riding pain

[ian wilde]

hi all im mainly mountain biker i recently baght racing bike from 1988 its light fast and i love it but it hurts my hands riding it i need some input on how set riding position

[Jdsk]

Welcome.

Please could you add some photos of your hands on the bars in riding position, And some of you on the bike side-on, feet on pedals. Preferably a video of riding past the camera.

Then some to show where the pain is: point with one finger to where it hurts most.

Jonathan

[Jdsk]

And here's some advice on position:

https://wheel-easy.org.uk/wp-content/up ... -2017a.pdf

Jonathan

[531colin]

2 threads currently running on riding position;
viewtopic.php?t=157398
viewtopic.php?t=149091&start=15

[pjclinch]

The position guide is good, but note where it discusses minimal weight on hands it's worth realising that this requires good core strength and I suspect is to quite some degree an adaptation from being used to it. Taking your weight off the bars by taking it on the core is easy enough for a the duration of a photo, doing it for a few hours is a different matter. Also the case that if you're in a crouch then you need to tilt your neck up to look forwards, and again this is an adaptation where doing it a lot will make it easier than if you don't do it a lot.

I used to use drop bars almost exclusively and while I never managed to get as comfy as Colin does I didn't have any problems unless it was a long ride (say, over 50 miles). Now it's over 20 years since I've regularly ridden drops I find it takes me very little time to get quite uncomfortable on them, with neck and arms protesting, I suspect because I've lost my adaptation to the position.

Pete.

[531colin]

The position guide is good, but note where it discusses minimal weight on hands it's worth realising that this requires good core strength and I suspect is to quite some degree an adaptation from being used to it. Taking your weight off the bars by taking it on the core is easy enough for a the duration of a photo, doing it for a few hours is a different matter. Also the case that if you're in a crouch then you need to tilt your neck up to look forwards, and again this is an adaptation where doing it a lot will make it easier than if you don't do it a lot.

I used to use drop bars almost exclusively and while I never managed to get as comfy as Colin does I didn't have any problems unless it was a long ride (say, over 50 miles). Now it's over 20 years since I've regularly ridden drops I find it takes me very little time to get quite uncomfortable on them, with neck and arms protesting, I suspect because I've lost my adaptation to the position.

Pete.

Read the section "Riding along...how much weight on your hands"
This describes how much weight I have on my hands, and how little effort I have to put in for that situation to change to "pulling up and back on the bars".
I don't do anything special to develop or maintain "good core strength".....whatever that is.
Somebody in the past accused me of doing a "5 minute plank" .....is that an exercise?
The only thing I do to be able to ride my bike is........I ride my bike!
Arthritic hands have stopped me riding drops for a few years now, because I can't hang by my thumbs from the hoods to brake. I ride bullbars which largely copy my old "hoods" position except that when braking any weight is on the heel of my hand, not my thumbs.
Don't think I have a photo of me riding.

IMG_5662 by 531colin, on Flickr

[pjclinch]

Read the section "Riding along...how much weight on your hands"
This describes how much weight I have on my hands, and how little effort I have to put in for that situation to change to "pulling up and back on the bars".
I don't do anything special to develop or maintain "good core strength".....whatever that is.

But you do. You ride a lot in a crouch.

You've been doing it for decades, and that means you're well adapted. The OP, on the other hand, has only just started, so probably isn't.

Pete.

[531colin]

................. I never managed to get as comfy as Colin does................

There it is.....right there.
You never got your riding position right in the first place, so anybody who does must be making it up, or cheating.

[pjclinch]

................. I never managed to get as comfy as Colin does................

There it is.....right there.
You never got your riding position right in the first place, so anybody who does must be making it up, or cheating.

No, my body just doesn't adapt as well to a forward crouch. I followed your guide retrospectively, there was nothing to change.

Different bodies are... different.

No accusation of cheating or making it up, just the case that some bodies do things better than others. Graeme Obree could ride for an hour in a position pretty much nobody else could manage for any distance: "if I can do this anyone can" isn't a reliable assumption, and is not in any way a negative comment on your fitting guide.

Pete.

[gxaustin]

[quote

There it is.....right there.
You never got your riding position right in the first place, so anybody who does must be making it up, or cheating.
[/quote]

No, my body just doesn't adapt as well to a forward crouch. I followed your guide retrospectively, there was nothing to change.

