My first roadie, Trek Domane
09-25-18, 01:05 PM
#1
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My first roadie, Trek Domane
Happy to join the roadie community! I've been a cyclist off and on but had almost no experience with road bikes. I decided it was time and struck a (what I consider) great deal with my local bike shop on a 2018 Trek Domane SL8 Disc they could order for me. The bike came in 4 days after ordering, and I've had it now for almost two weeks.
I've ridden it for maybe 75-80 miles so far and I love it. I'm not comfy with cleats yet so I put on hybrid pedals with flats on one side and clips on the other. They aren't great, but I think they'll make it convenient whenever I do get cleats, I'll be able to ride regardless of the shoes I happen to have available.
One thing I am finding unexpected, despite buying padded bike shorts, is the...uhh....chafing. I have been having to lotion that area just about nightly and am about to test out some chamois cream the bike shop gave me. Guess that result never crossed my mind.
Anyway, I'm loving Obsidian! I know it's ridiculous to name a bike, but I figure if I'm going to spend this much on it and ride it this often, I might as well. I'm a biology teacher at nearby high school and usually go biking from the school most afternoons when the weather is decent. I just try to sneak out the back of the building with my spandex shorts without any lingering kids seeing me...ha! I'm actually hoping to help start a faculty bike club and get some of my colleagues to go on rides once a month or so.
I've ridden it for maybe 75-80 miles so far and I love it. I'm not comfy with cleats yet so I put on hybrid pedals with flats on one side and clips on the other. They aren't great, but I think they'll make it convenient whenever I do get cleats, I'll be able to ride regardless of the shoes I happen to have available.
One thing I am finding unexpected, despite buying padded bike shorts, is the...uhh....chafing. I have been having to lotion that area just about nightly and am about to test out some chamois cream the bike shop gave me. Guess that result never crossed my mind.
Anyway, I'm loving Obsidian! I know it's ridiculous to name a bike, but I figure if I'm going to spend this much on it and ride it this often, I might as well. I'm a biology teacher at nearby high school and usually go biking from the school most afternoons when the weather is decent. I just try to sneak out the back of the building with my spandex shorts without any lingering kids seeing me...ha! I'm actually hoping to help start a faculty bike club and get some of my colleagues to go on rides once a month or so.
09-25-18, 01:37 PM
#2
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Congrats on the new Domane! Hope you get lots of miles and years of good riding (well, until n+1). I'm in my third season with my Domane and love it!
09-25-18, 02:02 PM
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Angle on the sea looks like the nose is tipped down. Put a level on it and then ride for a while.
Good shorts a must, but likely the cause of your chafing is your butt needs to get broken in to saddle time. A good lubricant is Glide, a persistent anti-chafing ointment used by triathletes, apply before the ride.
Very nice bike, as BTW. Somebody gave you good advice. I lust after the SL7 with Di2.
Good shorts a must, but likely the cause of your chafing is your butt needs to get broken in to saddle time. A good lubricant is Glide, a persistent anti-chafing ointment used by triathletes, apply before the ride.
Very nice bike, as BTW. Somebody gave you good advice. I lust after the SL7 with Di2.
09-25-18, 02:04 PM
#4
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Angle on the sea looks like the nose is tipped down. Put a level on it and then ride for a while.
Good shorts a must, but likely the cause of your chafing is your butt needs to get broken in to saddle time. A good lubricant is Glide, a persistent anti-chafing ointment used by triathletes.
Very nice bike, as BTW. Somebody gave you good advice. I lust after the SL7 with Di2.
Good shorts a must, but likely the cause of your chafing is your butt needs to get broken in to saddle time. A good lubricant is Glide, a persistent anti-chafing ointment used by triathletes.
Very nice bike, as BTW. Somebody gave you good advice. I lust after the SL7 with Di2.
09-25-18, 02:16 PM
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I’d maybe have the shop stick you on the bike, on a trainer and have them look at your position. They should have experience fitting riders and can suggest improvements.
09-25-18, 03:09 PM
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Mine's angled down a bit, too.
09-25-18, 03:27 PM
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I also angle my saddle down just a little. Never would have known if I didn’t have a bubble level on it last time before removing it. Having said that, I would recommend you do your own minor adjustments to see what works for you. I would also recommend a good bike fit. They should look at your flexibility, pedal stroke and position. Many might charge over $100 for it. But its money well spent to help guide you toward the best position for you.
09-25-18, 03:28 PM
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Maybe for a newbie it’s not a good starting point.
Good article here
https://roadcyclinguk.com/how-to/tec...gle-road-bike/
Good article here
https://roadcyclinguk.com/how-to/tec...gle-road-bike/
09-25-18, 03:56 PM
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So it's only good if you've been riding for a while? That doesn't make sense.
This goes back to the archaic "fit advice" of yesteryear. Get your knee over the pedal spindle, make sure the front hub is hidden by the handlebars, level seat, blah blah.
Bunch of silliness. Might work for some people. Just as likely won't work for others.
This goes back to the archaic "fit advice" of yesteryear. Get your knee over the pedal spindle, make sure the front hub is hidden by the handlebars, level seat, blah blah.
Bunch of silliness. Might work for some people. Just as likely won't work for others.
09-25-18, 05:22 PM
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So it's only good if you've been riding for a while? That doesn't make sense.
This goes back to the archaic "fit advice" of yesteryear. Get your knee over the pedal spindle, make sure the front hub is hidden by the handlebars, level seat, blah blah.
Bunch of silliness. Might work for some people. Just as likely won't work for others.
This goes back to the archaic "fit advice" of yesteryear. Get your knee over the pedal spindle, make sure the front hub is hidden by the handlebars, level seat, blah blah.
