Too much weight on hands....

[Bob in CT]

and I feel as if I keep pushing myself backward on my saddle. I have a new
Brooks saddle that is pointed slightly downward (say, by one increment).
I believe this is the set up I used to ride my racing bike for two
centuries two years ago, in addition to a bunch of additional miles. I
also rode last year, but sadly not much. I am not 100 percent sure that
this is the exact set up I had been using two years ago, as a while ago, I
went from a 130mm stem to a 110mm stem, but also installed a much wider
(say, 2 inches) handle bar. I cannot remember when I did that. The
original stem on my LeMond was 110mm. The Brooks saddle is back as far as
it can go.

When I ride, I feel as if I would like a longer stem (say, 120mm). I
currently have a 130mm and a 110mm stem, so I could put on the 130mm stem,
but I'd like to have some opinions as to what might cause too much weight
on my hands and the feeling that I need to push myself backwards. I'm
currently riding with my butt basically at the end of the saddle. Are too
much weight on the hands/pushing backwards because of too short a stem, a
saddle that's not parallel to the ground, a saddle that's not far enough
back, or some combination of these?

By the way, I googled "weight on hands fit bicycle" and found several
websites. One said that too much weight on the hands was caused by too
short a stem, while another said that the cause was too long a stem. So,
now I'm confused, as it feels to me that the stem could be longer. If I
put my hands on the ends of the hoods, for instance, I feel better.

--
Bob in CT

 

[gds]

On Apr 5, 8:52 am, "Bob in CT" <[email protected]> wrote:
> and I feel as if I keep pushing myself backward on my saddle. I have a new
> Brooks saddle that is pointed slightly downward (say, by one increment).
> I believe this is the set up I used to ride my racing bike for two
> centuries two years ago, in addition to a bunch of additional miles. I
> also rode last year, but sadly not much. I am not 100 percent sure that
> this is the exact set up I had been using two years ago, as a while ago, I
> went from a 130mm stem to a 110mm stem, but also installed a much wider
> (say, 2 inches) handle bar. I cannot remember when I did that. The
> original stem on my LeMond was 110mm. The Brooks saddle is back as far as
> it can go.
>
> When I ride, I feel as if I would like a longer stem (say, 120mm). I
> currently have a 130mm and a 110mm stem, so I could put on the 130mm stem,
> but I'd like to have some opinions as to what might cause too much weight
> on my hands and the feeling that I need to push myself backwards. I'm
> currently riding with my butt basically at the end of the saddle. Are too
> much weight on the hands/pushing backwards because of too short a stem, a
> saddle that's not parallel to the ground, a saddle that's not far enough
> back, or some combination of these?
>
> By the way, I googled "weight on hands fit bicycle" and found several
> websites. One said that too much weight on the hands was caused by too
> short a stem, while another said that the cause was too long a stem. So,
> now I'm confused, as it feels to me that the stem could be longer. If I
> put my hands on the ends of the hoods, for instance, I feel better.
>
> --
> Bob in CT

Seriously, it is really hard to diagnose and refit a bike on the web.
If you really want to solve the problem without a whole lot of trial
and error why not just go into a good bike shop and have the bike
refit to you? If the fitter is good that process will take ~30
minutes. And, at least around here, if you are a regular customer some
of the shops will do it for free; they figure you will be a better
future customer and they probablu get to sell you some stuff to make
the bike fit correct.

 

[Mike Kruger]

gds wrote:
>
> Seriously, it is really hard to diagnose and refit a bike on the web.
> If you really want to solve the problem without a whole lot of trial
> and error why not just go into a good bike shop and have the bike
> refit to you? If the fitter is good that process will take ~30
> minutes. And, at least around here, if you are a regular customer some
> of the shops will do it for free; they figure you will be a better
> future customer and they probablu get to sell you some stuff to make
> the bike fit correct.

A word of advice: You will get a much better reception at the deadest time
in the week, when they can either spend time with you or straighten the
merchandise and re-order.

 

[landotter]

On Apr 5, 10:52 am, "Bob in CT" <[email protected]> wrote:
> and I feel as if I keep pushing myself backward on my saddle. I have a new
> Brooks saddle that is pointed slightly downward (say, by one increment).

Hmm, pretty much everybody I know, me included, that have ridden
Brooks have liked them ever so slightly nose up for this reason.
Actually the rear area where you sit will be pretty much level with
the nose slightly up. Adjust so you're sitting just ahead of the
rivets, not the part where it starts to slope down. Of course, this
may be the worst advice in the world in your particular situation so
take it with a grain of salt.

