SOS - Is it my saddle, my stem or (shock, horror) my bike?!

[Owlie]

Sky King has good advice, as always. There's a lot of text there, so if we double-up, well, then you know it's good advice. (I haven't had dinner yet, didn't eat lunch and breakfast was a long time ago, so...)

1. Core strength. The hardest to insta-fix, obviously, but it helps loads.
2. Make sure that your saddle isn't tilted too far down. I wouldn't move it if it's in the right place for your knees, but check the tilt. I think the rule is no more than 2-3 degrees of tilt. Try leveling it or tipping the nose up a hair and see what that does for slipping forward (if that causes pain in other areas, see step 4). Also consider dropping your saddle a smidge.
3. The bike, as set up, is too long. With too long a reach, you end up sliding forward on the saddle and your weight rests on your hands and wrists rather than on your butt. (Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.) Go back to the shop. You may be able to get away with moving spacers around, although most shops set the bikes up in the least-aggressive position possible, or you might need a shorter stem. It's a pretty simple part to change out, and not very expensive. Don't move the saddle unless the current position makes your knees hurt.
4. The saddle itself. It might be that it's too narrow, so you put more weight on your wrists rather than soft tissue, or just the wrong shape so that the pedaling motion causes you to slide forward. (Very wide or "pear-shaped" saddles with a very gradual transition between the nose and the "seating area" can cause this problem--got that T-shirt too.)

[nuliajuk]

A few things come to mind:
- You can't "break in" a saddle unless it's one of those all-leather ones such as a Brooks. If the saddle doesn't work for you now, it never will. Ask the shop if they have loaner saddles that you can try for a week or so.
- Make sure the saddle is level when you put it on. Some saddles work better with a very slight amount of downward tilt (SMPs, for example), but most should at least be level. Having the saddle tilting downward will definitely put pressure on your hands and wrists as you have to push back constantly.
- If you can't put the stem up any higher, it may be possible to get one with a steeper upward angle.
- A very straight handlebar can also cause wrist problems, so if finding a better saddle doesn't work, you could look for one with more backward bend. Fix the saddle problem first, though.

[Dubz]

Thanks very much, girls. Some very useful advice there.

Actually, my wrists don't seem to be having the same problems after the past two workouts which were my longest so far (1.5 hours each). I had very little pain during and after my last workout. It might be because my core is definitely stronger and I'm sitting better and I'm also being extra vigilant about changing hand positions regularly. I'm also stretching my wrists before and after the workouts and every day.

I'll definitely get my saddle adjusted anyway. And see how I get on from there. But I think I'll probably need Ergon grips and / or different handlebars because I think the flat bars don't provide enough options to change hand positions.

@Muirenn - The handlebar options you provided are very interesting. Would these handlebars be comfortable for longer cycles (like 100km)? I know it's a matter of personal preference as well. I presume with all the handlebar options that I'd have to get the brakes rewired (not sure if that's the right technical term)? Is that a big job? My bike's a Trek 7.2 FX 2015.

Also, why do moustache bars make you lean forward? I'd have thought that you'd be sitting more upright.

With a hybrid bike, can you actually use the flat bit in the middle of the Jones H-Bar? Would that not be dangerous because you can't steer the bike if your hands are on the flat bar?

Cheers

[Dubz]

Thanks, Muirenn

[Dubz]

Cheers, Muirenn.

I was thinking that if I was to go with the North Road bars, then I would need to get them in black to match my bike. They would look awful in silver.

I saw ones here with a 25.4 mm clamp, but I'd have to order them from Holland:

http://www.dutchbikebits.com/north-road-handlebars

Another alternative, if I wanted something from the UK, would be to go for the On One Mary Bars in black with the 25.4 mm clamp. These are meant to be similar to the North Road bars, but I'm not quite sure what the exact differences are between them.

http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/HBOOMA/o...mary-handlebar

What do you think?

[Dubz]

Good info - cheers.