rollin

I bought a Trek roadbike (5200) a couple of months ago after years of mountain biking. (I will post pictures as soon as I can find a white garage door!)

I had it "fitted" by a dealer on an indoor trainer and rode it for a couple of miles before I bought it - it all felt good.

But now I have found that when I have ridden over 50km I feel a little "stretched" on the bike. Neck ache the next day. Have been advised by local cyclists that this is because I'm not used to the posture and my neck will get stronger over time...

To help matters I was considering swapping out the original 100mm stem to a shorter one, at least until I get used to the new biking posture.

I feel comfortable on the drops at the start of a ride but find that I am on the hoods after 30-40km

Question - would swapping to a 70mm stem be too big a jump? (I'm assuming it would help)

(I bought the bike in the US and the local dealer in Singapore won't switch the stem for me at zero cost - which I understand. He feels that the bike is the size I need too)

Thanks for you help...

rpc180

One idea is that is that if you're not in the position that you want to get accustomed to, perhaps you won't become accustomed to it - most people subscribe to that one (ie, get faster by riding with faster riders, etc ...) But it is possible that the "fit" maybe beyond one's ability to adapt to it (we can't all be racers with a racer fit). There are as many ways to pattern one's fit as there are methods to determine fit, so its possible that the "fit" is declared good but actually isn't good for you (yet).

For myself, when I first got back into riding for this season my lower back was killing me for 3 weeks after distance rides. I thought it was cause I was getting older and it now was a chronic sign. It wasn't, magically, the pain went away after about a month. If I were in your situation, I'd continue to ride with the stem as is, (they're like $30 and you don't want to keep swapping if you don't need to), see if it still bothers you after more distance rides.

dtrain

Don't go to 70mm. Try 90mm first if it really is bothering you, or flip the current stem up (if possible). Seriously, just a little distance in the reach goes a long ways...plus you don't want to go too far from where they fit you. But I'd still listen to your local cyclists and the current set-up more of a chance.

Phoible

Why do you switch to the hoods after 30-40K? You should probably be on the hoods more than the drops, anyways. I pretty much only hit the drops when I'm descending or sprinting, and need the aerodynamic position.

rollin

Thanks for all of the advice

I use the drops early on in the ride as it's a nice flat 10k section.... after 30-40k I feel I couldn't ride the drops if I wanted to!

I think I will stick with it what I have for a while - hope to drop a couple of inches off the waisteline - then will consider dropping an inch on the stem...

To dtrain's point - does 10mm really make a difference? That's why I was considering 100 to 70....

Flipping the current stem, which is a 7 deg Bontrager - won't that make this worse?

Ahhh so much to learn...

the beef

If it's flipped down, flip it up.

If it's flipped up, go with an 80.

khuon

10mm can make a fair bit of difference but you should also consider the rise. I like you started road biking after spending 15+ years MTBing. I had had road bikes before and they always felt a bit cramped. I was used to the more stretched out MTB frame I guess. When I had my roadbike built up, I had to decide on a stem length and not knowing any better, I specified a 120mm/5-deg (40mm height) stem which was what I had on my MTB. This turned out to be a mistake as it kept me out of the drops. I was too stretched out. I rode it that way for a few months and decided to change. I also figured I wasn't accustomed to the road bike posture and switched to a 90mm/5-deg (40mm height) stem. It helped a lot but as my body grew used to the road positioning, I started to feel cramped again and the bike was a bit twitchy on the climbs. I then tried a 100mm/5-deg (40mm height) stem and it was better but not great. I finally settled on a 110mm/8-deg (34mm height) stem. What you're trying to achieve is proper reach. This chart has always helped me out.



Another good resource is Leonard Zinn's stem calculator.

merlinextraligh

This is only a rule of thumb, but its a starting point: Asssuming you've got the seat right front to back( a whole nother topic) riding with your hands on the hoods, the handlebar should obscure the front axle. If your handlebar is in front of the axle, then you might be on to something with shortening the stem. If the axle is obscured, or is front of the hub, then "get used to it" school of thought may have a point.

Repeat, this only a rule of thumb, but it's one reality check measure.

DocRay

^ still the best fit rule I know.

What about your saddle position? Can you move it forward?

dtrain

If it is currently flipped up...then yes ignore this advise as it would actaully make things worse. But if it is flipped down (close to parrellel with the ground), then flipping it up (to add some rise) could help a fair amount. Rotating the bars back towards you (slightly) can help as well.

On the stem length: You'll have a hard time even finding a 70mm or 80mm stem. When you start to get that short there are concerns about how the bike will handle. 10mm will made a difference. No, it's not huge...but it's more of a difference then I'd ever imagined 10mm could make. I've got relatively short arms, so I've been through this a few times. I have a 90 on one bike and a 100 on my new bike. The 90 on the older bike will likely be replaced by a 100 pretty soon because I'm much more comfortable in a roadie position compared to when I first started a couple years ago.

Brillig

Some good advice mixed in above. My advice would be to get a second opinion on your fit, to make sure it's correct.

If the fit is correct then your friends are right, you need to get used to the position and swapping out stems isn't going to help. But what may help in the meantime is raising the bars for some time.

I have an old fashioned quill type stem and after the snow melts each year I raise it up a good centimeter or two. Then after a couple weeks breaking myself back in to riding the bike again, I drop it back down.

P.S. Shortening the stem also changes handling and you may not like the twitchier, less stable feel it brings.

R900

Trek also makes 17 degree stems, I would go with a 90 mm 17 degree rise, that should get you up a fair bit.

John

rollin

Thank you all.....

texas1

I switched from an upright hybrid to a road bike. I also went through the transition of getting use to a new riding position and improving my core strength. I swapped a 100mm for an 80mm Bontranger -- and it was the right move. I would experiment -- It's a cheap tweak> You can find Bontranger stems on ebay cheap and hopefully find someone who will ship to Sing. Ride safe!

Hambone

when I moved from MTBing to road riding I realised it would take a while to get accustomed to the new position.

I got an adjustable Zoom stem which allowed me to change the angle of the stem. Between raising/lowering and changing the angle you can effectively change the reach. I played with that for a while, found what I thought was comfy then went one size longer figuring it would force me to stretch out a little.

Just my US$.02 worth.