Boobage and drop handlebars

[CorsairMac]

what alison said - my knees finally found them when I lowered my handlebars below my seat. Of course, I ended up with a bad cramp in my right shoulder so I raised the handlerbars level with the seat. (they were actually higher than the seat before! ) Now when I'm really "dropped" (like fighting headwinds) I don't have clearance between Anything! (jeez )

[Trek420]

this is too funny.

So I tried this, went on a ride and did jumps or whatever their called, wind sprints, whatever ... I rarely ride in the drops but tried drops, stand and sprint, no boob problem in any position and I have them, kinda standard size, encased in Primal bra that I bought on TE if you must know.

My LBS philosophy on bike fit is to make you a little more upright, viewed from the side my saddle is slightly lower than the bars. Most road bikes I see are parallel or the saddle is slightly higher. Sure I'm less aero but ... I'm not racing and I'm faster when I'm comfy, that's my theory anyway.

I think my cranks are shorter than avg. 165.

[Twice Daily]

I'm a 36 C and I've never had this problem...or if my legs are coming into contact with my boobs, I'm just not noticing it!

As far as sports bras go...I wear a soft cotton bra with an underwire under a regular sports bra...perhaps that's a bit much, but I need to keep the girls in check!

[Pedal Wench]

...I wear a soft cotton bra with an underwire under a regular sports bra...perhaps that's a bit much, but I need to keep the girls in check!

Hmmm, maybe this isn't a bike problem, but a bra problem! Alison, you ARE strapping those babies down, right?

[spazzdog]

bopp their breasts, I'm thinkin' "is this what boys do in regards to situatin' their "extras"?

And then there's the imagined group ride where we're all pedaling in the drops and the sounds of "hey! how much clearance do I have? You... oh you have a couple inches!"

Is a jersey in order here?


spazz "of the wee boobage"

[yellow]

Well, on my long-awaited and much-needed ride in semi dry conditions yesterday, I noted that, once or twice while in the drops, my thigh (just above the knee) touched my ribcage. Wha???

Spazz...and you think you have wee boobage!

(For the record, I do know that I have a mighty rib cage, which explains my size 36A, almost a 38A.)

[Pedal Wench]

Well, I got caught. I was on a group ride with one of the guys I work with. We had a long straight stretch, he was up ahead of me, no one else was around, I checked again. While I'm looking down, trying different positions, I realize that he had slowed, or I sped up - whatever - he was next to me, asking me what the heck I was doing! "Oh, um... nothing!!!"
I did notice that if I really scrunched up and put my hands on the very end of the drops, and if I really leaned down, that I might, just maybe, (okay, in my dreams!) touch!

[SadieKate]

(For the record, I do know that I have a mighty rib cage, which explains my size 36A, almost a 38A.)

Ah ha! Now I know why you're so fast. You must have cloned Lance's rib cage!

[alison_in_oh]

Hmmm, maybe this isn't a bike problem, but a bra problem! Alison, you ARE strapping those babies down, right?

Well, not as thoroughly as Twice Daily I guess! Today it was actually only at the last minute that I went with a sports bra instead of just an Underarmor tightly fitting undershirt. Probably good that I'd strapped 'em down good and tight, as I did make contact while pedaling in an aero tuck through some descents!

[anaphase]

This thread got me thinking about my own setup, which hasn't been all that comfortable, to be honest.

I feel like either my seat is too high, or my bars are too low. I am actually very comfortable in the drops (no boob-hitting, thankfully), but on the hoods my back begins to hurt after about 8 miles or so. It's always over my right sacroiliac joint/upper hip region, and only (temporarily) goes away if I stop the bike and just stand up for a minute or two. Right now the seat is noticably higher than the bars.

The whole thing made my 22 miler today kind of aggrivating.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

[annie]

Anaphase,

Here's an interesting article about bike fitting, saddle/handlebar height in particular. Maybe there will be something there to help.

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fitting.htm

As to touching knees/legs to boobs while pedaling - well I tried today. Really tried. Got as low on the drops as I could, my chin was almost touching my bars, and still no contact. ::::::::sigh:::::::::

annie