Fit: weight ratio between saddle and handlebars

While I'm on my bike, I cannot let go of my handlebars without falling forward...what could this mean and does anyone else have this issue? How did you fix it (shorter cranks, shorter stem, moving saddle forward)? :confused:

I have always felt that I had too much weight on my hands/handlebars. Are my shoulders supposed to be aligned as if I am standing regularly or do they flex forward while I am on my bike (as is natural if I extend my arms in front of me)?

I admit that although I do not have a six-pack, my abs are not weak. I am able to support my upper body on my commuter bike (a small Trek Mountain Track--14.5") without using the handlebars.

I would love to hear all your thoughts (and/or pictures) regarding this! :D

What type of bike and what type of handlebars? That info might help folks answer your question. :)

It could be as simple as tweaking the nose of the saddle up. It could also be a reach issue and you need a shorter stem. What kind of bike?

Oh right. I'm riding my road bike (LeMond Tourmalet) with drops, Shimano 105.

I tried moving the seat back a bit and that seemed to help the fit although I have yet to take a long-ish ride with this modification :)

There are many other ladies here who are way more knowledgeable about fit issues than I am, but one thing I believe you want to avoid is moving your saddle fore & aft. Saddle placement should be determined by the position of your knees relative to your cranks, and then left alone. Reach issues are probably better dealt with through a shorter stem or even by raising your bars.

Anyone out there want to confirm/correct this info, or explain it better?

A rule of thumb is to put your saddle as far forward as you can without falling if you let go of the bars, then check the position of your knee relative to the pedal spindle. But if the saddle is pointed too far downward, then that could be shifting your weight too far forward. Check the nose angle, and if that's good (like moving it up would be uncomfortable to sit on), then move the saddle back.

I try to keep my saddle level so I am relatively sure it's not tilted down in front.

I've already tried a shorter stem and it felt weird but maybe I will have to go back :p

Ana, it sounds like there's a lot going on here. Have you had a professional fitting recently? If not, it might be worth a try.

I'm looking into a fitting...but I would rather not spend $200 right now and I'm considering saving for a custom bike instead... :D If I save diligently I might be able to have one in about 2-3 years which would be awesome :D

I know that a fitting would probably do me a world of good but I would like to find someone I trust who will give me what I want instead of underestimating me because I am a woman or an inexperienced rider :p When I go to the store where I bought my bike, I always feel like they're trying to sell me something and that the sales staff are insincere.

I know a proper fitting would greatly improve my ride but I have trouble justifying the expense on such expertise unless I find someone whom I trust. I'm considering going to the my local Seven dealer where I could also test ride a Seven ;)

With my new bike, I spent $150 on a PT fitting and $75 on a bike shop fitting. Of the two, the bike shop fitting was much more useful. (That's not saying anything bad about PT fittings, I just got unlucky). There's a shop nearby that sells only custom lines and their fittings are around $250...


I don't know anything about prices in Ann Arbor, of course, but I wouldn't be surprised if you could find a decent fitting somewhere for well under $200. Worth calling around anyway, if you haven't.

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Originally Posted by Ana

I'm looking into a fitting...but I would rather not spend $200 right now and I'm considering saving for a custom bike instead... :D If I save diligently I might be able to have one in about 2-3 years which would be awesome :D

I know that a fitting would probably do me a world of good but I would like to find someone I trust who will give me what I want instead of underestimating me because I am a woman or an inexperienced rider :p When I go to the store where I bought my bike, I always feel like they're trying to sell me something and that the sales staff are insincere.

I know a proper fitting would greatly improve my ride but I have trouble justifying the expense on such expertise unless I find someone whom I trust. I'm considering going to the my local Seven dealer where I could also test ride a Seven ;)

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I agree you should absolutely find someone you trust who treats you with respect --

That being said, if I were considering a truly custom bike, I would first want to know that I had the best possible fit on my current bike. Otherwise, how do you know that the specs of your custom bike are really the best for you?

I would invest in the fit for now if I were you. You need to make sure that you are not tweaked so far out that you wind up with a problem that will turn to an injury. Instead of your LBS who don't sound like they have your best interests at heart, look for a local trainer or club that might know of a fitter.

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Originally Posted by bounceswoosh

I agree you should absolutely find someone you trust who treats you with respect --

That being said, if I were considering a truly custom bike, I would first want to know that I had the best possible fit on my current bike. Otherwise, how do you know that the specs of your custom bike are really the best for you?

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Oh, it's true! :( All right, a fitting it is... :p

I've decided to get a fitting but I do not care for the shop from which I purchased my bicycle. They are also out of the way, although my annual tuneups are free so I try to hike out there/take the bus twice a year. :p

I do not have a vehicle (my bicycle is my primary mode of transportation) but can cycle to another shop which I generally like.

Which of the following would you be more inclined to do:

1) Pay $200 for a full-fitting down the street (literally 3-4 blocks) that is "guaranteed." They are a certified Seven and Serotta dealer.

2) Go 15 miles to a local bicycle shop for a $60/hour fitting or a $150 full-fitting. They also deal Independent Fabrication bicycles.

Any thoughts? :D Or recommendations for shops/fitters in the Ann Arbor area (I posted another thread in open cycling topics already)?

Thanks! :)

Hmmm... it depends on what each fitting includes, and whether you need it. And, of course, how much of a sacrifice an extra $50 or $100.

Is that $60 for a one-hour fitting, or do they charge $60 per hour and take as long as necessary?

Is there someone experienced whom you trust in the shop with the $60/hour fitting? If so, that may really be all you need for now. You can cover a lot in an hour. As I said, my $75 fitting (which lasted 1.5 hours) was very, very helpful, much more helpful than the $150 fitting I had first. I think this is because the man who fitted me has been doing it for 30 years and just has lots and lots of experience. By contrast, the $150 fitting was done by a PT in his mid-30s, and while I don't know how long he has been doing bike fits as part of his PT business, I'll bet it's a lot less time. Come to think about it, the shop that did the fitting for me is also a Serotta dealer (though that's a very, very small part of their business I think), and they are certified Serotta fitters as well as certified Specialized fitters. But even more importantly than that, the man I worked with has been riding, selling and fitting bikes for a very long time.

Actually, the shop that did my fitting actually had a few more involved and more expensive fitting options... and if I had either intractable problems or very specific goals, I might have opted for one of them, but it wasn't really necessary for me at the time. You may find the same is true for you...