First road bike uncomfortable

lawsio

Hi all,

Was trying to avoid coming on a forum and pestering folk but could do with some advice.

I've just bought my first road bike, a B'Twin Triban 3, and have only used it on a turbo trainer so far but find it really uncomfortable. The bike is set up exactly how a guide I've read says and the bike was a better fit than the others I tried in store. The issue i'm having is the strain on shoulders, neck and wrists that holding the riding position causes. I can only ride for about 30 seconds at a time without having to sit up and rest for a minute.

Is this because the type of riding position needs getting used to, or is it that the bike is just wrong? I want to get into long distance rides and races (triathlon's possibly over this summer) so went for a racer rather than a flat bar, just now can't decide if its worth sticking with or swapping?

Any thoughts?

Simmotino

There is a certain amount of 'getting used to it' involved on a road bike, but it shouldn't be so painful that you can't sustain the position for more than 30 seconds.

Is your saddle flat, or tipped forward? If it's the latter, level it off with a spirit level and try again (make a note of the position before you do though so you can revert back if it's no better).

Alternatively, you may need to raise the bars a little so you are a little more upright, thus relieving the pressure on your arms/shoulders (again, record current positions before adjusting).

Anything you move, do it a little at a time and ride for a while to see if it improves. If it does, go a little further until there's no improvement. If it doesn't, move it back and try something else.

Peddle Up!

How are you riding, on the hoods, or in the drops? If the former, then something isn't right. The drops can take some getting used to though.

Gizmodo

Go to your local bike shop and ask about a "bike fit", or get a friend and Google "bike fit". You need someone to look at you and your position on the bike, preferably someone that knows what they are looking for.

You can then flip the stem over, change the saddle position, stem length and so on to getting right.

Silly Old Hector

Daft question, but is your front tyre raised whilst on the turbo or Is the bike at a sloping downward angle because it's resting on the floor ?

lawsio

Thanks for the quick replies guys.

I have been riding on the bars mainly as anything else does my neck in too much. I find the position riding on the hoods OK, although I find it hurts my hands to grip there for too long.

The front wheel is raised, not quite as much as the back wheel but near as dammit I think.

I've tried raising the handlebars but I think (unless I've been totally dense and missed something!) they are already as high as they can go.

bails87

Can you flip the stem to raise the bars a bit.

lawsio

bails87 wrote:

Can you flip the stem to raise the bars a bit.

If that means removing it and putting it back on upsidown, yes possibly! If not, i've got no idea!

slowondefy2

Trying to fit yourself to a bike without experienced help just doesn't work, IMO.

bianchimoon

Lawslo - posting a side view of you on the bike would give us more idea as to whether you are in a 'reasonable' position on the bike or not

lawsio

I've done a pic of the bike with me on it and one of the bike just by itself. And yes, that is a Compare The Meercat in the background!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/78049448@N ... hotostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/78049448@N ... hotostream

slowondefy2

Untrained eye:

Your knee looks very straight, although its difficult to see where the knee joint is without shorts. I'd hazard a guess the saddle is too high. Saddle height assessment also requires a video of you pedalling to look for hip movement. Fore-aft position of saddle requires a view with you on and the cranks horizontal.

The drop from saddle to handlebars looks quite formidable but that may just be the camera angle coupled with a sloping top-tube.

Given your arm reach on the bike I'd hesitate before saying the frame is too small (i.e. I don't think it is too small).

Do yourself a favour and get some proper pedals ;-)

jim453

Frame is rather small for you, I'd say.

Ringo 68

How tall are you and what size frame is that?

The bike, in my very uneducated opinion, looks way too small. Especially having to have the seat post so high. I see the pros have their bikes set up like that but I wouldn't want that set up myself.

I am sure there are more experienced riders out there who will have a more definative answer.

godders1

Frame looks a tad small.

Flip the stem and try rotating the bars back towards you a bit; so it's more like the position on the right:

thefd

Like the others have said - I think the frame is too small. Your seat post is really high, which makes the stretch to the handlebars a long way. What size is the frame and what is your height?

lawsio

Cheers guys, I'm 6ft near as dammit and the bike is a 57cm frame. When in the store I tried a 59cm Viking and that seemed too big. The lad in the store told me 'If you can see the font hub on the nearside of the bars then its too big, if you see it on the far side then its too small'. Based on that, the size is OK (slightly big if anything) but I'm aware sizing charts say i should be looking at one a bit bigger.

thefd

lawsio wrote:

Cheers guys, I'm 6ft near as dammit and the bike is a 57cm frame. When in the store I tried a 59cm Viking and that seemed too big. The lad in the store told me 'If you can see the font hub on the nearside of the bars then its too big, if you see it on the far side then its too small'. Based on that, the size is OK (slightly big if anything) but I'm aware sizing charts say i should be looking at one a bit bigger.

