Trying to adjust to a road bike

[Yen]

The LBS let me borrow a new Specialized Roubaix Expert for the weekend. This is the second full weekend getting to test a Roubaix for sizing. Last weekend I tested a 56cm Comp, and this weekend a 54cm Expert (the 54 is my size).

I'm 50+ and have been riding a hybrid. The hybrid has served me very well but we'd like to expand our horizons and go further, faster, join club rides and other organized rides, and be able to easily keep up.

I'm choosing a comfort road bike because I do not want to feel too stretched out. I love the way the Roubaix rides. I love the speed, handling, and smoothness of this bike. The fitter at the LBS will do a computerized fitting and get the bike correctly fitted to me.

That said............ I am wondering how long it takes to really feel comfortable, "at home" on a road bike. I tend to place way too much weight on my hands at the front of the hoods near the shifters. I'm trying to remember to just rest my hands there, not rest my weight on them, and to practice supporting my weight with my core and back muscles. I'm also trying to remember to bend my elbows more and let my back and shoulders relax and to not feel afraid of leaning forward a bit. Meanwhile, constantly having to remember this, pull back or adjust my hand position, etc. is diminishing some of the joy I otherwise have on the bike. I feel so focused on my posture and positioning, adjusting my neck and back, that I'm wondering if this is for me. I know it takes some time to get comfortable and a couple of rides a week apart isn't going to do that.

But, how do I know if I just need to get accustomed to this position, or if it's not right for me at all?

Anyone have any suggestions to ease my mind and help me relax and adjust?

[Kano]

I can't say for sure Yen, but I was in your spot last spring/summer after getting my Roubaix, and yes, it took some time to get used to leaning forward. I didn't have the test ride time you did -- didn't have a clue I wasn't absolutely comfortable with the new riding position until I got home and rode for an hour or two. My sales person, knowing that I'd been riding an upright bike so far, told me to take it home and ride a couple of hundred miles before we make any changes to the fit because of that.

Knowing that he'd seen me on the bike and knew what I looked like/should look like, I trusted this advice -- I had ridden a bike or three that really did NOT feel good, right off the curb, and this one felt good to me, given the limited ride I gave it.

I can't say how long it took to get past putting too much weight on my hands, and for a while, the whole idea of using the drops was just, like, you know, impossible! (it was more than the first couple of hundred miles, but considering my weight and fitness level at the time....)

Like you mention, it tooks some serious thought for a while, as well as some extra core strengthening off the bike. The more I rode, the less time I spent thinking about position. When I would realize that something was starting to hurt, I just put myself back in the proper position. I can't say it was obvious when the bike/position was suddenly "natural," but it did happen, and the time it took was worth it!

(I've been off the bike through the winter, and kind of figure I'll have to think about it again for a while, til my body remembers!)

Not necessarily help, but hopefully reassuring?

Karen in Boise

[Starfish]

But, how do I know if I just need to get accustomed to this position, or if it's not right for me at all?

I know you will get lots of good responses here. I don't know that I can answer your question.

I do know that about 4 years ago when I got my road bike (after a few months on a more upright old mountain bike), I felt some changes right away that were better, and some that took time to adjust to.

Better included a better fit, and some elbow joint pain went away immediately. But, at 38, I had not ridden a bike since I was a kid, really. My upper body, including shoulders, as well as my hands, got tired. I slumped on the bike, even though I enjoyed it, because I just did not have the core or shoulder muscles.

I have been riding consistently and more and more for the last four years, getting stronger each year. Last year I started training my core, and this year I've added some upper body strength work. With the years of riding, the core work, and the strength work, I am MUCH better on the bike now...able to hold myself up without my hands, and I no longer have to think about it...it just is.

Also, as the muscular endurance in my legs increases, and as my butt has gotten used to the saddle, along with the core work, I find that I have a much more equal and versatile distribution of weight on the three contact points: butt, pedals, hands.

Anyhow, I don't know much about bike fit. I seem to have gotten lucky with my first road bike, because I can ride it all day without beating up my body. But, there is no question that there is some development time in getting comfortable on a bike.

That said...the wrong bike for you and all your idiosyncracies will never be the right bike...no matter the conditioning, etc. Do you have a bike fitter near you who is also into physical therapy? Or any way to be really sure the bike fits both your measurements, and also the specific needs of your body's peculiarities? (hey, we all have them!)

[kermit]

So now that you have the right size, I think your position will be more comfortable. When I started from a mountain bike to the road bike, I would get tight in my shoulders and lower back. Try to change your hands between the drops, hoods, and even on the top on the bars. Shake your shoulders and hands out. You'll get the hang out of it. I swear.

