Bike position question

roadrunner20
roadrunner20 Posts: 40
edited August 2018 in Training, fitness and health
Evening all,

Been focused on TT for a while now and getting back into road cycling, so be great to get some advice on my position on bike.

Bikes L stem is 110mm. Question I'm wondering is am I too reached out on hoods? Excuse terrible back garden / tortoises

https://imgur.com/a/LsktUHh

Thanks for any advice, help.

Comments

  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    The fact that your foot looks comfortably down on the floor while you are sitting in the saddle, suggests your seat height is set far too low. If that's the case, then that might go some of the way towards explaining why the remainder of your position looks pretty upright. Sort your saddle height and post another pic..
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 14,623
    Get a strimmer. Or hire a gardener.
  • maryka
    maryka Posts: 748
    Ignore the saddle too low comment, I think it looks about right (toe on ground, heel is lifted with leg almost straight). But post another pic with your clipped-in foot at the bottom of the pedal stroke on the camera side, to be sure.

    If anything though, you do look more upright than stretched out. So stem height more than stem length maybe is the issue if that position feels stretched out.

    Fwiw I have 100-110mm stems on my bikes and they are 48cm frame.
    http://www.twitter.com/smaryka
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    maryka wrote:
    Ignore the saddle too low comment, I think it looks about right

    Well, I think it's too low. So maybe I should suggest the OP ignores your comment instead? Or maybe we could both wait he posts another pic? :roll:
  • davidof
    davidof Posts: 3,036
    Imposter wrote:
    The fact that your foot looks comfortably down on the floor while you are sitting in the saddle, suggests your seat height is set far too low.

    The knee angle also looks too small, suggesting a low saddle.
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  • roadrunner20
    roadrunner20 Posts: 40
    Thanks for replies, il post another one this weekend once back from work.

    Will try removing some spacers from stem to drop it down (main concern was worried if I was too reached out on hoods).

    Ps will get landscaper in at some point.....
  • Matthewfalle
    Matthewfalle Posts: 17,380
    raise saddle,drop bars.
    Postby team47b » Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:53 am

    De Sisti wrote:
    This is one of the silliest threads I've come across. :lol:

    Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour :D
    smithy21 wrote:

    He's right you know.
  • mariamartinez
    mariamartinez Posts: 94
    If you are comfortable and happy then all is good despite anyones opinions. However for what its worth.....

    1. bike size is on the small side for your height
    2. saddle is definitely low esp for an aero bike (you should not be able to comfortably rear the ground even with a straight leg) and this will rob you of some aero advantage (if that is important to you)
    3. Difficult to see but I would also add crank length is too short by perhaps 1-2 sizes (ie 172.5 vs 175mm)
    4. Stem slightly too short, but because its aero and integrated you goona struggle to change this i think
    5. bars about the right height, but could be lower if its not uncomfortable.

    ps. no one said it yet, but nice bike!!
  • roadrunner20
    roadrunner20 Posts: 40
    mariamartinez wrote:
    If you are comfortable and happy then all is good despite anyones opinions. However for what its worth.....

    1. bike size is on the small side for your height
    2. saddle is definitely low esp for an aero bike (you should not be able to comfortably rear the ground even with a straight leg) and this will rob you of some aero advantage (if that is important to you)
    3. Difficult to see but I would also add crank length is too short by perhaps 1-2 sizes (ie 172.5 vs 175mm)
    4. Stem slightly too short, but because its aero and integrated you goona struggle to change this i think
    5. bars about the right height, but could be lower if its not uncomfortable.

    ps. no one said it yet, but nice bike!!

    Thanks, im in two minds at the moment on whether the bike needs to changed down a size to M, as I feel the reach could be too much on a large. (other option is go for shorter stem than 110 currently on)

    I've lowered stem down and raised saddle a bit, let me know what you think again,

    https://ibb.co/bKDro9
    https://ibb.co/bPrcT9
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    Still difficult to tell as you still have one foot stretched to the ground, which will be unbalancing your position a bit. but saddle height looks a lot better now it's been raised - stem could be 10mm shorter perhaps...
  • BikerGroveish
    BikerGroveish Posts: 183
    I’d have said a bit of tinkering with the saddle angle and a shorter stem should get it. If you can move the saddle forward on the rails that may assist as well.
  • StillGoing
    StillGoing Posts: 5,211
    I'd say the frame is the right size, any bigger and you're going to lose the aero advantages by messing about with a lower saddle. In the original pic, your knee looks slightly ahead of the pedal spindle suggesting the saddle needs sliding back slightly, but as you've raised it, this might have done the trick. You certainly don't need longer crank arms.