 

[Sir Ridesalot]

On Apr 5, 11:52 am, "Bob in CT" <[email protected]> wrote:
> and I feel as if I keep pushing myself backward on my saddle. I have a new
> Brooks saddle that is pointed slightly downward (say, by one increment).
> I believe this is the set up I used to ride my racing bike for two
> centuries two years ago, in addition to a bunch of additional miles. I
> also rode last year, but sadly not much. I am not 100 percent sure that
> this is the exact set up I had been using two years ago, as a while ago, I
> went from a 130mm stem to a 110mm stem, but also installed a much wider
> (say, 2 inches) handle bar. I cannot remember when I did that. The
> original stem on my LeMond was 110mm. The Brooks saddle is back as far as
> it can go.
>
> When I ride, I feel as if I would like a longer stem (say, 120mm). I
> currently have a 130mm and a 110mm stem, so I could put on the 130mm stem,
> but I'd like to have some opinions as to what might cause too much weight
> on my hands and the feeling that I need to push myself backwards. I'm
> currently riding with my butt basically at the end of the saddle. Are too
> much weight on the hands/pushing backwards because of too short a stem, a
> saddle that's not parallel to the ground, a saddle that's not far enough
> back, or some combination of these?
>
> By the way, I googled "weight on hands fit bicycle" and found several
> websites. One said that too much weight on the hands was caused by too
> short a stem, while another said that the cause was too long a stem. So,
> now I'm confused, as it feels to me that the stem could be longer. If I
> put my hands on the ends of the hoods, for instance, I feel better.
>
> --
> Bob in CT

Hello there.

When you changed your stem did you by chance lower the handlebars?

I have an ancient Wright saddle which is similar to the Brooks. I too
find I need to have it set slightly nose up due to the fore-aft
curvature of the saddle.

Using a wind trainer or having some one hold the bike upright try
sitting upright an pedal (backwards if some one is holding the bike)
this should allow you to feel if you are leaning forward because of
incorrect saddle tilt. ie, you feel you need to hold the bars to
maintain your position.

Another thing. Where are your hands when you feel that yo have to push
back? If it is on the brake hoods it could be that your levers are
positioned too low on the bike if you are using drop bars.

I hope this helps.

 

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

"Bob in CT" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news[email protected]...
> and I feel as if I keep pushing myself backward on my saddle. I have a new
> Brooks saddle that is pointed slightly downward (say, by one increment).
> I believe this is the set up I used to ride my racing bike for two
> centuries two years ago, in addition to a bunch of additional miles. I
> also rode last year, but sadly not much. I am not 100 percent sure that
> this is the exact set up I had been using two years ago, as a while ago, I
> went from a 130mm stem to a 110mm stem, but also installed a much wider
> (say, 2 inches) handle bar. I cannot remember when I did that. The
> original stem on my LeMond was 110mm. The Brooks saddle is back as far as
> it can go.
>
> When I ride, I feel as if I would like a longer stem (say, 120mm). I
> currently have a 130mm and a 110mm stem, so I could put on the 130mm stem,
> but I'd like to have some opinions as to what might cause too much weight
> on my hands and the feeling that I need to push myself backwards. I'm
> currently riding with my butt basically at the end of the saddle. Are too
> much weight on the hands/pushing backwards because of too short a stem, a
> saddle that's not parallel to the ground, a saddle that's not far enough
> back, or some combination of these?

Level out the saddle. An even-slightly nose-down position on many, if not
most saddles, will cause exactly what you describe. You get the feeling the
stem's not long enough, too much pressure on the hands, and something you
didn't mention but usually comes with it, tense shoulders & neck. The issue
is that you're maintaining position on the saddle by pushing back from the
bars with your hands. Serious bad news. You want a neutral position on the
bike, where you expend zero energy being comfortable. No squirming around.

We get customers coming into the shop all the time with nose-down saddles.
First thing I ask them is if they're experiencing any neck or shoulder pain.
They'll often get quite defensive, wondering why I'm bringing that up and in
fact yes, they do experience such issues, how did I know? And I'll explain
the mechanics of saddle positioning, work on why they think they need it
nose-down (very often it's because the stem is too low rleative to the
saddle, and sometimes too long as well, but height is more typically the
reason... the larger drop is causing them to put too much pressure on the
front of the saddle, so they "solve" the problem by dropping the nose).

>
> By the way, I googled "weight on hands fit bicycle" and found several
> websites. One said that too much weight on the hands was caused by too
> short a stem, while another said that the cause was too long a stem. So,
> now I'm confused, as it feels to me that the stem could be longer. If I
> put my hands on the ends of the hoods, for instance, I feel better.

What size frame, how tall are you, and how much drop from the top of the
seat to the top of the bars?

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

 

[Tom Keats]

In article <[email protected]>,
"Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email protected]> writes:

>> When I ride, I feel as if I would like a longer stem (say, 120mm). I
>> currently have a 130mm and a 110mm stem, so I could put on the 130mm stem,
>> but I'd like to have some opinions as to what might cause too much weight
>> on my hands and the feeling that I need to push myself backwards. I'm
>> currently riding with my butt basically at the end of the saddle. Are too
>> much weight on the hands/pushing backwards because of too short a stem, a
>> saddle that's not parallel to the ground, a saddle that's not far enough
>> back, or some combination of these?
>
> Level out the saddle. An even-slightly nose-down position on many, if not
> most saddles, will cause exactly what you describe. You get the feeling the
> stem's not long enough, too much pressure on the hands, and something you
> didn't mention but usually comes with it, tense shoulders & neck. The issue
> is that you're maintaining position on the saddle by pushing back from the
> bars with your hands. Serious bad news. You want a neutral position on the
> bike, where you expend zero energy being comfortable. No squirming around.

