TT_Vert

Well first off, I got a Seccante R-560 basically because I got it for under $800 and seemed to have decent components. Not to mention performance cycle is near me. One problem I specifically asked them about was a front deraileur issue w/ this bike (I heard something from another performance cycle) and they said they had fixed it. Well in the middle ring and the biggest OD gear in back the damn thing wont stay on but I digress.

I'm new to road bikes so this very well may be the whole reason for the pain in my hands i'm feeling but I wanted to delve into it some with you "pros". They didn't take but two seconds to fit me at the performance cycle I ended up going to so I have some questions. After a short "test ride" the muscle "m. flexor pollicis brevis (see photo below) gets pretty sore. I was pretty sure I was putting too much weight on my palms which seems to be a common occurance based on the searches I've done. I went ahead and pivoted my bars up some and also moved my seat back a tad with a very slight change in the discomfort. I wear gel gloves and am making a concerted effort not to lock my elbows.

One basic thing I hear is that when you are on the hoods you should pretty much be able to draw a straight line between your eyes, the handlebars and the front axle. My front axle is a good inch behind my handlebars. My front stem seems to be about 111mm from centerline of the pinch bolts at handlebars to centerline of the stem (Sorry I converted from my US tape measure) I am 5'8" tall and am on a 54cm bike. The handlebars are 42mm on center so the width appears good for my build. I don't feel stretched out by any means either. Do you guys think the odds are on the fact I'm a newbie road bike rider or perhaps a setup issue?

On an aside, I rode in an SPD clipless pedal for the first time today and it seemed really easy to get in and out of them. I can get in them on the first try. Im just waiting for the first time I don't realize i'm in them and come to a stop lol. I almost did it once today coming into my driveway but luckily I clicked out a few seconds before. Time to change my bike riding habits.. I'll get pics of the new ride up asap as I know how much you guys hate picless threads, but you've seen one Scattante you've seen em all IMO, it's no madone or anything
Thanks in advance
Dave

the beef

Sounds like your frame is too big to me. If you've got to make an effort not to lock your elbows, then something's amiss; your arms should naturally be able to fall into a slight comfortable bend. The handlebar blocking the view of the hub test I find is a pretty good guideline, and by your report it seems like you're a little stretched out.

It's admittedly hard to tell whether or not you feel "cramped" or "stretched out" at first, especially being new to the sport. Try a frame size down; I bet you'll feel a real difference (especially on those long rides). Another option is to shorten the stem.

TT_Vert

is the shorter stem a bandaid? I was actually thinking the same thing. I dont really wanna throw parts at a problem that could be in the rider or setup though. You think a 54 cm could be too big for me? The next size down is a 51 cm. I wonder how the felt F80 54cm compares to the scattante. I didnt notice the feeling in my hands on it, but i only rode it in a parking lot for a few minutes if that. I went on a website recommended here (https://www.wrenchscience.com/ for a more thorough fit setup and measured my inseam, my shoudler width, shoe size, reach, etc and it said 54 from seat stem to centerline of the crank which is what this R-560 is.



Dave

TT_Vert

i went ahead and checked my seat position and also my bar to seat difference. There is a bit over 3" rise between the top of the seat and the top of the handlebar at the very forward (highest) point of the bar where it attaches to the stem. Seems maybe a raising of the stem is in order, what do you guys thing? My seat is at zero degrees (perfectly level)
Thanks
Dave

a_fire_inside

lookin for those 'real shady pics' huh?

TT_Vert

lol i meant to type lyrics but typed pics.

BlastRadius

Forget the pics, tell us about kellytittjung and blondie7238...
Hello, my name is DOH!

TT_Vert

i could have just as easily edited those things out If I thought it was going to divert the attention from the question at hand..

dave

Tom Stormcrowe

This is your first bike? My compliments, you appear to have really researched the purchase! Good questions, both in this particular post and your ones later in this thread! Hope you get the fit worled out right with no problems and it sounds like you have the basic knowlege to get 'er done!

TT_Vert

yes, this is my first road bike I think its mostly in my hand positioning really. The only thing I dont like is the fact I can see the stem behind the handlebars on the bike. Im noticing that I want to lock my elbows when I ride maybe thats also due to the handlebar height, stem length or too big of a bike? I don't know to be honest.

It seems w/ the pedals at 3 and 9 my knees are above the petal pivot where they should be too so im pretty sure seat height and forward/aft position is correct. Im debating a shorter stem or raising the bars a tad to try it. Im goign to go for my first decent ride today (20 miles or so) just to get a feel for it. I have a noise in the crank area I dont like. When the left pedal is at its lowest point it sounds like the chain is hitting the deraileur. I can feel it only in my left foot making me thing it was maybe the shoe or the pedal. I put a different pedal on and used my regular shoes and the noise is still there. At first I thought maybe the crankset was flexing but it does it under heavy and light load and it will do it in any rear gear on any of the 3 front rings as well. I did a visual of the bike and the chain isnt any closer to the deraileur cage when the pedal is at its problem spot so I don't know. Ticks me off that this problem is even here on a new bike to be honest.

Dave

Dave

TT_Vert

if anyone cares, here is a pic before I put the astrale 8 on today.

caloso

Re the chain noise: it could be that the FD cage isn't parallel to the chain rings. If you're off by just a few degrees, you can get chain rub. And if it's rotated out, you can hit it with the crankarm. Have that checked.

And when you're in, ask if they can swap in a shorter stem. Maybe 90 or 100mm and with a little bit of rise to it. That will bring your hands higher and closer to your body. Good luck.

62vette

Don't treat those wrenchscience numbers as gospel. I ran my measurements through there and it wanted to put me on a bike with about 5cm more reach than I am currently comfortable using, and about 2cm less saddle height.

