Proper Fit: fixing what hurts - Read this!!

[zooford]

I know there are a couple of us who complain about pain after rides, e.g. Anton had some pretty bad back issues after buckwallow, and i know Michelle P has had some neck issues following rides. What's the most likely cause? your bike doesnt quite fit right. SO READ THIS!

FROM BICYCING MAGAZINE ONLINE:
Your new bike fits perfectly-almost. Here are a few pointers to help you tweak your position to perfection.

By Joe Lindsey


If You Have: Pain in the front of your knee

Then: You're underextending in your pedal stroke

A likely cause: Your saddle is too low

Possible fixes: (Find your proper position), and raise or lower your saddle as necessary. See a professional fitter if the problem persists; it could also be due to other fit issues or a muscle imbalance


MICHELLE P
If You Have: Neck pain

Then: You may be too stretched out

Some causes: Stem too long. Saddle too far back. Handlebar too low

Possible Fixes: Get a fit check to find your trouble spot. Swap out for a shorter stem. Check saddle setback. Add spacers under the stem, or try a shorter, high-rise stem

Do Not: Slide your seat all the way forward-you'll screw up the saddle setback and cause knee problems


ANTON
If You Have: Low back pain

Then: You may be too stretched out. You may have a leg-length discrepancy that is either skeletal or the result of muscle imbalance somewhere in your hip or leg

Possible Fixes: Try the neck-pain fix of adjusting your stem for a shorter and/or higher rise. If that doesn't work, see a fit specialist to check for poor bike fit and leg-length discrepancy


If You Have: Numb hands

Then: You may be putting too much weight on the handlebar

Some Causes: Handlebar too low. Seat too far back or angled down, which causes you to slide forward and put more weight on your arms. Wrists bent so much that it compresses nerves

Possible fixes: Add stem spacers, or try a higher-rise or shorter stem. Level your seat. Focus on a light grip with straight wrists, and change hand positions frequently. Invest in new bar tape and gloves

Do Not: Lower your seat, or you could hurt your knees


If You Have: Burning or tingling in your feet

Then: Your cleats and shoes aren't properly fit

Some Causes: Shoes too tight. Cleats not properly positioned on shoe. You have a foot or posture misalignment, such as varus.

Possible Fixes: Loosen shoe straps slightly. Move your cleats back (about 2mm) to redistribute pressure. If it persists, look into custom footbeds or other orthotic fixes


If You Have: Numbness/pain from saddle

Then: Position or saddle needs to be changed

Some causes: Handlebar too low, causing you to rotate pelvis forward to reach bar. Saddle tilted too far up or down. Saddle too far back, so you're riding on the nose. Your saddle doesn't fit your anatomy

Possible Fixes: Raise handlebar with spacers. Level your seat. Check saddle setback. Try a different saddle-your weight should be supported on your sit bones, not the soft tissue


If You Have: Pain behind the knee

Then: You're overextending in your pedal stroke

Likely Cause: Your saddle is too high

Possible Fixes: Raise or lower your saddle as necessary. See a professional fitter (listed below) if the problem persists; it could be due to other fit issues


having your bike fit correctly can make a huge difference, even if it's just psychological, in that you're focused on the ride instead of how much your feet hurt!

[antonv]

i dont realy see how much higher my stem/bar can be. its already pretty high, big improvemnt since moonracer. so skeletal.. or muscle imbalance? lol

[Aaron]

antonv said:

i dont realy so much higher my stem/bar can be. its already pretty high, big improvemnt since moonracer. so skeletal.. or muscle imbalance? lol

No matter how good your fit, after a 2hr anaerobic race you will hurt.


On another note. I just got trained on how to do proper bike fitting complete with arm and inseam measurements. So if you need proper fitting maybe i can help!

[admin]

hmm, I know about the inseam measurement, what's the arm measurement?

[admin]

A side note, I'd like to add a bit to the saddle discomfort.

It could also be the way you're sitting on the saddle. You should be rotating your pelvis to have the sit bones 'pointing' downwards into the saddle. If you are sitting like that already, then the saddle may be too narrow for your sit bones, or the shape of the saddle puts pressure elsewhere between the sitbones (i.e., the saddle starts sloping down too soon)

[Aaron]

Arm and torso measurements are for top tube length and stem length.

In some cases if a person has a short torso/arms they are better off on a smaller frame size despite inseam length dictating a larger size.

Then theres shoulder width which dictates how wide a bar you should be using.. but thats a pretty straightforward measurement and more often comes down to preference.