My Bike is REALLY uncomfortable??

[Lori]

I'm hoping I can get a bit of advice. Long story short, I started cycling 2 yrs ago, trained for the 94.7 - have a RC1000 and took 6 hrs to finish. the next year i was busy with exams and then started my own business. I live in an unsafe area and cant risk riding alone. i am doing the 94.7 again this year, bought me an indoor trainer (dont judge me! i have my reasons - and yes, i have used it) but - my bike is so bloody uncomfortable, after 40 min I can barely feel my ass and my arms are so sore as well as my hands that i have to get off the bike. What can i do to make it more comfortable. I know I need a better saddle (i want to put my mtb saddle on the road bike cos its wWAY more comfortable (sacrilege - maybe??) but what do i do about my aroms and hands. I rode the bike for 6 hours before and hurt, but managed, the way im hurting now, I cant even bring myself to take it to the roads this weekend - its just too sore!

 

please help - ANY and all advice will be appreciated.

 

(ps - im still a novice at the cycling thing but its an amazing sport and I feel intimidated by almost everyone else on a bike)

[Soggy]

When I started cycling, it took me a while to get used to the hard seat, especially since I weigh 94kg and I am 1.9m tall so a road bike was much more uncomfortable than the mountain bike. I got myself a gel seat cover and used that for a while, you wont believe how much that helped my a$$, made it much more bearable.

 

Is your handlebar se too low? Can you loosen the top locknut and move the spacers below the stem to raise the bar a bit, that will help with the lower back as well.

[Lori]

Thanks! I'll try moving the handle bar up a bit, also thought to maybe try get a shorter stem? Not sure if it will make much of a difference though.

 

As for the hard seat - I am 10kg less than I was when I did the 94.7 2 yrs ago so it doesnt make sense that I cant handle the seat now i have agel cover, I may as well give it a try

[Soggy]

Also dont put on a MTB seat. This may sound silly but I discovered this and its true. MTB seats are designed to be ridden with the rider almost upright, with most of the weight on the rear of the a$$, road bike seats are very flat due to the forward leaning position and a lot of the pressure is shifted to the scrotum area. Any uneccesary padding actually adds more pressure to the area and cuts off circulation. I used a MTB seat on my road bike once and just after riding arond the block once I could definitely feel the extra pressure on the family jewels and swapped the seat back.

 

Road bike seats are designed to be flat for that exact reason, and the padding was shifted to the cycling shorts instead of the seat

Edited October 5, 2011 by Soggy

[Soggy]

Thanks! I'll try moving the handle bar up a bit, also thought to maybe try get a shorter stem? Not sure if it will make much of a difference though.

 

As for the hard seat - I am 10kg less than I was when I did the 94.7 2 yrs ago so it doesnt make sense that I cant handle the seat now i have agel cover, I may as well give it a try

 

If the trouble is in the lower back and arms, a shorter stem will help lift you up and take pressure off your arms. The only bad thing is the higher up you are, the more wind resistance. As long as your reach is good and confortable, it will be more comfortable to duck into the wind for extra aerodynamics.

[Ge4orce]

Just buy a cheap comfortable seat or try riding with two cycling shorts on. I used to have a carbon seat on my bike and that was really uncomfortable. Also have a look at your setup as that can have a big effect on the overall comfort of your bike.

[Tjokkits]

rather than spending a lot of money trail and error,

1 go to a good bike shop for a proper set up (cyclelab), then you know the basics are right

2. save up and buy a decent saddle. here you basically get what you pay for. more NB than MTB or raod saddle is to get something decent that works for you, you need to try a few out. specialised have a number of good saddles and if you go to a concept store they have ones you can take and try out. they cme in diffirents sizes to match the size of your butt :)personally after trying many others the avatar works best for me

3. get the best cycling shorts you can afford. if all else fails, ride with two pants. but over time your butt will get used to the abuse. do not wear underpants and use some butt cream (milo cream or if you want to burn cash assos)

4. get decent gel gloves and make sure they fit properly

 

 

good luck and hope you have fun

[jwagga]

Shorter stem problem solved I had the same problem on my rc 2000

[David Marshall]

As previous posts have mentioned go for a bike setup. Even a visual inexpensive one will help greatly. Sounds like your frame is too big for you. Get your sit bones measured at the same time so that you can look out for the right sized saddle. If you are close to Fourways you can bring it to my place for some free advice. PM for details.

[Fitter]

I'm hoping I can get a bit of advice. Long story short, I started cycling 2 yrs ago, trained for the 94.7 - have a RC1000 and took 6 hrs to finish. the next year i was busy with exams and then started my own business. I live in an unsafe area and cant risk riding alone. i am doing the 94.7 again this year, bought me an indoor trainer (dont judge me! i have my reasons - and yes, i have used it) but - my bike is so bloody uncomfortable, after 40 min I can barely feel my ass and my arms are so sore as well as my hands that i have to get off the bike. What can i do to make it more comfortable. I know I need a better saddle (i want to put my mtb saddle on the road bike cos its wWAY more comfortable (sacrilege - maybe??) but what do i do about my aroms and hands. I rode the bike for 6 hours before and hurt, but managed, the way im hurting now, I cant even bring myself to take it to the roads this weekend - its just too sore!

 

please help - ANY and all advice will be appreciated.

 

(ps - im still a novice at the cycling thing but its an amazing sport and I feel intimidated by almost everyone else on a bike)

 

What you describe is pretty much all fit related. Please PM me and I will assist you with getting a more workable fitting so you can at least begin enjoying the sport.

[scotty]

If you in Jhb these guys do a bike fitment for R100

 

https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/12266-scientific-bicycle-fitment-wwwbicycle-tradercom/

[javadude]

Remember, on an indoor trainer you tend to sit pretty still for most of the time. Don't forget every now and then to stand up on the pedals to take some pressure of the backside and to give the muscles a bit of a stretch. Like others have mentioned, spend a bit of money and get a decent bike fit, you wont regret it.

[Grebel]

As mentioned, bike fit first. Decent shorts are also a good investment, but a free upgrade that will help a lot is work on your core strength. Use your core muscles to hold you up, not your arms. Fixes shoulder and back pain and numb hands. A sore arse will get better the more you ride.

[428 others]

Just buy a cheap comfortable seat or try riding with two cycling shorts on. I used to have a carbon seat on my bike and that was really uncomfortable. Also have a look at your setup as that can have a big effect on the overall comfort of your bike.

 

You cant be serious?

[Longbarn Killer]

This may sound silly, but do you have a block under your front wheel that lifts it to the same level as the rear wheel when attached to the indoor trainer?

 

The pain that you are describing points to the possibility that your front wheel is too low when on the trainer or if it is too high, you could also experience pain. Check the levels of your wheels before spending cash on anything.

[davetapson]

Go and see Arran. He'll set your bike up for you and give you all the advice you need.

 

It will probably be the cheapest thing you can do, and be the most effective.

 

http://www.cyclefit.co.za/

Edited October 6, 2011 by davetapson