My position on the bike (pics)

ssk2
Posts: 25
Hi there, newbie roadie looking for any pointers about basic positioning on the bike. I've attached 5 pics of me sitting static on my bike.
In particular, does my saddle look too low or high? How does the seat position fore/aft look like? Anything else I seem to be getting massively wrong? Many thanks
Pics removed, thanks for the help all.
In particular, does my saddle look too low or high? How does the seat position fore/aft look like? Anything else I seem to be getting massively wrong? Many thanks
Pics removed, thanks for the help all.
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Comments
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Seat up 1-2" and forward so that your knee is directly over your pedal when at 90 degrees.0
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Thank you!
That far up? Sounds like a scarily large adjustment!!0 -
the bike looks too small for you.0
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saddle raised 2inches, stem flipped and dropped by a few spacers, as your back and arms seem to be a bit flat and straight. :idea:0
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Thanks for all the replies so far.
I've done about 400 miles on this set up so far and its quite scary to hear I've been sitting about 2 inches to low!!
Regarding the stem flip - I actually flipped it to a positive angle, I found my back unable to take the racier position. However, do you think its worth persevering with the more 'aero' position and flipping it back?0 -
I think the back end looks fine but the frame looks too small.
However, it's impossible to tell for sure based on pictures!!0 -
Depends on how you feel, If it is really bad the no, but if it is just, a soft pain, you will get sed to it and more flexible. Soone you won't even need handlebars, you'll just hold on to your front wheel0
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NapoleonD wrote:I think the back end looks fine but the frame looks too small.
However, it's impossible to tell for sure based on pictures!!
Totally agree - this is just to get some basic ideas on the kind of thing I might want to take a look at.
The frame (I have to say) is DEF not too small and this is a perspective error caused by the camera looking up at the bike while I was taking the photo (remote control, clever eh!). In fact, my LBS nearly ordered me a size down, I was right on the border apparantly!0 -
You do look a little cramped at the front and the fact there are a load of spacers and a steeply pointy uppy stem suggests it's too small...
You look about 5'11 ish, bike looks like a 54. Looks like you need a 56 or maybe even a 58...
However, that's just going of pictures (which is what you intended!)
Welcome to the forum btw!!0 -
NapoleonD wrote:You do look a little cramped at the front and the fact there are a load of spacers and a steeply pointy uppy stem suggests it's too small...
You look about 5'11 ish, bike looks like a 54. Looks like you need a 56 or maybe even a 58...
However, that's just going of pictures (which is what you intended!)
Welcome to the forum btw!!
Thanks for the welcome - long time reader etc etc!
Freakishly close guesses too! I'm nearly 5'10 and the bike is a 56. Its strange, I felt really stretched with the stem flipped the 'proper way'. Maybe I should flip it back and just get used to a proper road position?0 -
NapoleonD wrote:You do look a little cramped at the front and the fact there are a load of spacers and a steeply pointy uppy stem suggests it's too small...
You look about 5'11 ish, bike looks like a 54. Looks like you need a 56 or maybe even a 58...
However, that's just going of pictures (which is what you intended!)
Welcome to the forum btw!!0 -
I think the height is right but you need more distance, flipping the stem means you have less height. I'd suggest you need the 58 and couple it with a 110 stem...0
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How many cans of strongbow does it take for you to fall off mid-picture?
http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/images/s ... on_lol.gifPina FP2 '10
Felt B2 Pro '10
Girlfriend0 -
Ultimate question is what sort of position you wan to have, I'm quite young and flexible, as well as tall, so i ride a 61cm frame with a 130mm stem and a 400mm seatpost, with a bar to saddle drop of near 15cm. But then I'm only 15 so i'm like rubber0
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Looks like you have some toe overlap, too, watch it when taking tight corners in traffic.
I must say the frame does look too small to me, too. But whatever adjustments you make, make them a bit at a time. You will get the right position eventually. Personally I'd be flipping the stem over to get lower down at the front, it all looks very sit up and beg to me.0 -
see what this says.
http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CC ... ATOR_INTRO0 -
First impression was, frame too small.0
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56cm frame should be right, but I agree with others that the pics make it look a bit small for you. But then there's plenty more seatpost to play with and you can fit a longer stem if need be. What length stem is on there at the moment?More problems but still living....0
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I agree, your frame looks too small. From the camera angle it looks like you have a much longer upper body and shorter legs compared to the average man (I am similar but not to the same extent).
I'm 5'9'' and ride a 54 spesh tarmac with a longer stem and had a professional fitting.
If your going to stick with that frame i would suggest you need a longer stem. Failing that buy a new frame0 -
I would suggest that you are sitting a little too far forward. The cleft below your knee cap is in front of the pedal axle at 9.00. You may also have the saddle bit low. You have your toe pointing down but I do not know if you ride this way. Try raising the saddle by no more than 5mm at a time until your hips start to rock on the saddle, then go down until they stop. Then check how your knee is above the pedal axle. Aim to get the base of the knee cap right above the axle. This will give you a starting point for fine tuning. Only when you are happy with the saddle position should you look at the handlebars which you can more or less play with to your hearts content until you feel right. Getting the saddle right is the crucial one.
