Took Bonnie out for a spin late afternoon, only 30 mile round trip up the A6 to #1 daughter's. She was impressed with the bike's looks; told me I had always told her I wanted a Triumph (I'd forgotten that). So much easier riding in my Meindl Respond walking boots. Felt almost in control when feet up and down, so a lot more confident. Not perfectly yet, but happier to know it's coming back. Hips a tad more flexible than Friday. Feel the seat could be a little higher for me so my legs are a little more extended, but need a few more runs to decide. Could be that holding the 'squat' position is actually helping with the flexibility given that squatting is a good body-weight exercise. Whatever. I don't think lower pegs are a solution as I scraped the left peg once on a roundabout, pushing it over a little further than I meant too. Nice feeling to flick the bike though. Took her up to 75mph on Paula Radcliffe Way. Not a pleasant experience with the light wind buffeting and my open helmet lifting. 50-60mph lovely. One emergency braking experience when a white van came across me pulling in to the Foresters local pub car park. I was only doing 25mph-ish, and accelerating, but glad of the practice. :Big grin chaps:
Ahhhh! The link between Paula Radcliffe and squatting was very subtle, I like it. but you must remember... These modern triumphs shouldn't leave puddles in the gutter!
I wondered if anyone would crispey Paula Radcliffe way is the drag-mile dual carriageway exit out of Bedford on the A6. Or then again, on the other hand, looking at it another way, the gateway to Bedford if you're coming from Northants.
Picked up a Triumph OEM solo seat today, sixty8 (?) tag on it. Was hoping to get something narrower than stock, but this looks similar. With the extra padding and so sitting slightly higher I hope it'll improve overall comfort. Anyway, excellent condition, £40 off Gum Tree + £11.00 train so can't complain. Next job finding out how to remove rack, rail and original seat to bolt this one on ready for the weekend.
Hi Rich, if the std seat is like all the others it is held in place by 2 long bolts at the rear end of the seat. Undo them and lift the seat away.
Cheers Dave, yes it seems that way. I'll look in the morning. Hopefully finger tight and no tools needed, cuz my tools are elsewhere, except for various standard Allen keys I use on my push bike.
The std. fixing bolts have Allen heads. Aftermarket ones are longer and finger tightened. You will probably find an Allen key under one of the plastic side covers.
Fitted the solo seat and short spin this afternoon. Not so numb bum, but not sure if that's just my @rse getting worn in. I left the luggage rack on cuz I didn't have the tools to hand to unbolt the shocks. So not quite cafe racer, or maybe cafe racer pizza delivery.
Rode the solo seat again today on a short 45mins spin. No @rse ache to report. However there were two variables at work. Not just the seat but also no padded cycle shorts. The thing with pushbike padding it's designed to work on a different shaped saddle to a motorbike seat, and for a different range of motion. It dawned on me that the stitching, and effectively the limit point of the gel padding on the cycle shorts is pretty much where the pressure point is on my sit bone on the Bonnie seat. So maybe and perversely the gel padding was contributing to the numb bum syndrome. Plus the padding on the inside leg effectively adds width to the seat.
Hi Rich, welcome on board. Nice Bonnie by the way, hope you get some miles in before the winter chill sets in. Myself I go out for shortish bimbles through winter just as long as it ain't wet or real brass monkeys.