Yen

Hubby wanted to test the new tires on his 30-year-old Schwinn road bike this morning so in spite of near-100 temps we set out for a short ride (he had a full stomach from breakfast and didn't want to go very far, just a few blocks up and back). 7+ miles later he took a couple of pics of me circling around in front of the house, so you can see my my typical posture most of the time, and if the bike appears too big for me. The jacket isn't as warm as it looks, but I'm looking forward to receiving the micromesh shirts I ordered from Skin-Savers.com the other day, they should be cooler. I wear it for sun protection and because it's the only non-cotton long-sleeve shirt I currently own. However, while we were riding I was seriously considering investing in the best sunscreen money can buy so I can ride sleeveless. On the other hand, if I fall and slide on my arm, I'll wish I was wearing long sleeves. Anyway, here I am in the famous pink helmet...


Do the grips appear too widely spaced for me?


Notice the pink (technically, fuschia) trim on my Asics Gel Nimbus running shoes. No, I didn't buy them to match the helmet... they're a couple years old.


While we were riding, I payed close attention to my posture and how I was holding my hands. I noticed that I am putting too much weight on my hands. Not a tight grip, just leaning on the bar too much. When I found myself doing that I pulled back a bit and just rested them on the bars while I engaged my abs to support me. That feels awkward for now because it feels like I may not be able to reach the brake levers with more than the tips of my fingers in an emergency. On this ride, the numbness factor was, at most, 3 on a scale of 1-10, which was much more comfortable than the other day (however, the other day was MUCH worse than any other day before that... something was just "off" that day).

My sit bones felt pretty good today but I noticed I seem to be sitting more on the left one than the right, which is funny because I tend to sit slightly to the right when I drive the car. (That's odd.... don't know why I do that...) So, I need to practice centering myself on the seat.

Upon our return Hubby said that the old broken-in Brooks saddle (which came with his Schwinn) feels as good as the saddle on his new bike (which feels very comfortable to him) and can see why people keep their saddles when they sell their bikes. Then he told me that if I want to order the Brooks B67 S, to go ahead and do so.

John E

1) The handlebar width looks reasonable, although slightly narrower should be OK, as well.
2) How is your leg extension at the bottom of the pedal stroke?
3) There is no saddle like an old Brooks. I have put almost 50k mi / 80k km on my 1972 Brooks Pro, and I am keeping it until I no longer trust it structurally. My Brooks Team Pro and Brooks Competition are very comfortable, as well.

Yen

I believe the leg extension is fine. I wish I thought to just coast by with my leg extended instead of pedaling.... but anyway with my foot at 6:00, my knee is almost straight, just barely bent. From all I've read, that seems to be the general consensus for testing that particular area of fit.

SaiKaiTai

I see nothing

freeranger

Looks fine from here. Can't see that with your riding position that there would be a lot of pressure on your hands. Maybe the bend of the bar just doesn't suit you, or the position of the bar might need a minor adjustment. Maybe when you see your LBS, they can see why it feels like there is pressure.

solveg

Do you always ride with your hands on the brakes like that? You do have your hands resting on the pinkie edge? Are you touching the roundish bone on the side of your hand right where the pinky connects? That's been the culprit for hand numbess many times for me.

Tom Bombadil

There are certainly some signs that the bike is large for you. The seatpost has minimal extension. And the stem and handlebars are dialed back toward you as much as possible.

That said, I see no reason why you should be having abnormal hand numbness. The angles look okay.

I find that is just hard to dial in a bike that is well off of your optimal size. It looks like you have done a lot. And a lot is needed if the bike is a man's 21" when one knowledgeable sales rep said you fit a 17" woman's frame best. I'm not saying it is impossible to "make it fit," just more difficult.

If you can't shake the numbness, you could try the different handlebars we were discussing the other day, something with a little more rise and sweep. And you should add bar ends for multiple positions, regardless of what you do with the handlebar.

EXCALIBUR

Your hands are positioned on the handlebars slightly wider than shoulder width. You could cut 1/2" off each handlebar end and move the grips, brakes, and shifters in. This would give you a more comfortable width grip on your handlebars and possibly help with your numb hands symptoms.

Yen

I don't always ride with my hands on the brakes like that... only when I'm preparing to stop (like, as I was heading toward Hubby taking the picture) . Or if we're going downhill fast, so I can be prepared to stop quickly if I need do. (Should I not do that??) I don't believe I rest my hands on the pinkie edge, and I don't know if I'm touching the roundish bone on the side. I'll check on those when we ride again tomorrow morning.

Yen

The latter probably does indicate that the top tube is too long. As for the height of the seat post... I remember riding a smaller bike at the shop, either 17" or 19" -- I believe it was 19" or I would have asked to see one of those first before making my decision -- and we had to raise the stem all the way up to allow enough leg extension, suggesting that the bike was too small for me. That seems to eliminate the 17" without a doubt, since if it was the 19" then certainly the 17" would have been even smaller. We made all kinds of adjustments at the LBS on the smaller bikes.

I'm working hard on the numbness: Today's ride of almost the same distance was a LOT better, more like all the other rides when I noticed some tingling but it was not an issue. I am also working on my posture, my shoulders, and distributing my weight better. If I can't work it out satisfactorily this way, I'll head back to the LBS with my bike and have a discussion with them.

Yen

Thanks everyone for trying to help me work this out.

Jen

jazzy_cyclist

The way that you lay your hands on the bars can make a big difference. The nerves run through the "cut" in the heel of your hand, so if you place weight on that, it can make them numb. Try to be conscious of where/how you are placing your hands.

Well-padded gloves can help, too. I got my fit straightened out, but before that I cut a few poker chip sized pieces out of some gel insoles and slipped them in my gloves and it worked well.

You look fairly relaxed in the pic, but if you feel yourself gripping the bars too tightly, loosen up. Keep your thumb/index finger locked around the bars in case you hit something that might twist the bars out of your grasp, but that said, you don't need to squeeze the life out the bars either.

stonecrd

One of the challenges with hybrids and mtb is that there is not a lot of ways to change hand position. With the grips and brakes and the angles on the bars you really only get a couple of positions to use. I know when I use to ride mtb I had more trouble with numbness that when I went to drop bars. Now I have about 8 or so different hand positions I rotate around in a ride. You can't do that with straight bars.

SaiKaiTai

I was also curious about your leg extension... sounds fine from your description.
Your arms look a little wide but I don't think unacceptably so.

I do wonder about your stem being almost straight up... seems the bike would be hard to handle.