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Bike Fit Gurus - Need your help again
BY: darbaugh on 2009-07-16 8:35 AM
After my manhood went numb for a few weeks i decided i needed a new saddle, i went with an adamo road. too eager to get it on the bike, i neglected to take measurements on how i was set up with my old saddle. i'm having a very hard time getting everything set up now, i have about 500 miles on the saddle, and have tried adjustments pretty much every ride. the way it is set up now: my low back doesn't hurt after like 25 miles like it did (which is important for me), but my lower quads feel like they are doing all of the work, and get very sore, my shoulders also get fatigued easily. i've been riding like this for about 2 weeks, and i've developed terrible saddle sores for the first time. i also feel like i cannot generate adequate power, particularly while going uphill.
any feed back on my current position would be greatly appreciated, i'm trying to get everything dialed in for my race on saturday.
stationary picture:
picture of me pedaling (tried to get bottom of pedal stroke)
here is also a video clip of me on the trainer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIjMEFYUnsw
thanks! -
RE: Bike Fit Gurus - Need your help again
BY: KenD on 2009-07-16 10:59 AM
I'm not a bike fit guru, but I do own an Adamo road saddle. It looks like you're too far forward on the saddle. According to the fit video (link) there should be ~1 1/2 to 2 inches of saddle exposed at the rear. There appears to be more than that with you. I would guess you need to move the saddle forward to achieve this and still maintain your current position (or sit further back but I'm guessing that wouldn't be comfortable on your back).
Let us know how it goes.
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Keep Moving Forward
mrbrad - Bottom line: train - more, better, smarter.
Ron - "Crazy" does not mean "impossible". Sometimes "crazy" is what gets things done.
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RE: Bike Fit Gurus - Need your help again
BY: darbaugh on 2009-07-16 1:33 PM
thanks for the tip, i'll try sitting further back on it, might need to zip tie the prongs together -
RE: Bike Fit Gurus - Need your help again
BY: jrm on 2009-07-16 6:16 PM
I would move the seat forward so you are more on your sitbones and get a shorter stem so you won't be so stretched out.
John. -
RE: Bike Fit Gurus - Need your help again
BY: Daremo on 2009-07-16 8:12 PM
You do NOT need a shorter stem. You are already to closed in with the pedaling picture.
You need to sit back in the saddle and without looking at the bike by itself I am willing to put a few bucks down that the seat is angled downward slightly which is what is causing you to slide forward so much. I don't what the "literature" says from the manufacturer, a saddle should never be below level.
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Rick
Blunt, matter of fact and opinionated. Deal with it.
'10 races (registered) - Columbia Tri, South Carroll Sprint
Proud to be a '10 Gu Ambassador -
RE: Bike Fit Gurus - Need your help again
BY: Experior on 2009-07-16 8:25 PM
I also have the Adamo saddle (race version). Occasionally I move that far forward briefly -- it just feels right at certain moments -- but mostly I'm a bit further back on the saddle than that, same as other poster. And yeah, you look slightly stretched to me. But I'm far from an expert, much less a guru.
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Michael -
RE: Bike Fit Gurus - Need your help again
BY: darbaugh on 2009-07-17 10:02 AM
hey guys, thanks for all of the replies. last night i ended up moving my seat back and down a bit, i didnt get a chance to take it out for a spin, hopefully i will tonight before i race on it. i'm trying to sit a bit further back on the seat, though i think once i get riding i'll tend to creep forward on it.
here is a new stationary picture:
here is the tilt on my saddle:
and here is the new video clip of me riding on the trainer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCQLd61FQNw
does my position look any more efficient/powerful? how about seat height? am i still stretched out? sorry for the shirtless pics, it was laundry night
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RE: Bike Fit Gurus - Need your help again
BY: breckview on 2009-07-17 1:49 PM
darbaugh - 2009-07-17 9:02 AM
does my position look any more efficient/powerful? how about seat height? am i still stretched out? sorry for the shirtless pics, it was laundry night
I'm no expert but,
You're the opposite of stretched out. It's kind of hard to tell accurately but your shoulder angle appears to be ~85 degrees and should be closer to 90. You can look at my avatar above to see what "stretched out" looks like.
Your effective seat angle looks very steep ~83 degrees. If your foot were in the right place, I think your knee angle would be 150 which is fine.
If you slide your seat back a bit, you'll lower that seat angle and increase your shoulder angle. But since your hip angle looks like it's at 90 right now, it would be reduced and become too small so you'd probably need to bring your elbows up by some method if that shallow hip angle bothers you.
Having said all that, to me, your position doesn't look bad or strange just a little forward and steep (which should put some extra stress on your shoulders). If it were me I just do some tweaking to make sure I'm as comfortable and powerful as possible but I would not do anything to make my shoulder angle any smaller than it is now if you plan on doing long rides.
If you want some more accurate angles you need to take another photo making sure your crank arm is in line with your seat post instead of straight down. And you should mark where your hip's bony protrusion is on your bike shorts. Also, you want to be shirtless.
Again, I'm no expert.
Edited by breckview 2009-07-17 1:51 PM