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Which road bike when you got bad posture/being inflexible

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Which road bike when you got bad posture/being inflexible

Old 07-27-22, 06:27 AM
  #1  
bikeamateur70
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Which road bike when you got bad posture/being inflexible

Being a middle aged newbie to road cycling its not easy when you going to find a proper bike.

Short backrgound:

Started riding after 50 on a Cannondale Caad9, frame size 56 cm. I am 182 cm high (5 feet 11 in), inseam 91 cm.

Comfortable for 1,5 hours but then get neck pain. Got low general flexibility (no chance of reaching my toes etc). A mild kyphosis and bad posture is probably the main reason for the neck pain. Watching the road with a forward head posture is stressful for the neck. When I ride indoors on Zwift I don`t have to look forward on a road (looking more down on my iPad), so getting no neck pain after 2-3 hours rides and feeling in general comfortable on my bike.

I bought a subscription on the online bikfitting tool Myvelofit.com. Its a great tool! Check a youtube review here:
. The app told me to start raising the handle bar, but its already raised so much I cant add more spacers on the fork (stem already flipped upward).

I started looking into buying a new bike with a more relaxed geometry, for instance endurance bikes as Trek Domane, Cannondale Synapse or Canyon Endurance.

Myvelofit.com is now having a bike size tool which is based on video recordings, pictures of my (lack of) flexibility and body measurements. I got kind of depressed when I got the frame suggestions. In the road category only tour bikes from Surly had an acceptable geometry for me. Domane, Synapse and Canyon Endurance were far above my league.

When checking the "Gravel option" I got closer: Specialized Diverge and Focus Atlas and Paraline seem to be options. Although using a gravel bike for road cycling isnt my number one choice it seem to the best option (riding a lot on dedicated bike lanes with rather bumpy asphalt).

Link to some of the information from my velofit analysis.

Anyone out there with similar issues? Do you give up longer rides on a road bike when having neck pain (either from bad posture or low flexibility - or both)? Which bike did you buy? Any smart bike fitting hacks for someone like me?
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Old 07-27-22, 08:26 AM
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Iride01 
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Throw away the fitting app. Go to a bike shop, preferably where you bought your bike and get some recommendations from them.

Not being able to touch your toes is not any reason for much of anything. I can't get my hands very far below my knees yet I can maintain a very aero position. Sure my neck does sometimes get sore on really long rides but that has several causes. One is your helmet might be too low on your brow making you lift your head more to see down the road. So adjust the helmet or get another and if a removable visor on it, remove it.

There is also the possibility you are arching your back and that'll also force you to lift your head more. Rotate your pelvis forward and straighten your back some. Also a proper road fit position can take some getting use too. It might feel odd and uncomfortable at first until you simply get use to it.

You might have bought the wrong bike if you insist on sitting too upright. Though there are extenders and other stuff that might give you a position you like on the bike, you really should get a bike with a geometry that doesn't need all that stuff. It'll be safer and look better. Look for a bike with a high stack and a seat tube that slopes rearward more. Might not really be a road bike you want.

Might have found the wrong geometry numbers for your Caad9, but it shows a lower stack height than my 2020 Tarmac Comp. If that's so, you have a bike that begs for a rider that wants a aggressive fit.

https://geometrygeeks.bike/compare/c...a-di2-2020-56/

Last edited by Iride01; 07-28-22 at 09:14 AM.
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Old 07-27-22, 09:42 PM
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Judging from your profile fitting photos, you want a very upright riding position. But your shoulders appear to be rolled forward. That may be causing at least some of your neck pain. If you can’t rotate your hips further to keep your shoulders back then you need to shorten the reach to your cockpit. Looks like you might not be able to use the drops without discomfort.

On the downstroke your foot is slightly heal up like you are reaching.

If you are going to ride that upright, you can move your saddle more forward so you are more centered over the BB. Also, you can move it down so you maintain power throughout the spin cycle.

Reach may work itself out with the saddle more forward. If not then the way to adjust reach is by changing the stem. Looks like your stem is fairly long. You might want to try one 20mm or so shorter. Too short of a stem will cause the bike to feel twitchy. You can also try an adjustable stem to find the best angle and height.

You might also try riding more with your hands on the top of your bars to reduce neck fatigue.

If you otherwise like your bike, you can adjust it to fit your needs. Make only one change at a time. Try 5mm adjustments to saddle height and setback until you go past the sweet spot. Then work back in smaller adjustments.

While it won’t end up looking like a road race bike, unless that bothers you, who cares? Sounds like you just started cycling. Don’t throw a bunch of money at a new touring bike until you are sure this is really something that you will stick with.

Happy cycling!
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