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Hi, new on here and in need of some techie know how.
I’ve been cycling a good number of years. I have a Specialized Jett HT which I love. I recently got an Orbea E-bike to keep up with mega fit hubby (though I didn’t think I was THAT slow). Anyhow, despite being measured and awaiting over 11 months due to Covid, Brexit etc. it has finally arrived and I’m not in love with it. I’ve been out on a few rides but afterwards I ache, lower back, neck, mid shoulders. Last time I did a long ride on my Specialized it was about 45 miles and I was weary and tired but not aching.
I’ve done comparative measurements on both bikes and there are many differences. So I’m trying to figure out what I can nip and tweak to help so that this isn’t a very expensive folly. This will seem like a very hard Higher Maths question but any advice would be welcome. If I can do nothing I might have to sell it and after waiting so long, I’ll be a bit gutted and reluctant to try another in case the same thing happens. The measurements are as follows in cm apart from the angle measurement (remembering that the Specialized causes no issues):
Any advice gratefully received
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Hard to know exactly but one thing to consider is the reach and front center are a good bit longer on the new bike. You can try a set of handlebars with more sweep to bring the grips closer to the saddle and see if that makes a difference.
Another thing to consider is the bar height. You might be able to flip the stem upside down to drop the bars closer to what you’re used to with your Specialized.
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If you still have your Jett, take measurements on it and transfer them to your Orbea-E. Measure from the pedals to the top of the seat and then adjust the Orbea seatpost to get the same height. Measure from the back of the saddle to the center of the handlebars and then move the seat front or back to get the same distance on the Orbea. If you need more adjustment, get a longer or shorter stem so that you get the same saddle to handlebar distance. Then adjust the handlebar up or down so that it is the same distance above or below the saddle on both bikes. Measure how wide your new handle bars are compared to the old ones. The bars a probably too wide for you. You likely need to shorten them. However, I wouldn’t shorten your handlebars to less than 71cm(28in). Doing these things should get both bikes to fit about the same.
I guessing the the Orbea weighs about twice what the Jett weighs. I suspect that muscling around all that extra weight might be causing some of the discomfort in your upper body.
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Thanks for the replies. I’ve footered around with it and gotten the measurements to be almost the same and done exactly the same circuit on both bikes. On the Jett, absolutely no issues whatsoever. On the Orbea (albeit did it 20 minutes faster), whilst the neck and mid shoulders issue is better but my mid thighs and right knee (old injury) are aching. I sit on my Jett saddle with my tip toes just touching the ground and my pedalling position is good, it just feels right. I do the same on the Orbea but my pedal position just looks and feels wrong. My knee is still bent when I do the ‘place heel on pedal’ measurement. In order to achieve the correct pedal position on the Orbea, I’d need to raise the saddle a couple of cm but then my feet won’t touch the ground.
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I’ve also noticed that Orbea don’t do women specific e-bikes. They are all generic, which makes me think they’d be more suited to a men. Odd I thought, as all their other bikes have women specific options.
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Sorry I meant other bike makes have women specific options. Orbea don’t seem to do any Women Options
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