Originally Posted by
Deontologist
I think my bike (54 cm) is a tad bit small for me. I am about 6 feet fall. When my hands are on the hoods my back is slightly curved. After a while I get lower back pain.
Should my back be curved or should it be straight when I"m leaning in and holding onto the hoods? Is the problem my back muscles rather than the bike? The pain actually disappeared toward the end of the ride ... and I'm not feeling any residual pain.
On the other hand it does seem that my bike is the smallest of the peloton's ... and my seatpost is very, very low comparatively speaking. On the other hand if my seatpost is any higher I wouldn't be able to touch the ground without leaning the bike to one side significantly.
I think you have your answer. Too small frame for your height and/or saddle much too low. I am 5'8" and ride a 55 cm frame. That is the size that gives me the correct reach and comfortable position for my back when riding. I cannot touch the ground with my feet at all when seated on my bike.