how long to "wear in" a new bike? (aka Help the saddle is hurting my girly bits!)

[OakLeaf]

Different saddles can completely change the way you sit on the bike. I'm experiencing this right now even with a saddle that's pretty similar to my old one. So IMO there's not a lot of point to a detailed fitting until you find a saddle that's at least close enough to live with for a while.

[aeiea]

Thanks for the advice all! I made a few adjustments based on your recommendations and it's better. Not perfect, but better.

One thing, though, is that someone passed by on his bike and said my bike seat seems pretty low. I told him that's the highest it could go where my toes could still reach the ground (I'm short and my legs are short). He seemed doubtful. Could seat height be affecting my hurty parts?

I really want to be able to stop and have at least my toes touch the ground. If I raise the seat higher, I think I'd get nervous.

[tulip]

Eventually, you'll want to raise your seat because riding with a low seat causes all sorts of problem--particularly knees, although I can see how the girlie bits might also be taking alot more weight that need be.

You might really want to consider getting a professional bike fit. You won't be able to touch the ground with your toes while seated--that's not a proper fit. But you won't learn how to ride a bike properly if you don't get your toes off the ground!

[aeiea]

Eventually, you'll want to raise your seat because riding with a low seat causes all sorts of problem--particularly knees, although I can see how the girlie bits might also be taking alot more weight that need be.

You might really want to consider getting a professional bike fit. You won't be able to touch the ground with your toes while seated--that's not a proper fit. But you won't learn how to ride a bike properly if you don't get your toes off the ground!

I had it fit at the LBS when I got the bike (he spent about 20 minutes and said it looked like a good fit after minor adjustments), and the guy there said I could get more custom fit done -- but I figured I wanted some time with the bike first before I pull out the wallet.

Question -- so my toes shouldn't be able to touch the ground when I'm on the seat? They currently barely touch the ground, but I feel safer when coming to stops (which I will be doing a lot due to work commute). I brake, lean to one side (so that most of my foot is on the ground), and push off when it's green.

I worry that the process of getting off the seat (so I'm straddling that pole between the seat and the handlebars) takes more energy for stopping/starting (and I will be stopping a lot on the 18 mile commute through regular LA streets) than just being able to reach the ground and leaning to one side. However, I don't want to cause other problems, especially knee problems! I really just don't know what most people have when it comes to road bikes -- are most people really unable to touch the ground with their toes when they're seated?

[Cataboo]

On any bike... proper saddle height is when you're sitting in the saddle, your leg should be fully extended with a very slight bend to it (knees not locked) when your foot is on the pedal at the bottom of the stroke...

So basically, no, you shouldn't be able to reach the ground at all when you're up in the saddle... If your seat is too low, you're doing waaaay too much work to keep moving, and you probably are stressing your knees... If my saddle's too low, I definitely feel it in my knees.

Try inching your saddle up like 1/4 of an inch to 1/2 an inch at a time... Till you get it up to the proper height.

It really isn't a problem starting & stopping and not being able to reach the ground... all of us do it & a lot of us do it while using clipped in pedals, mountain bikers do it... you just naturally just lean your bike and stop. and as you get more familiar with biking... you may be doing more track stands or just pausing instead of actually putting your feet down when you stop.


One thing that I do sometimes when stopping in traffic... is if there's a curb, I'll rest my foot on that instead of leaning the bike.

This is actually kinda a pet peeve of mine... I'll ride on a multi use path or a bike path, and probably 80-90% of the women I pass have their seats too low... little girls included. Quite often you'll see a guy riding with his wife or gf - his seat is at the proper height, hers is too low and she's strugglign to keep up... I'd say probably about 40-50% of guys will have their seats too low.

[aeiea]

So basically, no, you shouldn't be able to reach the ground at all when you're up in the saddle... If your seat is too low, you're doing waaaay too much work to keep moving, and you probably are stressing your knees... If my saddle's too low, I definitely feel it in my knees.

Thanks so much for this. So basically, if there's no curb to stand on and I can't track stand, do I need to hop off the seat and straddle the frame when I come to a stop, or can I avoid doing this?

Basically, I read somewhere that people should have 1-2 inches of clearance between the straddled frame (wish I knew the actual term) and their ... sensitive area (is crotch the right word?)... but i am right on top of it. I guess this has been the other deterrent for me getting off my seat. I got the smallest frame available though, so I am a bit worried.

Ugh... but as you mentioned, there are other ways to stop (I've been mountain biking it for awhile before I got my road bike so I can apply some of those tricks, but I guess my seat was too low there too) ... I just don't know which method is the safest and least energy consuming -- both elements I'm most concerned about when it comes to commuting in LA traffic.

Basically I don't want to fall from stopping and get hit by an LA driver. I see what they do in their cars... text message... apply makeup... scream at their agents... etc.

