{"id":161877,"date":"2017-11-02T12:30:25","date_gmt":"2017-11-02T12:30:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=161877"},"modified":"2017-11-06T09:01:01","modified_gmt":"2017-11-06T09:01:01","slug":"symptoms-bad-bike-fit-fix","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2017\/11\/02\/symptoms-bad-bike-fit-fix\/","title":{"rendered":"Symptoms of a Bad Bike Fit \u2013 And How to Fix Them"},"content":{"rendered":"

Paying for a bike fitting isn\u2019t cheap, but we always recommend professional advice if you\u2019re concerned about pain when riding. But if the problems are niggles rather than concerns, here\u2019s how you can fix them yourself.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Charlie Chaplin knees<\/h3>\n

When pedalling, your knees point outwards much like Chaplin\u2019s famous waddle. You may not feel any pain, but you look daft and you\u2019re wasting energy. And your thighs feel the burn when you climb. Don\u2019t worry, you\u2019re not a wimp – this is a sure-fire sign that your saddle is too low.<\/p>\n

The solution to this problem is to raise the saddle height in small increments until your legs remain parallel to the frame through each revolution of the cranks. Pedalling at any cadence becomes easier. Enjoy the extra watts!<\/p>\n

\n
\"tried-professional-bike-fitting-worth\"\/<\/a><\/div>
\n Road cycling<\/a>\n <\/div>\n
\n \n

We tried professional bike fitting – is it worth it?<\/span><\/h3>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/article>\n<\/div>\n

Aching hands<\/h3>\n

You\u2019ve looked at YouTube videos on how to place your hands on the drops but your hands are aching twenty minutes into your ride. Some indefinable force wears you down quickly and the handlebars are set up correctly, so you must be a wimp, right? Wrong \u2013 let\u2019s look at your saddle.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

If your saddle is too far back on its rails, or tilting down even slightly, the chances are your centre of gravity is too far forward and your hands are bearing too much load. With your saddle level and correctly positioned, it will take the strain off your hands.<\/p>\n

Pain in the neck<\/h3>\n

Keeping your eyes on the road is an absolute necessity, so if your neck is aching and the temptation is to rest your neck by drooping your head, you\u2019re a risk to yourself and other road users. The problem is that you\u2019re over extending yourself.<\/p>\n

\n
\"creepiest-cycling-condition-shermers-neck\"\/<\/a><\/div>
\n Health & Training<\/a>\n <\/div>\n
\n \n

The Creepiest Cycling Condition: Shermer\u2019s Neck<\/span><\/h3>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/article>\n<\/div>\n

When you\u2019re riding a century and your neck gets tired half way through, it\u2019s probably just a matter of building up your core strength \u2013 but if it\u2019s a new bike rather than your lack of experience try a shorter stem.<\/p>\n

Wobbly hips and lower back fatigue<\/h3>\n

There\u2019s a fine line between fatigue and pain, but if your lower back feels it, and your hips are rocking side to side, it\u2019s probably because your seat is too high. Lower the saddle 3 millimetres at a time and cycle a flat circuit for about 10 minutes. If you\u2019re still rocking lower again.<\/p>\n

If you end up cycling like Charlie Chaplin (see above) you\u2019ve lowered the saddle too far. Getting it right is tricky because you\u2019re not looking for a positive result \u2013 you\u2019re searching for the absence of a negative result. You\u2019ll need to cycle a hundred miles before you can be sure you\u2019ve got it right.<\/p>\n

Knee strain<\/h3>\n

Strain in the back of your knee, or irregular sharp pain in its side, it\u2019s likely your saddle is too high \u2013 so adjust the height as you would for wobbly hips. But another area you may want to check is your cleat or shoe position on the pedal.<\/p>\n

Your cadence shouldn\u2019t be characterised by pointed toes. Watch the pros and you\u2019ll notice they push the pedal through the heel \u2013 this properly engages the calve muscle, pulling more power from the hamstrings and glutes, mitigating the risk of knee stress.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Paying for a bike fitting isn\u2019t cheap, but we always recommend professional advice if you\u2019re concerned about pain when riding. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":161881,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[329],"tags":[1461],"global-categories":[],"class_list":["post-161877","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-road-cycling","tag-bad-bike-fit"],"yoast_head":"\nSymptoms of a Bad Bike Fit \u2013 And How to Fix Them - \u0160koda We Love Cycling<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Paying for a bike fitting isn\u2019t cheap, but we always recommend professional advice if you\u2019re concerned about pain when riding. 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