Hard time getting weight off hands and signaling.
05-02-12, 07:57 AM
#51
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On a bike that is properly fitted you should be able to remove your hands from the hoods and move to the drops (and vice versa) easily and with no haste because your butt is suspending your body mass. If your saddle is too far forward you'll start falling forward when you let go.
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05-02-12, 08:01 AM
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05-02-12, 08:35 AM
#54
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Reading about the OP's problem I'm sensing 1 of 2 things.
(1) is he's a troll having a little fun. Or...
(2) he has some weak wrists/forearms. Might be time for a trip to the adult video store.
(1) is he's a troll having a little fun. Or...
(2) he has some weak wrists/forearms. Might be time for a trip to the adult video store.
05-02-12, 09:08 AM
#55
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Great drill while pedaling on the trainer is to get in a good aero position in the drops.
Then take your hands off the bars, and keep in the same position. Works the core muscles in a cycling specific manner.
Then take your hands off the bars, and keep in the same position. Works the core muscles in a cycling specific manner.
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You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
05-02-12, 09:17 AM
#56
Senior Member
Your fit looks good enough. Your problem is not weight on your hands. Practice riding with no hands and then with either hand on the bar. Once you're comfortable doing that, ride with one hand on the bars while looking behind you and maintain your line. I think you just need practice.
05-02-12, 09:20 AM
#57
Descends like a rock
I agree on saddle position. I would try moving the saddle back a bit more. I generally shoot for balance over the pedals. If you feel like too much weight is on your hands shift everything back a bit.
05-02-12, 06:47 PM
#60
You look super cramped on your bike dude, you need a setback post with the saddle slammed most or all of the way back, and a ~120mm stem set ~15-30mm higher. If you can't take your hands off to signal something isn't a little wrong it's ridiculously wrong and you need to make some huge changes. You should be able to lift both of your hands off of the drops / any part of the bars and keep your position fairly easily without falling forward...
05-02-12, 06:51 PM
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You look super cramped on your bike dude, you need a setback post with the saddle slammed most or all of the way back, and a ~120mm stem set ~15-30mm higher. If you can't take your hands off to signal something isn't a little wrong it's ridiculously wrong and you need to make some huge changes. You should be able to lift both of your hands off of the drops / any part of the bars and keep your position fairly easily without falling forward...
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05-02-12, 09:47 PM
#62
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Edited for brevity and clarity... your bars are too low. By a lot. It's cool that you like to have your upper body parallel with the ground, but that preference is causing your problem. The bars are so low that they're forcing you to tilt your saddle downward. That forces you to use your arms to keep from sliding off the saddle. When you remove a hand from the bars in that scenario, you end up putting even more force onto one side of the bars with your other hand. This makes the bike unstable.
The solution is to level your saddle and then raise your bars so you don't feel "castrated". This frees your arms from the need to hold yourself in place on the bike and allows them to more easily control the bike. It has the "side" benefit of making you more efficient and more comfortable - which will translate into better performance overall.
The solution is to level your saddle and then raise your bars so you don't feel "castrated". This frees your arms from the need to hold yourself in place on the bike and allows them to more easily control the bike. It has the "side" benefit of making you more efficient and more comfortable - which will translate into better performance overall.
Last edited by Six jours; 05-02-12 at 10:12 PM.
05-02-12, 10:03 PM
#63
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So I've been cycling for a few months now and I'm building up strength around the torso area but I'm still having trouble getting weight off my hands so I can signal. I've tilted the saddle a bit upwards which helped but I still put too much of my upper body weight on the bars.
Advice?
Advice?
Balance on the balls of your feet with your heels and butt against a wall and lean forward like you would to grab bicycle handle bars. Note how you start to fall.
Do the same thing in the middle of the room.
You don't fall over because your butt moves back and counter balances your torso.
It's the same thing on a bike.
05-02-12, 10:06 PM
#64
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You look super cramped on your bike dude, you need a setback post with the saddle slammed most or all of the way back, and a ~120mm stem set ~15-30mm higher. If you can't take your hands off to signal something isn't a little wrong it's ridiculously wrong and you need to make some huge changes. You should be able to lift both of your hands off of the drops / any part of the bars and keep your position fairly easily without falling forward...