Different bodies are... different.

No accusation of cheating or making it up, just the case that some bodies do things better than others. Graeme Obree could ride for an hour in a position pretty much nobody else could manage for any distance: "if I can do this anyone can" isn't a reliable assumption, and is not in any way a negative comment on your fitting guide.

Pete.
[/quote]
I agree. I have long legs/short body and find most modern bike frames sub optimal. Fashion dictates that they are too long and too low for me. I find endurance or gravel type frames are best for me. Even then I have the bars as high as possible, fit shorter stems and have to set the saddle somewhat forward. I seldom use the drops and ride on the hoods. I set the levers well back too.
One of my bikes is a bespoke steel bike which has a 25" (640mm) frame and I am 5'10" (1.47m). It's very comfy.

[531colin]

..........
I agree. I have long legs/short body and find most modern bike frames sub optimal. Fashion dictates that they are too long and too low for me. I find endurance or gravel type frames are best for me. Even then I have the bars as high as possible, fit shorter stems and have to set the saddle somewhat forward. I seldom use the drops and ride on the hoods. I set the levers well back too.
One of my bikes is a bespoke steel bike which has a 25" (640mm) frame and I am 5'10" (1.47m). It's very comfy.

Setting the saddle forward throws your weight forward onto your hands. We have had this discussion before. I would be interested to see a video of you riding your bike, filmed from the side.

i have an idea. I wrote a piece on how to fit your bike to your body. Why don't some of you people who are telling me I got it all wrong write out your way of doing it and I'll tell you where you are going wrong?

[peetee]

A bike from 1988 might well have older style bars and brake levers. The introduction of more comfortably shaped integrated levers with concealed cables and drop bars with bends that matched these levers had already occurred by 1988 but they were still only seen on top-end machines.
I started my cycling life with older style drops and brake-only levers. I never had comfort issues back in the day but now I find the hand holds on my 1980 Colnago awkward and uncomfortable.
Perhaps the same can be found on the OP’s bike?

[Paulatic]

i have an idea. I wrote a piece on how to fit your bike to your body. Why don't some of you people who are telling me I got it all wrong write out your way of doing it and I'll tell you where you are going wrong?

OK firstly I have never or will ever say you’ve got it all wrong. You haven’t and your guide, I hope, has helped no end of people.
I’m going to give you my thoughts and will happily, because it works for me, lay myself open to derision to a method I’ve never mentioned to anyone. Regarding the riding, with hands behind back, to get a balance point and take weight off hands. I've tried this method many times and it doesn’t matter if I’ve the saddle right back or fully forward I can hold that position without falling even an inch forward. I’m guessing stomach muscles, core strength, kick in. I’m 6’ tall 86Kg aged 71. I cannot find my balance point using that method.
Long before the internet came along I worked out my position on a bike during those long hours on Audax rides. When your mind has little else to think of you can channel your thoughts. Many a time I’d stop and fiddle with position and then monitor the results. I discovered balance point but had no idea it had a name or its significance. Only years later reading yours and many other peoples fitting guides can I see what was achieved.
My fitting guide:
Saddle height is definitely heel on pedal at lowest point. Heels on both pedals and pedal backwards with no stretching or rocking of hips.
Fore and aft and stem length.
I think this should carry a warning as it’s only for competent cyclists who can ride out of the saddle and with no hands
After you’ve been riding fifteen or twenty minutes find a nice straight gentle hill without traffic where you can roll down at a constant 10-12 mph.
Pedals at 9:15 now raise your bum a couple of inches off the saddle. Happy, now take your hands, a couple of inches, off the bars ensuring you hold that same shape you had whilst sitting. Note what happened. Your instinct will stop you falling off the bike did you have to correct falling forward or backwards? Or if you are balanced then you can hold that position easily and of course by now a rough bit of road is coming up. You’ll take hold of the bars and lower your bum into the saddle and your bum lands at exactly the right place. No shuffling back or forward to make it feel right.

[531colin]

That’s brilliant I shall give that a go.
To be fair, I can’t remember even trying to ride no hands and no saddle contact, but never too old to learn!
(I hope!!)

[slowster]

find a nice straight gentle hill without traffic where you can roll down at a constant 10-12 mph.

I'll give that a go the next time I'm out, but does not the fact that the bike is not horizontal skew the result? In other words the balance point will move back when the bike is pointing downhill?