Is It my Imagination? Transition from Steel Commuter to Aluxx Road Bike

I don’t know but why is it that with my commuter I feel that I need to put less effort in order to go fast vs my Aluminum more aggressive road bike?...I also feel that I need to spin faster to go up hill than with the commuter….. I workout my thighs more with the aluminum than with my steel bike .. or at least that’s how I feel…..is this normal?... my thighs feel more sore after I ride the Aluminum . Does the aggressive position has something to do with this, the size of the tires or flexibility of one frame vs the other? Or it could be the pedals?...I have dual sided clipless on the commuter and I use the flat side which have a very good grip and my shoes almost never slip from the pedals even if they are wet…with the new bike I had to reposition my feet several times on Saturday's event . I have been commuting with my Schwinn for a while now and I am very use to it and I really love that bike. I am pretty sure I could go for at least 45-50 miles with her easely without more complaints than normal. I want to be able to do the same with my new Roadie. I use the new bike twice a week ..on Fridays to go to work (20miles total) and on Sat or Sundays for whatever miles I can get. Should I start using it more often and for longer rides to get use to it?... I love to use my Schwinn as a commuter because of the smooth ride and she can take a little bit of a beat up on rough roads+ I have the rack and bag where I can carry my stuff. On the other hand I really don’t want to expose my aluminum bike to the harsh of the bad roads but I do want to get a bit more miles with her to get use to the frame position , Saddle etc etc and also to get ready for my next 50 miles event in Sep.

Any thoughts?...

Thanks

Have you had a fitting on your new bike? At least with my own personal experience, if my saddle is too far foreward, I end up having to use my quads a bit too much--and that's not to my liking. Saddle height will also play a part in how much power you're able to generate. So, the difference in how you feel on each bike could be as straightforward as your saddle position. You could play around with that yourself, but if you really want a more systematic approach that will likely get you happily rolling sooner, then meet with a professional fitter. Catrin and I have both used--with great success--the fitter at Nebo Ridge. It's well worth the money in my experience. It matters not that you didn't buy the bike there, and the fee you pay is good for the life of the bike in case you need further adjustments.

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Originally Posted by indysteel

Have you had a fitting on your new bike? At least with my own personal experience, if my saddle is too far foreward, I end up having to use my quads a bit too much--and that's not to my liking. Saddle height will also play a part in how much power you're able to generate. So, the difference in how you feel on each bike could be as straightforward as your saddle position. You could play around with that yourself, but if you really want a more systematic approach that will likely get you happily rolling sooner, then meet with a professional fitter. Catrin and I have both used--with great success--the fitter at Nebo Ridge. It's well worth the money in my experience. It matters not that you didn't buy the bike there, and the fee you pay is good for the life of the bike in case you need further adjustments.

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Indysteel...The bike feels good...But I do agree on the saddle position...I think I need to go a bit higher..maybe an inch more. I already adjusted it before maybe 3 inches higher than how it came the first day + It is not the same riding the bike to test it for a few yards or blocks than riding it for 36 miles. Another thing is that the position is way more agressive than my Schwinn that I am more on a upright relaxed position and the drop bar is wider and a bit higher as well. Also I was really trying to keep up with other bikers pace so..that could be another reason for the thighs soreness.

Just remember that a correct saddle position starts, first, by determining how far forward or back it goes on the saddle rails. This puts your knees in an optimal position with respect to the pedals. Once you have that determined, then it's a question of settling the saddle height. If you're only changing saddle height--by as much as a few inches--without regard to the saddle's fore/aft position, then you're not likely to get it set up very well. Now some people who've riding a long time and understand what geometry works for them, can do a decent job of setting a bike up without help, but a new rider might struggle with it.

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Originally Posted by indysteel

Just remember that a correct saddle position starts, first, by determining how far forward or back it goes on the saddle rails. This puts your knees in an optimal position with respect to the pedals. Once you have that determined, then it's a question of settling the saddle height. If you're only changing saddle height--by as much as a few inches--without regard to the saddle's fore/aft position, then you're not likely to get it set up very well. Now some people who've riding a long time and understand what geometry works for them, can do a decent job of setting a bike up without help, but a new rider might struggle with it.

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Yeah...now that you mention that I found myself feeling more comfortable when I slide my butt back on the saddle. So does that mean I may need I different saddle? them with the bent tube?....

