Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli displaying a perfect fit
Philosopher Ivan Illich, in his essay Energy and
Equity, wrote:Man on a bicycle can go three or four times faster than the pedestrian, but uses five times less energy in the process. He carries one gram of his weight over a kilometer of flat road at an expense of only 0.15 calories. The bicycle is the perfect transducer to match man’s metabolic energy to the impedance of locomotion. Equipped with this tool, man outstrips the efficiency of not only all machines but all other animals as well.That’s pretty remarkable. Yet, what Ivan doesn’t mention is that if this most-efficient machine isn’t properly adjusted, you could suffer serious discomfort such as a numb bum, burning feet, stabbing knee or back pain, sore hands, achy shoulders and a stiff neck. Yikes! And with these afflictions, instead of zipping down roads and trails effortlessly, you may well wobble along like a top-heavy wheelbarrow. Don’t panic, though. Just check my handy-dandy troubleshooting chart for solutions to your bike-fit problems, dial in your ride and you’ll be spinning along the way Ivan intended in no time. |
| Symptom | Likely cause | Solution |
| You’re always having to scoot backwards on the seat | Stem is too long so you pull yourself forward when you’re riding without realizing it; saddle nose may be tipped down too much | Install a shorter stem; level saddle |
| You’re always having to scoot forward on the seat | Stem is too short so you feel cramped and push yourself back when you’re riding without realizing it; saddle nose may be tipped back or the seat may not be far enough back on the rails | Install a longer stem; level the seat and center it on the rails |
| Lower back hurts | Stem too low or too long; must strain back to reach bars; or seat may be too high causing rocking when pedaling | Try raising the stem/handlebars; still hurts?; try shorter stem; check and adjust seat height |
| Neck hurts | Stem too low; must crane neck to see | Raise the stem/bars |
| Hands hurt | Stem too low; too much weight on hands | Raise the stem/bars |
| Front of knee hurts | Seat too low, straining knees | Raise the seat |
| Back of knee hurts | Seat too high, overextending legs | Lower the seat |
| Numb bum all the time | Too much weight on the seat | Try a lower handlebar position; check seat height as it may be too high |
| Achilles tendon hurts | Pedaling too much on your toes; cleats too far forward on your shoes | Keep the balls of your feet over the pedals when you’re riding; move cleats back |
