bike not comfy

[spock]

anyone feel that they just dont get on or feel at home with a new bike ,,i bought a ribble sportive 7005,integra etc slight wheel upgrade bits of carbon bling and saddle ,,only been out on it a dozen times ,everytime i seem to struggle on it ,,esp on a climb even slight incline i seem to be fighting against it ,,,just dont feel smooth at all on the flat ,,do you think its my lack of bike miles or has anyone else felt like this cheers

 

[Gary E]

I always feel a little uncomfortable on a new bike for the first few rides, particularly when I get up out of the saddle to climb. As long as you've got the basic bike fit right it's well worth persevering for a while to allow time to get used to the new setup.
Depending on what you've changed from/to you can expect quite a significant difference (mountain bike with big spongy wheels and suspension will always fell more comfortable than a skinny wheeled road bike lol).

 

[simon.r]

I've had four bikes over the years that I just haven't got on with. Two were, with hind-sight, the wrong size, but there was no obvious reason for the other two. Size / geometry was virtually identical to other bikes I've owned, but I could never quite get comfortable, even after changing stems, seat-posts and so on. I still don't know why I couldn't get on with them, but in the end I cut my losses and sold them on.

Having said that, it would probably be worth your while changing the position a bit just to see if it feels any better.

 

[spock]

cheers i got the sloping top tube to make it a bit more comfy and less strain on neck and arms but to no avail ,,and it feel slow ill have a play ,,if not its goin and im gonna go for planet x carbon pro or change frame to ribble gran fondo

 

[mattobrien]

Have you been fitted to the bike? It might've worthwhile getting a bike fit to make sure things like saddle height and fore / aft are right, along with stem length etc.

 

[spock]

cheers thats my next step i think

 

[logrus]

Even a bike shop fit may provide the answer, someone standing to the side may see something obvious you cannot see yourself.

my own bikes have always fitted quite nicely, however a friends bike (spec allez) which in theory should fit me, i sat on it once and honestly i am sure i would have had an accident had i tried to ride it any distance, it all felt so strange. slight angle to the bars, slightly too low seat, all those tiny things add up quickly.

 

[Spoked Wheels]

cheers i got the sloping top tube to make it a bit more comfy and less strain on neck and arms but to no avail ,,and it feel slow ill have a play ,,if not its goin and im gonna go for planet x carbon pro or change frame to ribble gran fondo

Maybe it's the wrong type of bike for yourself. I understand that Ribble bikes are for more aggressive riding so people that are not that flexible, like myself, don't enjoy ribble bikes.

But it's possible that you are flexible and the riding style is not the problem, in that case your problem might come from the wrong fit - a few changes here and there can make a huge difference. You can either try to make those adjustments as you go along, on a trial and error basis or you go for a bike fit. I've never been for a bike fit myself, however, I've seen some videos on youtube on the subject and it seems that some methods are not very convincing but on the other hand some methods are really interesting and certainly seem worth the money. So, do your research and pick a person that does something that convinces you.

Having said all that, it does take a little while to get used to a new bike

 

[Psycolist]

I've experienced feeling 'wrong' on a bike. I have had the chance to sit on and ride ALOT of bikes over the years. (just under 70 since 2007) & I believe that a bike either feels right, or it dos'nt. If it feels wrong, then its never gonna be right. A new ride can often feel that it would be improved with an alternate stem, ride height, bar angle, any number of things, but occasionally, a bike will feel like a piece of alien machinery made for something other than a humanoid biped. ODD-----but, sadly true.
No rhyme or reason I can explain, but its just a sad fact of life.
A single exception, in my experience, is that an over tight headset can make a bike feel VERY odd. It might be worth checking ! ! !

 

[Ern1e]

anyone feel that they just dont get on or feel at home with a new bike ,,i bought a ribble sportive 7005,integra etc slight wheel upgrade bits of carbon bling and saddle ,,only been out on it a dozen times ,everytime i seem to struggle on it ,,esp on a climb even slight incline i seem to be fighting against it ,,,just dont feel smooth at all on the flat ,,do you think its my lack of bike miles or has anyone else felt like this cheers

I understand just what you mean I bought a second hand bike a few months ago and on riding it back home ( 2 miles ) i just did not like it can't say why it just did not feel right so sold it two days later !

 

[Deleted member 1258]

My fixed felt right from the word go, it only took a couple of rides to hit the sweet spot on the set up, I've had it over five years now and its still my favourite bike. My geared bike is a Verenti Kilmeston and it took over two years and several thousand miles before I hit the sweet spot on the set up, I'm comfortable on it now but I don't go well on it. Its one size to big for me and a compact frame, its the second compact framed bike I've owned and I didn't go well on the first one either, with the first one I put it down to the fact it was a cheap Raleigh but now I'm thinking that compacts don't suit me. With the proliferation of different frame types these days I wonder if theres going to be more people who will buy a bike and think this isn't right and then wonder why.