Thanks and I have 38cm handlebars that I’m planning to install soon. I feel like there is less resistance on the pedals with this new position while with the old position I had to put way more force on the pedals to keep the same power. Is this normal?
Hahah… That’s the feeling we’re all striving for… I’m betting that you had just gotten used to your inefficient position, which required more of your entire body to just get the power into the bike, and now you’re body isn’t fighting itself quite as much, and can focus that power into more of your pedal stroke.
TT bike is fairly new, dialling in the fit over time, happy to hear any tips 
Currently testing out 2 diff helmets to see which is more aero, so have included in the pics, to show how they sit as well. Initial chung method test shows the Giro is very slightly more aero, but its also hotter, heavier and less comfy…
Cranks are 165mm, ISM PN 1.1 saddle, bike has to meet UCI regs. Aerobars are currently bang on the limits for reach and rise from the pads. I can possibly move the pads forward a bit and get a little more angle up, but not sure its gonna help much
1 Like
I have really flat feet, and get an aching right foot when cycling. I can’t seem to figure out what is causing this.
When using really flat insoles, I can feel my foot collapse and my knee coming in. When using a more prominent arch support, my arches start hurting after a while and it becomes unbearable.
I have found low/medium arch supports (I have used the medium arch that comes with Shimano S Phyre shoes) give me a good compromise between arch pain and the sensation of collapsing the knee towards the top tube.
I have my cleats pretty far back (Shimano S phyres allow quite a bit of aft adjustment), because that helps with my foot feeling more stable. Yet, after all this, my foot will often just start aching. It’s not a specific spot that hurts, but it’s just an overall pain. I thought it could be shoes that are too tight, but this seems to happen even with loose BOAs.
Anyone else here have tips on what I could try? TIA!
1 Like
Interested to hear what other have to say about this since I have the same problem. My entire foot touches the ground so use of anything but low inserts either causes arch pain or a fore aft rocking sensation of my foot on the arch support which feels mega weird since arch support is supposed to help with stability .
I’ve used speedplay baseplate extenders to get my cleats to basically mid foot which drastically increases ankle stability but be prepared to make significant fit adjustments. A bike fitter would definitely be super useful here.
Also make sure your shoes aren’t too tight. You might have you boas loose but if the shoe is too small then you’ll claw with your feet which also can cause assymetrial foot ankle mechanics.
If this happening with one foot alone then it may be saddle height is too high orrrr your flatter foot is causing a relative leg length discrepancy which can be compounded by if you’re a massive heal dropper
Again this issues may seem super simple but it’s so mega annoying .
Hoping to get some feedback of Other people
Quick question that may be really straightforward but how do people typically adjust when changing pedals/shoes?
I ride a TT bike and swapped from Powertap P1s to Favero’s before Christmas without noticing a massive difference. I then swapped my Sidi shoes for S Works 7s after Christmas and it really felt like the saddle was too high (bouncing around a bit etc). Having done some research it looks like the Powertaps have a stack height of 14mm vs the Favero’s of 10.5mm, the Sidi’s have a stack of 6.7mm vs 5mm for the S Works 7s.
This all contributes to about a 5.2mm change in stack height, should I be dropping the saddle by about 5mm to compensate this or move down in smaller increments to find where I’m comfortable?
Just to note this can also happen with shoes that are too big, as you instinctively try to maintain contact with the insole (which moves around/away in shoes that are too big). Think about what you do with your foot if you feel a slipper coming off, for example.
1 Like
I have Sidi/SPD-SLs on my road bike (I prefer SPD-SL to Look after seeing a few nasty Look failures). But I was forced to change my TT bike to Looks to use power pedals. I just set them up appropriately the same and in 4 years I haven’t had a problem.
Looking for fit advice… I’m experiencing saddle discomfort from friction/rubbing of sitbones on 5-6hr rides. I’m not talking about saddle sores - fairly sure this will be fit related.
Any suggestions on something to try?
Could potentially be saddle a touch too high, but after 5-6h, some discomfort isn’t unusual.
I was thinking that, might give it a shot. same result with different bibs/saddles (and many combinations of those!)
Wondering if someone on this thread has any ideas… Recently started getting what appears to be piriformis syndrome in my left side and trying to identify why. I’ve been riding the same bike on the trainer for 2 years now and have occasionally shifted the saddle height, etc but nothing dramatic and not all at once either. I do tend to like having the saddle a bit higher than lower as being a (former) runner, having closer to a full leg extension feels more natural and comfortable for me.
