sreten

Hi,

I've been playing around with the fit and adjusting my road bike
I bought at Easter and have near dialed it in trying lots of things.

I'm pretty average build for 5'8" and bought a cheap bike for 5'6"
to 5'10". The bars on the bike I chopped and flipped into bullbars.
Seat height always adjusted near optimum extension.
Bars have steadily dropped on the front adjustment.
(Started flipped headtube in the top position of 3, now its not
flipped and two rings above and one below on the headset.)

1) My seat has ended up at zero of the +/- 2cm indicators
2) Elbow on the saddle end finger tip to bars is 7cm
3) The bars do obscure the front wheel axle, generally

I guess some of the old adages actually do work. But I only
found good seat height to be really important, the rest of
the stuff is more tweaking to suit you than being critical.

rgds, sreten.

ftwelder

I haven't really tried using my arm to measure my bike though I do remember hearing of it before. Interesting.

zandoval 

So now the Beat Up Arthritic 50+ cyclist...

Bullhorns of course (because you no longer get to the drops)
Stem elevated (because your back does not bend like it used to)
Seat height about an inch lower than you used to have it (because your knees don't really straighten out any more)
Seat about 4cm wider than you used to tolerate (because your arse is bigger)
Steel frame with wider tires and thicker spokes (because generally you are heavier and you don't want to bend your bike)

I could go on... But this is supposed to funny...
Thing is just do what you have to do so you can ride...

OldTryGuy

Truth be told, I am almost 13 years past the 50 mark and not as supple as then but since I have now undertaken the task of finishing my first Ironman later this year my recent purchase of a Giant Propel SL3 is not quite stock. Bars changed to allow Profile Aero bars that are required for a 112 mile time trial and some lounging so bone on bone right shoulder can absorb more road shock, seat lower than years ago because gravity has taken its toll on my already short legs, stem reversed to provide some pain relief caused by bicycle crash a couple of years ago that resulted in a broken neck and a softer seat plus copious amounts of Chamois Butter.

We do what must be done to continue to enjoy our chosen methods of physically punishing our body towards complete exhaustion.

Lenton58 

Of course, all us oldsters could go to yoga classes and just gently get more subtle. And I mean gently. If any yoga instructor gets insistant and agressive about bending, find someone who is a real yogan — not a drill instructor. A lot our stiffness can be reversed by slow, incremental degrees. Arthritis is something I am incompetent to comment on.