Cycling Posture Help Please :-)

[ayceejay]

Does the 'lad' in your avatar suggest that you are, shall I say, under 30? If so, it's a bit like hand me down clothes that you are assured you will grow into.
To explain: it looks to me like you have bought a bike for how fit and flexible you will be rather than how fit and flexible you are now.
This means that you either change the bike to a more modest and less aggressive style or change your style to suit the bike, the second option is more painful than the first.
If indeed you are a lad then the adaption to what looks like a 'racing bike' will require more than one ride a week and some attention to flexibility (stretching) but age is on your side.

 

[Silverfox885]

I had similar problems with a new 'fitted' bike. What really worked for me was to move the saddle forward and fit a much shorter stem (100mm down to 70mm) with 8 degrees of rise.

 

[KerryLad]

thanks brought the bike back to the shop today and he said the fit was perfect that maybe im tilting my head up too far looking ahead its a bit fustrating like... 2 differnt people looked at the bike and said its perfect like im 31

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

(Courtesy of Edinbruh Youniversity)

 

[Spinney]

thanks brought the bike back to the shop today and he said the fit was perfect that maybe im tilting my head up too far looking ahead its a bit fustrating like... 2 differnt people looked at the bike and said its perfect like im 31

Well it obviously isn't perfect if it hurts you to ride it! There may well be a 'standard' bike fit for your height and reach, but if it is not comfortable for you to ride, it isn't perfect! The bike shop should be listening to what you say and helping you to sort it out, not just telling you it's 'perfect'!

As someone said, can you get a friend to help - get on the bike in your riding position (either one foot on the ground, or lean against a wall) and get your friend to take a pic of you on the bike. Including wearing your helmet, if you use one.

Do you have a friend with the kind of bike where you are sitting more upright? e.g. a mountain bike or hybrid? It might be worth seeing if you can ride one of those just to see if the more upright position is better for your head and neck. If so, then you need some big adjustments to your road bike, which you can gradually return to the so-called 'perfect' set-up as your body gets more used to riding.

Hope you get something sorted out - it's a real shame when a new bike doesn't work for you!

 

[RebornBumbler]

I would simply point out to them that as you're not comfortable IT'S NOT PERFECT!
Being comfortable on your bike is a basic requirement.

(Snap, Spinney )

 

[cyberknight]

Well it obviously isn't perfect if it hurts you to ride it! There may well be a 'standard' bike fit for your height and reach, but if it is not comfortable for you to ride, it isn't perfect! The bike shop should be listening to what you say and helping you to sort it out, not just telling you it's 'perfect'!

As someone said, can you get a friend to help - get on the bike in your riding position (either one foot on the ground, or lean against a wall) and get your friend to take a pic of you on the bike. Including wearing your helmet, if you use one.

!

+1
the Bike fit the shop uses should be a starting point , if they cant see past their generic one fits suits all then they sound like a poor LBS.
Have a look at these sites.
http://www.jimlangley.net/crank/bikefit.html
http://www.jimlangley.net/crank/bikefitchart.html
http://bikedynamics.co.uk/guidelines.htm
http://bikedynamics.co.uk/achesandpains.htm
UPSHOT IS
your stems either to long , to low or both !

 

[BAtoo]

I get a pain in my neck whilst cycling if I spend too much time with my torso too low down and my head/neck raised so my upper spine is "kinked" up. My on-ride solution is to spend some time riding with my spine straight so either up and hold the top of the bar or stay forward and look down at the road.

On this basis it seems to me as, others say, your position is not right and you need to go up at the front and have less distance between your seat and bars.
Building your muscles in the longer term will help too.

 

[youngoldbloke]

You still haven't told us how you are riding your bike. If you are new to road bikes and think that you should be riding on the drops most of the time (on the lower part of the handlebars) it is very likely that you will suffer neck pain. Most road bike riders will spend most of the time on the (shifter) 'hoods' or 'tops' (the top area of the bar). See
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28ADO9pC1BY
for the positions. (However I wouldn't agree with the YT clip that being on the drops is the default position. It would be riding on the hoods for me). Even though I am getting on in years my bike is set up in a similar way to the way yours is, and I do ride on the drops some of the time esp. into a headwind, but it does require practice and flexibility (and the lack of a big belly ).

 

[jefmcg]

I do like the implication here: the fit is perfect, therefore the problem is you.

 

[User6179]

The seat is pushed quite far back so if the reach is fine then it is the drop to the bars that's the problem .

A bigger frame gives you less drop and just like some pros use smaller frame with longer stem to increase drop, a bigger frame with smaller stem decreases the drop to the bars and means you don't have to twist your neck as much to see .

I wonder if the shop had the bigger bike in stock or just made the smaller one fit by pushing the saddle back!?

 

[Wafer]

You still haven't told us how you are riding your bike. If you are new to road bikes and think that you should be riding on the drops most of the time (on the lower part of the handlebars) it is very likely that you will suffer neck pain. Most road bike riders will spend most of the time on the (shifter) 'hoods' or 'tops' (the top area of the bar). See
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28ADO9pC1BY
for the positions. (However I wouldn't agree with the YT clip that being on the drops is the default position. It would be riding on the hoods for me). Even though I am getting on in years my bike is set up in a similar way to the way yours is, and I do ride on the drops some of the time esp. into a headwind, but it does require practice and flexibility (and the lack of a big belly ).

Thanks for that vid! Waiting to get my first road bike and that covers a few basic points I've wondered about. Probably seems obvious to a lot of people, but for someone who has only ever ridden flat bars before it's useful

 

[KerryLad]

ill try get a picture later have a long cycle today ill see how it goes thanks all

 

[Spinney]

Thanks for that vid! Waiting to get my first road bike and that covers a few basic points I've wondered about. Probably seems obvious to a lot of people, but for someone who has only ever ridden flat bars before it's useful

There are other hand positions as well, just to give your arms/wrists a change/rest. For example instead of holding the bar near the middle when on 'the tops', you can hold the corners where the bars turn forwards - this also gives you better steering as you have a slightly longer 'lever' between your hands and the centre of the bar.

 

[JasonHolder]

Bad neck is normal. I had it getting back on the bike 2 months ago.
I spent more time looking down at the BB/rear axle than forward just to relieve the neck and give it a stretch.
Muscles will build up and it'll be a distant memory in a few weeks.