Swapped out for the 120mm stem and the shopbros gave us free beer and spacers! (good thing because I just spent $700 on wheels from them.)
Ladybiek’s hands did not go numb after 5 miles, so we’re on track for a possible success!
As mentioned elsewhere, checked out my form recently and was dismayed by pelvic position, arched back etc.
Concentrating on rotating my pelvis forward and relaxing my shoulders. I needed a setback post before this and how much more now. Things feel more legit in a way, but I wonder what the go-to core strength training is. I already do planks.
And ultimately I find myself wondering if should just fuck off with the legit form stuff. I ride slower average speeds, don’t spin super high cadences, am not competitive etc. Is it really worth working on?
nothing is worth doing ever
if you want to ride your bike better you should ride your bike more
My partner rides higher average speeds than I do. I’m in good shape outside of cycling, so when we ride together, it’s not as though I’m pushed physically too much to enjoy it. It’s just that I seem to appreciate slower riding more for whatever reason (which by the way is not something I care to analyze; it’s just intuitively the rhythm I fall into on a bike, and I trust it).
I will try the legit form thing on some of my long slow rambles and see how it suits me.
maybe don’t try to ride your bike for performance and accept that cycling will be as difficult as you make it for yourself. maybe im missing your point here
it is with all the articulation of a children’s sized insulated winter glove, apologies.
but yeah, some of the literature is a bit cryptic: is it all in the name of gaining extra watts? because somewhere along the line i developed this belief that correct form also staves off ergonomic types of fatigue and/or ailments: neck, back etc.
i am probably totally wrong, and this manner of loping i’m now given to would be infinitely better served by an un-rotated pelvis and arched back
Most of the benefit for not super aggressive positions is this, in more aggro positions it also has the effect of bringing the torso lower and improving aerodynamics.
Foundation training is really good stuff for functional mobility and core work. Also, stretch.
[quote=jesse]As mentioned elsewhere, checked out my form recently and was dismayed by pelvic position, arched back etc.
Concentrating on rotating my pelvis forward and relaxing my shoulders. I needed a setback post before this and how much more now. Things feel more legit in a way, but I wonder what the go-to core strength training is. I already do planks.
And ultimately I find myself wondering if should just fuck off with the legit form stuff. I ride slower average speeds, don’t spin super high cadences, am not competitive etc. Is it really worth working on?[/quote]
if you are not worried about performance, then don’t worry about getting low - but still worry about good posture, not riding hunched over, keeping your shoulders back, etc.
planks are ok, but id look for more variety. i can do planks all day, but i still get a sore back any long climb and any prolonged ride, regardless of pace.
i try to do supermans, or that other one where you extend your leg and arm forward, i forgot the name, etc. but i fell off the wagon, trying to get back into it. plus i try to stretch my front side out by stretching my arms backwards quite a bit, as i used to get extremely sore muscles between my shoulder blades from my shoulders hunching forward all the time. regular stretching has really improved that over the last couple years.
I noticed on longer randos that my lower back was giving out long before anything else. I was doing the same curled back, bad form stuff that you referred to. Doing basic core stuff and fixing my saddle and positioning has been very beneficial.
Getting better position on bike (without discomfort of course) isn’t always just about performance. You’ll have more energy on the really long day and multi day rides. You’ll be able to fit in with the pace of more varied groups of riders. I does feel nice to be in a group, not push the pace and just chill and converse at ease.
this has been helpful already, thanks.
w/ pelvic rotation and shoulder relaxation I find a little increase in reach feels correct. my back is still only at like a 45 degree angle though.
feels good for now. definitely going to look more into the core strength stuff. and stretching.
Getting lower with flat back puts more pressure on the pedals. Makes you want to pedal harder. When I hammer I’m long and low. When I’m soft pedaling, I’m on the tops of the bars and more upright. Bike parts are in the same place I just sit differently.
most of the time the muscles on the sides up my upper torso/below and out side from my pecs get really sore, presumably from trying to keep my shoulders back and arms tuktd
I think it might be time for me to be professionally fit. For work I can dial my fit within a mm or 2 almost by sight. But I’m mostly off the road now and have taken to doing efforts at the local ‘track’ and roller workouts in the mornings. Oddly I’m finding increased pressure on my perineum causing tingly bits. I’ve never had this problem before given that my normal posture has been fairly upright riding risers on the vast majority of my bikes. I’ve also found that after a while my hands start to go tingly/numb as well. My right more than my left but that’s from some old fighting injuries.
Still if I’m getting tingly at both contact points I don’t really know what to adjust. If it were one or the other it would be more straight forward but with both I’m lost. I could drop my post height a couple mm and see how that works out. I might do that for the next few days and see how it goes.
When my hands & crotch feel bad it’s because the saddle is too high. If I ignore those, my achilles make it clearer.
Try dropping in 5mm increments, until you feel too low. This page some good advice, too: https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/bikefit/2011/02/seat-height-how-hard-can-it-be/
i never get taint numbness on the road, but i do on the rollers. i think it’s because i get into position and don’t have to move or change cadence ever. are you only having this numbness on the rollers?
Both road and rollers but it sets in faster on the rollers. I’ve dropped my saddle a few mm and am going for a ride tomorrow so I’ll find out then.
The lower saddle height definitely helped. My right hand is still going a bit pale/tingly but it has couple permanently broken bones so there’s not much that can be done about it. Might drop the saddle another 2mm and test.
Have you tried sliding the saddle back after you dropped it? Or maybe a more/less curved saddle?