I agree on getting a fitting.

I recently had my saddle height changed, because I'm using a new saddle that is a not as thick/padded as the old one. With the old one, the fitter had me at the low end of the "acceptable" range in order to try to make the saddle more comfortable. With the new one, I worked with a different fitter, and he raised it about 1/2 inch so that it was in the center of the "acceptable" range (as indicated by a device that measured the angle of my knee with my hip and ankle).

I noticed a big difference when I rode the bike yesterday, my first long ride since the adjustment. At first, I felt like I couldn't find a comfortable gear, and was spinning a lot. I lowered the saddle a bit (maybe 1/8 inch) and it felt more comfortable overall and I wasn't spinning too much anymore. But over time I started to notice that my hamstrings were sore, so I think they were working harder than before.

I also think I might be a bit faster with the higher saddle, though I'm not sure because I had a headwind for the last hour of my ride.

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Originally Posted by Muirenn

I vote for a fitting!!! :)

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Yes, a good fitting is worth far more than the cost. A good one isn't inexpensive, but if you do it at Nebo Ridge Bicycles and see Jonathan, that fitting is good for the life of your bike. If further adjustments are required, including installing clipless pedals and cleat adjustment, there will be no further fitting fees - just the cost of the actual parts/labor.

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Originally Posted by Giulianna23

Yeah...now that you mention that I found myself feeling more comfortable when I slide my butt back on the saddle. So does that mean I may need I different saddle? them with the bent tube?....

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Not necessarily. It could be that you need to move the saddle back. Again, there are some variables you need to get settled first in terms of fit before replacing anything else. Once you get your saddle position set, then other issues--like stem length and rise--might be apparent. But the first order of business is saddle position.

Like I said, the beauty of a fitting is that it provides a systematic approach to the questions you're asking and the issues you're having. Trust me when I say that you can spin your wheels and spend needless money by trying a DYI approch.

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Originally Posted by indysteel

Catrin and I have both used--with great success--the fitter at Nebo Ridge. .

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I'm always interested in finding new bike shops. Thanks! (I live in Columbus, but work in Indianapolis, so I actually do most of my shopping there).
Amy

I definitely agree on the fitting. Took me three years to get mine, but I'm very glad I did--and I should have done it sooner!

Welcome, Aromig! My husband works in Columbus, we live in Franklin and I work in Indy!

I like Franklin. I often jump at Franklin Flying Field. What a small world.

I'm going to guess geometry. Your road bike may have a steeper seat tube angle than your commuter, causing you to use your quads more than you have been on your commuter. An example of this (to the extreme) is a Triathalon bike - the seat tube angles are very steep, and the head tube angles are very slack putting you into an agressive aerodynamic angle. In a Triathalon bike, this serves the purpose of isolating your quads for the bike portion of the race, and your hamstrings for the running portion of the race.

Your commuter may have a more slack seat tube angle than your road bike, especially if your road bike is Women Specific Design (WSD.) WSD bikes have a steeper seat tube angle in order to shorten the top tube length because many women have long legs and short torsos, and therefore shorter reach.

Without more info I'm just guessing here. But a more set back saddle/seatpost may help engage your hamstrings and create less fatigue.

Scrappy

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Originally Posted by Aromig

I like Franklin. I often jump at Franklin Flying Field. What a small world.

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Indeed it is! I've noticed an influx of women on TE from central Indiana lately. It's great to see our numbers increasing!

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Originally Posted by Scrappy

I'm going to guess geometry. Your road bike may have a steeper seat tube angle than your commuter, causing you to use your quads more than you have been on your commuter. An example of this (to the extreme) is a Triathalon bike - the seat tube angles are very steep, and the head tube angles are very slack putting you into an agressive aerodynamic angle. In a Triathalon bike, this serves the purpose of isolating your quads for the bike portion of the race, and your hamstrings for the running portion of the race.

Your commuter may have a more slack seat tube angle than your road bike, especially if your road bike is Women Specific Design (WSD.) WSD bikes have a steeper seat tube angle in order to shorten the top tube length because many women have long legs and short torsos, and therefore shorter reach.

Without more info I'm just guessing here. But a more set back saddle/seatpost may help engage your hamstrings and create less fatigue.

Scrappy

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I think hers is the unisex model, if I remember correctly.