fietsbob

saddle placement is related to your femur length.. back more offers weight shift off your hands..

Maybe an up angled stem also , but that may not satisfy your desire for that go fast racing tuck.





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Kontact 

It really isn't. Saddle height is leg length, saddle set back is weight distribution.

fietsbob

The KOPS crowd differs as does CONI.

Kontact 

I am in the "KOPS crowd", and the purpose of KOPS is to find your approximate saddle set back, not dictate a certain fit based on femur length.

Additonally, longer than average femurs don't actually change the saddle set back by an important distance. Shorter than average femurs can.

fietsbob

I sorted out my bike fit before the internet, I cannot do the same for someone else using it..

But as a cycle tourist I have a different posture on the bike (more upright) , than some one aspiring to go fast, by bending way over..


to each their own..

now big city high end shops buy fitting kits to test compare, with data.. etc.
never had a gig with one ..at a more basic level

bike goes on the trainer stand so they can pedal and a conversation can take place on the options.. in person..


Good luck with the back pain, had any history of back injuries ?




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M83

@MadDog1999... I have some observations.
First of all, the pics you posted are useless. How is someone supposed to judge the reach if your photos are not normal to the plane defined by the bike?
Second, what is the point of having a 115 stem on a 52cm road bike? Did it come with the bike or was it your choice? I think it is huge. What will happen if you try to remove some spacers? Then the reach will become even longer. Of course we have to consider the reach of the bike but my little experience tells me that if someone puts a 11cm stem to a 52 then this means that he does it on purpose. Like for example a professional who rides a size smaller in order to get very low (and of course he/she has to compensate with a longer stem).
Also have in mind that a 52 might be a little big for a 5'5" man.
Third, your saddle is too low. The seat post is not exposed at all so you are losing some flexibility which would add to the comfort.
Finally, have you measured the distance from the nose of the saddle to the bars? Also, what is your saddle setback?

Kontact 

110mm stem is the median size. Why would 115 be "huge"? What do you consider normal, 80mm?

M83

90mm. I've seen this length being used by companies at size 52, at least bikes having an aggressive geometry and a long reach.

Kontact 

If you start with a 90mm, your customers don't have anywhere to go if they need longer. 20 years ago the "normal" range of stem sizes was 90-130. Short people don't benefit from short stems, and tall people don't need long stems. People need adjustability.

MadDog1999

Hi Guys,
Thanks for all the replies! Could a saddle that is too low cause back problems also, or could a higher saddle reduce reach? I have heard to have the saddle hip height as a starting point and now I realised it is well below my hip. Will have to set it on the trainer Wednesday and figure it out

Kontact 

A low saddle can definitely cause back pain.

"Hip height"? That's absurd - are you going to lower your saddle because you bought larger tires and the bike got taller? Set up your saddle height and set back properly, then worry about your reach.

MadDog1999

Ah ok, will have to properly set it, as I can touch the ground with a lot of my front of my foot while seated and told I shouldn't be able to do that

caloso

Yes. Set up your fit for riding, not stopping.

pakossa

ANYTHING wrong with bike fit can cause a sore low back: saddle OR handlebar being too high, low, forward, or rearward (or any combination). Of course, figuring out which it is can be very time consuming. And, everyone is different, so what hurts one person -- say, a big bar drop -- can be comfortable for another.