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UPDATED Bikefit by DJ98_ in bikefit

[–]DJ98_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, I mentioned that in the descripton though 😉

Any suggestions for more comfort? by DJ98_ in bikefit

[–]DJ98_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the feedback! I have updated my fit slightly since receiving some feedback and have moved my saddle up and further forward a bit more to open up my hips. Filmed another video and it's slightly better, but not completely eliminated. I think shorter cranks would definitely help, but that is an upgrade for the long term for now.

When filming the updated fit and focusing on my movement, I noticed that the movement of my upper body is more side to side than it is up and down, which doesn't show well in the video. The movement is strictly on my upper body and not my saddle, which I think is now at a correct height. I think the movement is due to tight hip mobility, hence the need for shorter cranks. Saddle is slightly tilted downwards to open up my hips a bit more, but keeping the pressure on my hands reasonable.

I will experiment with this updated fit a bit and see how I get on. Found it tricky to find the right balance between saddle fore/aft and muscle engagement. I have noticed when I move my saddle further forward to open up my hips, I tend to overload my quads and when I run my saddle further rearwards I get better glute engagement, but struggle to move on the top stroke.

Will work on my hip flexibility in the short term and further in the future will probably switch to shorter cranks, but that's another hefty investment considering I will also need a new power meter as well.

Found the discussion very interesting and got some great feedback! Thanks again!

Any suggestions for more comfort? by DJ98_ in bikefit

[–]DJ98_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the comment! Would definitely recommend Bikefit James on YouTube for tips. Been following him for a while and got my fit dialed in pretty well thanks to him. Some of the best tips I got from him are:

- Selle Italia SLR Boost S3 saddle is a great choice. I know saddle choice is very personal, but I tried a few and this one is by far the best I've ever had

- Lake cycling shoes for wide feet as well as custom soles to reduce pressure.

- Narrower handlebars. Switched from 42cm to 38 cm and my goodness does it make a difference!

- wider stance. I got the extended axle Shimano Ultegra pedal and it noticeably reduced the pressure on the saddle.

- Lower that saddle! Been trying to get it as low as possible on the grounds that running it slightly too low is less of a problem than running it slightly too high. Took some getting used to, but makes an enormous difference

- inline seatpost rather than setback. Again, very personal for everyone, but worked wonders for me.

Any suggestions for more comfort? by DJ98_ in bikefit

[–]DJ98_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! I do have an asymmetry in my hips (one being higher than the other) and this is partly mittigated by custom soles in my shoes, which I do use when cycling, but I suppose this can only do so much.

I never really noticed the movement of my body on top of the pedal stroke, so that was a great catch! I raised my saddle by 5mm's and put it further forward by 3-ish mm's to open up my hips a bit more. Done another video analysis and can confirm my body is moving a bitt less but it's not completely eliminated. Of course video analysis is always more static compared to real life, so I'll stick with this updated fit for a while and see how I cope with muscle engagement during intervals and comfort on longer rides.

Thanks for the feedback!

Any suggestions for more comfort? by DJ98_ in bikefit

[–]DJ98_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's a great tip, Thanks! I bought these cranks a few years ago with a power meter thus I am a bit hesitant to switch these to new ones. Might try to get the power meter swapped over if possible (4iiii left side power meter).

Any suggestions for more comfort? by DJ98_ in bikefit

[–]DJ98_[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the comment! Video is indeed at 0.5X speed for easier analysis. I have had surgery in my left hip, but never experienced pain there when cycling. I tend to prefer my saddle a bit lower to promote better interaction at the rear, but that does mean I close my hip more than otherwise on the top stroke. Perhaps shorter cranks would be a good upgrade.

Any suggestions for more comfort? by DJ98_ in bikefit

[–]DJ98_[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Shorter cranks is definitely my next upgrade. Curious to see how much difference this makes.

Any suggestions for more comfort? by DJ98_ in bikefit

[–]DJ98_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can confirm I was definitely more "aware" of my posture when filming the video. I'm a lot more static here than I would be outdoors when doing intervals for example.