Why is this bike uncomfortable to ride?

[thevillagebike]

Hello everyone, thanks for the warm welcome to the forums. Am hoping to get some advice here. Have come back to cycling after four years away to enable me to get around faster. I just purchased a women's mountain bike:

OPTIMA - SOLANO

I bought the 19 inch frame (as recommended to me by the shop assistant - who was very helpful). I am 5'4'' with an inside leg of 30 in.

I should add I have a 3 year old on a seat on the back of the bike, so the extra weight could affect things..

Anyway have had the bike 4 days. this is the problem i'm having:

I am not getting enough leg extension when pedalling. When my foot is at the lowest pedal position my leg is nowhere near "almost straight", hence am not getting enough power when going uphill and cycling is more awkward. I can really feel it as cargo is heavy! I know the usual solution to this is to move the saddle up but it is as high as it will go with the VERY tips of my toes being able to reach the floor. I can honestly barely get on it even at this height, let alone higher.

As a result my knee joints are burning and hurting during and after a cycle. Admittedly I am probably taking things a little fast. Where I live is only 2 miles to town but it's up and down steep hills all the way.

If anyone has any tips on what I can do to the bike, or how i can change my cycling technique to incorporate the lack of leg extension, I would love to hear them. It is a strong sturdy bike, great in other ways. Would it be better to move the saddle up an inch even if I can then not touch the ground at all when sitting on it?

Thank you! Look forward to your advice.

 

[Scotty_Dog]

I find it very hard to believe that a 19" bike is the correct size for someone who is 5'4". Given your height and inseam, I would guess the 15" bike is much more appropriate. Did you purchase the bike at a bike shop? Were you properly fitted for the bike? Can you return the bike for a different size? Here is an online sizing guide to quickly determine your proper size: The Colorado Cyclist: Bike Fit

That being said, what you're describing seems to indicate that your saddle is too low. The saddle should be high enough when pedaling so your leg is almost fully extended on your down stroke. You should not be able to touch the ground while sitting on the saddle. When you need to tough the ground, simply slip forward off the front of the saddle or lean the bike over to touch the ground.

 

[jhuskey]

Wow, a 19" for a person 5'4"! Something sounds way off. You would need to be 5'9" or better for that bike to fit. At least from what I know about MTB's.
I advise getting a second opinion from another shop or someone with some reliable knowledge in your area that can look that frame over.

 

[thevillagebike]

Hello again,

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer. I very much appreciate it.

I did go back to the shop saying the bike felt too big. However I was told that if I was to swap it for the 17 inch bike I would have to move the saddle height so high to get the correct leg extension, that I still wouldn't be able to get on the seat. I was told that the 15 inch one is for teens. Furthermore, the saddle would be further above the handlebars, which are lower on the 17 inch one, giving me an even more uncomfortable riding position!
Is it ever possible to get correct saddle height AND leg extension?

As you may have guessed, I know little about bikes except I feel more comfortable on the smaller ones I've had in the past, being able to touch the ground on tiptoes when on the saddle. Is this really so bad..... people say I should slide forward off the saddle but I honestly cannot do this, something more like a jump is required as it's so high!

I am actually just under 5'4'' ...

BTW there are no other shops for 50 miles which do bikes..!

 

[jagonz456]

if you are 5'4 there is no way you can be riding a size 19 bike that is totally off. I agree you should look at a size 15 I would ask to speak to the manager or a more senior person in the store. It sounds like this bike shop wants to get rid of that 19inch bike was it on clearance. I would get my money back you are never going to be comfortable with that bike its too big. I wouldn't trust any store that tries to push off old inventory. get your money back and drive the 50 miles to another bike shop.

 

[thevillagebike]

Hey. Thank you for your advice. The man who sold me the bike owns the store; it is a small independent business and he has a lot of experience. It wasn't on clearance, the opposite! I cannot drive anywhere else as I don't have a car unfortunately.

Problem is he kindly fixed the child seat to it for me and I feel bad asking him to fit it to the other bike instead as he sawed the reflector off to do so and put it in a diff place; also I have offered to pay for damage to the bike (not that it's damaged, but i have been using it for a few days) if I do swap it.

Your post has really made me look at things in a different light; thank you very much!

 

[64Paramount]

Yes, I would agree with the others that the bike you have is too big for you.

You should be able to stand over the bike ( feet on the ground just in front of the seat, one foot on each side of the frame ) and put one foot on a pedal, then push off with the other foot and easily move to a sitting position on the bike while starting to pedal. If that bike fits you correctly, that transition from standing on the ground to sitting on the bike should be very very easy.

And just the reverse when you want to dismount.

My Missus is 5'4" and we bought her a 15" Trek Navigator mountain bike, and it is very comfortable and easy for her to ride.

I'm 5'10" and I can raise the seat on her bike very easily ( it has one of those quick release adjustment clamps ) and it's very comfortable for me as well. I don't know what her in-seam measurement is, but mine is 33".

I don't think that bike shop is doing a very good job on fitting you correctly...

