Bicycle fitting nightmare

[Alex321]

However I don't understand :

"If I was to ride on the hoods for any period of time I would feel stretched. It isn't necessary to ride on the hoods for long periods and moving back nearer the curve will effectively gain your 3"".

IME most riders of drop bar bikes spend most of their time riding on the hoods, fingers ready to apply the brakes, it's the default position.
Get the saddle height and reach (to the hoods) more or less right first, worry about drops later.

Yes, I feel very uncomfortable if the brake levers aren't instantly in reach.

There are only a few bits of the roads I usually ride on where forward visibility is good enough to know I won't need to brake or change gear for long enough to be worth moving both hands to positions where that isn't true.

I think that most road bike riders spend 90%+ of the time on the hoods, and most of the rest in the drops.

 

[youngoldbloke]

Yes, I feel very uncomfortable if the brake levers aren't instantly in reach.

There are only a few bits of the roads I usually ride on where forward visibility is good enough to know I won't need to brake or change gear for long enough to be worth moving both hands to positions where that isn't true.

I think that most road bike riders spend 90%+ of the time on the hoods, and most of the rest in the drops.

On a 30 mile ride with the club yesterday I noticed only one of the riders on the drops, this for a short period of time when she was taking her turn at the front into quite a strong wind. It is not uncommon for no-one to use the drops during a ride. I also spend a fair proportion of time riding on the tops - the straight area of the bars inboard of the hoods, nearer the stem, but only when it's safe to leave the brakes uncovered - never in a group.

 

[PaulSB]

I think I'm even more confused now.

IME most riders of drop bar bikes spend most of their time riding on the hoods, fingers ready to apply the brakes, it's the default position.
Get the saddle height and reach (to the hoods) more or less right first, worry about drops later.

edit: Reynard sums it up nicely.

This rider doesn't or at least he believes he doesn't. I'll try to study it more closely and report back...................if this weather lets me get near a bike anytime soon

Yes, I feel very uncomfortable if the brake levers aren't instantly in reach.

There are only a few bits of the roads I usually ride on where forward visibility is good enough to know I won't need to brake or change gear for long enough to be worth moving both hands to positions where that isn't true.

I think that most road bike riders spend 90%+ of the time on the hoods, and most of the rest in the drops.

I believe you but find it a surprising remark. I would say 90% of the time I don't need to be within instant reach of the hoods. I recognise the circumstances in which I may do and adjust accordingly. At least, as above, this is what I think I do.

On a 30 mile ride with the club yesterday I noticed only one of the riders on the drops, this for a short period of time when she was taking her turn at the front into quite a strong wind. It is not uncommon for no-one to use the drops during a ride. I also spend a fair proportion of time riding on the tops - the straight area of the bars inboard of the hoods, nearer the stem, but only when it's safe to leave the brakes uncovered - never in a group.

Generally this would be my use of the drops; either to catch a group I have been dropped from or work hard in headwind. If I'm descending a hill I know well I'll use the drops. I don't like to be on the drops while in the group, front or back yes but never the middle. My main position is around the tops and curve of the bars. If I have my hands nearer the levers/on the hoods in anticipation of braking it's generally only a dab which is needed and I do this from the top of the lever.

 

[Alex321]

I believe you but find it a surprising remark. I would say 90% of the time I don't need to be within instant reach of the hoods. I recognise the circumstances in which I may do and adjust accordingly. At least, as above, this is what I think I do.

That could be a function of the types of road we ride on.

I spend the majority of my time riding the small lanes around the Vale of Glamorgan, and those tend to be quite narrow with sight lines rarely more than 200-300 yards at best, often less, plus frequent changes in road attitude, meaning I may well find myself changing gear several times in a minute or two.

If you are riding on more open roads, without such frequent gradient changes, then you may well feel more confident in not having instant access to the levers.

 

[youngoldbloke]

RE my post upthread: "Get the saddle height right first. Then the reach. Don't go changing the bars, cranks hood positions until later, if at all. Don't expect to ride comfortably in the drops if it's your first road bike, especially if you are carrying a little more around the waist than is desirable." I should have added "saddle setback" after saddle height, then reach, then bar height.
The Le Monde formula and KOPS are helpful to put you in the right ball-park, somewhere to start from - that's all!

 

[Jameshow]

Even the pros are so different on the bike!!

Chris Froome and Adam Yates, Bernal, comes to mind, they don't look natural.

Where as Big mig, wout van art, MVP, Rog, prog look much more natural?!🤔🤔

 

[sevenfourate]

Has the OP posted a side on profile video of himself riding ?

 

[PaulSB]

That could be a function of the types of road we ride on.

I spend the majority of my time riding the small lanes around the Vale of Glamorgan, and those tend to be quite narrow with sight lines rarely more than 200-300 yards at best, often less, plus frequent changes in road attitude, meaning I may well find myself changing gear several times in a minute or two.

If you are riding on more open roads, without such frequent gradient changes, then you may well feel more confident in not having instant access to the levers.

I know those lanes from visits to the area and understand what you mean. Lancashire, my stomping ground, has mile after mile of great lanes which generally have good site lines. The nature of our hills is one needs to select a comfortable gear at the bottom and sit in, again sight lines are such, plus local knowledge, mean one can easily anticipate a change long before it's needed.

We do have some lanes similar to yours and I would be on the hoods for those.

 

[ColinJ]

To illustrate exactly how different our riding positions can be, here is a bike that I spotted in Hebden Bridge...

The woman who owned it had a back or neck problem, and that enabled her to keep on cycling... It doesn't look safe to me, but I saw her riding it around for years so it must have been!

 

[youngoldbloke]

Even the pros are so different on the bike!!

Chris Froome and Adam Yates, Bernal, comes to mind, they don't look natural.

Where as Big mig, wout van art, MVP, Rog, prog look much more natural?!🤔🤔

Yes, you don't want to emulate CF's stem fixation. Lots of Pros riding on the hoods.

 

[Jameshow]

To illustrate exactly how different our riding positions can be, here is a bike that I spotted in Hebden Bridge...

View attachment 673897

The woman who owned it had a back or neck problem, and that enabled her to keep on cycling... It doesn't look safe to me, but I saw her riding it around for years so it must have been!

I know a guy who rides on the hoods, but his position is a carbon copy of obree superman position! He must have a 200mm stem!🤣🤣🤣

 

[ColinJ]

I know a guy who rides on the hoods, but his position is a carbon copy of obree superman position! He must have a 200mm stem!🤣🤣🤣

Or a bike 5 sizes too big. I think the stem on my CAAD 5 (see avatar on the left) is 140 mm long. I can ride 58 cm frames like that one with a long stem, or maybe a 60/61 cm frame with a 100-110 mm stem.

 

[bikingdad90]

How have we managed to get through 13 pages of threads and no one has mentioned bikefit James on Francis Cades YouTube channel. He is great at explaining cause and effect and then the remedy.

 

[Jameshow]

Or a bike 5 sizes too big. I think the stem on my CAAD 5 (see avatar on the left) is 140 mm long. I can ride 58 cm frames like that one with a long stem, or maybe a 60/61 cm frame with a 100-110 mm stem.

I'll try and catch a sneaky pic if him sometime!! He could be in here or more likely the CTC forum!🤣

 

[cyberknight]

seen this on facefluff , boardman forks unsure if they fit yours?

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1236153514006802/