Does anyone know the theory that if the nose of the saddle is tilted up a bit you will suffer from hand pain

I've posted here a couple times before, and have put lots of hours into researching bike fit and combing the internet looking for someone with a similar problem to mine.

I have had two professional bike fits and have tried multiple bike sizes, stem sizes, handlebar widths, saddles, and shoes and I get pain in my upper right trapezius muscle and lower neck no matter what. A question I have for y'all qualified or not internet friends is it time I just suck it up and ride through the pain?

I don't think I have gone for a single ride in the past two to three months without changing something about my setup. For some context, I ride about 100-200 miles a week. Last week I went on a 5 hour ride and the limiting factor on the ride was by far my excruciating upper back pain.

I have committed to yoga daily, stretching, foam rolling, pressure point rolling, and core work and nothing seems to help. Honestly just at a loss at this point. I have attempted to roll my pelvis forward, roll it backwards, look through my eyebrows, you name it; I've tried it. I love riding my bike, but every single time I go out on the road my upper back is in pain after just 30 minutes. Is it time to take a month off the bike and let an injury resolve itself? Are my issues truly related to bike fit?

there is different crank arm lengths to choose from.

https://reddit.com/link/1crv5nu/video/rit4m4egte0d1/player

Height: 188cm

Inseam: 90.5cm

Frame: Cannondale Supersix Evo 2016 size 58

Stem: 125mm

Cranks: 170mm

Saddle height: 79.5cm from the saddle straight above the center of the seatpost (which is 0 setback) to the middle of the BB. Saddle is Syncros Belcarra with cutout.

Cyclist profile: duathlete with mostly running backround, since May 2023 training 10-12h/week on the bike, 4-5h/week on the run. Left leg 4mm shorter than the right, and stronger (52-48 power balance). Fitted this way in September 2023 by a professional fitter, a previous professional fitter set the saddle 2cm higher (terrible advice).

Main issues: sometimes when climbing really hard a couple of hours into a ride I wish the hoods were a bit closer (considering a 110 stem), and I get saddle sores from time to time, mainly after long indoor sessions when my chamois gets soaked. The feeling of the pedalstroke is confortable and controlled although I know I flex the ankle a lot, particularly on the left side. Some say it's because of my running background.

Any abnormity here?

Hi! I use Specialized Torch shoes. After a Bikefitting, insoles with medium arch support were approved for me. Previously, I only experienced numbness in the midfoot when I tightened the Boa too much, so I learned not to lace them too tightly. However, now with the medium arch support insoles (blue ones), my toes go numb after 45 minutes of riding, regardless of how tightly I lace them. Yesterday, I had them practically loose, and still experienced toe numbness. Do you think it's because of too much arch support restricting blood flow to the toes? Do you think I should try the red insoles with lower support?

My right leg is shorter than my left by 5-6mm. I'm not positive but I suspect this is the main reason I have low back and hip pain on my left side. I also get saddle sores on my left sit bone zone. I've been dealing with it for years and I'm wondering if I would benefit from a shim on my right cleat. I ride marathon mountain bike races and train for that 10-14 hours a week. Lots of Z2, Tempo, and Sweet Spot training. I ride a trainer quite a bit as well. I'm putting this out there just to give a reference on my riding style.

I don't know if the discrepancy is structural or something with my hips. I've had two knee reconstructions on my left side and one on my right. I've dislocated my left hip and I have 5 screws in my left foot. The mobility in my left foot is somewhat limited due to the injury that required the screws. I know we've got some actual bike fit folks on this sub. I'm wondering if it's better to lower the saddle or should I put a 3-5mm shim on the right foot. I don't know what the risks are with shims. I purchased the FORM MTB shim thinking I would try it out but haven't done anything with it out of concern that I might be making a mistake.

Anyone using a shim feel free to chime in. Any bike fitters with shim experiences, I'd love to hear your take.

Thanks!

I’ve changed my saddle angle from level to nose down 4 degrees about a week ago.

I started to experience an unbearable upper back pain with some shoulder pain for rides merely 2 hours long.

I’ve never had back pain before even on 8 hours endurance rides.

Any suggestions please!

TLDR: L5-S1 disc bulge, need some encouragement.

How did you injure your back, and how did you get back on the bike?

My story:

How it went: I went from cycling as a means of transportation to cycling as a sport in 2021. After a broken collarbone in 2023 I introduced strength training in august last year.

I introduced hex-bar deadlifts in November and progressed to regular deadlift in January with the help of a personal trainer. In late February , after deadlifts, my back and right glute felt weird. The next day, the pain was still there but manageable, when I started riding my bike. after the could barely straighten my back, when I got off the bike. This left me with back pain and difficulty walking for two weeks.

