Cycling with the stem slammed (a big fail for me)

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johnnyb47

Guru
Location
Wales
Hi again,
Well I've had my new bike for just over a year now.
When i bought it (second hand) the stem was slammed and it looked rather appealing, but after I'd got a few miles on it, it soon became apparent my old creaking body was not really up to enduring such an extreme position for to long a time. Numb hands, aching back and a stiff neck would bite me in revenge for not being in my first flush of youth after barely 25 miles.
So begrudgingly i flipped the stem and swapped the spacers so i was now in a more upright position..
This transformation really did the trick for me, and the ride some became tolerable over long journeys.
As the usual Mr vanity though, i would often glance at my cycling buddies bikes with admiral looks at how sleek they looked compared to mine. They look fast just being parked up with their sorted geometry..
Many of miles have past over the last year and i am now really comfortable with my bike. A 100 mile ride can be achieved comfortably without any aches and pains (apart from the usual fitness abilities of me) and thought it was now high time to slam that stem again!!!!
My thinking was im now lighter, stronger and generally fitter (should of considered im older too, but hay ho)
After slamming the stem i took to the road again and went on a 45 mile trip.
Bad mistake....
Instantly I didn't like the feel of it. I felt like i was now pointing towards the ground headfirst, and riding on the drops now felt really unnatural. Around 25 miles in, i could hardly feel my hands through numbness. The back of my neck felt cramped from straining to look up and the base of my back started to ache.
I persisted along though, living on a false whim thinking i would just get used to it. The second ride today of 25 miles resulted in the same uncomfortable feeling. I noticed myself fidgeting around in the saddle and changing bar positions way to much than i normally do trying to get comfortable.
So tonight ive very happily changed the set up of my bike back to its more relaxed comfortable set up and am really looking forward to enjoying it again.
Even my average speeds and overall performance dropped whilst it was set up aggressively.
It makes you wonder how many new cyclists may end there new found hobby, simply because they don't have there bike set up correctly. A new cyclist, who may well be reletively unfit, and not realising they haven't hit that sweet spot on making there bike suitable in the comfort stakes could end there new venture early..
If your a newbie to cycling i can't stress enough the importance to tweaking your bike to getting it fitting right. When we buy a pair of shoes or trainers we will spend a considerable time making sure they don't rub or put to much pressure on are feet in the wrong places, If they don't feel right we find it easy to tell the shop staff there not for me, but when a bike is often bought by a newbie cyclist, it can feel somewhat more intimidating.. You like look of it and the friendly sales assistant disappears around the back to put it together for you.
You already feel committed because they are working merrily away setting it up for you, and you end up buying it. Always insist on trying before you buy. You may find that you absolutely hate it, even though it looks very nice.
If you do like it and hand over your hard earned pennies, spend plenty of time making small adjustments to the seat height, Bar positions and saddle positions. By making small changes methodically to each of the above you will eventually hit that sweet spot in comfort, and it will make the difference of enjoying your bike or just putting up it.
All the very best
Johnny :=)))
 
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biggs682

Touch it up and ride it
Location
Northamptonshire
What annoys me is how some shops or owners who cut the steerers right down to the bare minimum !!!
 
OP
OP
johnnyb47

johnnyb47

Guru
Location
Wales
The main lesson here is that if you are going to make changes to your position on the bike, you have to do it gradually, in small increments and give your body time to get used to the changes.
Absolutely, I couldn't agree more buddy
 
If it is very low, and the steerer has been cut right down, you’re limited in your options, but a relatively high positive stem angle, or flipped stem, can help a bit. One of my main road bikes has a zero angle stem, and it’s not as comfortable as the bike with the +6 stem. The lower positioned 0 degree stemmed bike is easier to get to go quicker down hills, or when there’s a headwind. I prefer the higher angled stem for endurance rides though.
 

Drago

Legendary Member
For much the same reason I don't trust expensive bike fits.
And which one would you trust, as the systems are all different and even slightly contradictory? They can't all be right.

Certainly it didn't work for me. 40 years of minor adjustments as I grew, aged, and acquired injury, worked much better than the fit. If I'd paid full price of have been very aggrieved.
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
For obvious reasons, a bike shop should sell a new bike with a pile of spacers under its stem unless the customer really knows what (s)he is talking about and specifies otherwise.

I left an inch on my steerer and fitted the spacers above the stem for a year before cutting down the steerer permanently.
I am currently going through this with my bikes.

I don't want to rush into lopping the tops off the steerers but probably will do eventually, unless I decide that I might sell the bikes one day. (I probably won't sell them because I can't afford to replace them, and wouldn't get much for them anyway.)
 
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