Bike fitting question
 

My fit seems to be fairly close. I have read that if you want less weight on your hands that you need to move your seat back. So my question is what happens if the seat is too far to the rear. I don't mean so far to the rear that the front wheel wont stay on the ground. But how does the body feel?

I got a chance to play around with a stationary spin bike and I adjusted the seat as far back as it would go. With my leg fully extended and just gently pressing on the pedal at the bottom of the stroke I had basically no weight on my hands. So it does appear that a seat moved back does reduce the weight on the hands.

With my present fit after about 10 miles my triceps start getting a little tired and if I want to take all the weight off my hands I slide forward on the seat and then my weight shifts to my rear and my feet almost like I am standing. I can then take my hands off the bars and ride with no hands.

I have my seat moved as far to the front as possible at this time but I think that I will move it all the way to the rear again and see if I like the back position better.

If any of this makes any sense or if you have any comments I need to hear them.

There's a new forum "fitting your bike" which appears below this one in the Bike Forums menu. You may want to try there.

Obviously your saddle position influences the way your weight is distributed on the bike, and if your triceps are getting tired (which is a new one on me, certainly) you are either putting too much weight on your hands, or holding the bars in a death grip, or both. But there are other things that influence it. Counter-intuitvely, lowering the handlebars is often a recipe for reducing the weight borne by the hands. It shifts weight off the seat over the pedals, one is effectively 'flying over the bike' in the standard roadie position, and both seat and hands are relieved of some pressure.

If you're experimenting with saddle position remember that if you move it right forward you will need to raise it a little, and lower it if moving it right back, to compensate for the change in distance from saddle to pedal.

You really shouldn't move your saddle to adjust weight distribution. Saddle position affects a lot of things like your knees, hips, and leg muscles. The saddle should be adjusted for those things.

Check the tilt of your saddle though. If your arms/hands are tired and sore, the nose may be too low. Start with making the saddle level (often that takes some thinking because they are curved but the front part where you sit should be flat). Then make minor changes until it's comfortable. If that doesn't help, check your bars and adjust them.

Chasm54 always has great posts to use as a launching pad to add value.

He is absolutely correct about the "flying over the bike". As one improves as a cyclist, it is the power put into the pedals that unweight the hands and sit bones with each pedal stroke. The toughest day in the saddle is to pedal easy for hours. Then all one can think about is shift weight to relieve pressure.

Bike fit starts with the feet. The classic set up is the place the ball of the foot over the pedal axel. Sprinters tend to move the cleat forward on the shoe and endurance toward the heal putting a bias in the foot position. The fit then moves to the saddle fore and aft and up and down. The starting points are the knee over the pedal axel and the seat high enough such that when un-cleated, with the legs dangling and straight, the heals of the shoes touch the top of the pedal. When cleated in, this will provide the required bend in the leg. The saddle is set level but can be tilted slightly depending the the riding style.

Dynamically, the rider changes position during a ride. Typically, the rider slides back on the saddle when climbing and forward on the saddle when in the drops going fast with more power production. Hence the saddle fore and aft position can be biased depending on riding style.

Posture while on the bike is all about core strength and hip flexibility. A way to reduce the force on the hands is to lower the shoulders relaxing the arms, squeeze the blades together and raise the chest. This will flatten the back and use the core to support the body while in neutral position over the pedals while keeping a lighter touch on the handlebar. This is easier said than done and takes a lot of practice and core endurance.

Thanks for the tips.

I am going to check out the new fitting forum and see what I find.

The Old school basic fit,,,

Height:
In the saddle, pedal not at 6:00 but as far from the saddle as possible,, often about the 5:30 position, HEEL on pedal knee LOCKED straight.

Forward/rearward saddle pos:
Pedals at 3:00AM and 9:00PM, Hands on the bars, hang a string with a small weight on the end over the curve of your knee. the weight should land on your toes at the back of your toes...

Your Head should be over the stem for the best control but not for casual riding...

My fit must be perfect. I rode 33 miles and every part of my body that contacted the bike was complaining equally.

I tried to tilt the nose of the saddle up before the ride but it was already at its up most tilt. I might get another seat post and see if I can get a little more tilt.

This is really the point. Your body is not yet used to cycling, and everything is going to hurt for a while. This is why "listening to your body" doesn't work too well at this stage. It's usually safer to get a professional fit by someone who's got years of experience when you first start. If you continue to increase your mileage, your body will develop the muscle support systems that will make your riding more efficient and continually improve your level of comfort. At that point, you can make seemingly minor adjustments to your basic fit that will have big benefits.

If you're making adjustments at the extremes of your components range, you're probably all out of whack on your basic fit, and maybe the size of your bike.

Terex, I agree with you. I have been riding for 7 years and trying to get stronger but it has been a tough road. Maybe one day I will be strong enough to ride with no hands standing and spinning the pedals. :) Well a guy can dream.

I also wonder if I had a perfect fit if I would be able to ride for 3 hours and have no aches or pains.

Let me know when you get to the "no hands" part. I've never figured that one out myself. ;) I'm back to only riding occasionally, and my perfect fit from a few years ago ain't so perfect anymore.

After 30 years of road riding I set my seat to John Cobb's standards and am faster and more comfortable than ever. He has lots of expertise and since I am doing better at 63yo, pretty sure he has it right, at least for me.

Jim, I think your body has an ability to balance over the BB, and when you do so your butt has chosen its place in the geometry of the bicycle. The saddle has to be placed so it meets your butt and supports your weight by contacting your sit-bones.

If you saddle is too far to the rear your butt will migrate forward as you ride. Then you'll get your weight supported by the nose or narrow part of the saddle, and the sit bones will not be holding your weight, your perineum will. THAT will hurt, possibly a lot.

Knee locked, but the foot should just meet the pedal, you should not be pressing down on the pedal. And that contact has to match for both sides without rocking your hips to reach down to the pedal. No hip rocking allowed!

Regarding tricep pain/stress: I once had this, and the fix was to lower my bars a few mm at a time.