Go ask for stems at your lsb. If they do bikefits they should have lots of original stems of diffrerent lengt that have been swapped out. I borrowed three stems of diffrent lenght from my lsb to test before deciding what stem to use.
Spending a little time on a trainer is worthwhile. I didn't realize from road riding that my pedaling wasn't very smooth, which was due to my saddle being a few mm low. My knees feel better after making adjustments.
Cover the saddle in paper tape (or masking tape in lack of better) put a sheet of old style carbon copy paper on top, and a plastic bag or other kind of shielding barrier to protect your shorts. Then mount the bike and ride it a short while. Remove shielding cover and carbon paper and you will now have a precise indication of your actual contact points on the saddle. (Remove tape and glue residue from saddle when done measuring).
I'm 57 and just getting into cycling the 1st time since 40 years ago. Both knees had torn meniscus repair and with a left sciatic injury, I have found these videos from GCN a huge help. I've done 30 & 40 mile trips on a hybrid, but I just bought a used road bike and tri bike that fit my 6'2", 34" inseam perfectly. Who knew I needed a 62cm frame?
I ordered the exercise bike on January 7th and it arrived on February 12th. ruclips.net/user/postUgkxzg0clhbtRf2gGxPkVETFKJJKGqdsorQu The box must have been tossed around quite a bit because one whole side of the styrofoam was destroyed, and the other side foam was cracked. The Two zip ties holding the handlebars had broken loose and handlebars were loose in the box. There are two small holes in the foam on the right side of the handlebars, I guess from rolling around inside the box. Assembly was straight forward and easy. I am 6 ft 5 in 220 lb and the handlebars and seating positions fully adjustable and work great, I'm getting full leg extension. The noise level is very, very low and acceptable. The adjustment knob for the pressure on the flywheel works well also. The exercise bike is very well made, sturdy and easy move around. This is my first exercise bike and will keep me in shape over the winter. Update 3/19/21: when removing the sticker from the wheel, make sure you remove any sticker glue also. I thought mine was clean but I was getting a slight noise from the glue. Once cleaned off, its super quite. Also the monitor didn't work, tracked it down to the pickup device wasn't in the hole. Once I moved in the hole, it works fine. Do NOT put it in until it touches or it will damage the pickup.
I’m using my dad’s bike. I found his arms were significantly longer than mine. I raised the handlebars by fliping the stem and rotating the handlebars back which helped. Also, reducing the handlebar stem length helped allow me to fit better without having to buy a more compact frame.
I have quite large hands and found out that increasing the thickness of the handlebar improved comfortability because the hand has a larger area to grab on to and spread pressure more evenly. I use an old tube underneath the handlebar tape for this. This also adds a little more cushioning. I have to add that I am not a competitive cyclist and ride just for fun and for myself.
Handle bar width should also be considered. I had a pro bike fit that addressed a variety of comfort issues and one immediate positive change was swapping a 42mm width bar to 38mm. My bike fitter noted the narrow width of my shoulders and explained that a handle bar reach that is too wide did not provide a stable, in line, comfortable platform for my upper body which adds stress to the shoulder and neck muscles. Since moving to narrower handle bars, the neck and shoulder fatigue that I had been experiencing has disappeared.
One of the biggest changes I made was going one size smaller in frame when I got a new bike - turns out I had been riding one slightly too big due to some bad advice! It's made a big difference in terms of comfort and performance.
@@germaninvasion121 I disagree. I ride an xs frame with 27.5" wheels as I am 5'3" tall. Wheel size and frame size are very different. Frame size is based on your height.
J Cribbs whose talking about wheel size? 27.5 (27.5 and 29er) is standard regardless of your actual anatomical height! We were strictly talking about going a size down on our frame to fit our Anatomy Better.
I always take a paint pen or sharpie and mark a small dot on any bolts/nuts for clamps, parts etc. so I know that when I adjust them I can simply look at the marking and see if the bolts/bits moved.
Good stuff guys, but I've got to disagree with the idea of tilting the saddle forward as a means to relieve pressure from the perineum-I rode for a long time trying to employ this idea, only to end up with more pressure being put on my sensitive bits and the area forward of the sit bones. I reset my saddle to horizontal, lowered the saddle height and got my setback to a place where my knees were happy, and things are now much better. Another thing I noticed about lowering the nose of the saddle was that it pitched me forward on the bike and put too much pressure on my hands.
Since there are individual differences from person to person theres not one magic position that'll work for everybody, but there are studies to corroborate this particular advice.
I’m enjoying the bike so far ruclips.net/user/postUgkxMesz3KOGEmwmvyKQfLfrRSUXLFzfVHZA My only real complaints are the brakes and the pedals. I feel like a bike designed for bigger people should have much larger pedals and more heavy duty brakes. I’ve only gotten two really good rides out of it, minimal downhill action, and the brakes feel like they’re already going out. A larger person has more momentum, so I think this wasn’t thought through very well. Also, I wear size 13-14 wide shoes. My feet cramp up on these pedals that are clearly made for smaller feet. Since I’m not a pro rider (and I don’t think many are who purchase this bike) I don’t think that the straps on the pedal are necessary at all. None of this takes away from the enjoyment I get from riding, however. I’ll just head to a bike shop to improve on a few things.
Me, I went the other direction with handlebars. Last year I bought my first new bike since 1991, and it had a compact handlebar, but it just never felt really right and I saw no point in being on the drops when I could achieve that by simply straightening my elbows a bit. This winter I built myself a 3T Exploro, and decided to go back to deep drop handlebars, and it just feels so much more useful when I actually have to readjust my position when going from hoods to drops.
I think it's a great subject for a video. But you should explain what it's "supposed" to look like. E.g. you say you can adjust the layback of the saddle but you don't say how you measure that you have found the best layback for you.