 

[jagonz456]

this keeps sounding like a bizzaro bike shop why would he need to saw off a reflector. In my 36 years on this earth all the reflector that i have ever seen on bikes are clamped on with one screw. I don't know why you need a saw. but just going by the info you gave me getting your money back is your best choice no matter how nice he is. 19 inches is not the rite size bike for you and you are never going to be happy with that bike. Bike fit is the most important thing when buying a new bike. its like shoes if your a size 8 and i tell you to run in a size 10 your going to have pain and hurt yourself. Please get your money back use public transportation to get you to another bike shop.

 

[thevillagebike]

64Paramount - very good point. I am all over the place trying to get on the saddle, which is ok when I'm just in my garden but today I was on a busy road, had pushed the bike up a hill, and I looked drunk, I was rocking all over the place just trying to get the bike going. I suspect it should be easier, given what you said.

Cheers again Jagonz. You seem to know your stuff, I didn't realise that about the reflector. I think I'll take everyone's advice and take this one back. Do you think it's worth my while just taking a smaller model as I'd prefer to do so - getting another bike home is pretty much impossible from a shop further afield and it's good to have someone nearby who will service it if needs be! And the bike, as I said, is fab apart from the fit!

 

[64Paramount]

I'm sure you already know this, but just to clarify.....when you are riding along and you see you will need to stop it's important that you shift into a gear that is easy to start in.

I say this because I've been riding for many years, but sometimes I'm riding pretty fast in a high gear and a traffic light ahead turns red, so I slow down and stop.......but, I forget to change to a lower (easier ) gear.

So when the light turns green I take off struggling to gain speed because I'm in too high of a gear, and I get that wobbling around lurchy start that's awkward and hurts my legs.

I try to remind myself, shifting gears on a bike is a lot like shifting a manual tranmission on a car.

You wouldn't start out at a stoplight in 4th gear on a car, you'd start out in first gear.

In a car you can sit still at the stop light and change into 1st gear, but you can't do that on a bike.

You have to change gears while you are moving on a bike, so it makes it important to plan ahead and down shift to easier gears before you come to a complete stop.

That way you'll be in an appropriate start up gear when you take off again and it would be even more important if you are carrying the additional weight of your child.

 

[thevillagebike]

Cheers Paramount!! Valuable advice. Shamefully I actually didn't know this. I'm not a driver so where gears are concerned it's all guesswork - in fact before I came on here I was just using any gear that the bike didn't rattle in. On the plus side, not being a driver makes me a lot more scared of cars so I always err on the side of caution. Things like traffic lights are tricky to understand though, especially at a busy crossroads the drivers get frustrated as i don't know when to set off, as well as wobbling. I actually have to stand on the kerb to get on the seat...

 

[64Paramount]

Don't feel bad that you don't know things about riding a bike, we all had to be taught by someone.

I see the people at my local bike shop out in the parking lot helping customers to understand how the bike gears work, etc all the time. They're great people.

It sounds to me like you are trying to be on the bike seat when you first take off. I can't do that on either of my 2 bikes without leaning waaay over to one side which is awkward because the seat is too high. And it would be even harder to that with a child behind me.

I think you need to find a quiet parking lot somewhere to practice starting and stopping.

You should be able to start without a curb by straddling the bike with both feet on the ground ( you're standing just in front of the seat ), then put one foot on a peddle, push forward with the other foot to start the bike rolling and then move that foot to it's pedal..while that's happening you just stand up on the pedals and sit down on the seat. Just one smooth motion..

It sounds complicated when I read what I've written, but if someone showed you in person, it would seem a very simple thing that just needs practice.

If you learn to take off that way and make sure you are in a gear that is easy to start in, then you'll be much smoother; the bike won't tend to wobble at first because it is already verticle and it will be easy to peddle because of the gear you are starting in.

Some of the other folks on here could probably explain this stuff better than me...

 

[thevillagebike]

Thanks yet again Para, you're very patient with me, will heed your advice. I hadn't even considered getting on like that, I always make sure I'm nice and comfy in the seat then "take off". LOL that's probably the wrong phrase. have booked myself onto a cycling proficiency course today as speaking to you guys made me realise I probably need it!

 

[rparedes]

Hello again,

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer. I very much appreciate it.

I did go back to the shop saying the bike felt too big. However I was told that if I was to swap it for the 17 inch bike I would have to move the saddle height so high to get the correct leg extension, that I still wouldn't be able to get on the seat. I was told that the 15 inch one is for teens. Furthermore, the saddle would be further above the handlebars, which are lower on the 17 inch one, giving me an even more uncomfortable riding position!
Is it ever possible to get correct saddle height AND leg extension?

As you may have guessed, I know little about bikes except I feel more comfortable on the smaller ones I've had in the past, being able to touch the ground on tiptoes when on the saddle. Is this really so bad..... people say I should slide forward off the saddle but I honestly cannot do this, something more like a jump is required as it's so high!

I am actually just under 5'4'' ...

BTW there are no other shops for 50 miles which do bikes..!

You are not supposed to be able to touch the ground when you are on the saddle.
see the video here: getting on and off the bike
Bicycle Technique: Starting and Stopping
Saddle is set by extension of leg (at bottom of stroke) when you are pedaling on the saddle