Hello,

I am new here as of today. I finally bought my first road bike after being on a mountain bike for years. Mind you the last road style bike I was on was a Murray 10 speed back in the 80's.

Anyway I was fitted on and purchased a '10 Trek 1.5 60cm bike. I have noticed now that if I ride over 7 miles I have lower back discomfort and sometimes hand numbing. I have read many things that cause this, but looking for any info on what to change. I don't think my reach is too much, but not sure. The seat is positioned as far fwd as it will go (or so it looks like). Does anyone know if the saddle on the 1.5 is not that good? My friend (mtb rider) said all he did once was change his saddle and that problem went away. It almost seems as though if I changed position maybe slightly upright it may help. Thanks for any info.
I can't wait to get back on it. Figures, I buy the thing this summer, ride it about 250 miles and now just had open Inguinal hernia surgery on Friday. So I will be off it for a few weeks.

Oh yeah I am just under 200lbs and 6' 1" in height if that matters

You may want to take advantage of your 'down time' to do some research on "bicycle fit" or "bicycle riding comfort". If you are used to a more upright riding position, it may take a while to get used to the forward riding pos. of a road bike. Your age, flexibility, and core strength will also factor into riding comfort.

Basically, your saddle height should be set so your legs are just a little less than fully extended when you pedal backward with your heels on the pedals, and front-to-back adjustment is set so a plumb line dropped off the front of your knee (pedals level, front knee being checked) just touches the front of the pedal spindle. Saddle should be level. Reach to the bars is adjusted by changing stem length. With threadless stems, bar height and reach can be changed by using a different length and/or angle stem.

Saddle can be the cause of 'sorebutt', but is not usually to blame for lower back pain or hand numbing. Lower back issues can be a result of riding position or lack of muscle tone. Hand numbing is usually an indication of too much weight on the hands. Riding position, and maybe bar height would be my guess.

When you purchased the bike, did the store measure the width of your hip bones and then match it up with the right saddle?

Thanks for the quick replies. They did not measure my width for the saddle. I believe I just got the stock one that came with the bike. When I am able to get back on it, I may take it back to the LBS and re-check my fit / position. From what I remember they did set my height up and seat position with the methods you mentioned above. The road bike position and core strength may be an issue. I have increased my core strength over the past 1.5 years, but I may have to work on the lower back more. As for the stems, I get confused on how the heck they are measured. The bike currently has this : Bontrager Race Lite, 7 degree, 31.8mm