The adjusting of saddle, handle bars, brake levers etc make sure to adjust one at a time to see the difference. Be sure to ride for a few kilometres and more importantly take a tool allen key star key to adjust. Always mark your previous position eg saddle height, stem height etc. If you are struggling or confused just put a video of Eddy Merckx adjusting his position on the bike. Any rider who has been in the game for some years will strongly advise this.
I'm surprised you didn't say anything about cleat position. Half the time i spend with my bike fit was focused on the shoes, and has ripple effects through the rest of the position on the bike. Order of fit is: shoes/pedals, saddle, and then bars.
Maybe mentioned below already, but for an easy hack, flipping the stem would fit your description! Today's integrated superbikes make that hard, but for the many who haven't, its a hack.
tilting the saddle could lead to a greater presure on hands, and by my fitting exp that cleat position could make a huge difference of the whole bike fitting
@@neiljohnelizarde2648 Try using thenar area, not hypothenar, to hold your weight, might help. This would happen when handlebar too wide, your wrist twists, so can't hold hood correctly, tilting the saddle improperly would make this issue more severe.
One thing you missed is this: any adjustments you make should be very very small. For example, move the cleats 1mm back, the saddle 3mm forward and 2mm up, and tilt it forward in the smallest amount the splines allow. Then go on a longer ride and evaluate comfort and power output. Because some changes might not be noticable on the indoor trainer, but will only be noticable after 1hr of intensive effort.
When I went to see a physical therapist about lower back pain due to cycling she quickly diagnosed than one of my legs is slightly longer than the other. I added a shorter crank arm to one side and it greatly improve my efficiency and comfort. I've gained almost 1 mile per hour faster over a sustained time.
When I had my fit done after like 20 years of riding, they lowered mine almost 3cm. Felt weird at first, then got used to it, and saw improvements. A lot of people have their saddle too high (having to pedal toes down and rocking their hips to compensate)
Great episode. It took me many years to find my perfect position on the road bike. I didn't realize I'm rotated in my pelvis from playing tennis for many years, untill i had extended bike fitting. I couldn't find saddle that didn't cause soreness. But it was enough to find out myself that me left knee is much more away form top tube than my right. So I rotated my saddle 5-8mm to the left and suddenly achieved comfort, I never had before :) Proper cleat position also makes a lot of difference. BTW. You could list some best online bike fit calculators after Competetive Cyclist Bike Fit Calculator is gone, for us, Europeans.
If you are compensating by moving your saddle that far to the left, I would suggest get another fit, or something else, not trying to be offensive or a smart arse but that sort or radical solution isn't practical...!
Here's an actual hack: To shorten the reach of you handlebars (when staying on the hoods) rotate them downward and raise the levers' position. This will bring them close to the flat part of the handlebar. The disadvantage is that the position in the drops can be unconfortable because the ends will curve upwards. But it's worth doing to see if you need a shorter reach handlebar.
I think bike fit is all about fore-aft balance. I moved the seat forward on a couple of my bikes and found it markedly improved the handling, probably power too. In quick left right turns I feel more like I'm carried by the bike as one unit with the bike, rather than trying to hang on and having the front end trying to get away from me. Play with the seat set back adjustment, and don't be afraid letting your knee venture forward of the pedal spindle if it helps with the handling and power.
Also, I've come to realize that bike fit is not a static thing, meaning that the way you actually ride on the road is not how you ride on a stationary trainer when you are getting your bike set up. On the road, your body position will shift depending on whether you're just cruising, cornering, or braking. You'll probably find yourself moving forward and back on the saddle, putting more and less weight on your arms. Your bike set up will have to allow for all these shifts with a reasonable level of comfort.
Also, on the fore-aft balance thing, it maybe is difficult to measure, but check your tire wear. If your back tire is wearing out much faster than the front, maybe change the set up so that more weight is on the front. Finally, I would not worry too much about your arms getting tired from doing more work. Let them get some, they are not doing much work anyway.
draw a line with a marker so straight line on top of the middle of the hand to almost half of your arm now the line is in the middle and is straight. if you grab the brackets at the bottom. then you can see whether the line is straight or not. if the upright is you are often already good otherwise adjust the steering wheel up and down. This also works in the position of your shifters more inwards or outwards, if the line is straight then it is good. good video and thanks for the explanation
These are adjustments. Let me list 6 _hacks_ that alter bike fit: 1. Turn layback seatpost around for negative layback. 2. Saw drop bar ends off and turn them around to make them bullhorn bars. 3. Shim your bottom bracket cups outwards/inwards/left or right to alter q-factor (asymmetrical body, different leg lengths etc.) 4. Put shims between shoe and pedal or thick insoles in shoes/get thicker shoe to undo leg length difference. 5. Run different length crank on other side if leg length difference is very severe. 6. Wrap old inner tube on the handlebar under the bar tape to get more comfort riding on tops/drops.
Hi, I'm from Brazil and if it is possible I would like to have access to this study that shows the greatest knee compression force when the saddle is back. Thanks in advance and congratulations for the excellent work.
I cannot believe how it could be true Tiberio - I am also interested! We all know that the further forward , the more stress on the front of the knee, and the further back, the more stress on the back of the knee. You only have to try it for yourself!
Compact wasn't just always better, things changed. People didn't used to ride on the hoods nearly as much before brifters and handlebars reach was longer but higher, making the hooks position similar to a low hoods position now, the drops not very different, and tops extra relaxed for taking a rest.
While bar/hood angles do affect the reach, the more important thing is whether one's wrists are naturally squared to the primary grip point, usually the hoods or slightly to the rear of them. If the wrists get cocked down or up too much, pressure on wrist and hand nerves can become a problem that accumulates over time, long rides, and rough roads. Notice how many pros don't even wear gloves despite megamile stages, because they don't need to add padding to compensate for poor bike fit.
I'm 6"2 and i ran 175mm cranks for several years, during long rides I really started to get debilitating pain in my hip and pelvis. I switched to 172.5mm this summer and not had a problem since, I guess it opened my hip angle up just enough!
