Why are lo pros good to ride round london?

You need to remember though Mr Smith that my back is pretty fucked...My position was fine on all my bikes over the years until my back decided it wasn't going to bend where it should anymore...so now my lo-pros are helping because they're longer than the bikes i've been riding for most of my life, ...but unfortunately i can't just change all my bikes to suit my newly screwed up back. :(

i wouldn't ride one with a 650 up front, but my 14 is super comfy, especially round town.
so much so that i never use my "normal' geometry frame.
even with flat bullhorns it's nice.
def no 650's for me though.... that shit just feels weird.

oh. I didn't know that. makes sense to roll with the bike that gives you less back trouble.

Although to be fair...i've now sold most of my bikes and only have the Brooklyn as my non lo-pro track bike...so maybe i should switch stems for a while.

saw one last week with these wank bmx bars on it and it just defeated the object of it being a lo pro

I remember reading about John Tomac years ago....that's the whole reason he started running drops on his mountain bike...because he was riding road for 7-eleven at the time and his physio told him he should try and keep all his bikes set up as closely as possible position wise....hence he switched his MTB to drops.
Might have a play around with the Brooklyns position.

as long as the body position is correct (most hipster lo-pros are not ridden with any semblance of correct position) it should not matter if top tube is sloping down.

the relation between your BB, saddle and handlebars (where you grip them) is the important thing, that imaginary triangle which pivots around the BB.

However, I'm not convinced of the handling on a bike with a small wheel up front and tight forks for city riding, that has to be a compromise for fashion purposes.

I bet all the old guys with 650 wheels in their garages are laughing now, they would have been next to worthless two years ago.

saw one last week with these wank bmx bars on it and it just defeated the object of it being a lo pro

To be honest though, i don't think any of us who ride a lo-pro do it to get benefit from their original objective of being super aero dynamic.
I have no problem in admitting that i just love the way a lo-pro looks....plain and simple...i love the aggressive stance.
To be able to get that with no loss of comfort is great for me.

I'm not convinced of the handling on a bike with a small wheel up front and tight forks for city riding, that has to be a compromise for fashion purposes.

Depends on your definition of city riding i guess....i love the Merckx in heavy traffic for the simple reason that it handles so quickly and has zero toe overlap which makes it great for negotiating heavy traffic...for me anyway.
But on the other hand, i also love the slo-pro for it's really slack angles...but not as fun in heavy traffic.
It comes down to the same thing as always...whichever set up makes you feel most confident and most comfortable is the right one for you in my opinion.

Might have a play around with the Brooklyns position.

longer stem?

I'm always telling people who either have or complain of back trouble that the answer is not to raise the bars and make them closer, as this puts the weight on the base of the spine and bends the back instead of pivoting from the hips.

whacking risers on an otherwise correctly set up track bike will mess you up straight away, and coupled with the usually too-high saddle that I see people having that's a back problem waiting to happen. It might feel good for short runs in town, but it won't do any long term good.

longer stem?

I'm always telling people who either have or complain of back trouble that the answer is not to raise the bars and make them closer, as this puts the weight on the base of the spine and bends the back instead of pivoting from the hips.

whacking risers on an otherwise correctly set up track bike will do that straight away, and coupled with the usually too-high saddle that I see people having that's a back problem waiting to happen. It might feel good for short runs in town, but it won't do any long term good.

Exactly....which is why the lo-pros are helping.
My brooklyn currently has a 100mm stem and risers on....after riding the lo-pros for a couple of weeks i went back to the brooklyn when i took it to scotland last week and it felt horrible.....so upright and layed back....took me ages to adjust.
So i'm gonna try a longer stem and see how it feels.

is it form over function?

Yes.

Depends on your definition of city riding i guess....i love the Merckx in heavy traffic for the simple reason that it handles so quickly and has zero toe overlap which makes it great for negotiating heavy traffic...for me anyway.

city riding, as in relatively slow (0-20mph) with lots of turning and start/stopping.

I know a lo-pro should handle well at speed, I just wondered what they were like otherwise.

Speaking of your back Scott, hows the belt helping, have you given it a try yet?

I love my lo-pro around town...for those quick blasts, like my 20 minute commute, it is so much fun, so tight and responsive and direct...the frame is extremely stiff and very quick off the line, I love it! When I get on it, I feel like its taking me inexorably towards my destination...

In terms of comfort, well, I don't think its ever been an issue...I don't really ride it for long periods, of course....

They're faster, much much faster.

Seriously though, my Fort Lo-pro is way more comfy than any of my other bikes. Plus for polo it allows you to reach over the bars easily.

I always thought it was broken as it only goes round in right hand circles.

Wanna race?

Is this thread the hipster equivalent to a C+thread on RLJing?

Low-pros in the city are obviously form over function (in most cases, Scott has actually found function out of his, which is wicked). Half the shit people ride is, though. The people who believe that bikes should only serve their function with no thought to aesthetics (or in my case, just for the ability to laugh at yourself) must be a fucking bore.

I can't speak for all low-pros, but mine is in no way a danger to myself (or others). No more than me on any other bike is, anyway. I don't really understand the insinuation that they would be. Poor riders are poor riders on any bike.

Poor riders are poor riders on any bike.

Amen!

I don't ride a lo-pro, but that doesn't stop me being a danger to myself, as yesterday proved lol......and my bike is most definitely function over form, I am officially renaming my bike the fixed anti-christ, or FAC for short :p

I love my lo pro. It's performed well touring, for 100+ mile days, hacking it around town and it's pretty to boot.

I'm inclined to agree with Scott, people have a misconception that the lower bars will make them really uncomfortable but once you've ridden one you realise that's not the case.

Admittedly I would never put risers on mine so it's always going to be lower in front than most peoples bikes as I use pursuits or drops (And yes I actually sue the bottom of the drops), but, I've never had a time when I've ridden it and wished the front end was higher. It also allows me to have my weight further over the front of the bike which is perfect for steep climbs.

Is this thread the hipster equivalent to a C+thread on RLJing?

Low-pros in the city are obviously form over function (in most cases, Scott has actually found function out of his, which is wicked). Half the shit people ride is, though. The people who believe that bikes should only serve their function with no thought to aesthetics (or in my case, just for the ability to laugh at yourself) must be a fucking bore.

I can't speak for all low-pros, but mine is in no way a danger to myself (or others). No more than me on any other bike is, anyway. I don't really understand the insinuation that they would be. Poor riders are poor riders on any bike.

What size is yours Horatio?

I'm inclined to agree with Scott, people have a misconception that the lower bars will make them really uncomfortable but once you've ridden one you realise that's not the case.

To be fair though, Ray's head is bigger than a normal persons, so if he leans too far forward his neck collapses.
I heard he even has to sleep propped up...like John Merrick.

What size is yours Horatio?

About 59/60 ctc. Haven't given it a real good measuring yet. If you really want to know let me know and I'll get the tape measure out.