I took a slo-mo video the other day to try and identify if I was rocking at all but the hips don’t appear to move up and down much. I did notice that when I pedal, as my leg(s) come up, my knees flare out and then back in on the downstroke. It varies a bit from stroke to stroke but wondering if that would be the cause, given it implies more pelvic rotation? It seems a bit odd given nothing has really changed but I’m kind of lost for why I’m suddenly getting this pain.
For reference, I have gotten piriformis issues once before (2017) while running but nothing since then.
Been reading a couple hundred posts before skipping to the end so apologies if already asked;
I had a bike fit 6 years ago on a 2012 trek domane by a reputable local guy. Since then I’ve saved the measurements and used them to set up my other bikes, a caadx 2014 and a ribble aero 883.
Over the last 3 or 4 years I’ve had a knee issue, generally only when running but occasionally on longer rides,which could be itb related. On the chance that my riding is preventing my leg from recovering properly, how often is it recommended to get a bike fit? Would I change that much in 6 years? I’m quite happy with my bike positions, thought that doesn’t mean that they couldn’t be improved. Thanks in advance
As often as issues present. No issues may be fine with no fit.
But have an injury or other change that effects you physically, and that can impact your fit needs. It really depends on you and if you are having problems or just want a check up sometime.
As a basic rule, every 5 years is a decent idea.
1 Like
As we age, our body changes…we lose flexibility, range of motion decreases, we even shrink a bit.
Bike fit is a dynamic process…what works at one point in time may not work at a later point in time. Always good to refresh your fit occasionally. I would concur with Chad that every 5 years is a decent timeframe, especially if you have changed bikes multiple times.
2 Likes
I’m not Chad, but I do remember seeing a survey/study somewhere (on WW maybe?) that pro saddle heights tended to be slightly higher than amateurs for the same leg length, and that their reaches tended to be appreciably longer. It would certainly make sense that as core strength develops, you can hold a more aggressive position, of which a higher saddle is a part.
2 Likes
I have not looked into studies, but seeing a need to alter saddle height over time (even within a season) makes perfect sense to me. Anytime I do a fit, I tell the rider that they are free to play with the height 5mm in either direction. Just a ball park guess, but seeing changes in our bodies, not to mention differences in clothing (chamois and socks in particular), changing saddle height is totally appropriate.
The new school approach is to err on the low side if there is any question. We see more fit and function issues with too high vs too low. So keep that in mind and just be aware of how you feel, and tweak as needed.
1 Like
Curious on this as well… Tried to read what I found on the forum but Google seems to point to having a saddle height basline of wherever your heel is on the pedal when your leg is straight. Is it “wrong” to go higher? I’m obviously a little concerned of going too high and having hips rock but I tried raising it a bit and it doesn’t seem (feel) like my hips are rocking any noticeable amount minus the slight shift you naturally get from pedaling. I’ve generally found the higher saddle height feels better to me because coming from a running background, I like to get the toe-off full leg type extension as it’s more biomechanically similar to running.
The main issues to watch for on high saddle:
- Rocking hips
- Too much tension at the back of the leg, behind the knee (and/or tight hammy’s)
- Excessive toe dip (deep angle angle abrupt and downward) at the bottom of the pedal stroke.
Our body is amazing, and will attempt to keep us connected (kinda mandatory with clipped in pedals 
) so it will make a range of “adjustments” to make a bad setup work. So watch those (via video or a friend) because those are tricky and can sneak in without us really noticing them.
That whole “heal to pedal” is a decent shotgun method to get close. I use if for quick test rides in fact. But in no way should it be considered absolute. Issues with pedal and shoe stack, personal injury history, ankle angle in the stroke and such can all lead to reasons that that little “trick” can give poor results. Like any rule of thumb, they are a start, not an end in most cases.
2 Likes
I have an appointment with my PT for my road bike fit, and I was going to bring my mountain just so she could take a quick look at it, but figured I would ask the question here.
After awhile on my XC bike, my right hand only gets numb. It’s 1x system so that side does all the shifting, and I’ve tried playing with it’s position as well as brake lever angles and haven’t seemed to shake it. Is that type of issue usually cockpit related or the whole fit? I figured if my weight is to far forward or something both hands would go numb. Usually happens about an 40-60 min into a ride, low back tightness comes in a little there, but was going to try to address that more in the bike fit.