Fifty Plus (50+) - An age thing or a fit thing???

Several years a go while living in Germany I bought a Gios all steel road bike. The local bike shop came highly reccomended, and language difficluties not withsanding, I thought I had a pretty good fit . The owner had me sit/pedal on several frames, varing seat & stem position, and then fit me with a 58cm (I'm 6'0" tall - normal leg/torso proportions). I test rode it, and all was well for the short rides (15 mile) dailt rides that were typcial diring my stay.

Since returning to the sates I've been taking longer rides (three 40-50 mile jaunts/week, rolling terrain, 18 -19 mph average), and noticed that near the end of the rides my shoulders (and at time lower back) get quite sore. I 'm in good shape with decent core strength.

I'm wondering whether I have a fit problem (now just emerging), or just and age problem (53 and coounting....). Befre I head to a LBS for a "re-fit" consult I throught I'd post on this forum to see what I might learn from others who might have had the same problem.....

THX,

Go to the Rivendell website and read their ideas about fit. If those sound like a solution, get a Nitto Technomic stem (I assume you have a frame with a one inch quill stem) and get your bars at the same level as your seat.

How long have you been doing these longer rides? You may just need to ride more. Your problems sound like typical aches and pains for people who have increased their miles.

Bike fit is a fluid thing. If you have been riding the longer distances for some time now, I think I get a new fit. I have changed the fit on my bike at least 3 times in 3 years. It's amazing how much difference just a silly millimeter can make. Good luck. Be sure to let us know if you resolve the issues.

The Rivendell site will tell you that at 6' a 58cm is a little too small. But by modern road bike standards it's just fine. However a "modern road bike" fit involves some pretty racy leaning forward. Depending on how often and hard you ride and perhaps in light of that over 50 thing you MAY be better served with a more touring bike sort of fit instead of a performance fast road bike sort of fit.

There's likely lots of over 50 folks that still race or at least do serious performance riding that'll say you just need to ride more and harder and they are right. Hit the pedals more and harder and that "fit" will likely correct itself. But if real life gets in the way more than it used to do a more relaxed and upright fit may well be the better way to go.

A great start would be a stem with more rise or flip the one you have over if it's set for the negative angle right now. From there a cm shorter will do wonders as well. As Mojo suggests a little can do a lot when it comes to fit.

Go to the Rivendell website and read their ideas about fit. If those sound like a solution, get a Nitto Technomic stem (I assume you have a frame with a one inch quill stem) and get your bars at the same level as your seat.

Argh, fitting a Technomic stem to a Gios is a travesty. Why not install a remote control pouch while you're at it?http://www.bikeforums.net/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif

Here's my idea. Get over to the Competitive Cyclist site, www.competitivecyclist.com, and find their online fitting guide. Measure yourself and your bike according to their instructions and find out if you have a French, Eddy, or competitive fit. If it's somewhere between Eddy and competitive, find a way to make your fit more French. If it's French already, then, well, harden up, mate.

By the way, Gios was known for short top tubes, so don't be afraid to install a 12 or 13 cm stem. Cinelli, 3TTT, and Nitto stems are plentiful on eBay.

Rivendell's sizing recommendations are for Rivendell bikes, not for general application.

Several years a go while living in Germany I bought a Gios all steel road bike. ... fit me with a 58cm (I'm 6'0" tall - normal leg/torso proportions). I test rode it, and all was well for the short rides (15 mile) dailt rides that were typcial diring my stay.

Since returning to the sates I've been taking longer rides (three 40-50 mile jaunts/week, rolling terrain, 18 -19 mph average), and noticed that near the end of the rides my shoulders (and at time lower back) get quite sore. I 'm in good shape with decent core strength.

I'm wondering whether I have a fit problem (now just emerging), or just and age problem (53 and coounting....). Befre I head to a LBS for a "re-fit" consult I throught I'd post on this forum to see what I might learn from others who might have had the same problem.....

THX,

round about 3hrs in the saddle is a whole bunch diff. than 1 hour...

bike prolly not the problem, seems well within the ballpark for getting a good fit for an avg 6 ftr
'Fit' can prolly be tuned better...

posture is a big deal...

make a conscious effort to not lock the elbows or allow the shoulders to 'roll' forward and collapse into the chest. If you have std drop bars, let the elbows roll down and inward so you get a light bend.
Try not to let the shoulders shrug up to the ears - especially later in rides, try to consciously 'drop' the shoulders...
change your hand positions as frequently as you can comfortably.
often a 'too forward' saddle position will cause more lower back pain. Why? The work of the legs, the quads especially do a huge amount in supporting the upper body during the cycling/pedal motion. If you;re forward, the quads get engaged later in the pedal arc, and so provide less 'support' in the TDC to upper stroke phase. The force you use to drive the pedal downward actually also then supports the forward lean of the torso.
Course don;t go moving the saddle until you've had the other fit things also checked - don;t wanna go screwing up one thing just to fix another.
You mention 'decent core strength' - that is subjective and what may be decent for one activity may not be conditioned for another. If you're letting your upper body collapse onto locked arms and caved shoulders, then very likely you're also not having the abdominals doing their fair share of work either...
Keeping the shoulders down engages the traps, intercostals and transverse Abs, all of which will give relief to the back...
flat bars tend to exacerbate this problem...

best of luck in finding solutions - yoga may be the single best thing a person can do to 'balance' the body strength and structure, breath control and so much more...

I had similar problems. I raised my bars about even with the saddle and moved them a bit closer. Prior to this I found I almost never rode in the drops, now I do some. So far the past couple of 20-30 mile rides it's been good. No pain there. Now gotta get my left foot sorted out...:P

The Rivendell site will tell you that at 6' a 58cm is a little too small.
I always figured that to get a good approximation of a fit that would work well for me the Rivendell site is useful. I just look at what frame size they recommend and buy three sizes smaller. :)

Try a wider handlebar.
Dead serious here..I had the exact same problem these 16 years I've been riding the (1991) Paramount.
I got a CF MOtobecane this past spring and immediately noticed the shoulder blade and neck pain wasn't there.
Moto had 44cm bars..Paramount came with 40s

what cyclezen said.

be well,

jim

A tip from Sheldon Brown - if you wear glasses when you ride, make sure they are not slipping down on your nose, even a bit. The effort to keep your head raised up will eventually strain your neck.

On longer rides (over 50 miles or so) I wear those elastic glass straps (Croakies) that hold my glasses snug against my nose...it sounds funny, but it helps.

Several years a go while living in Germany I bought a Gios all steel road bike. The local bike shop came highly reccomended, and language difficluties not withsanding, I thought I had a pretty good fit . The owner had me sit/pedal on several frames, varing seat & stem position, and then fit me with a 58cm (I'm 6'0" tall - normal leg/torso proportions). I test rode it, and all was well for the short rides (15 mile) dailt rides that were typcial diring my stay.

Since returning to the sates I've been taking longer rides (three 40-50 mile jaunts/week, rolling terrain, 18 -19 mph average), and noticed that near the end of the rides my shoulders (and at time lower back) get quite sore. I 'm in good shape with decent core strength.

I'm wondering whether I have a fit problem (now just emerging), or just and age problem (53 and coounting....). Befre I head to a LBS for a "re-fit" consult I throught I'd post on this forum to see what I might learn from others who might have had the same problem.....

THX,

buy a recumbent and solve all the problems you described.:thumb: