A few mm in bike fit

[Alan O]

Nothing new, of course, and nothing that we didn't already know, but my experience this week has really brought it home to me the big difference small adjustments can make.

I built up a touring bike on a Raleigh Royal 531 frame last year and I set the geometry as close as I could get to my old Orbit bike (which I rebuilt last year after a 20-year layoff). But I soon realised that my 20-year older body didn't fit that any more, especially the bars which I need higher these days.

So I fiddled and adjusted and got it a lot better, but I still had that niggly feeling that it wasn't quite right - I couldn't objectively say what was wrong, but it just wasn't "me".

Then, after a short testing ride a few days ago, I tried tilting the nose of the saddle up by just one click on the micro-adjustment on the seat post, and dropped the bars and stem by only approximately 5mm in case I'd lifted them too far.

And on my ride today, it was perfect!

Alan

 

[Globalti]

Yes, it pays to take a multi tool on the first rides and experiment with subtle adjustments; I've found that just a small adjustment to the saddle height makes me feel faster. And saddle angle is absolutely crucial in "cupping" the pelvic bones and ensuring the right distribution of weight between saddle and bars.