@@tungruffel yeah up by 2.5mm-no problems at all. I did it with a pair of digital calipers to get it exact. Im very finicky about my saddle height as mm out can cause me real issues!
@@tungruffel I think it depends how flexible you are. Im not very flexible so i'm a "micro adjuster" basically I can tell instantly if something is out of place. You maybe a "macro adjuster" meaning you can make big changes and not suffer any effects. I picked that snippet of another video on youtube haha!
I changed my stem to a shorter one for better fit. Perhaps that makes me a bit less aero but I feel more comfortable. But bike handling changed quite drastically. The shorter stem makes the bike a lot more responsive to the slightest change in direction. Initially it felt a bit uncanny but then I got adjusted pretty quickly.
That was a really good tip. I am in between size of 54-56 mm frame. I have a 56 mm frame now. I changed my stem to a shorter and angle up more, it made the bike so much more comfortable. I also changed my saddle to a slightly wider one. I am also going to double wrap my bars next. I like riding this bike so much more now. I almost sold it!
My hack was told to me by none other than Greg Lemond, at a trade show lunch some years ago... To roughly determine reach, he suggested you put your elbow on th tip of the saddle and extend your fingers out over the stem. If your fingertips reach to around half way up the stem, you're fairly close. of course, depends on setback as well, we're talking averages for frame size, height and all that...
@@gcn I think it did, I was on a 14 stem and borrowed a 12 off a mate of mine to get my fingers about right..He never got it back, it made that much difference in my lumbar and hamstrings..
Thanks for the tips. You missed the most important part of the adjustment, or maybe you have mentioned but I've missed it! The point is the proper knee bending. In fact, how high should we set the saddle to be able to crank ergonomically, and with no damage to our knees, have the maximum strength of cracking. Shape and straightness of the leg when we bend up and bend down our knees. Thanks.👍
Thanks for the video guys ...... I have a question ..... I live in Canada I’m a British citizen born in the uk sooo....... we have a lot of salt on the roads out here due to the snow and ice it last from November ish through to March April I find I’m cleaning my bike and drive chain from every two weeks to almost every two three days...... am I cleaning too much? Any suggestions thanks 🙏
I'm 6'1" and have been using a 180mm crank for years. Only 'problem' I've had is that on group rides I usually end up 20-30 feet ahead of the bunch after stopping at traffic lights due to the increased torque. They catch up eventually, though, so it's OK. 180mm feels short compared to the 190mm I had on my mountain bike. Love that torque!
I am suffering from what feels like a saddle sore,after a long ride I get this burning feeling(feels like my skin has been pinched or caught up between my saddle and shorts)...this only happens on the right side of my groin area...on the space where my right butt cheek sort of connects with my right thigh(sorry for such a gross description). What could be the problem...??? One of my cycling buddies suggested that I change my saddle but I am not convinced it’s my saddle, and another suggested that the reason I could be experiencing such could be that I have changed my riding style since joining a cycling team in October which has made me better and helped improve my cycling. I’ve been riding for 6 years now and this is a new experience to me,I’ve been riding with that same saddle since 2016 which was fitted properly. What would you gents advise I do. Your assistance will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
If it's only one side of your groin area, I believe you have a problem with your saddle being to high. When a saddle is too high, people tend to lean/list over to their more powerful leg when the pedal is at the bottom part of the stroke. Another way you can tell is by looking at your knees throughout the pedal stroke - knee on your more powerful leg will tend to pedal closer to the top tube, while the knee on your weaker leg will tend to move away from the top tube. If this is the case with you, you can confirm that your saddle is too high. If it happens only after prolonged saddle time, your saddle must be slightly too high, so adjust it downwards in increments until the feeling is gone.
Great vid - being new to TT it would be great to have a some more tips on the intricacies of setting up a TT bike position vs a road bike, I'm definitely going to have a play about with my lay back after watching this!
you told us all the advantages of these adjustments, but you never told us the negative side. for example, moving the hoods forward round the bars, will not only give you a more aero position, it will also put more of your body weight on your hands, and you could end up with wrist trouble/sore hands.i would like to see a video with everything included.
@@newmelito1157 it's a tricky and very common one. Too much weight forward. Could be saddle too far forward, saddle nose too much down, reach too far forward, hoods position. Also, if you have a big head (no joke) you my be screwed, (like me) Your head is 1/3 of your body weight, that thing is heavy
FEET FEET CLEAT position!! Best way I have found is to ride on flats and record how your feet naturally position themselves on the pedals and then recreate this with you cycling shoes.
if the problem with longer cranks (5.09minutes into the video) is your leg coming up too high, then why lower saddle when you put shorter ones on? That just brings you back to where you started from. When you shorten cranks its important to not change saddle height, that way you gain from not having to strech to reach the pedals, or come up too high.
I am facing right leg ITB issue just outter of the knee ,left leg perfect , as i ride i notice my cleat might not be right or my saddle not right. but not very sure how wrong they are ,can you also put up a video on how you set cleat and saddle
They should make it possible to adjust the length of the shifters (or buy in different lengthes). I had an old road bike with ultegra and had my position dialed in quite well. So I just ordered the same for the new road bike only to find out the shifters were waaay longer. Thus throwing off the whole measurements I took from the old bike...
This video is very interesting. Thanks so much for doing it. I have a Cervelo S3, it is now on the indoor trainer. Lately, I cannot seem to ride more that 35 kms because I get major knee pain (left knee). My saddle is adjusted more to the back of the bike, maybe too far? I will try moving it forward. Do you have any other adjustment ideals to rid my knee pain while on this bike? I also ride mountain bike and don’t have this issue on that one. Thanks again for you great videos.
Great tips. Others have also mentioned cleat position. Anyway, my preference is to tweak one thing at a time, and in very small increments. Then, I listen to my body. It takes time to do, but it's worth it. If I started messing around with several variables at the same time then I think I'd have less than ideal results (or, it'll take longer to sort out vs. isolating one variable). And this is assuming you're relatively close to begin with and are just dialing things in.