I think you called it, Mike.

It often doesn't take much of an adjustment of saddle tilt
to make things right.

And with a lot of saddles, it's hard to determine their
levelness by eyeballing. So many saddle tops have complex
contours that obscure their actual angle -- upswept cantle
in the back, and downswept nose up front. Just because the
rails are level doesn't mean the top of the saddle is, too.


cheers,
Tom

--
Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

 

[Qui si parla Campagnolo]

On Apr 5, 9:52 am, "Bob in CT" <[email protected]> wrote:
> and I feel as if I keep pushing myself backward on my saddle. I have a new
> Brooks saddle that is pointed slightly downward (say, by one increment).
> I believe this is the set up I used to ride my racing bike for two
> centuries two years ago, in addition to a bunch of additional miles. I
> also rode last year, but sadly not much. I am not 100 percent sure that
> this is the exact set up I had been using two years ago, as a while ago, I
> went from a 130mm stem to a 110mm stem, but also installed a much wider
> (say, 2 inches) handle bar. I cannot remember when I did that. The
> original stem on my LeMond was 110mm. The Brooks saddle is back as far as
> it can go.
>
> When I ride, I feel as if I would like a longer stem (say, 120mm). I
> currently have a 130mm and a 110mm stem, so I could put on the 130mm stem,
> but I'd like to have some opinions as to what might cause too much weight
> on my hands and the feeling that I need to push myself backwards. I'm
> currently riding with my butt basically at the end of the saddle. Are too
> much weight on the hands/pushing backwards because of too short a stem, a
> saddle that's not parallel to the ground, a saddle that's not far enough
> back, or some combination of these?
>
> By the way, I googled "weight on hands fit bicycle" and found several
> websites. One said that too much weight on the hands was caused by too
> short a stem, while another said that the cause was too long a stem. So,
> now I'm confused, as it feels to me that the stem could be longer. If I
> put my hands on the ends of the hoods, for instance, I feel better.
>
> --
> Bob in CT

TRY-level saddle and move the saddle back a smidge..tough w/o seeing
you but...

 

[Bob in CT]

On Thu, 05 Apr 2007 12:45:58 -0400, gds <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Apr 5, 8:52 am, "Bob in CT" <[email protected]> wrote:
>> and I feel as if I keep pushing myself backward on my saddle. I have a
>> new
>> Brooks saddle that is pointed slightly downward (say, by one increment).
>> I believe this is the set up I used to ride my racing bike for two
>> centuries two years ago, in addition to a bunch of additional miles. I
>> also rode last year, but sadly not much. I am not 100 percent sure that
>> this is the exact set up I had been using two years ago, as a while
>> ago, I
>> went from a 130mm stem to a 110mm stem, but also installed a much wider
>> (say, 2 inches) handle bar. I cannot remember when I did that. The
>> original stem on my LeMond was 110mm. The Brooks saddle is back as far
>> as
>> it can go.
>>
>> When I ride, I feel as if I would like a longer stem (say, 120mm). I
>> currently have a 130mm and a 110mm stem, so I could put on the 130mm
>> stem,
>> but I'd like to have some opinions as to what might cause too much
>> weight
>> on my hands and the feeling that I need to push myself backwards. I'm
>> currently riding with my butt basically at the end of the saddle. Are
>> too
>> much weight on the hands/pushing backwards because of too short a stem,
>> a
>> saddle that's not parallel to the ground, a saddle that's not far enough
>> back, or some combination of these?
>>
>> By the way, I googled "weight on hands fit bicycle" and found several
>> websites. One said that too much weight on the hands was caused by too
>> short a stem, while another said that the cause was too long a stem.
>> So,
>> now I'm confused, as it feels to me that the stem could be longer. If I
>> put my hands on the ends of the hoods, for instance, I feel better.
>>
>> --
>> Bob in CT
>
> Seriously, it is really hard to diagnose and refit a bike on the web.
> If you really want to solve the problem without a whole lot of trial
> and error why not just go into a good bike shop and have the bike
> refit to you? If the fitter is good that process will take ~30
> minutes. And, at least around here, if you are a regular customer some
> of the shops will do it for free; they figure you will be a better
> future customer and they probablu get to sell you some stuff to make
> the bike fit correct.
>

You know, every time I've done this, they do a poor job. For instance, I
went to one bike shop that used the "fit kit". I hated that position.
Absolutely hated it. I pushed my saddle back, put the saddle down a tad,
and put a longer stem on. That rocked! The fit kit was abysmal.

