Stem Length is it trial and Error ??

[Grayduff]

I CAN`T afford a bike fit, thought i would get that out of the way straight away.I do believe i am almost at the right point with seat height, forward and back, cleat adjustment, flipped the stem up etc.I have moved everything 3mm back and forth over a 3 month period and everything is very comfortable, APART from my hands the soft fleshy paddy bit to be exact..this gets very painful on most rides, it feels like it is bruised. My question therefore is should i look at the stem length maybe a 90mm rather than a 100mm, ..Thanks in advance.

 

[goody]

What type of bars, drops? How do you ride most of the time on the tops, hoods, or drops? Do you wear padded mitts, have you got padded bar tape? Do you change hand position frequently? Have you tried setting up the bars so that riding on the hoods is comfortable? How long are you're most rides? Put a picture up of you're bike sometimes it's obvious from looking at a bike what might be causing problems.

 

[vickster]

Are the bars the correct width? This is believed to be the cause of my tendinitis. Wrists rolling in and putting pressure on base of thumb

Can you not go to your lbs and ask their advice?

 

[Nigelnaturist]

^^^This I got some wider bars, much by accident as in needing some and they are far better.
However, first off when in your riding position check that the bars obscure the front axle, if so it should be about right.

 

[vickster]

Mine are narrower and a different shape

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Mine are narrower and a different shape

Yeah different shape as well, much more confident on the drops, I never was on the others, they only 2cm wider, just all round better, its something I never thought about until I had to.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Funnily enough I have just fitted a longer stem today albeit for reasons other than painful hands.

I did suffer from this a while back and the fix was to get my arms/hands in a straight line when on the hoods. Basically my hands were bent very slightly upwards in relation to my arms.

Rotating my bars very slightly down did the trick - bingo no more pain.

 

[Gravity Aided]

Bar width should correspond to the bumps on the front of your shoulder if I recall correctly. You should, if in a properly fitted riding position (right size frame, right height of seat-post, correct saddle angle) as Nigel Naturist said, be in a position to have your bars obscure the front axle. I will also be trying Spokey Dokeys bar rotation theory out, I believe.

 

[slowmotion]

Christopher is pretty good, and doesn't smother you with spurious detail.
[media]
]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAl_5e7bIHk[/media]

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Christopher is pretty good, and doesn't smother you with spurious detail.
[media]
]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAl_5e7bIHk[/media]

That's really good - thanks for posting.

 

[Powely]

It's a shame you can't do some form of bike fit as I found it very helpful where stem length was concerned. I tried 3 different lengths and flipping them before settling on one. I changed the stem due feeling stretched out rather than pressure on the hands but the result was better nonetheless, i.e. more comfortable. Maybe just get talking to your LBS about buying a new stem from them and they may offer to try a few for you?

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

There are times when a length adjustable stem would be useful, even if it wasn't used permanently. Something like this would give you time to settle into your perfect position before fitting the ultra-lightweight one:

(Gorgeous bike there....)

 

[slowmotion]

^^^^^^^^ Nice bike!