I found that when I lowered my saddle massively (by 2 or 3 cm) my back pain went. YOu can bend over like crazy with no pain and ride in very low positions for half an hour or more. The only thing is that sooner or later hip pain (which later creates back pain) arrives. Try lowering it until when you pedal forwards (not backwards) with your heels on the pedals, there is no hip rocking. I was amazed. You have the added advantage of believing you are Chris Froome as you ride up hills
Davies Jonathan, I had discovered this myself. When I lowered the saddle to the point where I could rotate the cranks forward with my heels on the pedals without rocking, I felt I discovered a “second engine” from new glute activation. I went from holding on during climbs to upshifting while in the saddle-
Pls help! My height is 5”7 and i have this cannondale road bike size 54. I think its a bit large for me. What will i do? Is there any chance i can fit this bike? i dont want to sell it, my wife gave it to me on my bday, thanks
I have been ridding with the same saddle for years without any issue but lately I am feeling pain in my left inguinal area after ridding which never has happened before? Would anyone have any clue what could it be? It is a gravel bike (previously I rode road and MTB) and I recently remove the clip-less pedals as I stopped going longer distances for the time being and I just commute with it. Any help would be appreciated.
Would be nice to know some of the presenters' measurements ie crank length handlebar width saddle height and where their cleats sit on their shoes and what the reason is for all the above (ie their experimenting with various other measurements until they got to their current optimal bikefit)……………………………….we can never learn enough about this constantly changing science so a new episode with these requests would be highly appreciated
Not to nitpick, but if you switch to shorter crank arms, shouldn't you raise your seat by the arm length difference rather than lower it? The shorter crank arms will effectively bring the pedals closer to the seat when at the bottom of the pedal stroke.
A reminder for when getting a new bike, or restarting their riding... wait awhile! Go for 7-rides +/- as you first feel good with. Let your body adjust to the new machine! Only then, do as these good folks say. And, getting your body flexible is a precursor to feeling comfortable on-bike!
dropping the saddle height when one increases crank length does have a completely different impact at 1200 and 1800 respectively, so should we take a middle way?
I have a question: I'd like to tilt my saddle by 9 degree to relieve the pressure on my crotch. Problem is, my weight point is on the front thus my hand feels numb at around km 17. I slammed the stem like 50% How do i solve this? Thank you
I read that one should have a neutral, slightly curved back and dropped relaxed shoulders when riding, but here and in other videos I often see quite a curve on the rider's back. Is this fine or is it just due to flexibility issues? Should we work toward a straight back or is it okay to ride with a curved back and rounded shoulders?
Do you have any other bike fit hacks? Let us know. 👇
Go ask for stems at your lsb. If they do bikefits they should have lots of original stems of diffrerent lengt that have been swapped out. I borrowed three stems of diffrent lenght from my lsb to test before deciding what stem to use.
Spending a little time on a trainer is worthwhile. I didn't realize from road riding that my pedaling wasn't very smooth, which was due to my saddle being a few mm low. My knees feel better after making adjustments.
I think you missed the saddle.
Cover the saddle in paper tape (or masking tape in lack of better) put a sheet of old style carbon copy paper on top, and a plastic bag or other kind of shielding barrier to protect your shorts. Then mount the bike and ride it a short while. Remove shielding cover and carbon paper and you will now have a precise indication of your actual contact points on the saddle. (Remove tape and glue residue from saddle when done measuring).
Could u do a video teaching how to mark down all the metrics?
I'm 57 and just getting into cycling the 1st time since 40 years ago. Both knees had torn meniscus repair and with a left sciatic injury, I have found these videos from GCN a huge help. I've done 30 & 40 mile trips on a hybrid, but I just bought a used road bike and tri bike that fit my 6'2", 34" inseam perfectly. Who knew I needed a 62cm frame?
Frame sounds too large for your height/inseam.
I ordered the exercise bike on January 7th and it arrived on February 12th. ruclips.net/user/postUgkxzg0clhbtRf2gGxPkVETFKJJKGqdsorQu The box must have been tossed around quite a bit because one whole side of the styrofoam was destroyed, and the other side foam was cracked. The Two zip ties holding the handlebars had broken loose and handlebars were loose in the box. There are two small holes in the foam on the right side of the handlebars, I guess from rolling around inside the box. Assembly was straight forward and easy. I am 6 ft 5 in 220 lb and the handlebars and seating positions fully adjustable and work great, I'm getting full leg extension. The noise level is very, very low and acceptable. The adjustment knob for the pressure on the flywheel works well also. The exercise bike is very well made, sturdy and easy move around. This is my first exercise bike and will keep me in shape over the winter. Update 3/19/21: when removing the sticker from the wheel, make sure you remove any sticker glue also. I thought mine was clean but I was getting a slight noise from the glue. Once cleaned off, its super quite. Also the monitor didn't work, tracked it down to the pickup device wasn't in the hole. Once I moved in the hole, it works fine. Do NOT put it in until it touches or it will damage the pickup.
I’m using my dad’s bike. I found his arms were significantly longer than mine. I raised the handlebars by fliping the stem and rotating the handlebars back which helped. Also, reducing the handlebar stem length helped allow me to fit better without having to buy a more compact frame.
I have quite large hands and found out that increasing the thickness of the handlebar improved comfortability because the hand has a larger area to grab on to and spread pressure more evenly. I use an old tube underneath the handlebar tape for this. This also adds a little more cushioning. I have to add that I am not a competitive cyclist and ride just for fun and for myself.
Handle bar width should also be considered. I had a pro bike fit that addressed a variety of comfort issues and one immediate positive change was swapping a 42mm width bar to 38mm. My bike fitter noted the narrow width of my shoulders and explained that a handle bar reach that is too wide did not provide a stable, in line, comfortable platform for my upper body which adds stress to the shoulder and neck muscles. Since moving to narrower handle bars, the neck and shoulder fatigue that I had been experiencing has disappeared.
