Hi,
I’ve had a lot of struggles getting the right fit on my bike ( even with a lbs fit ).
When I ride my bike at first, its fine ( although I still feel like there’s a bit too much reach but its not uncomfortable ) but the longer the ride is the more uncomfortable it gets.
( uncomfortable meaning struggling to stay on the levers and having to get my hands further back, and on long ride getting shoulder and neck discomfort )
It gets me wondering : is it normal to struggle to maintain a good / optimal posture on the bike ?
Even with the right fit, do you still feel different / struggle more to keep your posture as the ride gets longer ?
Should I consider this as a sign of my bike not fitting me yet, not having enough core strength, … something else ?
If it feels like too much reach, it likely is too much reach. Unless you’re chasing aero gains, just put things where they are comfortable. Comfortable often means more power, and more fitness due to more riding. Bike fits can be wrong.
If the reach feels too long, change the stem to something shorter, or move your saddle forward.
Stretching and strength exercise help too, but unless you have to ride that position somehow, just change it for now, and once you feel stronger, change it back.
I can relate. It’s the same for me even with a shorter stem. I have found success with core and flexibility training, especially around my hips. Also keep rotating your hand position until you gain more strenght and endurance. Don’t force your self to be locked in for too long. If it persists after a few months of dedicated work and riding, consider new bike fit changes.
I’ll try to move the saddle a bit forward, and maybe the angle of the levers a bit towards me.
I already changed the stem from 100mm to a 60mm, and I dont feel comfortable going shorter.
I definitely need some flexibility training.
As a food courier on this bike, I noticed something. When the backpack is like 8kg or heavier, I find it easier to keep my posture right.
Ive always thought that abs had a bigger role in the core strength part of the posture.
I think my abs are ok, but I have a very weak back.
Do you think it may be a big part of the problem ?
Two things I would add:
First: Don’t assume you got a good fitting from your LBS. I’ve gotten a few fittings over the years, some great and some not so great. I’d recommend trying another bike fitter.
Second: Your “core” is more than just your abs. I consider core work to include everything from the knees up to my chest, and includes muscles front, side and back. I had great success relieving chronic back pain by following the routines in the book Core Advantage by Allison Westfahl, but there are a lot of legit (and many not-so-legit) routines out there. You might also give Derek Teel a follow. He’s a friend of the podcast crew and seems to have some great strength routines specifically for cyclists.
And, some basic yoga work practiced consistently goes a long way!
It’s impossible for anyone here to say what is the root cause, but if you have identified yourself with weak back muscles it might be reason. Do pull ups, chin ups and push ups for 1-2 months and see if you notice a difference. If you haven’t done them before I would recommend you not doing them until failure. Keep the reps low in the beginning and incorporate them as a daily routine, instead of having doms for a week after each routine.
A long shot but one thing to check is to make sure your bike is still set up properly. I’ve been feeling a bit less comfortable on my bike and I finally looked closely at my bike this weekend and noticed my saddle had tilted slightly tip down from where I had originally set it. It could have been like this for several months! I reset it properly and I was more comfortable. Things do move, especially saddles, so its important to record your setup and check it now and then.
On the basics, it could be a poor fit or you are currently a poor fit for a decent road bike position. If your 55 and trying to achieve a young man’s racing position on an aggressive road bike, it might be time to reassess Being realistic about how aggressive a position you can maintain is important.
Core strength and flexibility are important. I have a fairly weak core if I don’t specifically work on it and I’m much more comfortable on the bike when I’m keeping up with my core work.
Generally the act/art of sitting on a bike in a decent position is something you have to work on. Even with a perfect fit, you don’t just automatically become comfortable for hours on end.
That is a good point! I had the same thing, build a new bike, with exactly the same reach etc as my old bike. On the second time out, coming back from my ride, I felt really stretched, as if the reach was way too much. I went over all the measurements in my head multiple times until I got back, but couldn’t work it out. It should all feel fine! The next morning, I noticed the saddle had slipped all the way back…
Did you tell your LBS you were a courier? I’d presume the ideal set up for that type of riding is different than an aero focused race/fast riding set up. And, are you even using the best bike, saddle and cockpit for the assigned mission?
No, that is already really short. Is it the right size bike?
Also agree with a comment above re using the bike as a food courier - I’d want to sit more upright for that, otherwise the backpack is pushing too much on your back/lungs. Maybe you can move the stem up or flip it?
Actually, I think my saddle moved a bit backwards !
I moved it a bit forward and it feels better
I’ll keep this in mind.
Though I’m young, I just want a comfortable position.
I’ve had enough if this oversized bike so I just want to be able to ride comfortably
No
It may seem weird, but I fit my bike to be comfortable outside of work ( even though I spend way more time on it during work )
During work, fit is not as problematic for me because there are breaks here and there when waiting at restaurants and such.
And the main problem I want to adress is not being able to ride more than 3/4h with no pain ( or as little discomfort as possible ) during training.
Since I’m aiming fir a comfortable position and not an agredsive position ourside of work, for now the positions changes seem to be beneficial for both training and work
It’s a 54cm for a 175cm guy.
Many lbs told me it looked too big for me.
I bought the bike in a rush because I needed it, and the shop wanted to get rid of it so I think they tricked me a bit.
I already moved the steam on the upwards position.
I’ve been experimenting, and I think I just have to rotate the handles towards me a bit now, and It should be better.
Being realistic about how aggressive a position you can maintain is important.
