So, I recently purchased a motobecane cafe bike for commuting and it is so freaking fun. To add to that note, I have never ever commuted anywhere, and my current mileage is 14 mile round trip. I have noticed that my back strains and my hands feel like I am griping to hard, my arms are always at a 180 angle, which is a locked angle. If I wanted to bend them to a 150 degree angle, I have to lean forward pretty hard. I have no back problems after I get off, or anything. Looking around this forums, I noticed some bikes races, and look at most of the pictures, it seems that everyone has a 120-160 degree arm bend, and it seems like their weight is on their back side more so than the front.

So after reading a little bit I have come to three conclusions, either I am not fitted on my bike (which I never paid for, I just found out the frame size ect...), I have not developed my core muscles yet, or my stem is way to long. I was banking in on the stem and core muscles more than the fit, because I feel very comfy on my bike. I also lowered the stem from an upright position to a much lower one for more aerodynamic feel.

So I was looking for anyone who can chime in and help me out on what adjustments I may need to do, thanks!

ps: sorry if this is the the wrong forum to post this in. Seemed like a logical place to post though

-nick