hey guys, every time i go out for a decently long ride on my bike, i get these "irritation" sores on my inner thighs (sorry for the graphics). i ride with a straight bar that sits slightly lower than my saddle. what's the best way, in terms of saddle-handlebar distance and saddle angulation, to determine the best position?

clarify: "sores" as in calouses and open wounds or "sores" as in chaffing?... because it could also be the clothes you are wearing or as has been the case for me, the cheap laundry detergent I have been using.

It may be that you are not shall we say, "compatible" with you seat. Wide nosed seats did that to me and changing to the narrower ones, i.e. Selle Italia Flite, was much better. You may also have the post too high and the rocking motion of the hips will add to the friction. But, as skitbraviking says, it could be your cloths. Experiment.

Dave

I have found that a good starting point for setting up the cockpit and saddle relationship is as follows:
Get a level. Check how level the floor is. Get your bike. Put the level on the seat. Match it to the level check from the floor. Set the pin height to comfort.
Set the stem 4cm lower than the highest part of the seat.

Adjust above starting points as needed for comfort and efficiency. By no means will this satisfy everyone's body dimensions, but having a starting reference is always good.

first, it seems like chaffing. i'm not a hardcore cyclist so i basically wear boxers and regular shorts when riding. but on other bikes, i've never experienced this before and i would ride for like an hour and a half. but yeah, i thought about the clothes being a factor.