Hmmm - I could have sworn the bike looks like a 52 and you are 6'. The size should be ok for you.

bianchimoon

personally i don't think that the frame is too small for you, looks like as godders says your bars need rotating upwards a touch, when riding try not to have your arms as straight as they need to bend slightly so that your arms aren't taking the weight on your wrists/shoulders. The best solution is a bike fit by your LBS or a professional fitter, internet advice can be way off mark so up to you to try bits of advice you get and see if you get any benefit.

lawsio

I've raised the bars as suggested and it seems a bit better, I'll have a proper session on it tomorrow and report back!

Thanks again.

Ringo 68

TheFD wrote:

lawsio wrote:

Cheers guys, I'm 6ft near as dammit and the bike is a 57cm frame. When in the store I tried a 59cm Viking and that seemed too big. The lad in the store told me 'If you can see the font hub on the nearside of the bars then its too big, if you see it on the far side then its too small'. Based on that, the size is OK (slightly big if anything) but I'm aware sizing charts say i should be looking at one a bit bigger.

Hmmm - I could have sworn the bike looks like a 52 and you are 6'. The size should be ok for you.

It might just be the pants and the sweat shirt that makes the bike look small. A 57" frame should be OK.

I rotated my new Cube bars the other way and after a short ride it felt so bad that I put them back to the origianl position which felt much better.

Hopefully that will make things more comfortable for you.

Peddle Up!

jim453 wrote:

Frame is rather small for you, I'd say.

I'd agree.

g00se

That does look like a very high seat compared to the saddle unless you're off racing. What's the actual measurement for the distance in height for the saddle nose and the top of the bars?

The 'hidden' front hub measurement is OK for 'standard' proportioned riders but you also need to consider saddle position and stem length. This may help with DIY bike sizing. http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CCY?PAGE=FIT_CALCULATOR_INTRO&INTRO_LINK=NOREDIR

godders1

High saddle might be down to proportionally long legs. I've had a few "your frame looks a bit small for you" comments but a bigger frame would mean too long a reach for me so I have to make do with showing a bit more seatpost than looks "right". (I've had a bike fit from Bike Science Bristol and both my bikes are very comfortable.)

sancho1983

My seat seems really high, but I also feel I have to 'stretch' quite far to get on the hoods, I have quite long legs and they are slightly bent when the pedal is at the bottom.

I've only done 37 miles on it and found it reasonably comfortable (considering it is a very different position to what I am used to). However after a hill yesterday I noticed my nuts were completely numb, couldn't feel a thing. Freaked me out a bit, that's not normal right? I'd done about 10 miles

godders1

sancho1983 wrote:

My seat seems really high, but I also feel I have to 'stretch' quite far to get on the hoods, I have quite long legs and they are slightly bent when the pedal is at the bottom.

I've only done 37 miles on it and found it reasonably comfortable (considering it is a very different position to what I am used to). However after a hill yesterday I noticed my nuts were completely numb, couldn't feel a thing. Freaked me out a bit, that's not normal right? I'd done about 10 miles

Yeah very common. Try tipping your saddle forward a few mm.

sancho1983

Godders1 wrote:

sancho1983 wrote:

My seat seems really high, but I also feel I have to 'stretch' quite far to get on the hoods, I have quite long legs and they are slightly bent when the pedal is at the bottom.

I've only done 37 miles on it and found it reasonably comfortable (considering it is a very different position to what I am used to). However after a hill yesterday I noticed my nuts were completely numb, couldn't feel a thing. Freaked me out a bit, that's not normal right? I'd done about 10 miles

Yeah very common. Try tipping your saddle forward a few mm.

Have been searching around and Googling. My seat is tilted up slightly,it should be level if I have read correctly?

I can't work out how to tilt it, I've released the Allen key but all that lets me do is slide it backwards and forwards. Incidentally would further forward alleviate it slightly?

Like I said my seat is quite high, bit worried that I have the wrong size bike,but also like I said I feel I have plenty of room, even stretching forward. Apart from the numb balls I have found it comfortable- just freaked me out a bit

bianchimoon

u'll probably have to loosen it off a lot more as the ratchet/teeth that the seat from tipping up and down are probably still engaged

sancho1983

bianchimoon wrote:

u'll probably have to loosen it off a lot more as the ratchet/teeth that the seat from tipping up and down are probably still engaged

Thanks, I wasn't loosening it enough. Problem is the one it's on is tilting up, the next one along is tilting down. I've taken the seat down a touch, there's still a small bend of the knee when extended, but doesn't feel quite so crazily high.

Raising the stem might also be an option? Or should I not try that?

timrichardson

It's definitely down to the individual. I was having nut issues and when I had a bike fit they tilted the saddle back so I was sitting further back on the saddle because I was always sitting on the nose, painful! Especially after 100 miles!

Raffles

Im trying to absorb things about bikes that will help me develop as a rider , thats why I came here where there is plenty of advice to be sourced. The first thing I thought was that the saddle looked massively high and your leg appeared dead straight. With that height, I can only guess that your undercarriage is bearing a lot of weight and Id be surprised if you aint sore down there.