Forum menu
The reason I ask is that I have the same issue.
T-rex arms.
Also short legs.
It seems when I receive advice, that bit gets forgotten.
Which is the key element.
Like, for example, in your photo of you, your arms are fully outstretched.
Aren't we meant to have a bend at the elbows?
I went for a bike fit and that is what he said to achieve.
Now imagine your elbows bent and I would say that it would look like you would want a shorter tt and maybe higher bars?
But people suggest that the bars should be lower than the saddle.
But, that is for a 'normal person'. Now, if you are 'normal' Imagine your bars 3 inches further away. That is our scenario.
When the fitter got my angles set to what they 'should' be, I was amazed at how close my bars should be to my body. Bear in mind that we with little limbs have ridden bikes too long forever. I just always thought everyone stretched out.
I have also always ridden in pain. Only found out recently that people don't.
Always had numb feet and legs as well. Turns out that is not normal either.
If you lift your hands off the bars, do you slip forwards?
Do you find yourself 'reaching' for the bars or are you using the bars to hold yourself back on the saddle?
I haven't sussed it yet, myself, I am trying to work out what my next step is.
Just to give an idea, my torso is the same length as people 5'10 to 5'11".
When I sit down, my eyes are level with theirs.
I am 5'7".
I think my arms are in proportion to my legs.
Grarea- I have the same problem! 5’7” and short arms and legs.
Ah hah, so, there are a few of us normal people around eh?
We should start a club.
Have you solved it?
I have tended towards MTB because I find the pain less.
I think it is because one is constantly moving around the bike that it doesn't matter so much.
I rather like the idea of a couple of other bikes.
A pure road one plus a 'utility' bike. But I want to be able to wander off down tracks and rough bridleways with it and kind of 'tour'. Or, in my language, 'mooch'.
I have had way too much weight on my hands, so I was reading to get your saddle further back.
So I picked up a 67 degree STA and had to set that even further back with a set back seatpost, but it was so efficient, it was wrong in every way. But it was nice to not have weight on my hands.
Anyway, I think I am more pushing myself back onto my saddle.
That and combined with the fact that I am reaching further out plus the fact that with a longer torso you are relatively higher from the bars. Plus you are leaning further down to reach the bars.
I got a really adjustable bars.
Eventually I gave up and went for a bike fit.
He set me up with all the angles (It isn't solved yet as I think he might be taking December off and also I need a different frame as I can't get forward enough) and the distance between the centre of my saddle rails and my bars is approx 62cm.
Bars are still above saddle atm.
In an ideal world I would like drops for both my 'mooch/cx' bike and my roadie.
That may not happen I guess.
Trouble is, the smaller the frame, the lower the bars are compared to saddle.
Also, as sizes get smaller, the sta steepens which normally means that the reach is exactly the same.
Same with women's bikes. I think they mean they have put narrower bars on the same bike.
So, I think I might just have to pick up a very cheap bike or two and see where I get with them.
Just not sure where to start.
Anyway....... Blah blah blah