[KnottedYet]

I'm assuming the shop did a quick fit of the bike for you, and gave you a nice neutral fit with the bars at the same height as the saddle, saddle set so your heel just grazes the pedal, etc.

Can I ask you to check one thing?

Get a piece of string and tie your keys to it. Get on the bike, put one pedal at 3:00 position and one pedal at 9:00 position. For the forward (3:00) leg, ask someone to hold the string against the calloused boney bump you kneel on (just below your knee caps, kinda on the shin) and let the keys dangle almost to the floor. Let the string be on the bike side of the crank (the inside). The string should cross the crank at or up to 2 or 3 cm behind the pedal spindle. (I use the "hole" on the back side of the crank as my landmark, but some folks like to look at the pedal side.)

If the string is hanging out beyond the pedal spindle, try moving the saddle down a cm or two, and sliding the saddle back on the rails a cm or two.

Women have longer femurs than men, and I am seeing bikes set up for leg length without taking into account that a woman will need more setback than the average man to put her knee in the right spot when she puts force through the pedal.

Just this Friday I had a woman who's bike shop's fitter had "given up" on her fit, telling her it was the wrong size bike and he just couldn't make it fit. She was all crunched up and weightbearing on her hands. The problem was he had set the saddle position for a man of her leg length, where a woman would need the same distance from the pedal as man, but farther back and down. (longer femur=farther back, shorter tibia=lower down, but the *distance* to the pedals remains the same)

Trying to push through the pedal with her knee hanging out front was throwing her whole body off. Just moving the saddle corrected her posture, got her weight off her hands, and made her feel comfortable. And now the bike was the "right" size.

[Yen]

Thank you for your reassurance. I was afraid you'd all say "If it's the right bike for you, then everything should feel comfortable immediately!"

Last weekend, we met with the fitter who took measurements and determined the best size bike for me. He also recommended narrower bars than what comes on the Roubaix (more like the Ruby dimensions). The fitter wants me to ride whatever bike I end up buying for a couple of hundred miles to adjust to the position before we do a complete professional fitting, since I am coming from an upright hybrid. I like that philosophy VERY much so when he suggested it, I was quick to agree.

Yesteday, The LBS owner did a quick fitting of me on the demo bike, on a trainer. He had already swapped the bars to the narrower size and it was ready for me when we got there. On the trainer, he changed the stem to shorten my reach just a bit, and tweaked the saddle and stem height.

I went for a short ride alone after we got home. I noticed a light rubbing sound as I rolled the bike toward the door, and when I spun the wheel it stopped on its own after a few revolutions (without applying the brakes). The demo bikes are assembled elsewhere and delivered to the shop upon request, so I know it wasn't assembled at the shop. Anyway I could hear the same noise as I rode it, and it was making me feel nervous since it is not my bike. I think I was concentrating on that noise and expecting perfection from this bike (I tend to do that with everything I spend a lot of money for...) so I was also focused on that, as well as my reach, as I rode. I also noticed, however, that the bike does absorb bumps very well, shifting is smooth, and is a very smooth ride.

This bike is also a MUCH better fit than that of my hybrid which is too big for me overall. So, I don't doubt that the overall fit of the bike is right. A few weeks ago, I briefly rode (around a parking lot) a 54 Ruby which felt too small -- it's the size equivalent of a 52 Roubaix -- so I don't think I need to go the WSD route with this bike and the fitter does not recommend it for me.

I know my back, shoulders, and core muscles are not strong, and I'm working on that. My back and neck are not flexible, and I'm working on that too. I tend to carry a lot of tension in my upper back, shoulders, and neck. So, I have a lot of work to do in this area. In addition to strength training of my shoulders and back, if I can get myself to just relax and lean forward a bit, and keep my elbows bent, I'll feel more comfortable.

KNOTTEDYET: You mentioned something that I have read elsewhere and seems counter-intuitive at first. That is, that moving the saddle back a bit relieves pressure on the hands. It seems that moving it back would place more pressure on the hands because the rider would need the hands more to balance the further reach. Can you explain that? I will try the test with the string and keys. The saddle might also be a tad too high so we'll adjust that too.

I really, really want to make this work! Thanks so much again for your reassurance.

Jen

[rij73]

Jen, your description of the wheel suggests that it is out-of-true and needs to have the spokes adjusted. Definitely take it to the shop to have them do that real quick. If the rim is rubbing on the brakes, it won't be riding right.

FWIW, I wasn't comfortable at all on my bike at first either, but with time and a few very little tweaks, I am now a very happy camper. Try to relax and enjoy the process. I think you've done your homework and seem to have honed in on a good bike for you.

[tulip]

There's alot to think about when you are out riding! I'll add a few more. Every once in a while, shrug your shoulders. That'll bring your shoulders back down; you may be shrugging them without noticing, and keeping them shrugged.

