Having a hard time adjusting...

[Kerry1976]

I purchased a nice used 2007 Fuji Finest in December. Since, I have put on 245 mi, basically all on the trainer.

I had thought by now I would be more used to the posture of a road bike. However, it is simply uncomfortable. I spend most of the ride playing with my arms, moving my hands, shaking out an uncomfortable left elbow, etc.... When I did a few rides outside, my wrists/arms/shoulders were killing me after just a mile or two.

I seem to be most comfortable in the drops, but even that is something I can't seem to do for long.

After a ride of any speed or length, my legs seem to be appropriately tired but fine. My upper body, on the other hand, will often hurt into the next day.

Is this normal? Do I just need to chill out and live with it?

Today I just wanted to spin. It was to the point of being annoying in terms of my upper body that I considered taking my road bike off the trainer and putting my Trek Pure Lowstep on. But boy do I love the different gears, etc....

[zoom-zoom]

When I first got a road bike I found that my neck and shoulders did NOT like that posture...but it did get better once I had been riding a few hours every week. Probably took a few months.

Everything hurts on the trainer. I wouldn't use the trainer as a good measure of fit or comfort.

Another thought, are you tensing up in any way or maybe pushing too hard a gear? What's your cadence like? Is your front wheel elevated?

[Kerry1976]

I have not had a professional fitting. My LBS didn't even offer that when they assembled the bike for me. It was kinda like - "here's your bike. have a nice day."

The LBS did mention spacers that kept the handlebars slightly up. It may be that I need to remove a spacer or two. Right now, budget is not on my side and I'm having a hard time wanting to spend more at the LBS.

My wheel is elevated. My cadence prob runs on the slower side - I tend to mash the gears (I did the same on my Pure) - and that is something I'm working on. I really try not to tense up because I know that won't help anything. I really try to stay as relaxed as possible. (BTW - I keep the tension very low on my trainer)

[zoom-zoom]

Best way to avoid mashing the gears is to switch to an easier gear or two. You have the 305, right? Shooting for 80-90rpm is a great start.

So you think you'd be more comfortable with the handlebars lower? You could swap the spacers yourself, really. You might want an extra set of hands to help hold things as you tighten everything back down, but it's not a difficult thing to do. Derek has swapped spacers on both of my bikes.

[zoom-zoom]

Oh, wait...I see that you want your handlebars higher. Are there spacers above your stem? If not, I'm not sure if you can get it any higher. You'd need to swap spacers from above the stem to put under your stem.

[zoom-zoom]

But you could try a less angled stem, flipping your existing stem (assuming that will raise it, not lower it), or a shorter stem.

[Kerry1976]

Oh, wait...I see that you want your handlebars higher. Are there spacers above your stem? If not, I'm not sure if you can get it any higher. You'd need to swap spacers from above the stem to put under your stem.

Not necessarily. I'm almost wondering if removing a spacer or two would help (if that is even what I should be saying - they might not be removable?). Totally not sure though.

I'm back in Half Marathon running training, so my next ride is Friday, which happens to be a day off. Might be a fun time to pull out bike tools and play.

[Kerry1976]

Sounds like where I got my bike. And I agree that the trainer is a lot more uncomfortable than outdoor riding.

Find a new bike shop and use them from now on as $$ allows. That's what I did.

Maybe some local rider in your area could help you get close to a good fit until you can spend the money? Anyone on TE near?

Edit: look into local bike clubs and try to get to know some people.

I think I'm going to give my LBS a try first, since we don't have any other LBS's nearby. If that doesn't work, I'll go out of town. Thank you all so much for the wise advice. I need all the help I can get!

[Becky]

Can you post a pic of you on the bike? We might be able to give some better ideas....

[Kerry1976]

Let me think on the best way to do that. I live alone, so it won't be easy.

[Kerry1976]

Update, so here goes. I thought this would be an expensive fix, so now feel really dumb that I put it off. The new stem and labor cost a whopping $32. And of course I got back the original stem so I can put it back on for when I sell the bike in the future.

I haven't ridden it yet with the new (shorter) stem, but look forward to doing so this weekend. I am in "running mode" now - training for a half marathon. For right now, biking is my "not running" (aka cross training) activity.

I also got a saddle bag for my bike, but it doesn't fit due to the wide seat posts on my Brooks. I'll have to keep looking.... so, back to the LBS to return it. The owner wasn't certain it would fit, so he won't be surprised to see me yet again.

Thanks again, everyone, for the wise advice.

[Kerry1976]

Glad to hear it worked for you.

There are special saddle bags that work with Brooks saddles. Usually a little $$, but so pretty!

Tonight I purchased a cheaper alternative from Etsy.com. I should receive in the next week or so. I'll let you all know how it works. The pictures show it being used on a Brooks, so I'm confident. Regardless, the cost was so little that I'm not concerned if it isn't exactly right.

But in the future, I will probably splurge on something nicer like some of the bags I saw on Wallbikes website.

[woohoo]

+1 for sorting out bike fit, but...

It's worth bearing in mind that the trainer can show up and magnify a lot of small problems. The bike I ride on my trainer is a bit big for me, and I really notice the stretch some days. But, I've ridden the same bike outside for ~15 years, and when I have traffic, scenery, terrain etc, I'm just not aware of the same fit problems. I guess it's because you're moving around more and thinking about it less. It'll still be better to sort out your bike fit, especially on a new bike, but don't lose hope with it or think that it'll never be a comfy bike for you

Also, it may help if you break things up. If you want to spin for a bit, you could increase your cadence, decrease the resistance and sit up for a few minutes: whatever works and gets you enjoying your bike!