[OakLeaf]

Top tube clearance is important on a MTB because you could be putting your feet down suddenly on very uneven surfaces. On the road, if there's a pothole on one side, you can pull up, or put your other foot down. And for obvious reasons it's more important for men than for women. Basically, for a woman, if there's any clearance at all between the top tube and your pubic bone, you're perfectly safe, and lots of riders don't even have that. If you don't have clearance, but the bike fits you otherwise, just learn to lean it a little bit more.

Putting your right foot on the curb is a common habit, but it's a pretty unsafe practice when you're in an urban area. You're way too far to the right. Also, if you have a fear of falling, you're much more likely to fall when you're perched like that.

[chicagogal]

Even with proper saddle height, you should be able to stay on the saddle when coming to a stop, and lean to one side and still get a toe down. I often do this while keeping the foot of the dominant leg on the pedal ready to push off from.

(don't try with clippless pedals/road biking shoes, as you will damage the cleats and possibly slip - in that case, get off the saddle and get a heel down).

If you feel unsteady with only a toe down, apply the brakes while stopped. This will prevent the bike from feeling like it will get away from you, and will allow you to put a little more weight on that upward facing pedal without actually moving forward. This in turn will in turn help you with balance and with pushing off once it's time to go.

I don't advocate stopping on a curb to get the whole foot down, because you won't always have a curb. Ultimately you need to get used to stopping anywhere at a moment's notice. Anyway, once you get used to stopping without a curb, stopping by putting a foot on a curb will likely feel really awkward (at least it does for me).

[tulip]

Top tube clearance is important on a MTB because you could be putting your feet down suddenly on very uneven surfaces. On the road, if there's a pothole on one side, you can pull up, or put your other foot down. And for obvious reasons it's more important for men than for women. Basically, for a woman, if there's any clearance at all between the top tube and your pubic bone, you're perfectly safe, and lots of riders don't even have that. If you don't have clearance, but the bike fits you otherwise, just learn to lean it a little bit more.

I disagree. Aeiea--when you straddle your bike with both feet on the ground, there is no clearance between you and the top tube? If there is no clearance, that bike shop sold you a bike that's too big. Yes, you can learn to adapt like Oakleaf and other suggest, but I'd be pretty peeved at the bike shop.

Getting yourself off the seat at lights does not take any more energy. You do need to get comfortable with handling the bike, though. It will take practice and some time. Gradually raise your seat while getting used to taking your bum off the saddle at stops and leaning the bike. You can leave one foot on the pedal, by the way.

Good for you for commuting by bike in LA! I don't think of LA as a bike-friendly place (but I've only been there once so what do I know).

[Biciclista]

Yes, you need a bit more clearance at the top tube. A lot of us are shorter; we are standing pretty close to the top tube; but really, you should be able to stand comfortably flat footed over that top tube.
THe only time it's a good idea to be able to put your feet both down from the saddle is when you are learning to ride a bike!

good luck

[Cataboo]

I just barely have clearance over most of my bikes. I can stand comfortably over them in bike shoes, but it's still touching or less than an inch. (obviously I have a lot more clearance over my mountain bike). I'm 5'1.

I haven't had any problems with the lack of or minimal standover height, and haven't "racked" myself yet - I just find that with my body proportions, the best way to get a bike that fits me (long top tube, 73 degree seat angle), is to get the biggest frame that I can buy that fits. Smaller frames tend to have shorter top tubes, 75 degree seat angles, lots of toe overlap, and I end up hating them.

Now, one day if I go custom, I'll probably get a bike with more standover height... But till then, standover height is not that big a deal. If you look at rivendell's website, for whatever it's worth, they call standover height the distance up to your pubic bones and don't count all the fleshy pieces in between. and pretty much say if your pubic bones clear, that's fine. Obviously, lots of people disagree with that.

[aeiea]

Yay, this has been super educational. I had absolutely no idea that flat-footed from the saddle is incorrect on a road bike until now. I will raise the seat and practice the toe stop. Glad to hear about the pubic bone vs the fleshy parts controversy; that's a good enough argument for me to not give up.

I stand comfortably over the top tube (there's a tiny bit of clearance but I haven't measured, probably less than half an inch). Basically if I bend my knees, my bike and I get intimate.

Besides biking, I think I'm just going to invest in some ballet classes and do more yoga. Looks like the lean-toe-stopping and dismounting are going to require more balance and flexibility so I can feel 100% comfortable.

Thanks everyone for helping me become comfortable with this and possibly saving me from many falls in front of angry LA drivers. I don't think I'd feel comfortable asking these questions with guys at the LBS (there's one female who works there but I never seem to catch her anymore).

[Cataboo]

Just checked a couple of my bikes - my smallest "road" bike that I commute on, I can barely clear flatfooted barefoot. I still touch the top tube, and I think that's a 43 cm surly frame. Obviously, with shoes on, I do better.

My litespeed, I don't clear barefoot. Stick me in shoes and I think I'd just barely touch the top tube.

If I was a guy, I might be in trouble.

[Biciclista]

Catriona, which bikes have you been riding barefoot?

[Cataboo]

Catriona, which bikes have you been riding barefoot?

none but I thought I saw someone said you have to be barefoot flat footed.

But maybe I just saw flatfooted.