Bike fit not going well

[Fat-thor]

Hey everyone newbie here. Purchased myself a canyon road bike 58cm. So far I'm getting terrible knee pain and the saddle is really uncomfortable.

I am overweight and want to get fit.I thought now is a good time to start with the coronavisus about..

I have tried watch videos on saddle height adjustments. Everyone seems to have a different opinion.

When riding after a few minutes the front of my knees start to hurt, if I stop peddling they are fine again.

I obviously cant get a professional fit at the moment so I was wondering if anyone could help me please..

thanks

 

[vickster]

Sounds like saddle too low and possibly in wrong fore-aft position. Also are you using cleats?
Saddle, are you using padded shorts? It maybe the wrong shape or size or if new to cycling, just need to toughen up below.
When you go out, take an Allen key and tweak the saddle height a few mm at a time until pain goes.
How are your muscles in terms of flexibility, tight muscles can cause knee pain too

 

[Sharky]

Re saddle height, if you asked on here, most will give the same answer. Namely, straight leg with heel on the pedal at 6 O'clock then should be correct with ball of foot over the pedal spindle.

Saddle comfort can be elusive, lots of factors including tilt, fore/aft and saddle width. Just got to experiment.

But it sound as if you are just starting out? May have to be a gradual increase in mileage until you get a bit fitter.

Good luck

 

[I like Skol]

How tall are you and how did you decide a 58cm size was right for you?

 

[Reynard]

If you've not cycled before, saddle discomfort could just be your bottom not being used to it. That comes with time. If you are unfit and just starting out, your legs will get tired very easily, and when they do, you will be putting more weight onto the saddle - leading to a sore bottom.

Get the saddle height and position right (you've had some good advice in this thread about how to do that), give it a little while, get the fitness levels up and see how you go.

If you're still having issues after all that, then is the time to think about changing the saddle to something that might be better. But first of all, stick to the basics of positioning and spend a little time increasing your fitness.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

You'll hear a lot of extremely detailed and well intended advice about fit, like being fore and aft no stronger than 3mm, top of head plumb line with ankle socket at 90 degrees RPM, making sure the thigh is at 76 degrees from the lunar equinox when the brakes are applied to an integer of 7, and similar guff. For now, forget all of it.

You're new to cycling and you're a big lad, so your bum bones and your knee bones will complain at this new pressure. Do a little, most days (even if it's 15 minutes), and when it gets more comfortable build up a little more. Think about bike fit later, the main thing is get the saddle height so your knees are almost straight at the bottom of the pedal stroke.

Take it easy, and enjoy.

 

[wafter]

I'm down with the "straight leg with heel on pedal" method of setting saddle height; should get you 95% there and is an easy one to get right first off.

I had issues with frontal knee pain too. IIRC this is associated with the saddle being too low and potentially too far forward too; I moved my saddle rearward and it sorted it. Try pushing it back in 5mm increments and see how it goes. Leave the saddle flat.

The saddle comfort could be many things; fit, lack of conditioning (getting used to it), clothing choice, positioning.. I'd be inclined to try and position the saddle correctly to sort the knees, give it a few rides and see if the rest falls into place.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

Oh one thing does strike me if you're an absolute beginner... if the front of your knees hurt after just minutes, rather than bike fit issues you're very much more likely to simply be pushing too high a gear. Change right down to an easier one to make the pedals spin a little more then see how you're getting on.

 

[Shadow121]

Hi @Fat-thor , and welcome to the forum
As suggested, try and get the seat height so your leg is almost straight
at the bottom of the pedal stroke.
This should take the pressure off your knee,
BUT, if you have your seat too far forward, this will also pain your knees,
so after you get the height right, ride for ten minutes in easy gears only
pushing what your comfortable with, that might be you ok, if your knees are
still sore, then slide the seat back 5mm, recheck the Seat height again so your
leg is almost straight at the bottom of the pedal stroke, ride for ten minutes in gears
that are not too hard to push and see how you get on.

