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Post by Paulinblack on Aug 12, 2014 20:14:38 GMT
I changed over to a Charge Scoop a month or so ago. When doing so, I dropped the nose down to help stop my bits from getting numb. It seemed to have worked to begin with, but now I seem to get pins and needles in my hands. I think the problem is due to all my weight leaning into my hands. However, around the same time, I started wearing a pair of Lidl gloves, which have quite thick padding, instead of unpadded gloves.
Do you think I need to move the nose of the saddle up a notch or are the pins and needles in my hands due to my gloves??
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Post by chas on Aug 12, 2014 21:18:10 GMT
Sounds like the saddle to me, do you feel yourself sliding forewards?
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Post by r0b1et on Aug 12, 2014 21:28:43 GMT
Could be either, I'd advise against a significant angle on the saddle, also I regularly use Lidl gloves, including on 115 mile day a month back without trouble.
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Post by Paulinblack on Aug 12, 2014 21:44:50 GMT
Sounds like the saddle to me, do you feel yourself sliding forewards? Sometimes, at the end of long rides, when I'm tired, it feels a bit like that. The thing I worry about the pins and needles/numbness coming back in my man bits again if I raise the nose of the saddle. (I had the same problem with the stock saddle which is one of the reasons I changed).
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Post by r0b1et on Aug 12, 2014 23:24:38 GMT
try moving it back/forth when level if it comes back would be my advice.
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Post by Paulinblack on Aug 13, 2014 4:53:47 GMT
The further back I move the saddle, the further forward I'd have to lean, which surely means the more weight I'm pushing forward on the bars?
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Post by chas on Aug 13, 2014 6:41:51 GMT
For your saddle position,with the crank horizontal your front knee should be directly over the pedal spindle. If the reach is then not right, move your bars.
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Post by captslog on Aug 13, 2014 8:26:14 GMT
The further back I move the saddle, the further forward I'd have to lean, which surely means the more weight I'm pushing forward on the bars? On the face of it YES. But that's the mistake I made too. I put the saddle well forward to try to put myself closer to the bars, and I wouldn't be reaching so far. However, this took my weight too far forward and nothing was being taken by the legs. If anything, the more effort I put in, the more force went down my arms. I realised that something was wrong when i couldn't do "look ma, no hands". It was just about impossible to sit up on the bike and hold that position safely (not that no hands is particularly safe). The fault came from reading too many set-up instructions, mixing the messages, and in some parts, just bad instructions. The particular on that got me was a "knee joint over the pedal axle with he pedals at 3 oclock". I'd set it up so that the centre of my knee joint was over the pedal axle, and not the front of the knee as it should be.
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Post by ukdaws on Aug 13, 2014 9:26:56 GMT
For your saddle position,with the crank horizontal your front knee should be directly over the pedal spindle. If the reach is then not right, move your bars. Spot on chas Have you tried using a spirit level to set up the saddle to flat as the eye can be misleading (Had this on previous bike).It looked flat but was way out. Used a level and my pins and needles in my left hand were gone. ( Dont just throw a spirit level on top of the saddle,with a charge spoon dont measure the rear)
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Post by ianmoss on Aug 13, 2014 11:11:18 GMT
As mentioned, try moving your saddle forward on the rails, keep it level. Your knee is allowed to go forward of the pedal spindle if it's more comfortable. If the pain is still present in your hands or netters, try dropping the saddle height a couple of mm.
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duffer
Peloton Rider
Posts: 126
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Post by duffer on Aug 13, 2014 12:30:01 GMT
This whole bike fit thing is really frustrating. What I've been trying to do is set the basics and then listen to my body. Other than, "eat the pudding, eat the pudding, eat the pudding", the messages I got were...
My backside, specifically my sit-bones, tended to slide forward, so my weight wasn't going through the wider part of the saddle. I moved the saddle forward, and this seemed to resolve the issue.
My left hand in particular was getting pins and needles. To some degree I should expect this because I've got a stack of old injuries and a operation or two at that end... but I flipped my stem to lift me up, and that's helped. The problem is still there though, and after forty minutes or so, I'll ride one handed for a while for relief. Ahem.
My neck aches after an hour or so. Again, an old injury here, but I still get the overwhelming feeling I'm cranked over too far and having to lift my chin too high to be genuinely comfortable. (I certainly couldn't ride no hands on the Triban, but I would on my hybrid.) I haven't resolved this, although I have got a 90mm stem to try which I'm too bloody lazy to get around to fitting. Will that help, I wonder?
I sometimes get brutal cramp in my calves, regardless of hydration etc.. I think this is just strength related though. The more I cycle the less I suffer. (For what it's worth, I'm came to cycling on the back of a fairly reasonable amount of running and football - clearly the muscles used are slightly different, because I got cramp right from the off on a bike, I rarely get it running).
I'm torn between toughing it out, the theory being I need a lot more miles to be sure it's not just my crap weak body rather than my fit, or endlessly fiddling with things to try to improve it.
In terms of gloves, to come back on-topic, I really like the padding on my cheapo Planet-X mitts (Β£4.99), but the styling is fairly hideous (imho, you may like it!) and the fit is tight, even in a large... www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CLPXFITMT/planet-x-fit-mitts
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Post by Radchenister on Aug 13, 2014 13:27:41 GMT
Best not underestimate the need to start at the start and set everything up right, as it all interlinks, power through a firm set up for your legs is the place to begin, hence knee and cleat positioning. This relates to the saddle height and fore aft position, which works in turn to hold the hips and lower back (core) in a good spot (saddle levelness being important and also where your sit bones fall on said saddle - cant it too far forwards and the hands will pay - if the saddle is too uncomfortable for you when level, then really you need a new saddle). The back arch, relates to the bottom half of your body but we're also then leading into reach and arm angle / position issues (which is related to both the hands, neck, shoulders and head position) - best get all the other things right first, then you work on around the circle to your hands - by then, it should just be stem length and hoods position / bar angle to worry about, as the loads on the hands will be better focussed in your arse and legs. Summary: to get the hands right, it isn't really just a case of dabbling at the bars, it starts at your feet .
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Post by Paulinblack on Aug 13, 2014 22:08:43 GMT
Thanks chaps. A lot to think about.
- I know the height is right as when I changed it a little bit before I started to get knee pain. I've moved it around a bit and have no more pain
- I'm pretty sure the cleat position is correct as is the knee.
- I have dropped the nose of the Spoon. Not considerably, but I'd adjusted things so that it felt comfortable on my 'bits'. It does look to slope down at the front, but not by as much as some of the piccies I've seen on the forum
- I'd moved the saddle forward because with both the stock saddle and the Spoon I felt as if I was getting a bruised bum.
So, the actions I am going to take are:
1. I'm going to move the nose up a notch. 2. I'm going to move the saddle back 1cm.
I'll then see how that feels.
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Post by Paulinblack on Sept 4, 2014 14:59:25 GMT
Just in case anyone uses this as a reference, I did all of the above and got a better riding position. I've not had any issues with my 'bits' thus far, but it did not cure the pins and needles issues in my hands. I eventually solved this problem by moving the handlebars forward and down about 1cm or so. I think I must have had the 'v' between my thumb and index finger resting against the hoods at all time. I can only assume the pressure against the hoods must have been restricting the blood flow.
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