Bike fit - advice to beginner

[katser123]

Hi I am relatively new to cycling, bought my first road bike in Aug (had heavy hybrid before). Just getting USED to different type of gears, tyres, seat position etc. Have been out 4 times this week, did a total of 100 miles, some rides VERY HILLY. The problem I have is, my legs don't ache but my neck and shoulders are burning. Am I not putting enough effort through my legs and, if so, how do I do this? I think something about my positioning is wrong. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

[Vorpal]

Maybe too much weight on your arms? It may seem counter-intuitive, but try putting your saddle back.

Otherwise, there is a rather lengthy thread on bike fit that may be helpful.

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=74985

[NUKe]

Do you ride onthe drops or the tops, it could just be your body getting used to the bike. varying your hand postion between tops, hoods and drops.

Another issue might be the bike fit. Is it it a full on race bike? or spotive type geometry, Sorry cant help further with out more information about you and the bike, but if you search bike fit on the forum, Colin and Brucey and many other have written some quite detailed information over the years, on bike fit.

If money is not an issue you can get a proffesional bike fit, which seem to sart from around 50 pounds up to around 150 for the full diagnostic type.

[TrevA]

Try raising your handlebars. You may be able to flip your stem - undo the front plate, remove handlebars, loosen the top nut and the nuts clamping the stem onto the fork steerer, remove stem, refit upside down and re-assemble. This may give you an extra 1-2cm of height and take the pressure off your hands and shoulders.

[Brucey]

what Vorpal said.....

Weight on arms leads to shoulder tension (as can a nervous, vice-like grip on the bars) and shoulder tension leads to neck tension. Your neck won't be used to what is asked of it anyway, but neck tension + any dehydration can lead to headaches.

Raising the bars will help but moving the saddle backwards is very much more powerful in terms of reducing weight on your arms.

Note also that the harder you push on the pedals, the more this takes weight off your arms.

So when you start out you may need the saddle well back; 'tis a pity that so many small/ladies frames don't offer enough adjustment in this regard.

cheers

[katser123]

Thanks for all your advice. My bike, by the way, is a Boardman Sportive racing bike (I am not very knowledgeable about bikes). It is a man's bike so I had to get a shorter stem and, of course, change the saddle. I am 5' 7 and at present, the saddle is slightly forward. I will try to move the saddle back. However, won't that mean that I will have to reach further forward to get to the gears and brakes? I also find it difficult to get into a 'severely' crouched racing style position, due to an arthritic hip, so need to try to adopt a more upright position which, I am told, should enable my breathing to be more efficient. Any help would be gratefully received. Thanks

[Paulatic]

You don't say what size bike you have.

A picture of you riding it could save a thousand words.

[gregoryoftours]

I'd try both moving the saddle back and flipping the stem. I don't know why but moving the saddle back has never really worked for me - what tends to happen is that I just end up sitting uncomfortably on the nose of the saddle instead of the wider part if I move it back. I don't know if that means that I've not set up other aspects of my riding position correctly.

[MikeF]

I'd try both moving the saddle back and flipping the stem. I don't know why but moving the saddle back has never really worked for me - what tends to happen is that I just end up sitting uncomfortably on the nose of the saddle instead of the wider part if I move it back. I don't know if that means that I've not set up other aspects of my riding position correctly.

Shorter stem or compact bars or both needed??

As for OP's neck and shoulders "burning". Not sure I quite understand that. I find every bike takes a bit of "getting used to". If it's very hilly perhaps lower gears are needed?

[531colin]

The saddle is too far forward.
If the height was set according to fashion, then its also too high.
The bars are too low, and too far forward.
I know you won't believe me, I'm just some silly old fart on an internet site....but read the last 2 articles here https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/articles/, and see if you believe him. If you only have the patience to read one bit, read the middle column of the first page of the second article**, and try the "hands off" test. "Bum for sitting on, torso for breathing, arms for steering".....quite so. Read here https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/bikefit/2011/08/ironman-triathlon-position-how-marketing-overcame-some-peoples-reality/ about exactly how supporting your torso on your arms inhibits your breathing.
Google "Tommy Simpson" and see that just a few years ago, world class professional athletes were using less aggressive riding positions than the fashionable arm of the cycle industry is now marketing to weekend recreational riders.

**note....I disregard the bit about using a spirit level to check the bike is level....around here, its necessary to ride on a slope from time to time.

[bryce]

Could the neck and shoulder pain be due to your muscles getting tired holding a cycling crouch? It's not a posture used much off a bike.

Check if you've much weight on your hands, just see how comfortable it is to hold the bars very lightly for a while. Moving your saddle back makes it possible to carry your weight through your legs and bottom while maintaining a low position. If the problem is too much weight on your hands, it'll help. If the problem is not being able to maintain a low cycling crouch then it'll make it worse.

Experiment with small adjustments and be systematic. Self fitting is about understanding how you react to being on a bike.

I improved my shoulder comfort by raising my saddle slightly, to make it spot on when climbing hard. Otherwise, I'd need to brace myself with my arms leading to tension. Try and remember or notice when things start to become uncomfortable before problems get created by compensating for the previous problem. Go for a ride when rested, and see where issues start.

I can maintain a much lower position now than I could when I started on a road bike. If I'd moved my seat back then it would have killed my neck, I just wasn't used to leaning forward while holding my head up to look down the road.

Sheldon Brown on pain and the myth of KOPs are also good.