Bike fitting - opinions?

On 29/7/04 3:59 pm, in article [email hidden],

Lockstock said:

Have this week taken some advice regarding our old favourite - 'numb nuts'
syndrome as, having bought myself a great new bike, am beginning to
experience this problem for days after rides upwards of 20 miles.
Something's not right.

My bike has one of the Specialized Body Geometry saddles fitted and I
suspect (and hope) that this is the root of the problem.

I've got one of those. It is fine for the first hour but then becomes
increasing more painful.

I have just got a new Brookes B17 to replace it which seems to be much
better. Less comfortable at first but much better after two hours. I'll be
riding Dundee to Glasgow this weekend so will really be putting it to the
test..

...d

Lockstock said:

Reason for the post is that it's been suggested I pay a visit to a dealer
with the 'Bikefitting.com' gear to measure me up and adjust my bike
accordingly. At £35 it may be cash well spent but I suspect another saddle
may also be an outcome. I am conscious that everyone is different and what
suits one may not do another!

Just wondered what the general view of this kind of stuff is and whether
anyone has used it.

I was measured using this system when I bought my last bike and I have had
no discomfort whatsoever.

--
Michael MacClancy
Random putdown - "I have never killed a man, but I have read many
obituaries with great pleasure." - Clarence Darrow
www.macclancy.demon.co.uk
www.macclancy.co.uk

Lockstock said:

My bike has one of the Specialized Body Geometry saddles fitted and I
suspect (and hope) that this is the root of the problem.

I'd say the way to find out is empirically. Put a different saddle on
and see if the problem persists. No saddle will work for everyone: I
personally found the BG I tried to be a torture implement.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Whatever else you do, get your weight off the saddle at least every 20
minutes and *every* time tou ride over uneven surfaces.

--
Helen D. Vecht: [email hidden]
Edgware.

Lockstock said:

Have this week taken some advice regarding our old favourite - 'numb nuts'
syndrome as, having bought myself a great new bike, am beginning to
experience this problem for days after rides upwards of 20 miles.
Something's not right.

My bike has one of the Specialized Body Geometry saddles fitted and I
suspect (and hope) that this is the root of the problem.

I've got one of those too. I didn't like it at all at first - lots
of Male discomfort, especially after a 58-mile ride. Angling the
saddle down slightly (one notch on the ratchet thingy) *seems* to
have helped.

I haven't done much more than a 20 mile ride since changing
the angle, but it feels a lot better - my weight is more squarely
on my bum bones rather than, well, you know where.

Might be worth a try before spending money.

--
jc

Remove the -not from email

"Michael MacClancy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Lockstock said:

Reason for the post is that it's been suggested I pay a visit to a

dealer

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

with the 'Bikefitting.com' gear to measure me up and adjust my bike
accordingly. At £35 it may be cash well spent but I suspect another

saddle

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

may also be an outcome. I am conscious that everyone is different and

what

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

suits one may not do another!

Just wondered what the general view of this kind of stuff is and whether
anyone has used it.

I was measured using this system when I bought my last bike and I have had
no discomfort whatsoever.

--
Michael MacClancy
Random putdown - "I have never killed a man, but I have read many
obituaries with great pleasure." - Clarence Darrow
www.macclancy.demon.co.uk
www.macclancy.co.uk

That's useful to know Michael and, coupled with comments regarding the
saddle I currently have, am really hopeful that I will be able to find a
solution tomorrow. I am unhappy continuing to ride when I could be doing
irreversible damage.

L

Lockstock said:

"Michael MacClancy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Lockstock said:

Reason for the post is that it's been suggested I pay a visit to a

dealer

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

with the 'Bikefitting.com' gear to measure me up and adjust my bike
accordingly. At £35 it may be cash well spent but I suspect another

saddle

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

may also be an outcome. I am conscious that everyone is different and

what

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

suits one may not do another!

Just wondered what the general view of this kind of stuff is and whether
anyone has used it.

I was measured using this system when I bought my last bike and I have had
no discomfort whatsoever.

--
Michael MacClancy
Random putdown - "I have never killed a man, but I have read many
obituaries with great pleasure." - Clarence Darrow
www.macclancy.demon.co.uk
www.macclancy.co.uk

That's useful to know Michael and, coupled with comments regarding the
saddle I currently have, am really hopeful that I will be able to find a
solution tomorrow. I am unhappy continuing to ride when I could be doing
irreversible damage.

L

I bought my bike, then went and had it fitted. Result - a bike I'm much
happier riding, even if it still isn't a perfect fit - it's close enough
that I'm able to adapt.

If I'd gone for a fitting thing first, I'd have ended up buying a custom
frame and having a bike built up from that.

End result, a near perfect bike, and probably (by the time I'd finished
changing all sorts on my current one to get it fitting) no more expensive.

Fitting's well worth it IMO.

--

Velvet

Jeremy Collins said:

I haven't done much more than a 20 mile ride since changing
the angle, but it feels a lot better - my weight is more squarely
on my bum bones rather than, well, you know where.

Might be worth a try before spending money.

Same here. Made a big difference angling it down slightly.

--

Burning_Ranger

To email: [email hidden]

Lardychap said:

Velvet said:

I bought my bike, then went and had it fitted. Result - a bike I'm
much happier riding, even if it still isn't a perfect fit - it's close
enough that I'm able to adapt.

If I'd gone for a fitting thing first, I'd have ended up buying a
custom frame and having a bike built up from that.

