Hello!!!

I love this forum and I'm having a difficult time finding the right fit for me, in part because I am a very new rider

I ride a 2007 LeMond Tourmalet WSD 49cm and I love it I thought about getting a men's bike since my torso length is long for a woman and I have a shorter inseam but my hands are so small, the WSD handlebars really made a difference for me. I had not been fitted correctly when I bought the bike and was suffering from some neck and back soreness which I remedied by moving my reach from the hoods to the bars nearest me (mistake!!!). I didn't realize how unsafe this was until I decided to go back into my LBS to be fitted in hopes of relieving my neck and back pain and they pointed out that in a more upright position, I couldn't really engage my brakes in case of some emergency...

The first adjustment my LBS made was to replace my saddle. Apparently I have very narrow sit bones (a 130mm fit) and so I was not perched at the correct level to begin with. Wow, what an instant difference!

I also had my stem shortened because I felt too stretched out on my bike. Now that I have a shorter stem, though, my elbows and knees (although on different planes) overlap in their motion paths when I'm in the drops. Is this normal??

I don't ride in the drops very much, as I am not as in shape as I was hoping to be at the end of last summer but I wanted to make sure I had the fitting proportions right