PTW

Hi All, hope u have a good new years eve and a better new years day, can anyone point me in the right direction of finding some info on seing up my bike .... don't laugh, the way my back is at the mo, i'm going to need all the info i can to be able to get back on it and riding !

Hi Nodders! If the bike you're going to use is the same one that you used before your accident at work (damn those cherry-pickers!) then dare I suggest some simple trial and error?

Perhaps raising the handle bars (easy enough with your quill stem) to almost the same level as your saddle might be a start and also consider lowering the saddle by a small amount too. Without knowing exactly where it hurts you, it would certainly avoid the head down arse up position and should be more comfortable - especially if you've lost some suppleness.

Good luck and I hope things work out anyway.

Hi Alf, thanks for the quick reply, i'm going to stick with the hybrid for now or at least when i think i'm able to get on it properly, it has one of those double jointed stems so will be fine it even had a bouncy seat post, buti locked it off, oh and it's the sacroilyiac joint that gives me gip, that and the amount of stretching exercises the chiropractors given me :)

I have to second with Alfie. I have spent about 2 seasons playing with the position of my saddle for time-trials, and the results are quite startling. For road-racing/touring/group-riding etc I always ride with the saddle at 140mm of stem showing, and the forward-back position right in the middle. I can ride like that all day.

For time-trialling I found that position okay but looking back I know now that I was way too compressed. My thighs were hitting my rib cage, I couldn't take full breaths, and I wasn't able to fully utilise my leg muscles, and I wasn't able to clear the lactic either. My feet went numb, and it was just hard work. So I moved the saddle right forwards as far as it will go, and started experimenting with the height in 5mm increments from 140mm to 160mm.

In fact, I started with 160mm, and immediately set a good PB, so thought I was onto something. However, at 15 miles the lower-back discomfort always became unbearable and I had to keep coming out of the tuck. I knew for the 50 miler last year I would need a solution or I wouldn't finish at all.

I therefore set out for Defynnog one day and just kept stopping every few miles and trying all the positions over and over again. When I tried 145mm, the results were magical, with the result that I sailed through the 50 miler with only a small amount of discomfort. I might have been able to go a bit faster with a more aggressive position, but I'm satisfied that I managed to hold the tuck for 50 straight miles.

I've tried 145mm before, of course, but not over a sufficiently long distance. Over short distances of 3 miles, 160mm feels fantastic, really fast, 100% effort. Over 10 miles, I can cope with 150mm, no problem at all. But at 15 miles and above I have to go with 145mm. My feet don't go (as) number either, which has surely got to indicate a more efficient peddling action?

It's amazing what a huge difference just 5mm makes, and how close I've ended up back at my original 140mm. But the difference between 140 and 145 is also huge. It's very strange.

I hope I haven't completely baffled everyone. My advice is to pick the angle of the saddle first (I have to angle the saddle up one click from my normal group-riding position) then go out on a long ride and move the saddle up and down by 5mm increments. You won't know you've hit the right one immediately, and you should aim to ride at least 40 miles in full TT position. But the good news is, once you've hit the right position, you will know.

I'm sure all the above advice is applicable to choosing a group-riding position as well, but with the variety of hand-holds on offer to change your position, I've never had a problem. Best of luck.

Not Knowing what and where the offending joint was, I looked it up on t'internet. Could it be your saddle is to fat,causing your legs to bow rather than a straightish line, that would put pressure on that specific joint and if it is the joint are you taking Glucosomine sulphate, absolutely the hounds kahunas for joint pain(liquid form is the best , on an empty stomach) it's absorbed more readily by the body and of course theres always young Jugsy I've sent a few people over to him, nothings fallen off them yet and they all speak very highly of him

Hi Guys, thanks for the replies, i've always been quite stretched on the bike, probably need to fork out for a shorter stem at some point, all the saddles i ride are quite narrow, but have always rode a bit bow legged to stop my knees hurting ! i'll be looking into the GS to see if that can help, as for the sacroilliac joint, it comes froma works injury, i've sent sometime with a chiropractor up at parctree? up in skewen, seen a lot of pain relief from it, but piled on the pounds with not riding !!

If your knees have been hurting from the start, then your saddle height as been all to cock or your foot is in the wrong position in the cleat,both will put stress on every joint from the waist down, theres only one fast and aero-dynamic position on a bike and thats one of comfort.Sounds like your problem is somewhere between your pedals and your saddle.

More likley from the neck up !! when it's time to ride i'll check it all out !