Elbows bent and relaxed, but you know all that already.

Keep working on your core. I've already extolled the virtues of pilates, but I'll say it again: pilates works on strength and flexibility of your whole back.

okay, let us know how it goes.

[Thorn]

On a road bike, the weight over the wheels should be about equal (+/- 5%). That means you want to also be balanced over the bike (+/- 5% -- experts, please refine my "mostly").

While your legs are part of the issue, think of your upper body as a triangle. Your shoulders are at the peak and hands are one corner and your tush the other. Think about balancing that triangle. If that triangle is acute (arms really close to the tush), then you're not stable; if the triangle is really obtuse (as you mention really spread out), that triangle, again, is not stable. However, in between there is that perfect spot.

[Geonz]

When I wanted to go faster and further, I got me a 7500FX and put skinny tires on it. There are 'hybrid' options that are reasonably fast.

However, basically everybody I know who's gotten a good fit on a road bike has been happy with it.

[Andrea]

If your saddle is level, you can also try barely tilting the nose up. I find that if I ride exactly level that I feel like I have much more weight on my hands. Also, like everyone else said- work on core, upper body, and leg strength- Pilates is great, as is just plain weight training. The "superman" back exercise should be one that you do a couple of times a week to build lower back strength & endurance.

Another one that I love for cycling is the thruster:
Using dumbbells (start light- 5 to 10 pounds- & work your way up as you get stronger), stand up straight, hold them at your shoulders, and squat down into a low squat. Then, quickly stand back up straight, extending your arms into a shoulder press at the top. You can put something under your butt to "aim" for when you squat. It's important to keep an arch in your back and make sure your hips go back like you are trying to sit on something low (think hovering over the toilet in a preschool bathroom!) Here's a video:Thrusters Demo @ crossfit.com

This one works the upper body muscles that you use to support yourself on the bike as well as your lower back and abs (for stability & power transfer from the legs), and, of course, your legs!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

KNOTTEDYET: You mentioned something that I have read elsewhere and seems counter-intuitive at first. That is, that moving the saddle back a bit relieves pressure on the hands. It seems that moving it back would place more pressure on the hands because the rider would need the hands more to balance the further reach. Can you explain that?n

It's true.
Try this experiment to help you visualize it:
Get on your hands and knees on the floor. Notice how much weight is on your hands. Get a feel for where your center of gravity is.
Now, keeping your hands or knees in the exact same position on the floor, move your butt back a couple of inches, as though you were moving your "saddle" back but keeping your handlebar in the same spot. Notice how this takes weight off your hands and moves your center of gravity back over your legs and off your arms. What it does is make your legs support you more and takes some of that job away from your hands and arms (which shouldn't be supporting your weight anyway). This whole issue is one of the classic problems of 'some' women cyclists riding men's bikes with long top tubes.

[Harley]

Being another 50+ and just getting back into road riding, after 18 years... I have found riding my road bike on a trainer very helpful. It has gotten my muscles back to "remembering" the position, spin and comfort. It also allows you to concentrate on position, without the worries of the road. Once you're comfortable on the bike the road will be easier.
This is assuming you have been fit correctly to the bike.

[KathiCville]

Yen, I've got much the same problem with feeling like my posture isn't what it should be. I've done three long rides (for me, meaning more than 25mi) in the past three weeks and each time have barely made it to the end because my forearms and wrists were screaming at me. Even when I'm trying to be conscious of not locking my elbows, etc....Yesterday's 33mi was the worst yet.......Had the bike fitted a month or so ago, which helped in general terms, especially with an ongoing lower back ache. But sounds another 'go' at fitting might be a good idea...Plus, I know my core strength is lousy--something I'm starting to work on.....All of the ideas being floated here are really useful, thanks!

[aicabsolut]

Sounds like you had a brake pad rubbing the wheel.

You should also get fitted to the bike and then ride it. You may have to readjust your fit as you get more miles on the road bike. This bike setup may have the bars too close to you. I know that when I needed to flip my stem down that I would get really sore in the shoulders because I was hunching them to make enough room for my arms, essentially. You should also have a saddle position as far forward as you can where you can just hold yourself up without falling on your face when you remove your hands from the bars (best to test this out on a trainer..haha). So find the part where you feel like you're going to tip and then move it back a smidge. A good place to start is by doing the knee over pedal spindle test, but based on your femur length and the geometry of the bike versus your build, this is only a general guideline. You shouldn't be using gobs of core strength while your hands are on the bars.

All of that said, I LOVE my 54 Roubaix comp. Get fitted. Ride. If it's for you, then ride some more. Then get refitted as your road bike fitness and comfort level improves.