--
Bob in CT

 

[[email protected]]

On Apr 5, 5:52 pm, "Bob in CT" <[email protected]> wrote:
> and I feel as if I keep pushing myself backward on my saddle. I have a new
> Brooks saddle that is pointed slightly downward (say, by one increment).
> I believe this is the set up I used to ride my racing bike for two
> centuries two years ago, in addition to a bunch of additional miles. I
> also rode last year, but sadly not much. I am not 100 percent sure that
> this is the exact set up I had been using two years ago, as a while ago, I
> went from a 130mm stem to a 110mm stem, but also installed a much wider
> (say, 2 inches) handle bar. I cannot remember when I did that. The
> original stem on my LeMond was 110mm. The Brooks saddle is back as far as
> it can go.
>
> When I ride, I feel as if I would like a longer stem (say, 120mm). I
> currently have a 130mm and a 110mm stem, so I could put on the 130mm stem,
> but I'd like to have some opinions as to what might cause too much weight
> on my hands and the feeling that I need to push myself backwards. I'm
> currently riding with my butt basically at the end of the saddle. Are too
> much weight on the hands/pushing backwards because of too short a stem, a
> saddle that's not parallel to the ground, a saddle that's not far enough
> back, or some combination of these?
>
> By the way, I googled "weight on hands fit bicycle" and found several
> websites. One said that too much weight on the hands was caused by too
> short a stem, while another said that the cause was too long a stem. So,
> now I'm confused, as it feels to me that the stem could be longer. If I
> put my hands on the ends of the hoods, for instance, I feel better.
>
> --
> Bob in CT

Are you big? I had a similar problem of not being able to find a
comfortable stem length. Sometimes I thought I wanted shorter, other
times longer. For me the issue was just fore-aft balance. I ended up
first working out a hip angle and arm-reach position I liked (yet way
too much weight on hands) and then rotated the whole setup backwards
by moving the seat back (way back) and down, and moving the bars up
and back. This kept the upper body position angles the way I like it,
but moved some weight from my hands to my butt. The nose of my saddle
is slighly up too, and this helps keep my butt where it should be.

If you feel like you want the saddle further back, but can't get it to
go there, maybe a set-back seatpost will do the trick.

Joseph

 

[gds]

On Apr 6, 6:02 am, "Bob in CT" <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Thu, 05 Apr 2007 12:45:58 -0400, gds <[email protected]> wrote:
> > On Apr 5, 8:52 am, "Bob in CT" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> and I feel as if I keep pushing myself backward on my saddle. I have a
> >> new
> >> Brooks saddle that is pointed slightly downward (say, by one increment).
> >> I believe this is the set up I used to ride my racing bike for two
> >> centuries two years ago, in addition to a bunch of additional miles. I
> >> also rode last year, but sadly not much. I am not 100 percent sure that
> >> this is the exact set up I had been using two years ago, as a while
> >> ago, I
> >> went from a 130mm stem to a 110mm stem, but also installed a much wider
> >> (say, 2 inches) handle bar. I cannot remember when I did that. The
> >> original stem on my LeMond was 110mm. The Brooks saddle is back as far
> >> as
> >> it can go.
>
> >> When I ride, I feel as if I would like a longer stem (say, 120mm). I
> >> currently have a 130mm and a 110mm stem, so I could put on the 130mm
> >> stem,
> >> but I'd like to have some opinions as to what might cause too much
> >> weight
> >> on my hands and the feeling that I need to push myself backwards. I'm
> >> currently riding with my butt basically at the end of the saddle. Are
> >> too
> >> much weight on the hands/pushing backwards because of too short a stem,
> >> a
> >> saddle that's not parallel to the ground, a saddle that's not far enough
> >> back, or some combination of these?
>
> >> By the way, I googled "weight on hands fit bicycle" and found several
> >> websites. One said that too much weight on the hands was caused by too
> >> short a stem, while another said that the cause was too long a stem.
> >> So,
> >> now I'm confused, as it feels to me that the stem could be longer. If I
> >> put my hands on the ends of the hoods, for instance, I feel better.
>
> >> --
> >> Bob in CT
>
> > Seriously, it is really hard to diagnose and refit a bike on the web.
> > If you really want to solve the problem without a whole lot of trial
> > and error why not just go into a good bike shop and have the bike
> > refit to you? If the fitter is good that process will take ~30
> > minutes. And, at least around here, if you are a regular customer some
> > of the shops will do it for free; they figure you will be a better
> > future customer and they probablu get to sell you some stuff to make
> > the bike fit correct.
>
> You know, every time I've done this, they do a poor job. For instance, I
> went to one bike shop that used the "fit kit". I hated that position.
> Absolutely hated it. I pushed my saddle back, put the saddle down a tad,
> and put a longer stem on. That rocked! The fit kit was abysmal.
>
> --
> Bob in CT- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I think the key is that you need to find a competent fitter. Whether
they se the formulaic Fit Kit, another system, or can do it simply by
eyeballing you the key is competence.
Where in Ct are you? I used to live in New Haven and if you are nearby
I can recommend a very good fitter.
Gary
BTW I agree with the comments about leveling the saddle, but I still
think it very hard to diagnose and prescribe off some text. You will
do much better having someone actually do a fit.

