Bike Setup

RICH78
RICH78 Posts: 49
edited October 2007 in Workshop
When riding my bike, alot of my weight is going onto my hands on the handlebars. Does this indicate a problem with my bike setup?

Comments

  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    edited October 2007
    Bars too far away? Stem / top tube too long? Seat too far forward?

    edit: Seat too far back, I mean
  • Pagem
    Pagem Posts: 244
    agree with alfablue.

    in additon, your bike may be too big, i.e. top tube too long and/or saddle too high/nose tipped down.

    perhaps post a pic of yourself on it?
    Only the meek get pinched. The bold survive.
  • tyskie
    tyskie Posts: 252
    Had the same problem myself. After using my road bike for a couple of years and feeling a tad stretched out I had someone look at my setup. My saddle position was spot on in relation to the pedal axle so it would not have made sense to move the saddle forward. I then tried out 'compact' handlebars (Pro PLT Compact) and a slightly shorter stem and that brought the hand positioning forward just enough for optimum comfort (it doesn't take much to really make a difference). Only got to use the new setup a couple of times and then got clobbered by a car whilst on my commuting bike. It's gonna be spring now until I get the chance to get back out onto the roads.
  • Bugly
    Bugly Posts: 520
    is the pain when you ride on the tops the drops or the brakes?
  • RICH78
    RICH78 Posts: 49
    See Photo

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/richard78/[/url]
  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    Maybe your bars need rotating upwards a bit, and / or the brake hoods moved upwards. I have mine so the bars, the bit going forwards from the tops, are horizontal, with the hoods at the point at which they start to curve down.

    Where did you nick that traffic cone from! :D
  • Bugly
    Bugly Posts: 520
    Hard to say Richard - sitting statically on a bike is not an indication of how we do it when riding, In the pic you are pushing youself back with your arms; try to get a little flatter loosening the elbows, this will force you to use your trunk to support some of the body weight. Make sure that your saddle is level; a sloping saddle can cause you to push backward again may be a problem.

    Riding tense with locked arms tends to increase strain esp on shoulders. Try putting your hands on the hoods of the brakes loosely rather then clamping tightly to the sides of the bars. When riding move your hands from the tops to the hoods and spend some time on the drops as well. When sprinting against a mate use the drops and pull up on the bars. Vary your position on the bike.

    Straight forks tend to transmit a little more road chatter to the body then bent forks. Finally it may be that you need a slightly shorter stem in the bike would be easier to pick if you were sitting flatter.

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