dirkduck

Hey everyone. I just bought my first non-mountain bike the other day; a Fuji Cross Pro. I've been using it for some road riding yesterday and today, and it's great. The problem is, I feel like I have a much more 'horozontal back' when I'm riding it (like I have to stretch down, even when not on the drop bars) which makes it uncomfortable and a bit harder to breath I think. I guess this is the result of having different bike geometry (I've never ridden a road/CX bike before, ever). So, I'm wondering, is this just a change that my body needs to adapt to in order to get more comfortable? How long should I expect this to take? Thanks.

Rosso Corsa

It depends on the degree you're stretched out. It could be that you bought a bike too large for you. What is more likely is that you are not used to the position of road bikes, as you have thought. Just think, the flatter your back is, the more aero you are! This should not impede comfort though, depending on your needs.
Racers compromise comfort for speed by stretching out more than those on comfort-level bikes.
Those who do TTs strive for a flat back for speed.
you may have bought a racing bike when all you wanted was a 'sport' bike. Its like Giant TCR vs. OCR.

JanMM

It's not too early to advise giving up on this bike and getting a recumbent bike, is it? Premature? Ok, then, take some time to get used the the new bike and the new position/s. Two days' riding is much too soon to expect to be acclimated to a new bike. Take your time, try some new adjustments of seat, bars, etc. Take advantage of drop bars and change your hand position every once in a while.

dirkduck

Well, here's the bike: (I think it's actually an '04, but looks just like this one)
https://www.fujibikes.com/2005/bikes.asp?id=19

Anyways, The frame is a 58cmand I'm 6'1" (with long limbs), so if anything it would be on the smaller side I would imagine. Especially since my old MTB was probably a bit too big, I would think I should feel more cramped on this one, but I don't. Maybe since the old bike was big and I had the seat low, vs. a higher seat on this one could be making a big difference in feel.

Heh, well as much as I'd like to try out a recumbent at some point, I'm afraid now is not the time ...unless of course you could make a generous donation?? I'll fiddle with the adjustments though and see if it helps at all, or just give it more time.

markhr

Sounds as if you should either ride a 56cm with a longish stem or a 58 with a really short stem. I'd try get a cheap adjustable one until I figured out the most comfortable position then, if I felt the need, spend the serious clams on a fixed stem.

It's either that or your core strength is low and your back is taking all the strain.

coldfeet

How wide is the handlebar compared to your shoulders? I found one bike was improved when I got wider bars on it.

jpearl

The reason you have a "horizontal" feeling in your back is because your back is in a horizontal position. CX bikes are styled after road bikes, not mountain bikes, and thus share the much more stretched-out upper body position. Ideally, the shop which sold you the bike should size to to the bike and in particular, adjust the stem length and height. Otherwise, you can always expect the upper body position of a CX bike to either mimick that of a road bike or be slightly shorter and more upright, but definetly still more laid-out and stretched than that of a mountain bike.

AndrewP

How high is the bar in relation to the saddle and when you are riding on the hoods how does the bar line up with the front hub?

stapfam

Taking it that you bought the right size bike-It is just you trying to adjust to the different bikes.

I turned to road after 15 years of MTB's about 18 months ago. Riding position was wierd and I rode on the top of the bars till I felt comfortable on the hoods.It took a full 6 months before I remotely got comfortable in the drop position. Since getting the road bike- I have dropped the bars to about 3" below the bars- Am fully confident riding in the drops- but still do most of my riding on the hoods.

Sounds as though you have to adjust to the bike but it will come.

dirkduck

Sorry about the late reply, I was without a connection for a while...

The bars are a bit shorter across than my shoulders, and definatly a lot smaller than my MTB; sounds like this could be part of it.

Eyeballing it seems like the saddle is about 1" or so higher than the bars, but they're about level. Looks like the bar is about 3 or 4 inches behind the front hub. Not really perfect measurments, but I don't have a measuring utensil (I just moved, so everything is packed away...), but I think that's pretty close.

I should say I didn't buy the bike from a bike store, I got it used directly from the old owner (got a really good deal), so it wasn't specifically sized to me. I'm guessing I'm in the same boat as you though, been riding MTB forever, and it's just a matter of getting my body adjusted to the new positions.

thirdin77

On the flip side (no pun intended) I've been riding road bikes for the past few months and for the first time since around September, I got back on my MTB/hybrid and I just feel like I'm sitting bolt upright, even though when I see my reflection in a building window, I can see that my posture is more like 70* from horizontal. The idea here is that once you've been riding your cross bike for a while, you'll get so used to being stretched out that your old MTB will feel like you're sitting with your torso perpendicular to the ground. Give it time and if you don't adapt, get a shorter stem so you're less stretched out. If the handlebars still feel too low, get a stem that raises them a little; a 15deg stem should do that.