    Get someone to take a few side on images of yourself with the cranks at the 15:45 and 18:00 positions, and then refer to the Bike Dynamics free fit guide to assess your angles.

    http://bikedynamics.co.uk/guidelines.htm

    http://bikedynamics.co.uk/shop.htm
    I ride a bike. Doesn't make me green or a tree hugger. I drive a car too.
  • roadrunner20
    roadrunner20 Posts: 40
    philthy3 wrote:
    I'd say the frame is the right size, any bigger and you're going to lose the aero advantages by messing about with a lower saddle. In the original pic, your knee looks slightly ahead of the pedal spindle suggesting the saddle needs sliding back slightly, but as you've raised it, this might have done the trick. You certainly don't need longer crank arms.

    Get someone to take a few side on images of yourself with the cranks at the 15:45 and 18:00 positions, and then refer to the Bike Dynamics free fit guide to assess your angles.

    http://bikedynamics.co.uk/guidelines.htm

    http://bikedynamics.co.uk/shop.htm

    Thanks for replies, I'm going to speak to canyon about it as I've done a few more rides sinse adjusting and still feeling bit stretched out on front end so hopefully reducing stem down a tad will relax that out.

    I think that going down to a M would be too small and I'd end up having saddle very high with a big drop.

    Will keep posted, bike wise it's very nice with rapid acceleration!
  • StillGoing
    StillGoing Posts: 5,211
    Roadrunner20 wrote:
    philthy3 wrote:
    I'd say the frame is the right size, any bigger and you're going to lose the aero advantages by messing about with a lower saddle. In the original pic, your knee looks slightly ahead of the pedal spindle suggesting the saddle needs sliding back slightly, but as you've raised it, this might have done the trick. You certainly don't need longer crank arms.

    Get someone to take a few side on images of yourself with the cranks at the 15:45 and 18:00 positions, and then refer to the Bike Dynamics free fit guide to assess your angles.

    http://bikedynamics.co.uk/guidelines.htm

    http://bikedynamics.co.uk/shop.htm

    Thanks for replies, I'm going to speak to canyon about it as I've done a few more rides sinse adjusting and still feeling bit stretched out on front end so hopefully reducing stem down a tad will relax that out.

    I think that going down to a M would be too small and I'd end up having saddle very high with a big drop.

    Will keep posted, bike wise it's very nice with rapid acceleration!

    I ride a small frame with an 80mm slammed -6' stem giving me a totally flat stem. It can make the handling a little twitchy in fast corners with such a short stem, but it gives me a good saddle to bar drop without over reaching.
    I ride a bike. Doesn't make me green or a tree hugger. I drive a car too.
  • mariamartinez
    mariamartinez Posts: 94
    Roadrunner20 wrote:
    mariamartinez wrote:
    If you are comfortable and happy then all is good despite anyones opinions. However for what its worth.....

    1. bike size is on the small side for your height
    2. saddle is definitely low esp for an aero bike (you should not be able to comfortably rear the ground even with a straight leg) and this will rob you of some aero advantage (if that is important to you)
    3. Difficult to see but I would also add crank length is too short by perhaps 1-2 sizes (ie 172.5 vs 175mm)
    4. Stem slightly too short, but because its aero and integrated you goona struggle to change this i think
    5. bars about the right height, but could be lower if its not uncomfortable.

    ps. no one said it yet, but nice bike!!

    Thanks, im in two minds at the moment on whether the bike needs to changed down a size to M, as I feel the reach could be too much on a large. (other option is go for shorter stem than 110 currently on)

    I've lowered stem down and raised saddle a bit, let me know what you think again,

    https://ibb.co/bKDro9
    https://ibb.co/bPrcT9

    To my eyes, this new position looks good. It probably feels a bit stretched but it will be more aero than the starting position. If it is too uncomfortable, try and get there is small steps over a few weeks.
  • svetty
    svetty Posts: 1,904
    The saddle looks a tad too far forwards. I think you need to perhaps work on your hamstrings so that you are more hinged at the waist. This would then mean that you could reach the bars without bending your lower spine forwards thus straightening your back and enabling you to relax more at the shoulders and elbows. As it is your shoulders look tensed - hence the 'stretched' feeling.
    FFS! Harden up and grow a pair :D
  • joey54321
    joey54321 Posts: 1,297
    mariamartinez wrote:
    If you are comfortable and happy then all is good despite anyones opinions. However for what its worth.....

    1. bike size is on the small side for your height
    2. saddle is definitely low esp for an aero bike (you should not be able to comfortably rear the ground even with a straight leg) and this will rob you of some aero advantage (if that is important to you)
    3. Difficult to see but I would also add crank length is too short by perhaps 1-2 sizes (ie 172.5 vs 175mm)
    4. Stem slightly too short, but because its aero and integrated you goona struggle to change this i think
    5. bars about the right height, but could be lower if its not uncomfortable.

    ps. no one said it yet, but nice bike!!

    Please, OP, ignore all of these except the nice bike bit.
  • supermurph09
    supermurph09 Posts: 2,471
    The real question here, did that Gnome move by itself or not!!!!
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