My bike is shrinking

SimonAH

I ride what is essentially a flat barred road bike, and as I'm getting fitter and stronger (and so putting the power down harder and longer) my sitting position is travelling ever more rearwards.

I've already got the longest stem I can find, and my saddle is as far back as I can put it, but half the time my sweet cheeks are hanging off the back of the perch.

Time for a bigger frame unless I can locate a really laid back post...

Has anyone else noticed this effect as their fitness / power levels ramp?

asprilla

It's your bendiness that is improving. Get a TT bike for commuting, that will solve your problem.

MonkeyMonster

longer stem and/or less risers...?

and yeah I do the ass over back of saddle at times. I recently turned my stem over so its now horizontal and that added enough for the tiem being plus set me more streamlined.

SimonAH

MonkeyMonster wrote:

longer stem and/or less risers...?

and yeah I do the ass over back of saddle at times. I recently turned my stem over so its now horizontal and that added enough for the tiem being plus set me more streamlined.

My stem is already 145mm centre to centre - any longer and my bike will look like a unicorn! Also it's one 3mm spacer from the head and in the upside down position so it's pretty much horizontal..........

I might try something like the charge slice cowhorns as a fix.

UndercoverElephant

New bike. One with drops. It's the only solution.

cjcp

UndercoverElephant wrote:

New bike. One with drops. It's the only solution.

I concur.

On a less serious note, though: no, not noticed what you're experiencing.

tgotb

I'm getting something quite different, albeit with a similar end result: I'm moving forward on the saddle, meaning the bike is starting to feel shorter. Saddle is at the right angle, and hasn't moved, but I keep finding myself perching on the nose, and it "feels wrong" to move back, even though it's more comfortable...

Nothing has changed in the setup of the bike since January, this has been happening since about July...

MonkeyMonster

TGOTB wrote:

I'm getting something quite different, albeit with a similar end result: I'm moving forward on the saddle, meaning the bike is starting to feel shorter. Saddle is at the right angle, and hasn't moved, but I keep finding myself perching on the nose, and it "feels wrong" to move back, even though it's more comfortable...

Nothing has changed in the setup of the bike since January, this has been happening since about July...

are you getting tighter hamstrings? The further back you go the straighter the leg at full extension and if you're wanting to end up on the front of saddle I can imagine it could be because the muscles are tightening up more and not wanting you stretch out that much... if that makes sense...

tgotb

MonkeyMonster wrote:

are you getting tighter hamstrings? The further back you go the straighter the leg at full extension and if you're wanting to end up on the front of saddle I can imagine it could be because the muscles are tightening up more and not wanting you stretch out that much... if that makes sense...

You might be onto something there; I'll move around on the way home, and see whether they feel tight.

Lots of toe-touching stretches after riding?

Cafewanda

TGOTB - yeah to the toe-touching and take a look at running websites for other stretching tips. Do them every time you get off the bike.