Is there a 'correct'/'proper' Road Posture?

requiem

Hi all,

So I recently acquired a Caad10, which I am absolutely loving!! However, on longer rides I have been getting quite serious pains/aches in my shoulders and lower neck.. Which from subsequent searching on here, seems to be fairly common..

While I am already fairly convinced that this is a bike fit issue (I think I need a longer stem, moved a couple of spacers lower - due to too much weight being put on my hands), I have been experimenting with the current setup I have, purely in terms of my own 'posture' on the bike..in order to determine whether the issue can largely be dealt with at a more fundamental level..

This got me wondering, whether there is a 'correct' way to position oneself on a road bike.. What I have been finding, is that if I tighten my core and use those muscles to support the bent over position, I tend to get more bend at the elbows and thus take a lot of the weight off my hands. My arms are much more able to relax. I am yet to try this on a longer ride, and I wonder whether it may be hard to sustain, or just a case of forming a new habit?

Is this something which is considered 'normal' for road cycling posture/position? And is it the case that one just has to get used to doing it? (as it is slightly unnatural at first).. I feel happy to do this for a sustained period, but fear that on longer rides full of pain, my 'form' would start to suffer as tiredness sets in. Is this an issue for anyone here?

Please share your thoughts and experiences on this matter, I would greatly appreciate your input on this.

Many thanks,

imposter2.0

Ar5e on the saddle - hands on the hoods/drops/tops as appropriate. Don't over-think it.

smoggysteve

Keep your back straight when sat up on the hoods.

Gizmodo

Imposter wrote:

Ar5e on the saddle - hands on the hoods/drops/tops as appropriate. Don't over-think it.

+1. Maintaining one posture is what makes you ache, shift around a bit, sit up, bend down, move a bit on the saddle. If you sat in an arm chair for 4 hours in 1 position you'd get aches. But don't over-think it, enjoy riding.

Steve236

I don't think there's one correct way - everyone will be different based on their body, flexibility etc. Supporting yourself with your core muscles does relieve pressure on the hands but is quite hard to maintain I've found. Practicing it and strengthening core muscles will help a lot I think. A lot of hand/arm/shoulder ache seems to be due to position though and changing saddle position, reach, and bar height all affect it. I've been tinkering since I got my bike and haven't quite found the magic formula yet.

andrewjoseph

requiem wrote:

Hi all,

So I recently acquired a Caad10, which I am absolutely loving!! However, on longer rides I have been getting quite serious pains/aches in my shoulders and lower neck.. Which from subsequent searching on here, seems to be fairly common..

While I am already fairly convinced that this is a bike fit issue (I think I need a longer stem, moved a couple of spacers lower - due to too much weight being put on my hands), Many

thanks,

A longer stem moved lower will put even more weight on your hands. Shorter stem or original stem moved higher will relieve weight on hands.

Steve236

andrewjoseph wrote:

requiem wrote:

Hi all,

So I recently acquired a Caad10, which I am absolutely loving!! However, on longer rides I have been getting quite serious pains/aches in my shoulders and lower neck.. Which from subsequent searching on here, seems to be fairly common..

While I am already fairly convinced that this is a bike fit issue (I think I need a longer stem, moved a couple of spacers lower - due to too much weight being put on my hands), Many

thanks,

A longer stem moved lower will put even more weight on your hands. Shorter stem or original stem moved higher will relieve weight on hands.

This is true unless you change other things too like saddle position. This article helped a lot with me getting a better position that reduced weight on my arms.
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fitting.htm

andrewjoseph

The saddle would have be quite a bit lower than current. Moving saddle fore/aft for a reach issue is not a good idea. The OP has said nothing about discomfort due to saddle height or fore/aft.

nawty

Set the saddle so you are in the correct position over the pedals THEN adjust stem length/height so you have the right reach.

CAAD frames tend to come up rather large in fit so dare I suggest that, exactly as I did, the frame might be a little big?

I now use a 70mm stem which has slightly increased my body angle (vs. horizontal) and my arms are a bit more flexed, I can now ride for hours and hours without shoulder ache, not something I could do before the changes.

