Upper back pain

[aerobrain]

Can't you get your LBS to give you some pointers in the first instance?

If I were you I would get a plumb bob and goniometer off Amazon (very cheap - less than £12 in total), borrow a trainer (free) and ask your wife (very high maintenance costs if she is anything like mine) to help you get your basic set up right. There are loads of simple bike fit vids on You Tube on how to do this. Or you could use something like this as a more complex guide: http://bikedynamics.co.uk/guidelines.htm

Then as you ride make small adjustments going by feel once you are in the correct ballpark.

If that doesn't work and you continue to have pain due to biomechanical issues then a bike fit should do you right...

I've seen some of those pics before, possibly on a You Tube clip. I'm hoping that if I can get some decent pics/video I can take some of the measurements myself. If anything it'll say I'm way off or in the ballpark.

Thanks for the link!!

 

[HLaB]

A bit of a plug for a mate's business but you could consider a retul bike fit.

http://www.corecyclingsolutions.com/

 

[aerobrain]

A bit of a plug for a mate's business but you could consider a retul bike fit.

http://www.corecyclingsolutions.com/

I think that's a bit out of my price range :-)

 

[aerobrain]

Does anyone know of any free video software that allows you to overlay lines etc to measure angles?

 

[Dusty Bin]

Too technical..!

Would like to see a side-on pic of you on the bike though.

 

[aerobrain]

Too technical..!

Would like to see a side-on pic of you on the bike though.

I'll get one sorted tonight and possibly load a clip onto youtube.

To be fair, it would probably ne too technical for me, but I like the idea of being able to do it lol :-)

 

[aerobrain]

OK, images below and if it helps there's a video clip here:


View: http://youtu.be/EAwRLHQOnyk


From looking at the video I'm now not sure if my saddle is a touch too high?!

 

[Dusty Bin]

Judging by the clip, I would say the saddle is slightly too low if anything - and raising it would certainly level your back a little. Overall, the bike looks 'too short'. A longer stem might help in the short term, together with some longer reach bars perhaps, but I think a longer top tube is what you really need.

 

[aerobrain]

Judging by the clip, I would say the saddle is slightly too low if anything - and raising it would certainly level your back a little. Overall, the bike looks 'too short'. A longer stem might help in the short term, together with some longer reach bars perhaps, but I think a longer top tube is what you really need.

Damn!! Certainly learnt my lesson that next time I'll buy from a shop that does bike fitting!!

Looking at the geometry the next size up (58cm) has a 10mm longer stem and the top tube is 17mm longer in the horizontal plane. My current stem is 100mm so I'm thinking if I look for something around 120-130mm?! Is that logic relatively sound?!

 

[aerobrain]

Looking at the Allez size guides I'm pretty much slap bang in the middle of 56/58 frame and as I've got gorila like arms (I'm 6' tall with a 6'7" arm span!) I probably needed to go up rather than down.

 

[Dusty Bin]

Certainly a longer stem would be a good start, so yes the logic is sound. I did think your arms looked rather long, but didn't want to say..

Ultimately, it depends on how flat you want your back to be and/or how much extra reach is needed to alleviate the upper back pain..

 

[aerobrain]

Wiggle have got a 130mm FSA stem for just under £25 so probably just order that and give it a go! There was me originally planning to get a shorter one but can definitely see that's wrong after watching the video!

Long term its an excuse to save up for the Tarmac I have my eye on :-D

 

[HLaB]

There seems to be a bit much movement in your torso etc; if anything you need to put your saddle up and get a longer stem. Fwiw I'm 5foot 9.25inch and my bianchi is a 55cm and the fixie a 56cm and bike fits have suggested 56cm.

 

[aerobrain]

There seems to be a bit much movement in your torso etc; if anything you need to put your saddle up and get a longer stem. Fwiw I'm 5foot 9.25inch and my bianchi is a 55cm and the fixie a 56cm and bike fits have suggested 56cm.

I'll have a go with the saddle up a touch and then change the stem over.

Is it literally a case of unbolting old and bolting on new? Its got a front plate so doesn't look like I need to thread the bars out or anything

 

[Dusty Bin]

Stem should be a five minute job with a couple of allen keys. Might also be worth thinking about dropping the stem down a bit on the steerer, as I notice you have what looks like around 30mm of spacers underneath at the moment.