Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - road bike setting for long distance

this was covered in powerglide's "my 1st century..." thread. thought i'd ask a few more questions in a new thread instead of hijacking his.

i'm looking for a road or cross bike. when i get on the trainer, the most comfortable set ups seem to be when the top part of the bar is a little higher than the saddle (carpal tunnel acts up when i have too much weight on my wrists). he used the shortest stem with the steepest angle. my hip angle was 115 degrees. the fitter said he usually sets people up with an angle between 90 and 100 degrees.

i went to an lbs yesterday and the owner said with that set up, i should just stick with a hybrid. he said the relaxed geometry road and cross bikes weren't intended for that set up and could potentially be dangerous from lack of weight on the front wheel.

is this true? i realize i need to feel comfortable on the bike so it's really up to me. however, i don't want to spend $2k for a bike that ends up being just another hybrid. what are my options? i'm considering aero bars so that i can add an alternative position when my cts acts up. would it be a good idea to get an adjustable stem and gradually reduce the angle until i find the best set up for me?

i DO wear gloves and will double tape the bars. however, weight on my wrists bothers my cts just as much as vibration.

You don't say how much mileage you are doing now and on what sort of bike with what sort of fit. It seems to me that your cts would be made worse by having to constantly grab round bars, but I don't have it. Personally, I find road bars very comfortable. There are many hand positions centering around the hoods. I'd try to get a bar and hood combination that enables you to rest the sides of your wrists on the top of the bar while you are holding the hoods, forearms more-or-less level. Aerobars take a lot of experience and conditioning. I wouldn't recommend them to anyone doing much less than say 4000 mi./yr. But they can be great if you are riding solo.

Some distance riders say that for every centimeter that you go up with your stem, you should go forward 2 centimeters. That makes for an interesting position.

But it all depends on what you are trying to do and how far you are trying to ride.

i rode almost 2500 miles from may thru december last year. i hope to keep the same pace for this year. i ride solo but i have a friend who just bought a lemond. he and i are talking about taking a few weekend trips for some scenic rides.

i've done most of my riding on a db comfort bike and some on a trek 7300 hybrid. my fit is quite upright. very little weight on my hands. as a result, 2.25 hours is about all i can handle. then my arse and feet go numb from too much weight on the saddle. that's why i'm looking at road bikes now.

most of my riding is on country roads. however, lately i've spent quite a bit of time on paved paths.

That's a lot of miles on a 7300 or similar. Try more time out of the saddle. Try to do 1 minute in every 10 or thereabouts. On long climbs, I do this by the clock. Worth trying, anyway. Cheaper than a new bike. Also, try a different saddle. Terry Fly saddles are seen under a lot of high mileage butts around here. Also Brooks B17 is popular. Most LBS will let you try and bring back. They can show you how to tape the rails so they stay new looking.

That said, a real road bike would be more suitable for that kind of mileage. There's a thread on here with under $750 road bikes. That wouldn't be too huge a hit to try it out. Check out a bike setup with the bars about an inch above the saddle. The bike will balance fine like that. Same thing about standing and saddles still applies. Have the bike shop set up the bike, with suitable stem, etc., on a trainer in the shop, and ride it for a while with your hands on the hoods. Bring a towel or something so you don't drip on their bike!

Like everyone on here says, bike fit is very important. Second most important IMHO is a stiff enough frame so you get good power transfer. With the trial bike on the trainer, shift into a big gear and stomp on it a bit. See if the front derailer rubs on the chain as the bottom bracket flexes. That would be bad.

i'm looking for a road or cross bike. when i get on the trainer, the most comfortable set ups seem to be when the top part of the bar is a little higher than the saddle (carpal tunnel acts up when i have too much weight on my wrists). he used the shortest stem with the steepest angle. my hip angle was 115 degrees. the fitter said he usually sets people up with an angle between 90 and 100 degrees.

i went to an lbs yesterday and the owner said with that set up, i should just stick with a hybrid. he said the relaxed geometry road and cross bikes weren't intended for that set up and could potentially be dangerous from lack of weight on the front wheel.

is this true? i realize i need to feel comfortable on the bike so it's really up to me. however, i don't want to spend $2k for a bike that ends up being just another hybrid. what are my options? i'm considering aero bars so that i can add an alternative position when my cts acts up. would it be a good idea to get an adjustable stem and gradually reduce the angle until i find the best set up for me?

i DO wear gloves and will double tape the bars. however, weight on my wrists bothers my cts just as much as vibration.

Don't listen to your LBS!! Most LBS personnel have no clue about a long distance cycling setup. They want to set the bicycle up for racing, and may be very good at that, but they simply do not understand if a person wants to ride more than the local 75 km race.

Most long distance cyclists ride with the tops of their handlebars about even with their saddle. Have a look at mine in the photo below.

And adjustable stem would be a good idea ... I have one on my Giant which is the only way I can ride my Giant comfortably. And you might consider a wrist brace.

i've done most of my riding on a db comfort bike and some on a trek 7300 hybrid. my fit is quite upright. very little weight on my hands.
atomship -- I went from a Trek 730 (precursor to the 7300 when the 7xx line was still steel and not aluminum) to a road bike, so I can probably provide you with some feedback on what to expect with the transition.

It's true that, yes, you will be placing more weight on your hands and wrists. When I used to ride the 730, I never needed gloves because of the upright position and rubber grips, but on my 520, even with a raised stem, my hands and arms were sore for the first month of riding because they were being made to support more weight.

That being said, your body will adjust and it will build muscle. What it won't build is cushioning for your nerves. You mentioned that you have carpal tunnel, and I should ask if it's perhaps aggravated because you aren't holding your hybrid's handlebars properly? Keep in mind, that with flat bars, the knuckles on your hand, your wrist and your elbows should form one straight line (like if you're holding your hand out in front of you and point your finger straight ahead) . A lot of people ride with their wrists cocked at an angle to their arm (like if they were holding their hand out in front of them and pointing a finger straight up) That will definitely cause major wrist pain.

If, however, you're gripping your bars properly and your carpal tunnel is fairly severe, then, unfortunately, I'd agree with your shop and say that a road geometry will only aggravate your nerve injuries. My girlfriend has some pretty acute RSI and she can't bear to do more than a few blocks on a road bike, even one with a fairly high stem. That said, there's nothing that says that you can't do distance on a hybrid. People tour on hybrids all the time. They're just not the fastest things in the world, but even still, you can do make modifications to a hybrid (higher gearing, narrower rims, etc.) that will make it faster. Also, if you're willing to pay the premium, you could get a recumbent, which will give you comfort and speed, but at a commensurately higher price.

would it be a good idea to get an adjustable stem and gradually reduce the angle until i find the best set up for me?My theory regarding bike fit has to do with understanding that no one "starts out" with the muscles and flexibility they need to ride as comfortably and efficiently as possible.

In other words, I think the body "wears in" to a good bicycle setup. When I sold bicycles for a living, I always tried to get an honest self-appraisal from the cyclist about their potential to ride the bike with a more efficient seat/stem/bar configuration.

Set the bike up for comfort first. If you "grow" into a fitter more flexible person, you can make adjustments to suit your new abilities later on.