Great tip about saddle position, thanks - it actually improved nerve issues in my hands.
One of the biggest changes I made was going one size smaller in frame when I got a new bike - turns out I had been riding one slightly too big due to some bad advice! It's made a big difference in terms of comfort and performance.
@@southboundaustral You appear to be referring to the wheel size, not the frame size
Same thing man, I’m 6’3 and rode and xl frame. A large fits my anatomy way better. No back or shoulder pain no more.
@@germaninvasion121 I disagree. I ride an xs frame with 27.5" wheels as I am 5'3" tall. Wheel size and frame size are very different. Frame size is based on your height.
J Cribbs whose talking about wheel size? 27.5 (27.5 and 29er) is standard regardless of your actual anatomical height! We were strictly talking about going a size down on our frame to fit our Anatomy Better.
@@germaninvasion121 You were. You said wheel size and frame size are the same thing and it's not true.
I always take a paint pen or sharpie and mark a small dot on any bolts/nuts for clamps, parts etc. so I know that when I adjust them I can simply look at the marking and see if the bolts/bits moved.
I do the same as well as cleat outline
Good stuff guys, but I've got to disagree with the idea of tilting the saddle forward as a means to relieve pressure from the perineum-I rode for a long time trying to employ this idea, only to end up with more pressure being put on my sensitive bits and the area forward of the sit bones. I reset my saddle to horizontal, lowered the saddle height and got my setback to a place where my knees were happy, and things are now much better.
Another thing I noticed about lowering the nose of the saddle was that it pitched me forward on the bike and put too much pressure on my hands.
Since there are individual differences from person to person theres not one magic position that'll work for everybody, but there are studies to corroborate this particular advice.
I’m enjoying the bike so far ruclips.net/user/postUgkxMesz3KOGEmwmvyKQfLfrRSUXLFzfVHZA My only real complaints are the brakes and the pedals. I feel like a bike designed for bigger people should have much larger pedals and more heavy duty brakes. I’ve only gotten two really good rides out of it, minimal downhill action, and the brakes feel like they’re already going out. A larger person has more momentum, so I think this wasn’t thought through very well. Also, I wear size 13-14 wide shoes. My feet cramp up on these pedals that are clearly made for smaller feet. Since I’m not a pro rider (and I don’t think many are who purchase this bike) I don’t think that the straps on the pedal are necessary at all. None of this takes away from the enjoyment I get from riding, however. I’ll just head to a bike shop to improve on a few things.
Me, I went the other direction with handlebars. Last year I bought my first new bike since 1991, and it had a compact handlebar, but it just never felt really right and I saw no point in being on the drops when I could achieve that by simply straightening my elbows a bit. This winter I built myself a 3T Exploro, and decided to go back to deep drop handlebars, and it just feels so much more useful when I actually have to readjust my position when going from hoods to drops.
Fab little hack on the brake levers 👍
I think it's a great subject for a video. But you should explain what it's "supposed" to look like. E.g. you say you can adjust the layback of the saddle but you don't say how you measure that you have found the best layback for you.
I've spent so long trying to get my perfect comfort on the bike, I forgot about moving the hoods, gonna turn my bars and higher my saddle tomorrow!
The adjusting of saddle, handle bars, brake levers etc make sure to adjust one at a time to see the difference. Be sure to ride for a few kilometres and more importantly take a tool allen key star key to adjust. Always mark your previous position eg saddle height, stem height etc. If you are struggling or confused just put a video of Eddy Merckx adjusting his position on the bike.
Any rider who has been in the game for some years will strongly advise this.
Literally just looked up videos for bike fitting and then I watch in my subscriptions and saw this! Perfecto momento
I'm surprised you didn't say anything about cleat position. Half the time i spend with my bike fit was focused on the shoes, and has ripple effects through the rest of the position on the bike. Order of fit is: shoes/pedals, saddle, and then bars.
Same fitting experience for me.
Cleats position yes but also the lenght of the bar of 2cm can change a lot the comfort!!!
Ripple effects of a few mm, which can easily be acomodated if you were already on the right size bike.
Yes, clicking a random link to japan girl movie hd dot com seems safe, lol. Does she have a good bike fit?
Moving back the cleats solved my knee stability issue.
Maybe mentioned below already, but for an easy hack, flipping the stem would fit your description! Today's integrated superbikes make that hard, but for the many who haven't, its a hack.
tilting the saddle could lead to a greater presure on hands, and by my fitting exp that cleat position could make a huge difference of the whole bike fitting
i did tilt mine and the pressure on my hands were tremendous.
i did feel numb on the part we dont want to be to
@@neiljohnelizarde2648 Try using thenar area, not hypothenar, to hold your weight, might help. This would happen when handlebar too wide, your wrist twists, so can't hold hood correctly, tilting the saddle improperly would make this issue more severe.
One thing you missed is this: any adjustments you make should be very very small. For example, move the cleats 1mm back, the saddle 3mm forward and 2mm up, and tilt it forward in the smallest amount the splines allow. Then go on a longer ride and evaluate comfort and power output. Because some changes might not be noticable on the indoor trainer, but will only be noticable after 1hr of intensive effort.
correct
The old shallow drop Cinelli Giro d'Italia 64 bars have been around for yonks, I used them a lot.. the drop was 140 mm instead of the usual 160mm
the tips really helped me to take me more comfortable on a bicycle
Super glad to hear that!
Wow!! This is 2023 and Hank had completely changed his look.
I’m definitely partial to modern Hank!!❤
I had my 105 STI levers for so many years and never knew about lever adjustment. Thanks!!!
As always, appreciate the work you guys do at GCN, thanks for the info.
When I went to see a physical therapist about lower back pain due to cycling she quickly diagnosed than one of my legs is slightly longer than the other. I added a shorter crank arm to one side and it greatly improve my efficiency and comfort. I've gained almost 1 mile per hour faster over a sustained time.
