikes, landrovers, campers , etc) develop personalities and become good friend. Hence it gives me great satisfaction and pleasure, to bring ol' Jess back from the brink, and back on the road, even as a winter hack, we will enjoy many thousands of miles together once more.

[531colin]

20mm is quite a lot to be "away from" your preferred position.
My old mum used to say "It may be only half an inch, but it would look funny on the end of your nose".

[elPedro666]

20mm is quite a lot to be "away from" your preferred position.
My old mum used to say "It may be only half an inch, but it would look funny on the end of your nose".

[emoji23] [emoji23] [emoji23]
What a phrase, really tickled me, thank you!

[Si]

My old mum used to say "It may be only half an inch, but it would look funny on the end of your nose".

You are Led Goodman and I claim my £5.