What do I need to do ???

[Kezza1970]

Hi, newbie post so I apologise now - and it's a bit long - apologies again !!
Having only cycled using my husbands MB back and forward to work (max 10km total) I have signed up for the 'women v cancer' 450km ride through Vietnam and Cambodia !! I have a while to prepare and I'm probs med fitness. Do spin, weights, wee bit of running, hill walking etc - something most days !
I have progressed to a road bike and cycling shorts which made a massive difference however, now I am cycling 30 - 40km average 3 times per week - my shoulders, neck and lower back are in agony !! And my feet hurt - I'm just wearing normal trainers at the min ( I do know I need some better footwear - and I'm working out the best thing for me ) the outside of my foot right down the side is very tender ??
The thought of how uncomfortable I am from say midway on the cycle ride to home is actually starting to put me off going out
I just want to know .... What should I do first ?? Could it be my handle bar height ( I actually know nothing about my bike - it's borrowed off a friend ) initially I was so delighted the bike was lighter and easier to ride and I thought I had it all sussed !! But each ride I'm coming in with another set of aches and pains .... I thought conquering the sore backside was a triumph !
Would upper body shoulders etc in the gym help ??
I appreciate I need my bike and me assessed but I'm worried there's a whole lot more wrong than just a few tweeks of the handlebars ??
Thanks for listening/reading - and feel free to scold at my utter incompetence !!

 

[ScotiaLass]

Hi
I am sure others will be along soon to give you more advice, but my first thought is that the bike is the wrong size for you!
There are different frame sizes to choose from and once you have the right frame size you need the bike adjusted to fit you.
There are a lot of places that do this, but basically everything is adjusted to fit; handle bars, saddle height etc so that your riding position is the best it can be. This not only helps with comfort, but your speed etc.

It could also be that you are adjusting to the road bike (presuming it has drop bars). I know that I can't ride on drop bars due to a shoulder injury and arthritis in my neck - they kill me and I'm in so much pain. I ride a more upright hybrid and a mountain bike for going off road

I am sure you'll get further replies with even better advice!
Good luck!

 

[Nigelnaturist]

It can take sometime to get used to the position on a road bike as it not a natural one. Start with your saddle, with the crank at the bottom of the stroke (6 o'clock) put your heel on the pedal it should just about be straight (your leg), if it isn't set your saddle height so it is. once the saddle height is correct, hands on the hood in your normal riding position look down through the bars and it should bisect the front axle or close to it. These are only guides, if you can't get these close then as @ScotiaLass says it may be the wrong size frame.
As for the ride it about doing miles, and more miles, so much it can get boring, and then more, you will get used to the saddle and riding position but it comes over time.
I take it your not doing it in one ride, if not work up to at least the min distance as soon as you can, and do that as often as possible with longer runs as well.
It maybe an idea if you can to try a few different saddles as they are all different, the one I am currently using was surprising comfy on Sunday (WNBR) but its not quite so with padded shorts, its passable but could be better.
And Good luck.

 

[coffeejo]

Get a professional bike fit done. They'll let you know if the bike's the wrong size for you and set it up correctly if it's fine. It's amazing what a difference just "a few tweaks" can make. Just a couple of mm here and there and it's a different bike.

 

[mjr]

As a cheap quick check, there are bike fit calculators and instructions for various methods online. It's no substitute for expert (not necessarily professional) advice, but it's a starting point.

 

[Kezza1970]

Thanks guys - definitely going to go get the bike and my position checked. Been out this morning and did a quick hour or so - different route and the 22km were fine and quite enjoyed them to be honest. Felt fairly confident all the way. Had different footwear on and felt better there too !! Very conscious of my head and neck and trying to keep relaxed - nice massage this afternoon as a reward !! Cheers will keep at it !!

 

[Steady]

Shoes wise I use to cycle in normal basic trainers, they were very flexible mid-foot and I found mid-foot, side foot pain built up the more I rode the bike. I'm not advocating going clip less as it is very personal, but cycling shoes do tend to be stiffer, and getting a stiff soled shoe can help massively with foot pain in trainers.

 

[Ticktockmy]

You will find that ride interesting, I guess you will only be cycling about 30-40 miles a day, so your training so far is ok, road wise in Vietnam can be hard work, all sort of problems, like cyclist and motorcyclist ride the wrong way on the roads. In Cambodia the roads have vastly improved now so that is not a problem and I guess the organisers have arranged a route to make live easier for your guys. regarding shoes when I ride in South East Asia, I wear sandals, reason is because it rains and rains very hard, and shoes get sodden whereas sandals drain off quickly.. and one final point it get HOT and humid, so be prepared to get yourself hydrated.

 

[Ganymede]

Hi Kezza - such a great first post!

Think about your grip on the handlebars too - are you white-knuckling most of the time and leaning a lot of weight on your hands? Are your forearms tense? This can lead to a lot of tension in the shoulders and neck. Try to relax your grip and think about taking the weight of your body more evenly in your body, if you see what I mean - ie if your back is weak you might be letting all the weight be taken on your hands. It sounds like you are pretty fit so I am sure you will cope! - often it is just a question of correcting little quirky habits (once you've got your bike fit right of course!

 

[buggi]

If you're in "agony" rather than a bit of pain, that rings alarm bells with me. Take your bike to a reputable LBS (independent Local Bike Shop... Not a chain like Halfords) who will be able to do a proper bike fit . If you don't know of one, phone your local cycling club and they will recommend one, or tell us where you come from, we might have a good recommendation.

