Torture Device! aka My new road bike

[SEREvince]

So after a months worth of researching sizing, bikes, components etc I pulled the trigger and ordered this. :bike_rider:

The local bike shop assembled it and sized it. We discussed the stem length being long for me (11cm) and having little to no rise, but since I had nothing to compare too I figured I'd give it a shot. I was stretched waayyy out!

WRONG ANSWER! After a short 1hr ride my neck, hands and shoulders were killing me! I swear if someone would have made a offer on the bike that included a ride home I would have sold it on the spot for a massage and some motrin. .

The good news is that shockingly the seat was comfortable, I had no pain in the bum or more important areas. Which was a concern since the seat on road bikes generally look like they were designed so you would pedal like your life depended on it so you could get the heck off of it. My legs also felt great despite some pretty good climbs

And despite randomly pawing trough gears like a blind monkey, I was able to make great time over some very hilly miles. I think once I get comfortable with where the gears are I will be screaming right along (figuratlively I hope).


I am praying that a shorter stem with some rise to it will fix my woes! Not too happy to have a $1000 worth of bike and associated kit that I don't want to use right now. C'est la vie or whatever .

Cheers

Vince

 

[ntsqd]

Bike fit is so often overlooked and is so crucial to comfort while riding. I won't pretend to know much on the topic beyond knowing that when I get one of mine set up right I can ride it, in comfort, exponentially further than when it didn't fit.

I trend that I've noticed with myself is that as I age I want the bars closer to me for a more upright position on the bike. I've also experientially found that the "knee over the ball of the foot when the pedal is in it's most forward position" method of setting the saddle fore/aft position really does work for me.

HTH

 

[Christophe Noel]

Even after 24 years of road racing, my back and neck take a beating every spring when I start logging the big miles. This with a fit perfected over those many years. I use Yoga to help strengthen my core and improve my flexibility.

I know...real men don't do yoga....but it sure beats adjusting my bike so I sit upright like Mary Poppins.

 

[Grim Reaper]

Bike fit is so often overlooked and is so crucial to comfort while riding. I won't pretend to know much on the topic beyond knowing that when I get one of mine set up right I can ride it, in comfort, exponentially further than when it didn't fit.

I trend that I've noticed with myself is that as I age I want the bars closer to me for a more upright position on the bike. I've also experientially found that the "knee over the ball of the foot when the pedal is in it's most forward position" method of setting the saddle fore/aft position really does work for me.

HTH

I'm finding the same things.

I just cant ride my old road bike like I did 20 years ago. I thought nothing of a 50-100 mile run on it back then. Now I am in agony after 4 miles. Most of it is the Carpal tunnel in my wrists is so bad I just can't take being on the lower part of the bar and the upper and the curve is not much better the way it turns out my wrists. Looking at making it a hybrid for when I want to go fast.

Still playing with the Cannondale MB I am making my commuter. I keep finding myself too far forward on the seat reaching for the bars and getting the tingles. I have the seat forward now to cure that and now my knees are almost in front of my toes and I can tell it in my knees. I feel too hunched over with the seat higher to improve knee angle trying to get it over the ball. So the cheap adjustments are over and now its experimenting with parts. Now I am looking at a taller riser, possibly a shorter stem or riser bars I can lean back a little so I can move the seat back again.

Just takes a lot of playing around but once you find the sweet spot it will be worth it.

 

[Beowulf]

Flounder,

You have it all backwards. Real men admit they do Yoga. The others just hide it or don't do it at all.

 

[Christophe Noel]

Flounder,

You have it all backwards. Real men admit they do Yoga. The others just hide it or don't do it at all.

When I was a teen, I was a resident athlete at the US Olympic Training Center for much of the year. I was stretching one day and our coach smacked me on the head and said, "Stretching is for rubber bands and ballet dancers." That was the old school days of the 80s.

I definately don't stretch my leg muscles but yoga is awesome for my back, neck and core. I attribute yoga to my podium finish at the state time trial championships a couple years ago. Yoga helped me cram my body into that aero position for 53 minutes.

 

[Beowulf]

I agree. Yoga has been great for me. For the past 20 years strict weight lifting was the name of the game. Great for overall strength, but terrible for flexibility. Once I started doing yoga my posture improved, flexibility improved, and my riding became more comfortable.

I find that it is the perfect compliment to other physical activities.

Plus it does not hurt that class is usually filled with many attractive women. Normally I am the only guy there. However, my wife is right beside me the whole time which makes it a nice activity to do together.

 

[bluedog]

The good news is from looking at the picture, you can try a free fix first. Undo the handle bars from the stem and flip the stem over. Your flat stem will now have a rise and be shorter.

I would be that will fix the majority of your problems. I have seen through the years that most can handle the legnth if the bars are high enough.

Try this before you go out and spend money on a new stem.


B.