It's a good guide to get you on the right sized frame, but for a really good fit you would be best to spend some money for a professional fit from someone who knows what they are doing.

grahny

Seems like a fit issue to me...your stem looks pretty long, and unless you've got really long arms, that's going to stretch you out a lot. I think my frame is a tad too big for me too (58cm), but I rode a 56cm of the same bike and it was definitely too small... After getting all the other fit issues (stem, saddle position, crank arms) set right, now it fits like a glove.

All the measurement devices and equations and whatnot out there haven't helped me a bit... it's about small adjustments to really dial in that proper fit. It took me weeks to get everything to where I'm getting good power transfer and am comfortable on the long rides. One click on my saddle height would through EVERYTHING else off, so it took me time to get it right.

TT_Vert

thanks much!! i went for my very first somewhat long ride today (11 miles) but it was cut short due to dirty /gravel that I forgot was there as I always ride my moutain bike through there. Funny thing is, I averaged 14.9 mph only lol whereas on my mountain bike I average about 16.9 mph. I did hit 31.9 mph on one hill though before I chickened out and got on the brakes. One thing I noticed is that despite the lower speed I wasnt as fatigued and I seemed to recover faster after a big hill.

I thougth the same thing about the cage and it does seem to be parallel to the chain itself but maybe it isnt as the cage arcs down and only a small portion is actually next to the chain for me to check. is it possible the crank is flexing or something? When I eyeball it while the bike is upside down and im pedaling it, the chain isnt hitting the cage in any spot. Bare in mind this occurs w/ no load or full load on the pedals. if anything its a tad less w/ full load on the pedals.


My hands were hurting on my ride and a bit in my upper back and lower neck which i attribute to not being used to the position yet. I changed my grip multiple times but they would eventually hurt again. The second I got off the bike all the pain was gone (except a little in my traps) so I'm hoping its just a growing pain. I really think either raising the bars and or a shorter stemp will help. When i moved my hands about 1" further back off the hoods it felt better).

Dave

TT_Vert

I went ahead and flipped my stem since it was free just to see if it helpt. I dont know how many degrees my stem is but it didn't seem to help much. I did readjust the rotation of the handle bars as well. I hope to get in to get a pro to look at me where I got my bike this week and hopefully we can get this resolved. One thing I did notice that I dont think was an issue before but now it seems that when I'm in the drops I cant get my fingers all the way around the brake handle It also is more difficult for me to access the shifterin (due to leverage I think) Maybe I need to drop my bars down a hair more? If I did that would it be counter productive to raise the bars a tad but in erturl lower the point at which I will be resting my hands?. I think the flat part of the bars are about level at this point.

When I took the stem cap off It appears to me that I have no way to go any higher, will one of those extensions be my only option to raise the stem or is there something in there I dont see?

Thanks
Dave

kleng

Dave

Why don't you get a second opinion on your positioning and bike sizing by putting your stats into the

https://www.competitivecyclist.com/za...LCULATOR_INTRO

Also I use gel gloves and Specialized Bar Phat gel for under the bar tape.

dekalbSTEEL

Whilst in the drops, you should only need to reach the brake levers with 1 or 2 fingers.
Also, while you weren't looking, someone snuck onto your driveway and put reflectors on your wheels!

TT_Vert

I will do this, the glove I am using is a pearl izumi gel life glove as it felt best int eh store and seemed to have the most padding.

Dave

TT_Vert

yeah yeah yeah, i pulled them off when I put the computer on. Im gonna go re ride that Felt F80 I rode a while back. I dont recall having any of these issues w/ it. I may have to test out performance cycles 100% satisfaction return policy.

Dave

godspiral

There's a tendency to baby the road bike while pushing the mtb. I always treat new road bikes as if they were going to collapse in many pieces at any moment, for what I notice is too long of a break in period

kk4df

I was riding a 54 cm for a while, and the wrenchscience info said this was the correct frame size for me. But I had initially entered my inseam with shoes on, and not by measuring with bare feet. Correct inseam took me down to an ideal 52 cm frame. I rode some 53 and 52 cm frames, and then later tried a 50 cm frame. The 50 cm frame fits me very well after some basic adjustments. The problems I used to have with lower back pain during a long ride and with my right hand tingling occasionally for lack of circulation are now gone. I believe you're better to err on the side of a smaller frame than a larger one, if there is any question. Just my thoughts.

redtires

Wow, well for someone who is 68" tall (5'8") a 54cm certainly does NOT sound too big. I mean, most riders in the 5'9" to 5'10" range would be riding a 56cm bike anyways. Find a bike shop in your area that has a very experienced person who can run a bike fit on you. They will have you ride your bike on a trainer as well as asking you lots of questions about what type of riding you do. A pro bike fit will run you in the neighborhood of $60ish (heavy on the "ish"). I think that what you will find is that with some adjustments in your position and some riding time under your belt, your comfort level should rise greatly.

TT_Vert

Ok well i rode 15 miles today on the drops and my hands were numb and tingling. Does this change anything ore reaffirm anyones suspicions? I did get my pace up to 17.9 mph today for the 15 miles. Only a mph or two higher then my MTB.

Dave

TT_Vert

Rode at least 15 today hands werent nearly as tingly this time!!!! BUUUUT this was from the drops not up top. Still a bit but when I feel it I move my hands around. The issue as of now just seems to be my neck having to look up as I've been in the drops only the last 2 days and my butt hurts. It seems im not exactly sitting on my butt bone as should. If i move around a bit and kinda move parts out of the way so to speak I can get onto my butt bone and it seems ok. Is this a function of my seat, my positioning or handle bar height perhaps? or all of them? At least I'm making progress here. Got about 80 miles on the bike in the week I've had it

Thanks
Dave