Bike Fit

Quoted message said:

But, I've got a new discomfort in my wrists that wasn't there before I
changed the stem and lowered the bars. The previous set up had the
bars as high as they could go and since the shorter stem doesn't have
as much rise there isn't a whole lot I can do about raising them.

Is your saddle level? Best to actually check it with a real live bubble
level; sometimes it's tough to do by eye.

Also, a very big issue on fit for women, and one that is frequently ignored
or forgotten about, is the shape of the bars. Try something with as short a
forward reach and small a drop as possible. It could make a really big
difference. Consider what happens when you shorten the forward reach by 2cm.
You're bringing in the brake levers the same amount as if you shortened the
stem, but doing so without bringing the top (center) part of the handlebar
in so close that it's almost not usable.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

"Marian" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Since my current bike is lots smaller than last year's bike and ever
so much more comfortable I was surprised at first to discover that it
is still too big. But it is indeed too big. I discovered this
because I've been talking with Mark about buying a Habanero and
somewhere in the course of the discussion full measurements were taken
of both myself and my current bike.

Because of this I changed the 9cm stem for one much shorter today.
I'm guessing about 4cm but I don't have a measuring tape handy.

I can go down on the drops and stay there. I didn't used to be able
to do that before.
And I'm comfortable riding on the brake hoods. I like this.

But, I've got a new discomfort in my wrists that wasn't there before I
changed the stem and lowered the bars. The previous set up had the
bars as high as they could go and since the shorter stem doesn't have
as much rise there isn't a whole lot I can do about raising them.

I'm not sure I'd call the discomfort pain but it is well uncomfortable
and it feels like it could develop into pain. I've got it in both
wrists too. Any suggestions on how I can tweak the bike to fix this
problem?

-M

On Tue, 24 Apr 2007 17:29:20 GMT, "Mike Jacoubowsky"
<[email hidden]> wrote:

[snip]

Quoted message said:

Is your saddle level? Best to actually check it with a real live bubble
level; sometimes it's tough to do by eye.

[snip]

Dear Mike,

Should the saddle be adjusted as the tires wear?

The rear tire usually wears faster than the front, which can cause
that bubble-leveled thing on top of the seat-post to tip to the rear.

Sometimes it's tough to see this tilt.

🙂

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Tue, 24 Apr 2007 17:29:20 GMT, "Mike Jacoubowsky"
<[email hidden]> wrote:

[snip]

Quoted message said:

Is your saddle level? Best to actually check it with a real live bubble
level; sometimes it's tough to do by eye.

[snip]

Dear Mike,

Should the saddle be adjusted as the tires wear?

The rear tire usually wears faster than the front, which can cause
that bubble-leveled thing on top of the seat-post to tip to the rear.

Sometimes it's tough to see this tilt.

🙂

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

If I'm not mistaken Carl, by what you described above, the bubble-level
should tilt (tip) to the front.
-tom

Tom Nakashima said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Tue, 24 Apr 2007 17:29:20 GMT, "Mike Jacoubowsky"
<[email hidden]> wrote:

[snip]

Quoted message said:

Is your saddle level? Best to actually check it with a real live bubble
level; sometimes it's tough to do by eye.

[snip]

Dear Mike,

Should the saddle be adjusted as the tires wear?

The rear tire usually wears faster than the front, which can cause
that bubble-leveled thing on top of the seat-post to tip to the rear.

Sometimes it's tough to see this tilt.

🙂

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

If I'm not mistaken Carl, by what you described above, the bubble-level
should tilt (tip) to the front.
-tom

Dear Tom,

We may just be misunderstanding each other.

If the rear tire wears more, then the rear axle drops and a marble on
the seat will roll down toward the rear tire.

But the _bubble_ inside a bubble-level laid on the seat would rise
toward the front of the bike. You could say that the front of the seat
is tilted up and the rear of the seat is tilted down.

The bubble would rise because "the bubble-leveled thing on top of the
seat-post"--

(That "thing" is the saddle to Mike and the seat to me, not the
bubble-level or the bubble itself.)

--is tilting (tipping) down toward the back.

A theoretical bubble is not quite as small as the missing decimal
point over which debate is raging in another current thread, but I
think that we can both pride ourselves on pursuing a subject suitable
for a rainy day.

🙂

I've done my level best to explain what I think would happen, but I'm
open to correction.

Hope your weather's better than mine!

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
The rear tire usually wears faster than the front, which can cause
that bubble-leveled thing on top of the seat-post to tip to the rear.
Sometimes it's tough to see this tilt.
Cheers,
Carl Fogel

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

If I'm not mistaken Carl, by what you described above, the bubble-level
should tilt (tip) to the front.
-tom

Quoted message said:

<[email hidden]
Dear Tom,
If the rear tire wears more, then the rear axle drops...
But the _bubble_ inside a bubble-level laid on the seat would rise
toward the front of the bike.