Look at my foot. The crank arm is at 1 o clock. If I set it at 3 and move the saddle back just 1.5mm I get a small concave bend in my back. I had a 25mm setback post before the current one and it didn't fit well.
My CAAD is 58 and with a 90mm stem my reach is a bit more than I would like.
05-02-12, 10:13 PM
#65
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Practice and don't put all your weight on your hands...?
I thought this thread was weird and tried riding today with my hands just off the bars, and for me it's no problem on my road bike (slammed and flat back) or on my MTB (upright when in the saddle), so I'm not sure it's only a matter of fit that will solve the problem. Maybe OP just needs to keep from putting too much weight on the hands and practice more? Just guessing...
I thought this thread was weird and tried riding today with my hands just off the bars, and for me it's no problem on my road bike (slammed and flat back) or on my MTB (upright when in the saddle), so I'm not sure it's only a matter of fit that will solve the problem. Maybe OP just needs to keep from putting too much weight on the hands and practice more? Just guessing...
05-02-12, 10:18 PM
#66
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1) a pic of you on the caad
2) do you have trouble lifting a hand off the bars on the cannondale as well?
3) did the same person fit you on the cannondale or different?
05-02-12, 10:58 PM
#67
Senior Member
Move your saddle rearwards.
Balance on the balls of your feet with your heels and butt against a wall and lean forward like you would to grab bicycle handle bars. Note how you start to fall.
Do the same thing in the middle of the room.
You don't fall over because your butt moves back and counter balances your torso.
It's the same thing on a bike.
Balance on the balls of your feet with your heels and butt against a wall and lean forward like you would to grab bicycle handle bars. Note how you start to fall.
Do the same thing in the middle of the room.
You don't fall over because your butt moves back and counter balances your torso.
It's the same thing on a bike.
05-03-12, 07:18 AM
#70
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you have to tune the saddle position around your knees and not your reach or your knees will have issues sooner or later.
you only adjust reach with the stem. if the stem alone can't give satisfactory reach and bar height, then you have a problem with the frame size.
I am pretty sure drew knows this, I believe he was just making a point about balance and the ability to lift a hand to signal.
05-03-12, 08:16 AM
#71
Descends like a rock
I dont claim to be an expert, but what has worked for me is to get on a trainer or find a nice slight downhill stretch of road. Put the pedals at 9 and 3 o'clock and lift your body weight with your legs so your legs are supporting as much of your weight as possible. When you do this, you will naturally shift forward and back so you are balanced over the pedals. When you get balanced, think about where your butt and hands want to be. If your butt is hanging off the back of the saddle, that tells you that your saddle needs to move back. If you're up on the nose, you need to move it up. If you are balanced and you feel scrunched with your saddle all the way back and you have a long stem, then your bike is probably too small. If you feel too stretched (which might just be a matter of getting used to something new), then your bike may be too big.
05-03-12, 08:41 AM
#72
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I dont claim to be an expert, but what has worked for me is to get on a trainer or find a nice slight downhill stretch of road. Put the pedals at 9 and 3 o'clock and lift your body weight with your legs so your legs are supporting as much of your weight as possible. When you do this, you will naturally shift forward and back so you are balanced over the pedals. When you get balanced, think about where your butt and hands want to be. If your butt is hanging off the back of the saddle, that tells you that your saddle needs to move back. If you're up on the nose, you need to move it up. If you are balanced and you feel scrunched with your saddle all the way back and you have a long stem, then your bike is probably too small. If you feel too stretched (which might just be a matter of getting used to something new), then your bike may be too big.
05-03-12, 08:48 AM
#73
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This is what I hate about the 41. Always trying to get guys to spend too much money. If you spent a little less time here, and a little more just generally googling, you'd know that there's a world of free wrist strengthening content available on line.
05-03-12, 09:12 AM
#74
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05-03-12, 09:14 AM
#75
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less weight if you sit closer to vertical.