If you dont have extreme differences there is also shims to raise cleats
When I had my fit done after like 20 years of riding, they lowered mine almost 3cm. Felt weird at first, then got used to it, and saw improvements. A lot of people have their saddle too high (having to pedal toes down and rocking their hips to compensate)
Really? I have the same issue.... Different crank lengths, I never thought of that....
Hi, thanks for a great video! Could you please post some reference or link to the study about knee pressure and saddle fore-aft?
I'd like to read the article as well
Absolutely perfect
You didn't mention stem length, it' can make or break a bike fit, but otherwise great advice as usual
Yes,i have a 120mm stem but i feel very comfortable with it while some of my friends saying its too long
I found changing my stem length made a giant difference.
i just changed my stem height 12 mins ago, this video came into my algorithm after i changed my stem height 😂
Great episode. It took me many years to find my perfect position on the road bike. I didn't realize I'm rotated in my pelvis from playing tennis for many years, untill i had extended bike fitting. I couldn't find saddle that didn't cause soreness. But it was enough to find out myself that me left knee is much more away form top tube than my right. So I rotated my saddle 5-8mm to the left and suddenly achieved comfort, I never had before :) Proper cleat position also makes a lot of difference.
BTW. You could list some best online bike fit calculators after Competetive Cyclist Bike Fit Calculator is gone, for us, Europeans.
If you are compensating by moving your saddle that far to the left, I would suggest get another fit, or something else, not trying to be offensive or a smart arse but that sort or radical solution isn't practical...!
You should contact physiotherapist and try fix your pelvis
I've found that poor cleat position can throw your entire body off balance and cause all kinds of problems in other areas. Even your hands and arms.
Here's an actual hack: To shorten the reach of you handlebars (when staying on the hoods) rotate them downward and raise the levers' position. This will bring them close to the flat part of the handlebar. The disadvantage is that the position in the drops can be unconfortable because the ends will curve upwards. But it's worth doing to see if you need a shorter reach handlebar.
I think bike fit is all about fore-aft balance. I moved the seat forward on a couple of my bikes and found it markedly improved the handling, probably power too. In quick left right turns I feel more like I'm carried by the bike as one unit with the bike, rather than trying to hang on and having the front end trying to get away from me. Play with the seat set back adjustment, and don't be afraid letting your knee venture forward of the pedal spindle if it helps with the handling and power.
Also, I've come to realize that bike fit is not a static thing, meaning that the way you actually ride on the road is not how you ride on a stationary trainer when you are getting your bike set up. On the road, your body position will shift depending on whether you're just cruising, cornering, or braking. You'll probably find yourself moving forward and back on the saddle, putting more and less weight on your arms. Your bike set up will have to allow for all these shifts with a reasonable level of comfort.
Also, on the fore-aft balance thing, it maybe is difficult to measure, but check your tire wear. If your back tire is wearing out much faster than the front, maybe change the set up so that more weight is on the front. Finally, I would not worry too much about your arms getting tired from doing more work. Let them get some, they are not doing much work anyway.
Yes, balance is the key!!!
draw a line with a marker so straight line on top of the middle of the hand to almost half of your arm now the line is in the middle and is straight. if you grab the brackets at the bottom. then you can see whether the line is straight or not. if the upright is you are often already good otherwise adjust the steering wheel up and down. This also works in the position of your shifters more inwards or outwards, if the line is straight then it is good. good video and thanks for the explanation
Hi. Thanks for the video! Very helpful. What would you suggest regarding the stem height?
These are adjustments. Let me list 6 _hacks_ that alter bike fit:
1. Turn layback seatpost around for negative layback.
2. Saw drop bar ends off and turn them around to make them bullhorn bars.
3. Shim your bottom bracket cups outwards/inwards/left or right to alter q-factor (asymmetrical body, different leg lengths etc.)
4. Put shims between shoe and pedal or thick insoles in shoes/get thicker shoe to undo leg length difference.
5. Run different length crank on other side if leg length difference is very severe.
6. Wrap old inner tube on the handlebar under the bar tape to get more comfort riding on tops/drops.
I added extensions to increase the Q factor. It has made a world of difference in both comfort and performance.
Angle the hoods inwards a few degrees seems to make for a comfy ride when crouching down resting arms on the tops
Such a very impormative video...
Glad you liked it
Saddle position info is helpful. Will try it !
FSA Omega compact handlebars changed my life.
Mine just arrived, look forward to seeing the change...initial assessment appears that it will make the ride much more efficient. 👍🚲
Hi, I'm from Brazil and if it is possible I would like to have access to this study that shows the greatest knee compression force when the saddle is back. Thanks in advance and congratulations for the excellent work.
I cannot believe how it could be true Tiberio - I am also interested! We all know that the further forward , the more stress on the front of the knee, and the further back, the more stress on the back of the knee. You only have to try it for yourself!
Compact wasn't just always better, things changed. People didn't used to ride on the hoods nearly as much before brifters and handlebars reach was longer but higher, making the hooks position similar to a low hoods position now, the drops not very different, and tops extra relaxed for taking a rest.
While bar/hood angles do affect the reach, the more important thing is whether one's wrists are naturally squared to the primary grip point, usually the hoods or slightly to the rear of them. If the wrists get cocked down or up too much, pressure on wrist and hand nerves can become a problem that accumulates over time, long rides, and rough roads. Notice how many pros don't even wear gloves despite megamile stages, because they don't need to add padding to compensate for poor bike fit.
I'm 6"2 and i ran 175mm cranks for several years, during long rides I really started to get debilitating pain in my hip and pelvis. I switched to 172.5mm this summer and not had a problem since, I guess it opened my hip angle up just enough!
Did you adjust your saddle by 2,5mm?
@@tungruffel yeah up by 2.5mm-no problems at all. I did it with a pair of digital calipers to get it exact. Im very finicky about my saddle height as mm out can cause me real issues!