Being in agony can sometimes be fixed with lots of tweaks to the bike or it might mean you have bought the wrong size frame. The LBS can advise what to do next or make the adjustments to the bike. Don't be afraid to tell them where it hurts (even if its your lady garden!). They've heard it all before! They are experts. And don't be embarrassed if you feel you have a lack of knowledge and don't know how to refer to the bits on your bike. That's why we pay them. Just point!

 

[vickster]

I get lots of upper body ails and backache. I have poor core stability, that's something to work on in the gym, perhaps Pilates

And get an expert bike fit on the bike you'll be riding, preferably by someone with a physiotherapy background, not just someone who has done a 2 day fitting course on whichever computer based system. I'm assuming you take the bike with you, they don't provide one when you get there? You say the bike is borrowed, is it the right size? If not, you might want to consider buying one that is right for you. A badly fitting bike can cause chronic injuries that come on insidiously. Personally I've ended up with tennis elbow and I've now got bicipital tendonitis, may not be solely due to cycling but my poor posture won't be helping

Well fitting cycling shoes of the touring variety and clipless pedals may help your feet. Should be part of the bike fit

 

[jonny jeez]

Hi, newbie post so I apologise now - and it's a bit long - apologies again !!
Having only cycled using my husbands MB back and forward to work (max 10km total) I have signed up for the 'women v cancer' 450km ride through Vietnam and Cambodia !! I have a while to prepare and I'm probs med fitness. Do spin, weights, wee bit of running, hill walking etc - something most days !
I have progressed to a road bike and cycling shorts which made a massive difference however, now I am cycling 30 - 40km average 3 times per week - my shoulders, neck and lower back are in agony !! And my feet hurt - I'm just wearing normal trainers at the min ( I do know I need some better footwear - and I'm working out the best thing for me ) the outside of my foot right down the side is very tender ??
The thought of how uncomfortable I am from say midway on the cycle ride to home is actually starting to put me off going out
I just want to know .... What should I do first ?? Could it be my handle bar height ( I actually know nothing about my bike - it's borrowed off a friend ) initially I was so delighted the bike was lighter and easier to ride and I thought I had it all sussed !! But each ride I'm coming in with another set of aches and pains .... I thought conquering the sore backside was a triumph !
Would upper body shoulders etc in the gym help ??
I appreciate I need my bike and me assessed but I'm worried there's a whole lot more wrong than just a few tweeks of the handlebars ??
Thanks for listening/reading - and feel free to scold at my utter incompetence !!

Hi Kezza.

A bike fit will cost anything from £150 upwards, so,perhaps,just check the obvious points first.

Let us know how tall you are, and roughly what your inside leg measurement is and we should be able to confirm what frame size you should be riding. Then it's a case of talking you through basic set up, like height of saddle and headset, perhaps stem length and maybe...crank arm length.

If you bought the bike from a shop I suspect it's the right size fram and maybe the rest is just wrong.

It's worth saying that your saddle should be a lot higher than you most likely think is natural. A good test is to lean against something and put the heel of your foot on your pedal, when the crank arm is vertical and the pedal is at the lowest point, your heel should just about still be on the pedal and your leg should be totally straight.

If your knee is bent, your seat is possibly too low.

There are a few guides to stem length and headset height which focus on whether you can see the front hub( centre of the wheel) when sat on the bike...but I would check the first two first...frame size and seat height....first.

Oh and for my money,I'm would ride with clipless shoes and pedals, these will hold you in a proper position and make your pedalling more efficient...and less likely to pick up pains.

If you feel brave, get your other half to take a picture of you on the bike, from the side and post it here for others to comment.although I don't think I would ever willingly post a picture of myself lycra-ed up...on 'tinternet

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@jonny jeez try nude (clue WNBR), not that I am bothered either way, mind you people don't take pictures of me anyway so not an issue.

 

[mjr]

I'd say there are three schools of thought on pedals: clipped on, teeth/pins and rubber. All three can be made to work well for general riding (maybe some have an edge for competition) and all three can suck if you have shoes that aren't right for you and it.

 

[Kezza1970]

Hi Kezza.

A bike fit will cost anything from £150 upwards, so,perhaps,just check the obvious points first.

Let us know how tall you are, and roughly what your inside leg measurement is and we should be able to confirm what frame size you should be riding. Then it's a case of talking you through basic set up, like height of saddle and headset, perhaps stem length and maybe...crank arm length.

If you bought the bike from a shop I suspect it's the right size fram and maybe the rest is just wrong.

It's worth saying that your saddle should be a lot higher than you most likely think is natural. A good test is to lean against something and put the heel of your foot on your pedal, when the crank arm is vertical and the pedal is at the lowest point, your heel should just about still be on the pedal and your leg should be totally straight.

If your knee is bent, your seat is possibly too low.

There are a few guides to stem length and headset height which focus on whether you can see the front hub( centre of the wheel) when sat on the bike...but I would check the first two first...frame size and seat height....first.

Oh and for my money,I'm would ride with clipless shoes and pedals, these will hold you in a proper position and make your pedalling more efficient...and less likely to pick up pains.

If you feel brave, get your other half to take a picture of you on the bike, from the side and post it here for others to comment.although I don't think I would ever willingly post a picture of myself lycra-ed up...on 'tinternet

Hey - thanks for all the tips and info !! How completely naive I am - I thought I could just pop along to a bike shop and they would check me out - for free !!! will get my bike out and do the things you suggest and see where I am !
Thanks for the advice !!