 

[Rick F.]

On 2007-04-06, Mike Jacoubowsky <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> Level out the saddle. An even-slightly nose-down position on many, if not
> most saddles, will cause exactly what you describe. You get the feeling the
> stem's not long enough, too much pressure on the hands, and something you
> didn't mention but usually comes with it, tense shoulders & neck. The issue
> is that you're maintaining position on the saddle by pushing back from the
> bars with your hands. Serious bad news. You want a neutral position on the
> bike, where you expend zero energy being comfortable. No squirming around.

Good info.. I went for a ride last weekend with my kids for the first time
in a LONG time and found that my hands were bothing me as well as my shoulders..
It didn't used to do that last time I rode -- however, I recently changed out
my seat from the stock seat and put a new one on.. Perhaps I've got an angle
issue as well.. Unfortunately, that's only one issue I've got to solve with
this bike -- I've got to do some serious PM on it -- way overdue.
Thanks for the tip! I might take the bike in for fitting as well once it's
cleaned up.

 

[The Historian]

On Apr 5, 11:25 pm, "Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email protected]> wrote:
> "Bob in CT" <[email protected]> wrote in messagenews[email protected]...
>
>
>
> > and I feel as if I keep pushing myself backward on my saddle. I have a new
> > Brooks saddle that is pointed slightly downward (say, by one increment).
> > I believe this is the set up I used to ride my racing bike for two
> > centuries two years ago, in addition to a bunch of additional miles. I
> > also rode last year, but sadly not much. I am not 100 percent sure that
> > this is the exact set up I had been using two years ago, as a while ago, I
> > went from a 130mm stem to a 110mm stem, but also installed a much wider
> > (say, 2 inches) handle bar. I cannot remember when I did that. The
> > original stem on my LeMond was 110mm. The Brooks saddle is back as far as
> > it can go.
>
> > When I ride, I feel as if I would like a longer stem (say, 120mm). I
> > currently have a 130mm and a 110mm stem, so I could put on the 130mm stem,
> > but I'd like to have some opinions as to what might cause too much weight
> > on my hands and the feeling that I need to push myself backwards. I'm
> > currently riding with my butt basically at the end of the saddle. Are too
> > much weight on the hands/pushing backwards because of too short a stem, a
> > saddle that's not parallel to the ground, a saddle that's not far enough
> > back, or some combination of these?
>
> Level out the saddle. An even-slightly nose-down position on many, if not
> most saddles, will cause exactly what you describe. You get the feeling the
> stem's not long enough, too much pressure on the hands, and something you
> didn't mention but usually comes with it, tense shoulders & neck. The issue
> is that you're maintaining position on the saddle by pushing back from the
> bars with your hands. Serious bad news. You want a neutral position on the
> bike, where you expend zero energy being comfortable. No squirming around.
>
> We get customers coming into the shop all the time with nose-down saddles.
> First thing I ask them is if they're experiencing any neck or shoulder pain.
> They'll often get quite defensive, wondering why I'm bringing that up and in
> fact yes, they do experience such issues, how did I know? And I'll explain
> the mechanics of saddle positioning, work on why they think they need it
> nose-down (very often it's because the stem is too low rleative to the
> saddle, and sometimes too long as well, but height is more typically the
> reason... the larger drop is causing them to put too much pressure on the
> front of the saddle, so they "solve" the problem by dropping the nose).
>
>
>
> > By the way, I googled "weight on hands fit bicycle" and found several
> > websites. One said that too much weight on the hands was caused by too
> > short a stem, while another said that the cause was too long a stem. So,
> > now I'm confused, as it feels to me that the stem could be longer. If I
> > put my hands on the ends of the hoods, for instance, I feel better.
>
> What size frame, how tall are you, and how much drop from the top of the
> seat to the top of the bars?
>
> --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycleswww.ChainReactionBicycles.com

Hi Mike,

I'll take advantage of your questions here. I posted about a numbness
problem in the, err, groin, two weeks ago. I had the saddle height
lowered, and purchased a new, wider saddle with a shorter nose. The
saddle nose is down a notch - level seems to put too much pressure on
the you-know-what. There's no recurrence of the numbness problem
below, but now I have pain in the shoulders and hands, and some
numbness in one of my hands during a ride. I'm riding a Trek
Navigator, 18 inch frame, with the handlebars in the highest position
- I have scoliosis and need to remain as upright as possible. Any
suggestions other than "don't ride" or "buy a bent"?

