Road Bike Set Up Mistakes

Whether you have purchased a new road bike, or are struggling to get comfortable on a road bike you have owned for a while - one of the many common road bike setup mistakes may be to blame. Sorting these common issues out - will usually see bike comfort drastically improve, meaning you can concentrate on riding further, and faster than ever before. Below, are some of the most common issues people face with their road bike setup, which can be easily resolved:

Seat Too Low Or Too High

Incorrect seat and saddle height does not just make the bike feel uncomfortable to ride, when it comes to confidence - it also provides stress and discomfort across your full body - from your arms, right down to your knees. When cycling, you should avoid riding with either a complete straight knee when the pedal stroke is extended, nor should you also ride with your knee overly bent throughout the pedal strokes.

One of the best ways to get seat height correct, is to sit on the bike and place the heel of one of your feet on the pedal, then move your foot backwards and you should achieve a slight bend of the knee - exactly the position that you want to maintain. Adjustments are the name of the game here, and you should follow this guide, but work with whatever feels most comfortable for you.

Seat/Saddle Angle

Saddle angle is one of the most obvious and common problems we see in the workshop. Saddles can be pointing in all kinds of different directions, placing unnecessary pressure on sensitive parts. If your bike saddle is pointing down, it's common to have sore shoulders and arms, as even without knowing it the rider will continually be pushing themselves up the saddle. A spirit level is the best way to test if a saddle is running level.

Handlebar Height

One of the most common complaints when cycling on the road, is riders suffering from a sore neck. A sore neck is almost always caused by reaching too much for the handlebars, meaning your body is over stretched. Luckily, handlebar height is really easy to adjust - it’s worth looking at handlebar height and finding a height which suits you. It’s very easy to watch and copy the riding position of professional cyclists - but remember that these are extreme setups, which do not work all that well in the real world.

The quickest and easiest way to sort out over reaching for the handlebars, is to raise the handlebars by the stem on the steerer tube. There will be spacers here, which can be adjusted by adding more or fewer and re-tightening the bolts with an allen key. Another common adjustment is purchasing a shorter stem - which again reduces the amount of stretch in the upper body.

Gearing

Unsurprisingly, knee pain and discomfort is not only due to the ergonomics of the bike - gearing also plays a part. Modern road bikes have a high number of gears which allow the rider to find a gear most comfortable for them, but finding the right gear at all times can be a challenge for some riders. A cadence sensor is a great way of finding out what gear is right for you at different points during you ride, aim for around 90rpm for efficient progress and the right amount of stress and strain on your knees and legs.