Steve236

andrewjoseph wrote:

The saddle would have be quite a bit lower than current. Moving saddle fore/aft for a reach issue is not a good idea. The OP has said nothing about discomfort due to saddle height or fore/aft.

But according to the OP this is a weight on hands issue and if you read the Peter White article, saddle fore/aft adjustment is important for determining COG and weight distribution.

andrewjoseph

Steve236 wrote:

andrewjoseph wrote:

The saddle would have be quite a bit lower than current. Moving saddle fore/aft for a reach issue is not a good idea. The OP has said nothing about discomfort due to saddle height or fore/aft.

But according to the OP this is a weight on hands issue and if you read the Peter White article, saddle fore/aft adjustment is important for determining COG and weight distribution.

I read white's articles some time ago, I have forgotten most of what he wrote. My own experience and also the advice of most other experienced coaches/sports physiology experts/ ordinary riders: get the saddle position set correctly for your knees/pedalling action*, reach is not adjusted via the saddle. That is what stems are for.

* note, this is not advocating KOPS, this is getting the OP in a comfortable position. Peter White's method seems to be about getting getting a rider balanced on a bike, it doesn't seem to consider actually pedalling it.

requiem

Wow, thank you all for your replies

I should probably clarify a couple of things.. This frame IS indeed the correct size for me, as determined by the basic fitting the lbs included in the purchase. I have sufficient stand-over height etc.. My ideal frame size as determined by my body measurements taken is actually 54.5.. So I am not even slightly concerned I bought the wrong frame size. We are talking minor adjustments here i believe.

I tend to follow/agree with the idea that saddle fore/aft should not be used to adjust for reach, and is it's own adjustment, which also happens to affect reach.

The reason I believe that longer/lower stem may be the solution is that I feel maybe a little 'cramped' on the bike, in the drops I fell hunched over, and on the hoods I am too upright thus exerting more pressure on my hands and subsequently shoulders etc. I think this is one of those counter intuitive adjustments.

So yesterday I tried moving my saddle back (as a temporary, and compromised measure) by about 1cm, to see the effect it would have on reach.. Took it out for a 20 mile blast and it was FAR better. still not right, still felt somewhat cramped, with some aching lower down in my back,.. But WAYYY less severity of pain. and lower down.. I have now borrowed a 110mm, and 120mm stem from the lbs and awaiting my torque key to start experimenting further, on parameter at a time. I have of course moved my saddle back to its correct position

I would like to point out though, or try to re-steer this thread actually, towards the posture side of the equation, e.g. how much are people using their core to support their weight in a road position?

Many thanks again

drlodge

requiem wrote:

I would like to point out though, or try to re-steer this thread actually, towards the posture side of the equation, e.g. how much are people using their core to support their weight in a road position?

Very little... https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/bi ... oad-bikes/

andrewjoseph

requiem, you need to have some weight on the bars to steer effectively, especially at high speeds. Counter-steering relies on your weight pushing down through the bars to lean through corners.

eddiefiola

The missing link for relieving pain in arms/shoulder for me was saddle fore/aft position, I'd been fitted at 85mm bb to saddle nose using KOPS, but this wasnt leaving me balanced, pushing the saddle back to 97mm made all the difference.

requiem

eddiefiola wrote:

The missing link for relieving pain in arms/shoulder for me was saddle fore/aft position, I'd been fitted at 85mm bb to saddle nose using KOPS, but this wasnt leaving me balanced, pushing the saddle back to 97mm made all the difference.

Thanks for this.. perhaps this is still something to consider.. To be fair, the only measurement I have been given was generated by a computer program based on my measurements,, and was not a result of any analysis of technique, pedaling style, or even of observing me on a bike. I will continue to experiment in a pragmatic manner..

requiem

drlodge wrote:

requiem wrote:

I would like to point out though, or try to re-steer this thread actually, towards the posture side of the equation, e.g. how much are people using their core to support their weight in a road position?

Very little... https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/bi ... oad-bikes/

I have only skim-read this, but seems very interesting.. Thank you.. Will have a proper read over the coming days