Neil
http://historian2wheels.blogspot.com/

 

[Bill Sornson]

The Historian wrote: {snip}

> ... ... ... I posted about a numbness
> problem in the, err, groin, two weeks ago. I had the saddle height
> lowered, and purchased a new, wider saddle with a shorter nose. The
> saddle nose is down a notch - level seems to put too much pressure on
> the you-know-what. There's no recurrence of the numbness problem
> below, but now I have pain in the shoulders and hands, and some
> numbness in one of my hands during a ride. I'm riding a Trek
> Navigator, 18 inch frame, with the handlebars in the highest position
> - I have scoliosis and need to remain as upright as possible. Any
> suggestions other than "don't ride" or "buy a bent"?

Buy a slightly higher stem, but first try rotating the handlebar "up" a bit
(raise the grip area with the rotation). Sounds like you're closing in on
the right setup...for now! (It can change as you gain fitness and
flexibility.)

Keep at it.

Bill S.

 

[nash]

"Bill Sornson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> The Historian wrote: {snip}
>
>> ... ... ... I posted about a numbness
>> problem in the, err, groin, two weeks ago. I had the saddle height
>> lowered, and purchased a new, wider saddle with a shorter nose. The
>> saddle nose is down a notch - level seems to put too much pressure on
>> the you-know-what. There's no recurrence of the numbness problem
>> below, but now I have pain in the shoulders and hands, and some
>> numbness in one of my hands during a ride. I'm riding a Trek
>> Navigator, 18 inch frame, with the handlebars in the highest position
>> - I have scoliosis and need to remain as upright as possible. Any
>> suggestions other than "don't ride" or "buy a bent"?
>
> Buy a slightly higher stem, but first try rotating the handlebar "up" a
> bit (raise the grip area with the rotation). Sounds like you're closing
> in on the right setup...for now! (It can change as you gain fitness and
> flexibility.)
>
> Keep at it.
>
> Bill S.
>

 

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

> I'll take advantage of your questions here. I posted about a numbness
> problem in the, err, groin, two weeks ago. I had the saddle height
> lowered, and purchased a new, wider saddle with a shorter nose. The
> saddle nose is down a notch - level seems to put too much pressure on
> the you-know-what. There's no recurrence of the numbness problem
> below, but now I have pain in the shoulders and hands, and some
> numbness in one of my hands during a ride. I'm riding a Trek
> Navigator, 18 inch frame, with the handlebars in the highest position
> - I have scoliosis and need to remain as upright as possible. Any
> suggestions other than "don't ride" or "buy a bent"?

Your saddle might actually be too soft, which causes it to drop in the
center, essentially raising the front up and increasing pressure in places
you'd rather it didn't.

But the first question to be asked is this- when you have the saddle level
(and it put too much pressure where you didn't want it), did your hands &
shoulders feel better? If so, the goal is going to be to find a saddle that
will allow you to ride with it level, and not have the pressure.

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


"The Historian" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Apr 5, 11:25 pm, "Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email protected]> wrote:
>> "Bob in CT" <[email protected]> wrote in
>> messagenews[email protected]...
>>
>>
>>
>> > and I feel as if I keep pushing myself backward on my saddle. I have a
>> > new
>> > Brooks saddle that is pointed slightly downward (say, by one
>> > increment).
>> > I believe this is the set up I used to ride my racing bike for two
>> > centuries two years ago, in addition to a bunch of additional miles. I
>> > also rode last year, but sadly not much. I am not 100 percent sure
>> > that
>> > this is the exact set up I had been using two years ago, as a while
>> > ago, I
>> > went from a 130mm stem to a 110mm stem, but also installed a much wider
>> > (say, 2 inches) handle bar. I cannot remember when I did that. The
>> > original stem on my LeMond was 110mm. The Brooks saddle is back as far
>> > as
>> > it can go.
>>
>> > When I ride, I feel as if I would like a longer stem (say, 120mm). I
>> > currently have a 130mm and a 110mm stem, so I could put on the 130mm
>> > stem,
>> > but I'd like to have some opinions as to what might cause too much
>> > weight
>> > on my hands and the feeling that I need to push myself backwards. I'm
>> > currently riding with my butt basically at the end of the saddle. Are
>> > too
>> > much weight on the hands/pushing backwards because of too short a stem,
>> > a
>> > saddle that's not parallel to the ground, a saddle that's not far
>> > enough
>> > back, or some combination of these?
>>
>> Level out the saddle. An even-slightly nose-down position on many, if not
>> most saddles, will cause exactly what you describe. You get the feeling
>> the
>> stem's not long enough, too much pressure on the hands, and something you
>> didn't mention but usually comes with it, tense shoulders & neck. The
>> issue
>> is that you're maintaining position on the saddle by pushing back from
>> the
>> bars with your hands. Serious bad news. You want a neutral position on
>> the
>> bike, where you expend zero energy being comfortable. No squirming
>> around.
>>
>> We get customers coming into the shop all the time with nose-down
>> saddles.
>> First thing I ask them is if they're experiencing any neck or shoulder
>> pain.
>> They'll often get quite defensive, wondering why I'm bringing that up and
>> in
>> fact yes, they do experience such issues, how did I know? And I'll
>> explain
>> the mechanics of saddle positioning, work on why they think they need it
>> nose-down (very often it's because the stem is too low rleative to the
>> saddle, and sometimes too long as well, but height is more typically the
>> reason... the larger drop is causing them to put too much pressure on the
>> front of the saddle, so they "solve" the problem by dropping the nose).
>>
>>
>>
>> > By the way, I googled "weight on hands fit bicycle" and found several
>> > websites. One said that too much weight on the hands was caused by too
>> > short a stem, while another said that the cause was too long a stem.
>> > So,
>> > now I'm confused, as it feels to me that the stem could be longer. If I
>> > put my hands on the ends of the hoods, for instance, I feel better.
>>
>> What size frame, how tall are you, and how much drop from the top of the
>> seat to the top of the bars?
>>
>> --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycleswww.ChainReactionBicycles.com
>
> Hi Mike,
>
> I'll take advantage of your questions here. I posted about a numbness
> problem in the, err, groin, two weeks ago. I had the saddle height
> lowered, and purchased a new, wider saddle with a shorter nose. The
> saddle nose is down a notch - level seems to put too much pressure on
> the you-know-what. There's no recurrence of the numbness problem
> below, but now I have pain in the shoulders and hands, and some
> numbness in one of my hands during a ride. I'm riding a Trek
> Navigator, 18 inch frame, with the handlebars in the highest position
> - I have scoliosis and need to remain as upright as possible. Any
> suggestions other than "don't ride" or "buy a bent"?
>
> Neil
> http://historian2wheels.blogspot.com/
>

