Bicycle Fit - Part 2

I spent several hours today masking the painted and decaled parts of my frame in preparation for the "chroming" of the lugs. I used my fingernail to press the blue painter's tape into the seams around all of the lugs, then used a new Exacto blade to cut away the overlap. The head tube curves were tricky (left photo), but the most difficult lug to mask was at the seat tube and seat stays (right). The logos on the tape are kind of distracting, causing me a few times to do a double-take when looking for errors! Painting the lugs will probably start tomorrow.

Continuing the discussion on bicycle fit, here is a chart to help you solve common snags in your quest for a proper bicycle fit:

Bike-fit Troubleshooting
Symptom	Likely Cause	Solution
You are shifting forward on the seat frequently	Stem may be too long, causing you to pull yourself forward as you ride; downward tilt of saddle nose may be excessive; saddle could be too far back  on its rails	Install a shorter stem; level the saddle and center it on the rails; move seat forward
You are shifting back on the seat frequently	Short stem may be making you feel crowded, causing you to move back; upward tilt of saddle nose may be excessive; saddle could be too far forward on its rails	Install a longer stem; level the saddle and center it on the rails; move seat back
Lower back pain	Stem may be too low or long, causing strain in back to reach bars; seat may be high, causing hips to rock when pedaling	Raise the stem/handlebars or if pain persists, install shorter stem; adjust seat height
Neck pain	May be craning neck to see because of low stem and handlebars	Raise the stem/bars
Hand pain	Stem too low, causing you to put weight on hands; saddle may be pointed down	Raise the stem/bars; level saddle
Pain in front of knee	Saddle position is low and/or too far forward, straining knees	Raise seat; moving the saddle back may be needed as well
Pain behind knee	Saddle position is high, causing over-extension of legs	Lower the saddle
Rear end numbness	Too much weight on the seat; try to slide back a little on the seat so that you feel the weight on your sit bones, not the front or center of the crotch	Lower handlebar position; check saddle height; maybe try another brand of shorts and /or seat; lose some weight (sorry)
Achilles tendon pain	Pedaling too much on your toes; feet may not be centered over the pedal because cleat is too far forward on shoe	Position cleat on shoe so that ball of the foot is over the pedal axle

Some additional tips you might find helpful:

1. So much about your riding style is affected by comfort. The most common problem is a hunched-over riding posture, when a cyclist locks the elbows and raises the shoulders. Try to relax, and every few miles shrug your shoulders and let them drop. Remember to keep those elbows bent.
2. NEVER raise any part of the bicycle too high because it can lead to failure, which you definitely do not want to happen while moving! Parts are usually marked with limit lines - heed these markings.
3. Once you’ve found the correct seat and stem height, mark them. If something slips out of place or if the bike needs to be disassembled, you’ll quickly be able to put your parts back in the right spot.
4. Place one of your pedals in the down position, parallel to the the seat tube. Measure from the top of the saddle to the center of the pedal axle and record the number. This will be very useful if you have to set up a new bike, rent or borrow one.
5. You are not as flexible early in the cycling season, and you may enjoy a higher handlebar position. As you regain flexibility, you can lower the bars to stretch out.
6. Because they generally have smaller proportions, women often require replacement parts such as narrower handlebars, shorter stems and brake levers with a shorter reach.