Seats in general are not a one fit for all, there are so many shapes,
some have more padding, some are different in width, it takes time
on any seat to begin to understand what you would like to change
to make it more comfortable for you. Get it in the right position first.

What Canyon model did you get, what size is the frame.
What height are you, and inside leg measurement,
maybe this info could help with suggestions on what might help.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Having been riding for 45+ years, I am very much of the view that bike fits are generally a complete waste of time and money. I know my measurements and what size frames will fit me, and if you get the basic size right then it comes down to minor tweaks that you do by trial and error until maximum comfort is achieved. It's really not complicated.
Saddle discomfort is not unusual when first taking up riding or after a lay-off. You won't know whether it's just a matter of toughening up or the saddle shape doesn't suit you until you've clocked up a few hours. When I took up riding after a lay-off I limited myself to about an hour per ride for the first couple of weeks to avoid a sore backside. After that, I would ride until my legs got tired, usually 2-2 1/2 hours at a time. I ride in normal clothing including jeans and do not wear cycling gear with padding in it. Knee pain is not normal though, and wants eliminating ASAP. It could be a saddle height issue, possibly not helped by inappropriate high gearing.
There are a couple of tried and tested formulae to set saddle heights in relation to inside leg measurements and both return very similar numbers; Either 1.09 x inside leg pedal to saddle or 0.882 x inside leg BB axle to saddle. Result tends to be within about 1/4" either way and is a good ballpark figure.

 

[biggs682]

Morning And welcome @Fat-thor how about a side view picture of how the bike is set up at the moment along with your height so we try and help.

I am guessing that you must be 6 ft plus if on a 58cm frame.

 

[PaulSB]

@Fat-thor welcome. You have good advice in here already. I am in the straight leg with a slight bend, 5-10 degrees, at the six o'clock position camp.

In regard of saddle position as a rough guide my view is this. Once you have saddle height correct you can address saddle position. For me a comfortable position is with my sitting bones well to the rear, broadest, part of the saddle. The arms should have a slight bend in them at the elbow. If you're arms are fully extended and rigid you will be transferring too much weight forward through your arms. Getting the saddle height and position correct for you will almost naturally create this effect.

A couple of tips that perhaps aren't obvious. Before starting seat adjustment wrap some electrical tape around one of the rails to mark the original position. Same applies to raising the seat post.

Take the appropriate Allen keys with you on a ride. When you begin to feel uncomfortable stop, make adjustments and carry on. For me the best way to make the changes is when it hurts and then test if the adjustments have relieved the discomfort.

 

[MichaelW2]

If you are new to cycling and not fit, then take some time to ease into any hard fitness training. First you need to condition yourself to being on the bike.
If you are using clipless pedals, ditch them for plain platforms.
If you are trying to ride in a low race position, don't. Raise your bars.
Avoid hard pedalling in big gears. Aim to spin easily in lower gears.
Avoid long rides at first.

As you get used to being on the bike you will understand what positioning means and your ideal position will change.

Post some side pics of your riding position with pedals at front and bottom position.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Welcome @Fat-thor

I wouldn't worry at all about a bike fit. In the same way if you suddenly started running everything would hurt like hell for a few days, you can expect the same with cycling. Just ride little (maybe 30 minutes a time), gently (not out of breath) and often (every day, even if it hurts a bit) to get into the swing of things would be my advice.

Questions:

How far/long/often are you riding?

Comments:

If you have knee pain, I'd simply suggest going slower and/or in a lower gear to start with for a few days at least while you get used to it.

Saddle: if you're new to this it's very unlikely to be too high. Does your heel touch the pedal when your leg is straight, if not it is too high. If in doubt on the angle, set it horizontal with a spirit level.

 

[mjr]

I find the fit/setup guide on www.wheel-easy.org.uk is as good as I could do.