 

[The Historian]

On Apr 12, 11:42 pm, "Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email protected]> wrote:
> > I'll take advantage of your questions here. I posted about a numbness
> > problem in the, err, groin, two weeks ago. I had the saddle height
> > lowered, and purchased a new, wider saddle with a shorter nose. The
> > saddle nose is down a notch - level seems to put too much pressure on
> > the you-know-what. There's no recurrence of the numbness problem
> > below, but now I have pain in the shoulders and hands, and some
> > numbness in one of my hands during a ride. I'm riding a Trek
> > Navigator, 18 inch frame, with the handlebars in the highest position
> > - I have scoliosis and need to remain as upright as possible. Any
> > suggestions other than "don't ride" or "buy a bent"?
>
> Your saddle might actually be too soft, which causes it to drop in the
> center, essentially raising the front up and increasing pressure in places
> you'd rather it didn't.

Here's the saddle:

http://www.serfas.com/comfort_saddles/DD-HY.shtml

We tried two others, with cutouts, but they were entirely too narrow
in the back. I didn't feel supported.

> But the first question to be asked is this- when you have the saddle level
> (and it put too much pressure where you didn't want it), did your hands &
> shoulders feel better?

Yes, although I can't be sure since I only 'test rode' the saddle for
a few minutes in the level position. And I do get strain in my upper
back on the bike anyway, simply because I am a new rider and not used
to working those muscles. (The pain riding is different from the pain
I get using a computer for long periods, so I believe it's not related
to my scoliosis.) The numbness in my hands, however, alarms me. Almost
as much as the numbness in my, you know.