Bunch of silliness. Might work for some people. Just as likely won't work for others.
Just curious if your saddle nose nose is tipped down ?
09-25-18, 05:30 PM
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You're suggesting a solution based off a photo when no problem has been reported.
Yes, my saddle nose is tipped down. It's a tremendous improvement for my position.
Yes, my saddle nose is tipped down. It's a tremendous improvement for my position.
Last edited by rubiksoval; 09-25-18 at 05:35 PM.
09-25-18, 05:41 PM
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As opposed to what ?. Pretty much everything you mention are generalizations as to what *most* people find works for them and as such are just starting points. Nothing much has changed in road bike fit over 30 years or, excepting a trend to a higher handle bar relative to the seat, thus all you’ve mentioned are still valid STARTING POINTS. Nobody’s recommending that the OP not change the saddle tilt, just that nose down can cause issues as noted. Might end up not causing issues, but what the OP really needs is to have the shop look at how he/she sits on the bike.
Just curious if your saddle nose nose is tipped down ?
As a guy who helps people with their fit I can tell you, one size doesn't fit all. But it somewhat follows not only rider strength or power to weight but also handlebar height relative to the saddle. Too low a handlebar relative too level or nose up saddle will typically promote unwanted perineal pressure.
In the case of this rider with bike shown which looks to be almost a French fit with saddle equivalent height to handlebar...what many choose with a Domane depending on frame sizing relative to body size, I would generally agree with you, I would start with a more level saddle, what you suggest.
But, many riders choose to not precisely adhere to convention. I will tell in the drops I sometimes think about a more nose down saddle.
Saddle shape and perineal load distribution is another factor which affects tilt.If you don't know this fitter on youtube, he is one of the smartest guys on the web about fit and worth a look:
Last edited by Campag4life; 09-25-18 at 05:45 PM.
09-25-18, 09:02 PM
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I teach music for a living. When starting students on instruments, I always start with what has worked for the majority of players. From that point, adjustments can be made to a position that might make better sense for that person. Starting with what works for most usually means the adjustments, if any, will hopefully be slight.
09-25-18, 10:16 PM
#18
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Wow the 2018 Trek Domane SL8 Disc is an amazing bicycle.
Enjoy your new ride.
+1 on letting the saddle break in your butt.
Enjoy your new ride.
+1 on letting the saddle break in your butt.
09-25-18, 10:48 PM
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Nice bike. I love my Domane. Not as fancy as yours. I went through the same problems with shorts as you. Best advice on padded shorts I found was here. htthttps://www.pearlizumi.com/US/en/Pearl_Izumi_Chamoisps://www.pearlizumi.com/US/en/Pearl_Izumi_Chamois Chamois school 101, 201,301.
Followed their guidelines and have had zero problems since. BTW they recommend no cream with their chamois.
Followed their guidelines and have had zero problems since. BTW they recommend no cream with their chamois.
09-26-18, 04:12 AM
#20
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Almost two seasons and over 4000 miles in on my Domane SL6 and loving it. Give it some more miles and see if your butt just gets used to it definitely makes the most sense.
My bike came with a discounted fitting session, using the Retul system. I had always tilted my bike seats down and the recommendation for me was to go level, along with moving my cleats back in my shoes and raising the seat more than .5 inches - all changes in what I thought had been working fine for the previous 40 years or so (no chafing problems.) Those changes made immediate noticeable improvements, though I at first thought it was psychological... But, I changed the seat angle and height on my previous bike (Trek 520) and it felt better there, too -
Seat tilting: that seemed to work for me early on in my biking career but over the years I have moved to more narrow seats, with less padding and more cutouts. Compared to when I first did the tilting, there is less material in the nose of the saddle to press on anything sensitive and the tilting definitely puts more pressure on my arms and changes leg angles a tiny bit. With the more narrow saddles I use now, I don't think tilting has any advantage.
So, I'm now a believer in professional fitting.
My bike came with a discounted fitting session, using the Retul system. I had always tilted my bike seats down and the recommendation for me was to go level, along with moving my cleats back in my shoes and raising the seat more than .5 inches - all changes in what I thought had been working fine for the previous 40 years or so (no chafing problems.) Those changes made immediate noticeable improvements, though I at first thought it was psychological... But, I changed the seat angle and height on my previous bike (Trek 520) and it felt better there, too -
Seat tilting: that seemed to work for me early on in my biking career but over the years I have moved to more narrow seats, with less padding and more cutouts. Compared to when I first did the tilting, there is less material in the nose of the saddle to press on anything sensitive and the tilting definitely puts more pressure on my arms and changes leg angles a tiny bit. With the more narrow saddles I use now, I don't think tilting has any advantage.
So, I'm now a believer in professional fitting.
09-26-18, 07:39 AM
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Agree, although another thing to consider is whether the (I assume stock) saddle is the right one for you. My experience with Trek is they don't exactly include the best saddles on their bikes, as they (rightly) figure most people will swap it out for something that actually works for them (kind of like pedals). See if your bike shop has some demo saddles you can try - maybe those will chafe less.
09-26-18, 07:47 AM
#22
Pizzaiolo Americano
The saddle that came on my 19 Domane SL6 was not good...The low cost Montrose on my Emonda was way better. I just put a Selle Italia SLR on the Domane. It fits me well.
09-26-18, 08:24 AM
#23
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That's a great looking Domane. I'm in my 3rd year with a much cheaper version of the Domane... the S5 with 105 components. I was skeptical at first by spending over $2K on a bike, but now after many miles it's been worth every dime I paid for it. Domanes are like wine and get better with age. I like mine better now than I did when it was new.
09-26-18, 08:28 AM
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Way to do it up right for the first roadie. Now get rid of those warning stickers and ride the hell out of it.