Dear Carl,
that's all I wanted to hear, and glad you agree.
-tom

Marian said:

Since my current bike is lots smaller than last year's bike and ever
so much more comfortable I was surprised at first to discover that it
is still too big. But it is indeed too big. I discovered this
because I've been talking with Mark about buying a Habanero and
somewhere in the course of the discussion full measurements were taken
of both myself and my current bike.

Because of this I changed the 9cm stem for one much shorter today.
I'm guessing about 4cm but I don't have a measuring tape handy.

I can go down on the drops and stay there. I didn't used to be able
to do that before.
And I'm comfortable riding on the brake hoods. I like this.

But, I've got a new discomfort in my wrists that wasn't there before I
changed the stem and lowered the bars. The previous set up had the
bars as high as they could go and since the shorter stem doesn't have
as much rise there isn't a whole lot I can do about raising them.

I'm not sure I'd call the discomfort pain but it is well uncomfortable
and it feels like it could develop into pain. I've got it in both
wrists too. Any suggestions on how I can tweak the bike to fix this
problem?

-M

Don't stay in the drops, at least not until it starts to improve. You
may have to shift your weight to your saddle by moving the bars
closer, or highter. Spend time riding no-hands -- nohands uphill is a
good drill. I see you've done that (move bars); wait for that change
to take effect. Try to use your lower back to hold your torso up,
rather than putting all your upper body weight on the bars. Force
yourself to move your hand position before you start to feel the
discomfort. Try to invent new ways to hold onto the bars. Take up
pilates to help yourself maintain a healthy posture on the bike, using
your "core". Got a good book on "core" exercises. Force yourself to
spend more time on the top of the bars just holding on with your
fingers enough to steer the bike. STart doing separate lower back
stengthening exercises, like crunches.

I suffered horribly with right shoulder pain to the point I couldn't
sleep on my right side for more than 1/2 year, yet I rode on. If
things start to deteriorate take drastic steps, including time off the
bike, or on different types of bikes, or else you may be off it for a
while. I wasted tons of money on a chiropractor, but eventually
completely fixed it with the above recommendations, and a lot of
experimenting with fit issues, and paying for a fit and getting advice
from experienced people. Force yourself to use the good side too, if
one side hurts more than the other.

Bill Westphal said:

Marian said:

Since my current bike is lots smaller than last year's bike and ever
so much more comfortable I was surprised at first to discover that it
is still too big. But it is indeed too big. I discovered this
because I've been talking with Mark about buying a Habanero and
somewhere in the course of the discussion full measurements were taken
of both myself and my current bike.

Quoted message said:

Because of this I changed the 9cm stem for one much shorter today.
I'm guessing about 4cm but I don't have a measuring tape handy.

Quoted message said:

I can go down on the drops and stay there. I didn't used to be able
to do that before.
And I'm comfortable riding on the brake hoods. I like this.

Quoted message said:

But, I've got a new discomfort in my wrists that wasn't there before I
changed the stem and lowered the bars. The previous set up had the
bars as high as they could go and since the shorter stem doesn't have
as much rise there isn't a whole lot I can do about raising them.

Quoted message said:

I'm not sure I'd call the discomfort pain but it is well uncomfortable
and it feels like it could develop into pain. I've got it in both
wrists too. Any suggestions on how I can tweak the bike to fix this
problem?

Quoted message said:

-M

Don't stay in the drops, at least not until it starts to improve. You

It's amazing what being just a little bit off can do pain wise. The
bars weren't straight.

I'm now about 180km into the new set up and so far so good. Got to
get used to the number of new positions available to me that were
really only theoretical before. Still not entirely sure my wrists are
100% happy with the new position.

Quoted message said:

may have to shift your weight to your saddle by moving the bars
closer, or highter. Spend time riding no-hands -- nohands uphill is a
good drill. I see you've done that (move bars); wait for that change
to take effect. Try to use your lower back to hold your torso up,
rather than putting all your upper body weight on the bars. Force
yourself to move your hand position before you start to feel the
discomfort. Try to invent new ways to hold onto the bars. Take up

Got lots of new ways to hold the bars. Like actually resting on the
brake hoods for long periods of time. I _finally_ understand why
brifters (which this bike doesn't have) are supposed to be more
convenient than downtube shifters.

Quoted message said:

pilates to help yourself maintain a healthy posture on the bike, using
your "core". Got a good book on "core" exercises. Force yourself to
spend more time on the top of the bars just holding on with your
fingers enough to steer the bike. STart doing separate lower back
stengthening exercises, like crunches.

I suffered horribly with right shoulder pain to the point I couldn't
sleep on my right side for more than 1/2 year, yet I rode on. If
things start to deteriorate take drastic steps, including time off the
bike, or on different types of bikes, or else you may be off it for a

I've never been uncomfortable on my bike. Merely that people keep
suggesting that I bring the bars closer and get a smaller bike and a
still smaller one and every time I change I go through a period of
adjustment before deciding that the experts were right.

-M