If so, the goal is going to be to find a saddle that
> will allow you to ride with it level, and not have the pressure.
>
> --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycleswww.ChainReactionBicycles.com
>
> "The Historian" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> news:[email protected]...
>
> > On Apr 5, 11:25 pm, "Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> "Bob in CT" <[email protected]> wrote in
> >> messagenews[email protected]...
>
> >> > and I feel as if I keep pushing myself backward on my saddle. I have a
> >> > new
> >> > Brooks saddle that is pointed slightly downward (say, by one
> >> > increment).
> >> > I believe this is the set up I used to ride my racing bike for two
> >> > centuries two years ago, in addition to a bunch of additional miles. I
> >> > also rode last year, but sadly not much. I am not 100 percent sure
> >> > that
> >> > this is the exact set up I had been using two years ago, as a while
> >> > ago, I
> >> > went from a 130mm stem to a 110mm stem, but also installed a much wider
> >> > (say, 2 inches) handle bar. I cannot remember when I did that. The
> >> > original stem on my LeMond was 110mm. The Brooks saddle is back as far
> >> > as
> >> > it can go.
>
> >> > When I ride, I feel as if I would like a longer stem (say, 120mm). I
> >> > currently have a 130mm and a 110mm stem, so I could put on the 130mm
> >> > stem,
> >> > but I'd like to have some opinions as to what might cause too much
> >> > weight
> >> > on my hands and the feeling that I need to push myself backwards. I'm
> >> > currently riding with my butt basically at the end of the saddle. Are
> >> > too
> >> > much weight on the hands/pushing backwards because of too short a stem,
> >> > a
> >> > saddle that's not parallel to the ground, a saddle that's not far
> >> > enough
> >> > back, or some combination of these?
>
> >> Level out the saddle. An even-slightly nose-down position on many, if not
> >> most saddles, will cause exactly what you describe. You get the feeling
> >> the
> >> stem's not long enough, too much pressure on the hands, and something you
> >> didn't mention but usually comes with it, tense shoulders & neck. The
> >> issue
> >> is that you're maintaining position on the saddle by pushing back from
> >> the
> >> bars with your hands. Serious bad news. You want a neutral position on
> >> the
> >> bike, where you expend zero energy being comfortable. No squirming
> >> around.
>
> >> We get customers coming into the shop all the time with nose-down
> >> saddles.
> >> First thing I ask them is if they're experiencing any neck or shoulder
> >> pain.
> >> They'll often get quite defensive, wondering why I'm bringing that up and
> >> in
> >> fact yes, they do experience such issues, how did I know? And I'll
> >> explain
> >> the mechanics of saddle positioning, work on why they think they need it
> >> nose-down (very often it's because the stem is too low rleative to the
> >> saddle, and sometimes too long as well, but height is more typically the
> >> reason... the larger drop is causing them to put too much pressure on the
> >> front of the saddle, so they "solve" the problem by dropping the nose).
>
> >> > By the way, I googled "weight on hands fit bicycle" and found several
> >> > websites. One said that too much weight on the hands was caused by too
> >> > short a stem, while another said that the cause was too long a stem.
> >> > So,
> >> > now I'm confused, as it feels to me that the stem could be longer. If I
> >> > put my hands on the ends of the hoods, for instance, I feel better.
>
> >> What size frame, how tall are you, and how much drop from the top of the
> >> seat to the top of the bars?
>
> >> --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycleswww.ChainReactionBicycles.com
>
> > Hi Mike,
>
> > I'll take advantage of your questions here. I posted about a numbness
> > problem in the, err, groin, two weeks ago. I had the saddle height
> > lowered, and purchased a new, wider saddle with a shorter nose. The
> > saddle nose is down a notch - level seems to put too much pressure on
> > the you-know-what. There's no recurrence of the numbness problem
> > below, but now I have pain in the shoulders and hands, and some
> > numbness in one of my hands during a ride. I'm riding a Trek
> > Navigator, 18 inch frame, with the handlebars in the highest position
> > - I have scoliosis and need to remain as upright as possible. Any
> > suggestions other than "don't ride" or "buy a bent"?
>
> > Neil
> >http://historian2wheels.blogspot.com/

 

[di]

"The Historian" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Apr 12, 11:42 pm, "Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email protected]> wrote:
>> > I'll take advantage of your questions here. I posted about a numbness
>> > problem in the, err, groin, two weeks ago. I had the saddle height
>> > lowered, and purchased a new, wider saddle with a shorter nose. The
>> > saddle nose is down a notch - level seems to put too much pressure on
>> > the you-know-what. There's no recurrence of the numbness problem
>> > below, but now I have pain in the shoulders and hands, and some
>> > numbness in one of my hands during a ride. I'm riding a Trek
>> > Navigator, 18 inch frame, with the handlebars in the highest position
>> > - I have scoliosis and need to remain as upright as possible. Any
>> > suggestions other than "don't ride" or "buy a bent"?
>>
>> Your saddle might actually be too soft, which causes it to drop in the
>> center, essentially raising the front up and increasing pressure in
>> places
>> you'd rather it didn't.
>
> Here's the saddle:
>
> http://www.serfas.com/comfort_saddles/DD-HY.shtml
>
> We tried two others, with cutouts, but they were entirely too narrow
> in the back. I didn't feel supported.
>
>> But the first question to be asked is this- when you have the saddle
>> level
>> (and it put too much pressure where you didn't want it), did your hands &
>> shoulders feel better?
>
> Yes, although I can't be sure since I only 'test rode' the saddle for
> a few minutes in the level position. And I do get strain in my upper
> back on the bike anyway, simply because I am a new rider and not used
> to working those muscles. (The pain riding is different from the pain
> I get using a computer for long periods, so I believe it's not related
> to my scoliosis.) The numbness in my hands, however, alarms me. Almost
> as much as the numbness in my, you know.
>>
>> "The Historian" <[email protected]> wrote in message

I have one of these saddles on one of my bikes, I think it's very
comfortable but I do have a tendicy to slide forward on it. I recently have
had prostate surgery and thought it would help to get back on the bike a
little faster than a hard narrow saddle would. For your hand problems,
have you tried some of the oversized soft handlebar grips? I assume you
havc twist shifters so using them may be a problem, but for a trial you may
try to put some of the foam pipe insulation found at hardware stores over
your non-twist part of your grips to see if larger, softer grips would help.
Also, are you wearing good bike gloves?