new to road bike -2 questions

[AuntPetunia]

Hello
I just got a road bike (Cannondale R500 Fem). Before I was doing some weekend rides on a hybrid type bike. I wanted to start training for some longer rides and maybe try for a Century
I have two questions. I have some pain in the middle of my shoulder blades. Is this normal?
Also I feel like I really have to reach to apply the brakes (I am a small woman with little hands) Will I get used to this or are their some brakes that have a shorter width- so that I don't have to stretch my fingers so far?
Thanks

[drplasma64]

Welcome! I'm a relative newbie here too, and I would say no it is not normal to have pain between your shoulder blades. I would guess you need some sort of handlebar adjustment, which your LBS should do for free. When I bought my old road bike back in the dark ages, I remember they had to give me a narrower handlebar, and a shorter stem, probably b/c I am small. Your hands should be placed about the same distance apart as your shoulders with your elbows slightly bent when you're in the drops, I think. Someone else I'm sure will chime in on this.

Regarding the brakes, all I can say is that I just got a hybrid for toting the kids around, and that thing stops WAY faster than my road bike...I was thinking that it was b/c my road bike has such old brakes & technology, but it may be that it is that way on purpose.

HTH

[CorsairMac]

Howdy Auntie: welcome to the board! If you get a chance there's a thread under open titled "getting to know you". Gives you some grins and giggles learning about us and - if you're so inclined - tell us something about you!


As for your question: go with what the Dr says, take it back to your LBS and make sure your handlebars are set right for you including width. As for the brakes, there should be an adjustment screw in the hoods that will allow you to move the levers closer to your hand. Your LBS should be able to make that adjustment for you also. They do make some WSD brake levers, you might ask your LBS about them, see if they carry them or can get them for you.

[Grog]

Sorry to slightly disagree DrPlasma but...

Between shoulderblades pain:
Normal? Yes and no. Depends on type of pain and how long you have been riding the new bike. Road bike position is very different from hybrid position and requires different muscles to work to support your back. At the beginning of this season it took me about 300 km (12 hours on the bike) to completely forget about that same part of my body... And other cyclists I know who don't use the trainer in the winter experience the same thing. BUT I am talking here about some kind of muscle soreness, not sharp pain. The latter could be caused by wrong positionning. Unless you experience such sharp pain, I'd let your body get used to the new bike for about 200 km before you change the fittings...

As for braking, I'm not sure. It doesn't sound normal to me that the road bike doesn't brake as fast as your hybrid if you apply the same pressure on the brake levers. When I'm in the drops (the curvy part of the handlebars) and brake, it BRAKES. If I'm on the hoods, it's usually more subtle, but still I can have the thing stop very fast if needed. Here again you have to develop a different set of muscles, too (in your hands). But it's a matter of security. You should discuss this fitting with your bike store knowledgeable people before you get into a situation where you have to brake and can't.

[AuntPetunia]

Thanks everyone for your replies.
The shoulder blade pain is not sharp -kind of a muscle thing.
As for the breaks -I feel I can't reach them. I think they break just as quickly -but my fingers don't stretch around them easily.
I will go back to the bike store and see what they can do.
Thanks again

[caligurl]

actually... i have the ultegra short reach brakes... and specialized (i think it's them) makes a little insert for shimano levers...

but the shoulder blade pain.. well.. i know i had pains when i first started riding cuz i wasn't used to the position.... i had pain between the shoulder blades on longer rides... most especially centuries.... i always assumed that was the nature of riding a road bike?

[KSH]

Thanks everyone for your replies.
The shoulder blade pain is not sharp -kind of a muscle thing.
As for the breaks -I feel I can't reach them. I think they break just as quickly -but my fingers don't stretch around them easily.
I will go back to the bike store and see what they can do.
Thanks again

I know how you feel about the brakes. I can only reach the lever with the tips of my fingers... not my entire hand. I have very small hands... for example, I wear a 4.5 ring size, on my ring finger!

But, I never thought it wasn't OK... I seem to stop just fine... with my finger tips.

If you get some answers at the LBS... please let us know! I never thought it would be possible to reach the lever with my entire hand!

[AuntPetunia]

I don't want to sound like I have a martyr complex or anything -but I found it annoying that my bike (I am about 5'2 and 118 1lbs) and my husbands bike (he is about 6' 3" and weighs about 200 lbs) have the same breaks!
I thought about emailing the bike manufacturer