My orthopedic told me, my SI joint was blocked and sent me to a chiropractor. The treatment there immediately helped with pain. In addition, I was told, that my deadlift technique was looking fine and I should just lighten the load.

Four weeks later, deadlifting only 3x10x50kg/110lbs brought the pain back, cycling a few days later had my back lock up again, but not as badly as before. So I figured, I should just stop that specific exercise.

Another 3 weeks later, pain had almost subsided and I went back to the gym. Skipping the deadlifts and not wanting to put high stress on my spine, I went for high-rep squats as a compound lift (5x10x40kg/90lbs) - I had been doing split squats using 3x10x55kg/120lbs before, so this seemed like light load to me. The next day, I had, what felt like severe DOMS. This got worse and worse over the next days and a relatively normal indoor session. Ending up in weakness and severe pain in my lower back and right leg.

MRT showed a protruded L5-S1 disc, impinging on the nerve and protruded L4-L5 disc.

How it's going:

I've been off the back and hardly able to sit for longer for the last 8 weeks now. I tried riding my bike, but anything above 20mins I door or 10mins outdoors triggers my sciatica. Main symptoms are pain on random sites on the outside of my right leg and a numb pinky toe.

Just this week my physio told me, to get back to the gym to strengthen my back muscles. I've been doing stuff like the McGill Big 3 since the whole things started and tried to get about 10k steps in every day. This seems to help, but progress is extremely slow.

What happened to you guys? What did you do to get back on the bike? And how long did it take?

Edit: added imperial units

The title says it all

So, I am female rider (short torso long legs) and my size M Oiz feels a bit long and my lower back starts to hurt.. So question, what will be better for xc race, to flip my 6cm step up or to put a 5cm stem (acctualy 4.5)? I am better on climbing than descending.. Thanks 🙏

Hello everyone,

I'm currently trying to improve the fit of my bike and facing a bit of a challenge. I'm wondering if any of you have experience fitting someone in a similar situation.

I'm 168cm tall and currently ride a 52cm Emonda SL5. The problem is my legs are much longer than my torso. Previously, I rode a 54cm frame which fit my legs perfectly but had too long of a reach, forcing me to stretch through my arms and shoulders.

Switching to the 52cm frame, the bike is a bit small for my legs, and I need a different seatpost to raise the saddle even higher. However, the reach is still a bit long for my arms, so I've reduced the stem from 90mm to 70mm. My handlebar reach is 85mm, which I think is on the compact side.

I'm waiting to receive the 70mm stem and hope it will make the reach okay, but I'm concerned about my legs being in the way when in the drops and the bike feeling twitchy with such a short stem.

Do you think a 50cm frame with a high seatpost and long stem would be a good option? Are there any other adjustments I could make to improve the reach on the 52cm frame? I really hope I don't have to switch bikes again as I don't have the money to do so right now.

TDLR: I'm 168cm tall and currently ride a 52cm frame but my legs are much longer than my torso, any idea how to accommodate a short torso and long legs?

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Hi guys,

I want to order my first Canyon bike. I decided for Grail CF SL7.

I am 172/80 cm. I wanted to order S size, but then I check Canyon's calculator and I landed somwhere between S and XS.

I talked with Canyon's seller and he said me that both sizes should be fine and S should be even more comfortable due to less agressive geometry.

I am afraid that S would be too long for me.

I used to have Trek Domane 4.3 in 54 size. Normal reach is 2 cm shorter than this one in Canyon. It makse me worried, because I felt like Trek was a little bit to long for me.

Could you recommend me something?

On attachment Canyon Table, Grail Geometry and Trek Geometry.

I was hoping to get some advice on my bike size and fit.

My current bike is a Boardman SLR 8.9, Large. I have had this for about 3 years now. I have got it fitted and have had the stem reduced down from 15mm to 10mm.

I went into my LBS and was recommended a Giant TCR and sizing of M/L. Now when I compared the two sizes of bikes they're both very different Stacks and Reaches

SLR Large : S588 R390 SLR Medium: S567 R387 TCR ML: S563 R393

I feel like the TCR sits between the two bikes, so IMO I am starting to think I should have sized down not up.

I have ridden my bike to work and on various sportives and distances, but I find at about the 50KM mark onwards I start to get really bad saddle and shoulder discomfort.

I have got a new set of wheels and saddle to swap out for the stock items it arrived with.

Is it worth testing the new wheels and seat out, get it fitted again and then if I am having same issues base this down to the wrong sized bike?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

I'm seeking second opinions on my saddle adjustments. Thanks in advance!

https://preview.redd.it/ln9i7dymxfzc1.png?width=1334&format=png&auto=webp&s=c5ea23dd3c97172678914ce788ebef3b17611f1c

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