Originally Posted by
Doug Fattic
Mike, my intuition is telling me something isn't right about what is your best bicycling position. You must have ended up with is a very far forward saddle position. Maybe because you are trying to reach your handlebars comfortably? There are a variety of methods to arrive at saddle setback. Many of those methods involve finding the most efficient position to get the greatest amount of speed. They are racing based. KOPS falls into this catagory. These methods don't work well for many of my past 40 year old framebuilding class students or even my younger urban riders that like to sit more upright looking down the road for potential hazards (and not looking at a very close back wheel like on a group training ride).
A comfortable saddle setback position for many of my particular group involves sliding the saddle backward until the rider's weight is balanced over his pedals. This more rearward position takes their body weight off of their arms and hands and doesn't require using your core muscles to hold yourself up in a more forward position, This position is easy enough to find on a stationary fitting bike. Often production frames with a standard setback seat post doesn't allow a saddle to go far enough back to discover that body balancing point. Of course for shorter people that often brings their toes into a 700C or 650B front wheel. So smaller wheels work better and now we are off to the complications of frame design.
Of course body issues can require breaking all the standard rules. I'm with Andy that usually a far forward saddle position is used on a time trial type of position with lots of drop between the saddle and the handlebars. This is why many tri bikes have very steep seat angles. My body balanced comfort position has the saddle going the other way and may require a 71º or less (and maybe not) seat angle.
Doug,
Thanks for the thoughtful reply. I have some age and injury related issues (arthritis and prostate issues) as well as a quite short torso in relation to my height. Finding the right fit has been an incremental process. Step one was trying things myself which didn't work well. Step 2 was a bike fitter. Step 3 was visits and discussions with an Orthopedic surgeon and Physical Therapist and Step 4 has been minor refinements to the positioning.
With everything in the "right position" I can ride pain free! It is just difficult to get there.
I resolved my left knee issue (tore up the cartilage on a mountain bike) by adjusting the cleat so I'm in a "duckfoot" position and am using SQLab long pedals. The front of my seat is about 20" from the centerline of the handlebars and the top of the handlebars are about level with the seat. I'd like to move the handlebars up a bit, but that will have to wait until I have a fork with a longer steerer tube (I need 325-350mm instead of 300).
Originally Posted by
unterhausen
I agree with Doug about putting more weight on your hands. This is going to cause hand numbness. It may not be enough just to raise the bars. I would consider a negative length stem before moving my seat forward.
When you mention "negative length stem", do you mean having the handlebars behind the steerer tube?
Interestingly, my Columbine (frame bought on eBay) fits about perfectly.
Restoring Custom Vintage (Columbine) Bike - Finishing the Build Unfortunately, the biggest tires I can fit on it are 27mm, and that isn't wide enough for roads south of my house. The roads north of here are in good condition, so I have a "north bike" and a "south bike".
The bike in question here is a Colnago with Brain tubing that I'm building up solely to use on Peloton rides around Fiesta Island here in San Diego. I think the weight is going to end up at 16.8#
