Hip angles and max thrust

[run it, ride it]

My pelvis is very upright rather than tilted forward like most women. As a runner, I'm built for distance and not speed--I run with butt in and hips forward for max efficiency.

I just got a Trek WSD 1000. One of the qualities it boasted was a steeper seat angle to get you more over the cranks. But I can't get any kind of speed or efficiency unless I perch myself on the very, very front of the seat to get my legs under me--the pedals still seem too far forward from the seat, putting the most stress on my hamstrings and knees rather than powerhouse quads.

If I lower the seat and actually sit on it, it forces my legs too far apart and too far ahead of me.

So, am I just a freak of nature or am I doing something wrong? Any and all advice appreciated!

[Tri Girl]

Hmmmmm...not sure. Have you been fitted by a professional yet (and I don't mean just the stand-over check and other silly "fittings" some bike shops give)?
My LBS does a thorough bike fitting (charges $40- but it's well worth it to get the correct fit). He measures everything and then puts the #'s into his computer, gets some great printout and then adjusts the bike as needed. Very thorough and very worth it.
I would suggest getting a thorough fitting first to see what the problem is.

If you've already been fitted, then I would suggest taking pictures of you on your bike at different angles to see if something looks wrong, and then adjust as needed.

[Triskeliongirl]

It sounds like you want the saddle moved more forward. You can unscrew the saddle and push it further forward on the rails. If it still feels wrong, you may need a different seatpost, if you have a laid back one you may need a straight one, or some laid back posts can be reversed to essentially lay forward. If none of this makes sense to you, go back to where you bought it, and ask if they can help you move the saddle more forward, and if they think that makes sense since they can actually look at you and measure you on the bike.

[KnottedYet]

Depending on the length of your femur vs. your tibia, you might not fit the "typical" WSD set up. (which tends to be designed for a women's proportionally long femur vs a man's proportionally shorter femur)

Leg length (femur + tibia) isn't the only factor for bike fit, though it seems to be the one the shops look at first. The ratio of the two bones (femur vs. tibia) determines where your knee is relative to the crank and what muscles your body has to fire to get power during different phases of the pedal stroke.

If it feels wrong, your body will probably try to move your butt/hips to adjust the knee flexion, since it can't move your feet. (they are stuck with the pedals right where they are)

Perhaps your femurs aren't the extra-long versions, so the seat feels too far back for you because your knees aren't getting to center themselves over the pedal axles at the right times.

I have the opposite problem (looooooong femurs and the seat scootched way far back), so I might just be talking through my hat here.

Head back to the shop and make sure they look at the whole leg and the postion of the knee through the stroke.

[Bikingmomof3]

You sound similar to me. I did not fit well on a Trek 1000 WSD. However, I fit beautifully on the Trek 1000 (which I did buy). I understand WSD is for women, but my body is not made for the WSD design. I happen to have a very long torso, pelvis that does not tilt forward (not fun in childbirth, tmi?), and shorter legs.

[Eden]

You sound similar to me. I did not fit well on a Trek 1000 WSD. However, I fit beautifully on the Trek 1000 (which I did buy). I understand WSD is for women, but my body is not made for the WSD design. I happen to have a very long torso, pelvis that does not tilt forward (not fun in childbirth, tmi?), and shorter legs.

Ah, but her situation sounds more like the opposite of yours. It sounds like the bike may be a bit too long - the good thing is that she recognized it quickly. I used to ride a bike that was overly long and I had the same problem without knowing it. When I moved to a shorter top tube I found that instantly I was able to go about 2-3 mph faster (and no more knee troubles), just because I was using the muscles in my legs better. This was a suprise to me though.

I agree with the others, go get a good fit done. If the size isn't too far off of what you need a few adjustments may put you to rights.

[run it, ride it]

I was never actually fitted on that bike. Will try to find a place that will do that for me. Didn't even know the seat was adjustable back and forth.

I have a long, very curved femur. If I'm standing up straight, my thighs bow out front further than any other body part (even breasts). In addition, I have the shortest torso and flattest spine possible.

Thanks for the advice so far!

[run it, ride it]

I finally made it to the vvfa(very, very far away)bs to address these fitting issues.

Apparently my seat was too far forward and my handlebars were too low.

Needless to say, the adjustments created new and worse problems. Now my hamstrings and calves are straining to push and pull what I'm sure my quads did a better job of, and even more weight ends up in my hands--AND crotch. If I try to bend my arms at all, the muscle next to the spine in my lower back on the left side hurts so sharp I can't breathe (believe me, I'll tough through any pain. But breathing is necessary). I just feel like I'm braced against this thing. 'Technically' it's supposed to fit.

Question: is the front wheel hub supposed to be blocked from view when holding a) brake hoods, or, b) next to the top of the stem? The guy who fitted me said brake hoods--but with the old clunker bike, it's next to the stem.

Guess which bike DOESN'T hurt me? Clunker 10-speed from the 70s. I can completely give everything I have on that thing (not that it gets me anywhere fast) and I feel light, balanced. I use the handlebars to PULL, I can crouch down as low as I like with a flat painless back. Even after agony on the new bike. But according to newfound fitting logic, old bike is too small for me.

I'm 5'5" with a short torso and the new bike is 54cm. Old bike is 52cm.

New bike is supposed to fit! What is wrong here?