@@abedfo88 Well, shut me up :) Never thought a couple of mm could be noticeable. Thanks!
@@tungruffel I think it depends how flexible you are. Im not very flexible so i'm a "micro adjuster" basically I can tell instantly if something is out of place. You maybe a "macro adjuster" meaning you can make big changes and not suffer any effects. I picked that snippet of another video on youtube haha!
Ooops, I am as tall as you and I have the same problems on longer rides, thinking that this is natural... Oh, and I wear 175mm cranks!
I changed my stem to a shorter one for better fit. Perhaps that makes me a bit less aero but I feel more comfortable. But bike handling changed quite drastically. The shorter stem makes the bike a lot more responsive to the slightest change in direction. Initially it felt a bit uncanny but then I got adjusted pretty quickly.
Sounds great! If it means you ride the bike more and feel more comfortable then go for it! 🙌
That was a really good tip. I am in between size of 54-56 mm frame. I have a 56 mm frame now. I changed my stem to a shorter and angle up more, it made the bike so much more comfortable. I also changed my saddle to a slightly wider one. I am also going to double wrap my bars next. I like riding this bike so much more now. I almost sold it!
2:03 "You think you're aggressive, do you?"
EMOTIONAL DAMAGE
My hack was told to me by none other than Greg Lemond, at a trade show lunch some years ago... To roughly determine reach, he suggested you put your elbow on th tip of the saddle and extend your fingers out over the stem. If your fingertips reach to around half way up the stem, you're fairly close. of course, depends on setback as well, we're talking averages for frame size, height and all that...
Wow super cool to get help from Geg Lemond himself! Did his advice work?
@@gcn I think it did, I was on a 14 stem and borrowed a 12 off a mate of mine to get my fingers about right..He never got it back, it made that much difference in my lumbar and hamstrings..
Hugely helpful video, guys. Thanks.
nice tips
Lever adjustment is definitely worth checking out. I can't believe I never thought of doing that before.
I just did mine yesterday and it definitely increased my confidence riding in the drops, before I had to stretch to get 1 finger around brakes
Thanks for the tips. You missed the most important part of the adjustment, or maybe you have mentioned but I've missed it! The point is the proper knee bending. In fact, how high should we set the saddle to be able to crank ergonomically, and with no damage to our knees, have the maximum strength of cracking. Shape and straightness of the leg when we bend up and bend down our knees. Thanks.👍
Should t you raise your saddle when switching to shorter cranks
Thanks for the video guys ...... I have a question ..... I live in Canada I’m a British citizen born in the uk sooo....... we have a lot of salt on the roads out here due to the snow and ice it last from November ish through to March April I find I’m cleaning my bike and drive chain from every two weeks to almost every two three days...... am I cleaning too much? Any suggestions thanks 🙏
That depends on how often you ride. If you ride 2 or 3 times a week I would clean the chain one a week.
Thanks guys yes almost every day now the snow is letting up thanks again keep the vids coming there awesome 👍
I'm 6'1" and have been using a 180mm crank for years. Only 'problem' I've had is that on group rides I usually end up 20-30 feet ahead of the bunch after stopping at traffic lights due to the increased torque. They catch up eventually, though, so it's OK. 180mm feels short compared to the 190mm I had on my mountain bike. Love that torque!
jabba0975 jj you should watch Emma’s video on bike fit for her comments on crank length relationship to torque and power.
Already did, thanks.
i put a small (very small ) tilt on my saddle and imediately put it back because any down hill felt like i was being pushed forward
Great tips, liked that yo7 kept it simple for me!
I am suffering from what feels like a saddle sore,after a long ride I get this burning feeling(feels like my skin has been pinched or caught up between my saddle and shorts)...this only happens on the right side of my groin area...on the space where my right butt cheek sort of connects with my right thigh(sorry for such a gross description).
What could be the problem...??? One of my cycling buddies suggested that I change my saddle but I am not convinced it’s my saddle, and another suggested that the reason I could be experiencing such could be that I have changed my riding style since joining a cycling team in October which has made me better and helped improve my cycling.
I’ve been riding for 6 years now and this is a new experience to me,I’ve been riding with that same saddle since 2016 which was fitted properly.
What would you gents advise I do.
Your assistance will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
If it's only one side of your groin area, I believe you have a problem with your saddle being to high.
When a saddle is too high, people tend to lean/list over to their more powerful leg when the pedal is at the bottom part of the stroke. Another way you can tell is by looking at your knees throughout the pedal stroke - knee on your more powerful leg will tend to pedal closer to the top tube, while the knee on your weaker leg will tend to move away from the top tube. If this is the case with you, you can confirm that your saddle is too high. If it happens only after prolonged saddle time, your saddle must be slightly too high, so adjust it downwards in increments until the feeling is gone.
@@Martinangelkoski Thank you very much Martin,I will certainly have a closer look at my pedal strokes and observe closely.
Regards.
@@Tlhakxza Any chance it could be a skin tag?
2:20 This is what we came for!😂
🤣😂🤫
Great vid - being new to TT it would be great to have a some more tips on the intricacies of setting up a TT bike position vs a road bike, I'm definitely going to have a play about with my lay back after watching this!
3:34 perhaps the best unintentional joke of the year!
Rectify your perinium
My personal favourite way of fitting is standing next to the bike and raising the saddle to your hip height then saying "that'll do"
you told us all the advantages of these adjustments, but you never told us the negative side. for example, moving the hoods forward round the bars, will not only give you a more aero position, it will also put more of your body weight on your hands, and you could end up with wrist trouble/sore hands.i would like to see a video with everything included.
I am experiencing pain in my palms when riding on the hoods for long times, should I try and adjust the hood positions?
@@newmelito1157 it's a tricky and very common one. Too much weight forward. Could be saddle too far forward, saddle nose too much down, reach too far forward, hoods position. Also, if you have a big head (no joke) you my be screwed, (like me) Your head is 1/3 of your body weight, that thing is heavy
@@justim4545 thank you very much, I really appreciate it
@@newmelito1157 get a good bike fit
@@justim4545 I'm planning to but I'm having a hard time finding a bike fitter near me.