Who fitted it for you? A good shop would recommend the right
size. There's fitting (approx) and there's getting it right, which
takes 20miles and a bag of spanners/allen keys.

I've never had a bike where the saddle's "mathematically" right and is
comfy. Especially when they wear...

Then again I've got long legs, splayed feet and iffy knees...

G

Long story :-)

To get the bike I wanted, at a price I could afford I had two choices of
frames, bought the one I decided on, without having ridden it, but
having tried other 'racing' style frames and roughed out an approximate
size. Couldn't find ANYONE with the right size in either of the frames
I was choosing from. Had no idea you could have them custom built up.

So, I got a not very LBS (but the only one that could get one in) to get
the one I ended up with, at the size I decided was right (and also the
smallest they did!) - having determined the height of the frame should
be ok.

It was indeed - the problem turned out to be on a very small (53?cm)
frame, the top tube is proportionally longer than it ought to be, on
account of fitting in 700c wheels etc...

It fits perfect in the height dept, it's just the tt that's a bit long -
and coupled with a standard size 7 shaped stem which added another 3" or
so onto the length of the tt - it was a bike FAR too long.

And too wide across the bars for a girly.

90% of the alterations have been at stem/bars end of things. Saddle's
been changed, but only for a girl's tourer/racer saddle, rather than the
standard rolls classic blokes one. Played with the saddle, got that
done well (but too low, according to shop, yes, I know, confidence
issues with that, so I know what I'm aiming for, they adjusted and told
me the measurement) - and then they sorted out the bars for me.

Not the same place I bought the bike from - but one closer, more set up
for custom racing frames etc, and with the bike fitting jig (or at least
a stand to bung it on - NOT a turbo) and a practiced eye.

Made a big difference, so was money very well spent. No the bike's not
perfect, but it's near as damn it now - I'll certainly not know any
better till the day I get a custom made frame/bike built up that's spot on.

I did look at some smaller "women's" geometry frames, but they were a)
too expensive, and b) too heavy, or c) racers with no brazeons for rack
fittings.

--

Velvet

Quoted message said:

My bike has one of the Specialized Body Geometry saddles fitted and I
suspect (and hope) that this is the root of the problem.

If you still have your old bike swap saddles and see how it goes.
I,ve got the same brand of saddle on my tourer,commuter, and mountain
bike. Try different makes until you get one that works. The Body
Geometry saddle which was original equipment on my MTB didn't work for
me.
Iain

Velvet said:

I bought my bike, then went and had it fitted. Result - a bike I'm
much happier riding, even if it still isn't a perfect fit - it's close
enough that I'm able to adapt.

If I'd gone for a fitting thing first, I'd have ended up buying a
custom frame and having a bike built up from that.

Who fitted it for you? A good shop would recommend the right
size. There's fitting (approx) and there's getting it right, which
takes 20miles and a bag of spanners/allen keys.

I've never had a bike where the saddle's "mathematically" right and is
comfy. Especially when they wear...

Then again I've got long legs, splayed feet and iffy knees...

G

in message <[email hidden]>, Helen Deborah

Vecht (') said:

Whatever else you do, get your weight off the saddle at least every 20
minutes and *every* time tou ride over uneven surfaces.

Or get a Brooks. Apart from unweighting the saddle for manhole covers
and such, and moving my weight back for braking, or honking up hills, I
don't get out of the saddle when riding. I don't need to. It's never
uncomfortable.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
Just as defying the law of gravity through building aircraft requires
careful design and a lot of effort, so too does defying laws of
economics. It seems to be a deeply ingrained aspect of humanity to
forever strive to improve things, so unquestioning acceptance of a
free market system seems to me to be unnatural. ;; Charles Bryant

Simon Brooke said:

Quoted message said:

Whatever else you do, get your weight off the saddle at least every
20 minutes and *every* time tou ride over uneven surfaces.

Or get a recumbent. Apart from unweighting the saddle for manhole covers

^^^^^^^^^

Quoted message said:

and such, and moving my weight back for braking, or honking up hills,
I don't get out of the saddle when riding. I don't need to. It's never
uncomfortable.

IFYPFY :-)

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington
University

Simon Brooke said:

in message <[email hidden]>, Helen Deborah

Vecht (') said:

Whatever else you do, get your weight off the saddle at least every 20
minutes and *every* time tou ride over uneven surfaces.

Or get a Brooks.

I'm sure there are plenty of comfortable saddles that aren't called Brooks.
And plenty of people who don't find Brooks saddles comfortable.

--
Michael MacClancy
Random putdown - "I feel so miserable without you, it's almost like having
you here." -Stephen Bishop
www.macclancy.demon.co.uk
www.macclancy.co.uk

<snip>

Well I went along today and got measured for the bike and, as suspected, the
set up was out in a number of areas. Had to flip the stem over and raise
the saddle to a height I never thought would be necessary but I'll see how
it goes. May have to tinker about with the saddle a bit more and swap it if
necessary.

An interesting observation was that bikes with compact geometry (like mine!)
can be a bit troublesome to set up. Certainly proved to be the case today
but I am just going out to test it all now and will see how I feel
afterwards.

On another note - I must give a big rap to Alf Jones Cycles in Wrexham. The
guy in there couldn't do enough for me today and spent well over 2 hours
with me tweaking/measuring and listening. He even made me a brew!! Thanks
Gareth!!

Will see how I go post later - hopefully minus numbness!!

L