I don't think a 56cm is too small for you at 5' 10". I am 5' 11" and ride 56s with no problem.0 -
Thanks so much guys and gals, this is all fantastic information.
I agree with most, that the frame might be a cm or two too small. However, this is my first 'real' bike and I don't feel its worth upgrading. I'm building base fitness, upping my average speeds, working on cadence and my stamina. This is of course, open to critique.
The stem length on my Spesh is 100mm. Is it worth upgrading this though? Could I carry a 'better'/more appropriate stem length forward to a new bike in the future? If so, recommendations please?!
I have a bit of a fettle this evening and I've flipped the stem back over and raised my seat by an inch. I'll be riding like this for a while to see how it goes. I might post further pics tomorrow of my new set-up too....0 -
100mm is fairly short for your size. I use 110 and 120mm ones.
Raising the saddle by 1" is rather a lot in one go. Try sitting on the bike and with the pedal at the bottom place your heel, wearing cycling shoes, on the pedal. Your knee should just be bent. This is a very rough guide for initial saddle height. Then adjust by no more than 5mm at a time as I described earlier. Ride for a day or two before adjusting again. Large adjustments, unless it was way out, can cause injuries. Your body needs time to adapt to change. The best height is as high as you can get it without the hips moving. Only change one thing at a time. Getting the saddle right is key. Then worry about stem height and length. Never adjust the saddle to try to alter your reach.0 -
ssk2 wrote:Thanks so much guys and gals, this is all fantastic information.
I agree with most, that the frame might be a cm or two too small. However, this is my first 'real' bike and I don't feel its worth upgrading. I'm building base fitness, upping my average speeds, working on cadence and my stamina. This is of course, open to critique.
The stem length on my Spanish is 100mm. Is it worth upgrading this though? Could I carry a 'better'/more appropriate stem length forward to a new bike in the future? If so, recommendations please?!
I have a bit of a fettle this evening and I've flipped the stem back over and raised my seat by an inch. I'll be riding like this for a while to see how it goes. I might post further pics tomorrow of my new set-up too....0 -
Shouldn't the shop you bought it from who advised you on size etc be able to set you up on it properly? Got to be a better way of doing it.
When I got my road bike I paid my local shop to set me up on it as I wans't sure what I was doing. I had to pay as I didn't buy it from them but it saved a lot of messing about.0 -
Problem is when your new to road bikes,when they measure you up and put you on the correct bike size it doesn't always feel comfortable and correct,and this will only come with time riding,always find the bike they try and put you on is too small.
Just make sure your comfortable and happy with the postion to start with, you can always change things later.0 -
Needs going in the big ring for starters..................0
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Bike is def too small for you (even with the perspective).
I had that exact same bike last year, my LBS measured me up for a 56 but after about 500 miles and some advice off here I realised it was too small for me (exactly the same problem as you with the bike being too short!) told my LBS and they swapped it for a 2011 allez sport at no extra cost...heres the process I went through.
http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopi ... highlight=
Ask your LBS shop and see if you can get a new bigger bike0 -
dont listen to anyone here. the fact is the bike is spot on, its you who are too big for the bike.Viner Salviati
Shark Aero Pro
Px Ti Custom
Cougar 531
Sab single speed
Argon 18 E-112 TT
One-one Ti 456 Evo
Ridley Cheetah TT
Orange Clockwork 2007 ltd ed
Yeti ASR 5
Cove Hummer XC Ti0 -
pastey_boy wrote:dont listen to anyone here. the fact is the bike is spot on, its you who are too big for the bike.
Quite right. I was going to suggest chopping his hands off and perhaps lose a vertabrae as wellExpertly coached by http://www.vitessecyclecoaching.co.uk/
http://vineristi.wordpress.com - the blog for Viner owners and lovers!0 -
Weird, I am 6 foot (and a little bit) and ride a Secteur so not far off the same frame size as your allez. I ride a 56cm frame, with no spacers under the HT. I am however all leg and no back, so saddle is up HIGH and the bars feel quite alright. Unless it is a trick of the camera, I'd dare say that you are more back than legs, so you end up being in a more upright position.
My votes, up the saddle just a touch, not too drastic you need your legs to be bent slightly at the bottom. try sit back a little by moving the saddle back, so when you drop a weight on a bit of string or something from the pivot of your knee, it should roughly be over the axle of the pedal.
For length, try grab a few other stems from people for a short ride, you dont want to feel reached out, but at the same time, you want dont want to be scrunched up.
Handlebar height is a personal thing, Im quite flexible so I tend to have mine low, but my mate who is not so bendy also has his stem going upwards. IMO though, if you want to develop a more racy position, over a period of a few rides, take one spacer at a time out of the bars to introduce a low riding position in gradually. I remember starting to ride, the pain in my lower back and shoulders was quite a lot, but I found after a while I got used to it, then lowered my bars more and more and more pain free for 50+ mile rides no issues.
There is no "set" ways of getting a bike fit right, there are guidelines, but if its comfortable for you, keep it that way.0