Great advices. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
great video!
FEET FEET CLEAT position!! Best way I have found is to ride on flats and record how your feet naturally position themselves on the pedals and then recreate this with you cycling shoes.
Yes... or just look down at your feet and see where they are (fore and aft, and also twisted-ness) on a shopper bike with no clips or cleats.
Such a nice bike
if the problem with longer cranks (5.09minutes into the video) is your leg coming up too high, then why lower saddle when you put shorter ones on? That just brings you back to where you started from. When you shorten cranks its important to not change saddle height, that way you gain from not having to strech to reach the pedals, or come up too high.
This is really useful, Thank you!
Did I miss just saddle height by itself. I didn’t see any mention of where your legs should be or how much bend be in the leg While on crank?
I would like to see more about base angles of bike fit.
I am facing right leg ITB issue just outter of the knee ,left leg perfect , as i ride i notice my cleat might not be right or my saddle not right. but not very sure how wrong they are ,can you also put up a video on how you set cleat and saddle
De Ecuador por favor se ve interesante el video la posición del timón de ruta pero en español por favor. Gracias.
They should make it possible to adjust the length of the shifters (or buy in different lengthes). I had an old road bike with ultegra and had my position dialed in quite well. So I just ordered the same for the new road bike only to find out the shifters were waaay longer. Thus throwing off the whole measurements I took from the old bike...
Hi can i make my stem positive and shorter like 60mm? What are the advantages and disadvantages. I have size 54 frame btw. And im 5”7
Brilliant
This video is very interesting. Thanks so much for doing it. I have a Cervelo S3, it is now on the indoor trainer. Lately, I cannot seem to ride more that 35 kms because I get major knee pain (left knee). My saddle is adjusted more to the back of the bike, maybe too far? I will try moving it forward. Do you have any other adjustment ideals to rid my knee pain while on this bike? I also ride mountain bike and don’t have this issue on that one. Thanks again for you great videos.
"to rectify that situation"....... On the perineum... Classic
The cleats, you guys forgot about the "q" factor and foot angle. That is zero cost and of great benefit to the knees.
Great tips. Others have also mentioned cleat position. Anyway, my preference is to tweak one thing at a time, and in very small increments. Then, I listen to my body. It takes time to do, but it's worth it. If I started messing around with several variables at the same time then I think I'd have less than ideal results (or, it'll take longer to sort out vs. isolating one variable). And this is assuming you're relatively close to begin with and are just dialing things in.
@5:25 What about your spine? I have lots of pain because of that curve your body makes when riding the bike. Any ideas what to do?
I found that when I lowered my saddle massively (by 2 or 3 cm) my back pain went. YOu can bend over like crazy with no pain and ride in very low positions for half an hour or more. The only thing is that sooner or later hip pain (which later creates back pain) arrives. Try lowering it until when you pedal forwards (not backwards) with your heels on the pedals, there is no hip rocking. I was amazed. You have the added advantage of believing you are Chris Froome as you ride up hills
Davies Jonathan, I had discovered this myself. When I lowered the saddle to the point where I could rotate the cranks forward with my heels on the pedals without rocking, I felt I discovered a “second engine” from new glute activation. I went from holding on during climbs to upshifting while in the saddle-
Whilst i haven't yet been able to test this, it does make sense: it's easier to fit a bike that's too small than too big.
Pls help! My height is 5”7 and i have this cannondale road bike size 54. I think its a bit large for me. What will i do? Is there any chance i can fit this bike? i dont want to sell it, my wife gave it to me on my bday, thanks
I have been ridding with the same saddle for years without any issue but lately I am feeling pain in my left inguinal area after ridding which never has happened before? Would anyone have any clue what could it be? It is a gravel bike (previously I rode road and MTB) and I recently remove the clip-less pedals as I stopped going longer distances for the time being and I just commute with it. Any help would be appreciated.
Would be nice to know some of the presenters' measurements ie crank length handlebar width saddle height and where their cleats sit on their shoes and what the reason is for all the above (ie their experimenting with various other measurements until they got to their current optimal bikefit)……………………………….we can never learn enough about this constantly changing science so a new episode with these requests would be highly appreciated
Compact / shallow drop bars are the best
Not to nitpick, but if you switch to shorter crank arms, shouldn't you raise your seat by the arm length difference rather than lower it? The shorter crank arms will effectively bring the pedals closer to the seat when at the bottom of the pedal stroke.
A reminder for when getting a new bike, or restarting their riding... wait awhile! Go for 7-rides +/- as you first feel good with. Let your body adjust to the new machine! Only then, do as these good folks say. And, getting your body flexible is a precursor to feeling comfortable on-bike!
dropping the saddle height when one increases crank length does have a completely different impact at 1200 and 1800 respectively, so should we take a middle way?
Great tip, this saved my butt! :D
I have a question:
I'd like to tilt my saddle by 9 degree to relieve the pressure on my crotch. Problem is, my weight point is on the front thus my hand feels numb at around km 17.
I slammed the stem like 50%
How do i solve this? Thank you
do you have any videos regarding Biomechanics Bike Tuning?
WOW ... what a nice bike ..
How do you adjust the level length on Shimano 105 levers please? Thanks
I read that one should have a neutral, slightly curved back and dropped relaxed shoulders when riding, but here and in other videos I often see quite a curve on the rider's back.
Is this fine or is it just due to flexibility issues? Should we work toward a straight back or is it okay to ride with a curved back and rounded shoulders?
Is it possible to fit the bike through? thanks for the answer👍❤
What about the weight of the rider in road and mount and hyper bike ?
Thanks to eng sub! from Korea
Best video
Thanks, but, I'm from Argentina, and did'nt understand all that you said..
Thanks a lot....