What do you really reckon? Is it far out?

[mjr]

As others have said your leg needs to be straighter, in fact straight with the crank at 6 o clock. Give it a try.

Only if your heel is on the pedal. If your legs are too straight with the foot on the pedal normally, then the first serious bump in the road will overextend your legs and strain things.

 

[RedRider]

I think these things depend on relative body proportions too.
I've worked out I have disproportionately long femurs compared to the lower leg which in practice means my saddles are as far back on the rails as they'll go, I sometimes need a seatpost
with extra lay back too, and the height of the saddle is lower than you'd expect for someone my height.

 

[PhilDawson8270]

It's in reverse!

It wasn't until you posted that. Now all I can see is it in reverse.

 

[Dayvo]

It wasn't until you posted that. Now all I can see is it in reverse.

It's going forward now...

 

[Lochen]

Made a couple more adjustments today while out on a ride. I followed advice and raised the saddle, an inch first go.....then back down to around 3/8th inch higher than it was.
That made my wrists ache so I rotated the bars a few degrees. They ached more so I gradually rotated the bars back until it was comfortable.

It definitely needs a shorter stem. I can see where my hands tend to gravitate to on the bars during a ride, about an inch and a quarter back from the hoods.

I rode some dirt track today....really difficult to handle but that's probably my lack of confidence and ability. Respect to CX and MTB riders!

Thanks again for all the advice. It's appreciated. If the bike shop fitting room was open, I'd have been in by now.

 

[cyberknight]

Not sure if this is any good ?
Adjustable stem in 110 and 70 mm size in both standard clamp and oversize clamp, make sure you get the right one for your bars !

 

[Lochen]

Not sure if this is any good ?

Where? what?

 

[cyberknight]

Where? what?

Sorry amazon adjustable stem , got interrupted by kids as usual
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Zoom-Adjus...66&sr=1-5&keywords=adjustable+stem&th=1&psc=1

 

[Apollonius]

What cleats are you using? I'm not too happy with where your feet are on the pedals. I suspect none, which is fair enough, but your position would be better set up cleated.

 

[Lochen]

What cleats are you using? I'm not too happy with where your feet are on the pedals. I suspect none, which is fair enough, but your position would be better set up cleated.

I'm not using cleats......yet.
The bike came with basic pedals...they're on my 'to do' list

 

[Lochen]

Sorry amazon adjustable stem , got interrupted by kids as usual
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Zoom-Adjustable-Stem-Ahead-Clamp/dp/B001R4BR78/ref=sr_1_5?s=cycling&ie=UTF8&qid=1482170866&sr=1-5&keywords=adjustable+stem&th=1&psc=1

They look alright.
I think I'll wait for my bike fit session in the new year for stem, pedal and seat options. I'm sure the shop will be happy to sell me what they recommend.
It's going to come to a few quid. May as well get it right first time.
I saved a good few quid on the purchase price of the bike so there's plenty of headroom.

 

[mjr]

What cleats are you using? I'm not too happy with where your feet are on the pedals. I suspect none, which is fair enough, but your position would be better set up cleated.

I think that's just adding cleat position to the variables which would need setting up. I can't see the pedals from the angle shown in the OP and these sort of still poses often don't exactly match actual riding position.

 

[ColinJ]

Have you tried bending forwards more?

Your arms DO look too stretched, but you also look a bit upright. As I mentioned above, I am pretty inflexible but I bend forwards a lot more than you are doing in those pictures.

 

[Lochen]

Have you tried bending forwards more?

Your arms DO look too stretched, but you also look a bit upright. As I mentioned above, I am pretty inflexible but I bend forwards a lot more than you are doing in those pictures.

I tried it today. Leaned forward to put some bend in my elbows after making the adjustments. I was better but will take some getting accustomed to.
I have loads of time to myself this week so I'll be out every day practicing

 

[Lochen]

Another ride, more adjustments. I took an Allen key with me as I did yesterday.

The seat height, or lack of, appeared to be sitting me up. So bit by bit it got higher so I was forced to lean my upper torso forward. Doing that introduced some bend into my elbows, which introduced more lean, which in turn made the whole thing feel more balanced.

Had a thoroughly enjoyable and reasonably fast ride where my posture made me want to work harder.

It's all coming together very nicely. Oh, and that Hill I couldn't do two weeks ago........I'm changing gears upwards on it now