- Location
- Somewhere wet & hilly in NW England.
As a Newbie I purchased my CX bike back in November - Giant TCX1 - I wanted a more relaxed riding position and a longer wheelbase with fatter tyres to soak up the rough lanes where I live.
The bike came with an 80mm stem as Crossers tend to come up short.
Initially I spent a lot of time riding on the tops (the cross-top levers are terrific in town traffic) alternating with some time on the hoods. Drops did not figure.
Learning a lot about bike fit on here and elsewhere on the web I gradually tweaked my saddle height/angle/reach/KOPS blah blah blah.
All seemed well with the world and I steadily have racked up around 600 miles - not massive but I am chuffed with my progress especially as a lot of my riding is on hilly Lake District terrain plus I am close to 57 years old.
For about the last 100 miles or so I have felt the urge/need to want to stretch out a bit more. My shoulders started feeling hunched. I felt a little claustrophobic on my bike if that's the way to describe it.
I had my KOPS position dialed in nicely but had started to push my saddle back a bit (bad I know) to try to lengthen my reach a bit but to not much effect.
Well, today, I bit the bullet and obtained a 100mm stem ie +20mm over stock. I was a little apprehensive that it would be too long now leaving me too stretched and (as my stem is flipped down) too low.
At the same time as fitting the stem I put the saddle back in its KOPS position.
I wasn't expecting much of a change tbh.
But, this afternoon I went for my first longer stemmed ride and my lord did my bike feel suddenly a million miles better. It handled a tad different but that will soon be compensated for but the things I noted were:
My back feels flatter, not hunched. The knotty-ness (not pain) between my shoulder blades and head/neck has gone. I feel like I have room to move about and breathe - sounds daft but that's how it feels.
On the hoods seemed very comfy and natural - it had started to feel that the hoods were resisting my hands efforts to move forward slightly.
My ride was just over 12 miles and included 1 short steep hill, 1 long medium hill and 1 long drag plus numerous short hill-ettes! Of late I have been getting out of the saddle and, weaving about like an idiot, have hacked my way to the top of all the 'ups' en-route. But today, without any conscious effort, I noticed that I did not get out of the saddle once and smoothly rode up the hills - much easier!
On the one long gentle descent on the route I got into my drops all the way down - my longest stint. Previous efforts have not felt at all natural/comfy.
But best of all my 15.49mph average was only the second time I have achieved over 15mph and was my best ever.
I make no effort at all to improve my average I'm just concentrating on mileage in my first year but it is nice to see it improving.
So - in summary; what a difference such a small change can make plus the bike fit that feels right when you start out may change as time passes and fitness improve.
Well chuffed - to use the modern day vernacular.
The bike came with an 80mm stem as Crossers tend to come up short.
Initially I spent a lot of time riding on the tops (the cross-top levers are terrific in town traffic) alternating with some time on the hoods. Drops did not figure.
Learning a lot about bike fit on here and elsewhere on the web I gradually tweaked my saddle height/angle/reach/KOPS blah blah blah.
All seemed well with the world and I steadily have racked up around 600 miles - not massive but I am chuffed with my progress especially as a lot of my riding is on hilly Lake District terrain plus I am close to 57 years old.
For about the last 100 miles or so I have felt the urge/need to want to stretch out a bit more. My shoulders started feeling hunched. I felt a little claustrophobic on my bike if that's the way to describe it.
I had my KOPS position dialed in nicely but had started to push my saddle back a bit (bad I know) to try to lengthen my reach a bit but to not much effect.
Well, today, I bit the bullet and obtained a 100mm stem ie +20mm over stock. I was a little apprehensive that it would be too long now leaving me too stretched and (as my stem is flipped down) too low.
At the same time as fitting the stem I put the saddle back in its KOPS position.
I wasn't expecting much of a change tbh.
But, this afternoon I went for my first longer stemmed ride and my lord did my bike feel suddenly a million miles better. It handled a tad different but that will soon be compensated for but the things I noted were:
My back feels flatter, not hunched. The knotty-ness (not pain) between my shoulder blades and head/neck has gone. I feel like I have room to move about and breathe - sounds daft but that's how it feels.
On the hoods seemed very comfy and natural - it had started to feel that the hoods were resisting my hands efforts to move forward slightly.
My ride was just over 12 miles and included 1 short steep hill, 1 long medium hill and 1 long drag plus numerous short hill-ettes! Of late I have been getting out of the saddle and, weaving about like an idiot, have hacked my way to the top of all the 'ups' en-route. But today, without any conscious effort, I noticed that I did not get out of the saddle once and smoothly rode up the hills - much easier!
On the one long gentle descent on the route I got into my drops all the way down - my longest stint. Previous efforts have not felt at all natural/comfy.
But best of all my 15.49mph average was only the second time I have achieved over 15mph and was my best ever.
I make no effort at all to improve my average I'm just concentrating on mileage in my first year but it is nice to see it improving.
So - in summary; what a difference such a small change can make plus the bike fit that feels right when you start out may change as time passes and fitness improve.
Well chuffed - to use the modern day vernacular.