[emily_in_nc]

54 cm sounds like too large a bike for someone 5'5". Of course, we are all different, but I am 5'2.5" and ride a 46 cm bike. I would think a 51-52 cm bike would fit you better. Since your older bike does, that kinda confirms that theory. Every bike is different, every rider is different, but it certainly sounds like a fit problem here.

Is your bike a WSD? If not, it's even longer in the cockpit. My husband rides a 54 cm Trek 5200, and he's 5'10"! Most guys his height ride a 56 cm bike, but he prefers to be more upright and has shorter arms.

I hate to say it since it may mean you have to cut your losses and sell this bike, but it sounds like the frame is just too large. If that's the case, you'll only hurt yourself by riding it, and selling it and buying a smaller bike might be the best option you have. I wouldn't buy another bike without a GOOD, full fitting in your situation either.

Good luck, and please keep us posted!

Emily

[SouthernBelle]

I'm pretty much the same size as you and I agree with Emily, 54 cm is probably too big.

I bought a 52 cm just yesterday and though the fit needs a little fine tuning I'm not having anywhere near the problems you are. At least on the maiden run yesterday.

[Triskeliongirl]

I also think from everything you say, that this bike is simply too big for you. I am 5'4" and while I can be fitted to a trek 50 cm guys bike or 51cm wsd bike, the top tubes on those bikes are still too long for me, so I ended up with a 44 cm terry bike to get the appropriately sized top tube I needed (like you I am long in the femur, short in the upper body, which also means I needed a bike with a shallow, i.e. 73 degree seat tube angle). If I were you, I would cut my losses by selling this bike. You will only injure yourself if you continue to ride it, and keep pouring money into trying to make it right but it will never be right. Then, I would learn everything I could about the older frame that fits. What seat tube angle does it has (can you download the specs), top tube length, head tube angle, and search the web to find a bike with specs in the same ballpark. When I couldn't find a bike that fit me, that is what I did, looked at what bikes worked for me in the past, and then looked for new ones that had similar geometries.

[Bikingmomof3]

That just sounds terrible. I am so sorry you are going through all this. I know we are all different sizes, and I fit a Trek 50cm perfectly. My DH who is a heck of a lot taller fits a 56cm. I could not believe it. I thought for certain he would be on a 60cm, since se has a long torso-yet he simply could not reach without discomfort on the 60cm. On a 56cm he is perfect.

My rambling has a point. I am afraid your bike, from all you have said is way too big. Would the bike store (and in my opinion they should) buy your bike back from you and sell you a bike that actually fits you? Seriously, bike riding should not be painful.

[KnottedYet]

I'm 5'8" and ride a 54 cm hybrid commuter. But on a road bike (different geometry) I ride 50 or 52.

Can you put your Trek and Clunker side-by-side and compare important points? Seat, cranks, bars... do they match? Use the bottom bracket (axle of the cranks) as your reference point, since you can't move that. Does it look like you could move the seat and bars of the Trek to make it match the clunker?

You have a unique body geometry, and clearly the standard "correct" bike fit isn't working for you. If the clunker's set-up IS working for you, it might make sense to use the clunker as your template.

[mimitabby]

I finally made it to the vvfa(very, very far away)bs to address these fitting issues.

Apparently my seat was too far forward and my handlebars were too low.

Needless to say, the adjustments created new and worse problems. Now my hamstrings and calves are straining to push and pull what I'm sure my quads did a better job of, and even more weight ends up in my hands--AND crotch. If I try to bend my arms at all, the muscle next to the spine in my lower back on the left side hurts so sharp I can't breathe (believe me, I'll tough through any pain. But breathing is necessary). I just feel like I'm braced against this thing. 'Technically' it's supposed to fit.

Question: is the front wheel hub supposed to be blocked from view when holding a) brake hoods, or, b) next to the top of the stem? The guy who fitted me said brake hoods--but with the old clunker bike, it's next to the stem.

Guess which bike DOESN'T hurt me? Clunker 10-speed from the 70s. I can completely give everything I have on that thing (not that it gets me anywhere fast) and I feel light, balanced. I use the handlebars to PULL, I can crouch down as low as I like with a flat painless back. Even after agony on the new bike. But according to newfound fitting logic, old bike is too small for me.

I'm 5'5" with a short torso and the new bike is 54cm. Old bike is 52cm.

New bike is supposed to fit! What is wrong here?

wow! you need to call those idiots and tell them that you feel worse, not better! (let your fingers do the walking!) tell them what you just told us.
I won't pretend to understand what your problem is; but i'll tell you this;
if you paid for the bike, they need to make it right. if you paid for the fit
you need to be able to go back in until you are comfy on that bike!

[run it, ride it]

That's it--I've had it with the new bike. Work today was AGONY after the commute there, and after the commute home I can barely sit up.

My crotch is numb, my hands aching, my back screaming in pain.

I didn't pay for the fit. I ASKED for the fit when I FIRST bought the thing and they said it was fine. I asked for a more intensive fit when I went back and after their tweaking (which they said would make things much better) I'm wondering if this is something like that story where the guy complains about his cat being too loud and the doctor tells him to get more and more animals until the original problem doesn't seem that bad compared to the 'remedy.'

I just plain can't reach the handlebars! I don't care what they tell me about where I should and shouldn't see the wheel hub; if I'm a freak of nature so be it.

I'm not sure what they can do for me at this point. I doubt they'll take back the frame after this much use. If I go back, they'll start talking dubiously about shortening the stem on the handlebars. They already think I'm a nutcase for wanting them closer.