Cycling

[dss62467]

Hi - for any of you who are into cycling....do you have the problem of your hands falling asleep? I'm by no means a serious cyclist. I go maybe once a week and usually have my 2 year old in a trailer behind me, so the distance is never more than 12 miles. My hands fall asleep every time and it's horribly annoying. I've even bought cycling gloves. They don't help. Yesterday I went for the first time without my daughter and the trailer. What a HUGE difference! I thought I was cycling on air instead of the road.

 

[Debra]

You're probably leaning on your hands. Your weight should be on your seat & pedals. Hands are really for balance & steering. A simple adjustment of your handlebar height &/or seat height should do the trick. Your LBS (local bike shop) will probably be happy to help especially if you time your visit during a slow time. It's easy to start leaning on your hands when you fatique.

Make sure you change your hand position frequently too.

Hauling a trailer is a lot of work! More of a power workout. Be nice to your knees & chose a gear that lets you pedal fairly fast (80+ rpm) on flats.

Debra

 

[Andrea]

Debra

This made me think of a question I've been meaning to ask. Do they make bikes in different lengths? I've got my spin bike all set up and it feels great. I went out to ride my bike the other day and I felt like I was all squinched up. So tonight we went out and raised the seat, but it still needs to go back. I can barely touch the ground now. I'm wondering if a gooseneck (I think...this comes from my old BMX days) seat post would help, or do I need a longer bike? Mine is just a cheapie WalMart bike.

Andrea

 

[dss62467]

I'll bet that's it! I'm pretty sure I do lean on my hands. I have to take the bike in to get it fixed anyway, I'll see if they can do the adjustments for me.

Thanks!
Donna

 

[Debra]

RE: Debra

Hi Andrea,

You can play with all sorts of adjustments. Your seat can go forward & back, the height & width of the handlebars make a difference, the seat post, the top tube (that runs from your seat post to the handlebars... I'd take it in to a bike shop & see if they can help you (maybe a longer handlebar stem). Don't spend too much more on a department store bike.

Bikes are generally designed for male bodies. So if you're a typically proportioned female, you'll have long legs for your height compared to a male of the same height. So if you get a bike that fits your leg length, you end up with a top tube that's too long (meaning you strain to reach the handlebars). It actually sounds like you're having the reverse problem.

The good news is that bike makers are finally taking care of the female market. It's still a long quest to find the right bike fit, but a local bike shop is the way to go next time. You'll get a better value too. The department store bikes tend to be tough to maintain because the components are poor quality.

I hope this helps.
Debra

 

[Andrea]

RE: Debra

My seat is back as far as it will go. I don't plan on putting a lot of money into it, I just don't want to buy a new bike until I know whether I'm gonna really get into this or not. Thanks for your help!

 

[Debra]

RE: Debra

I hope I didn't sound like a bike snob. We went the department store route for my stepfather because we didn't know if he'd take to it. He loved it (just 30 minutes of hauling a** around his neighborhood). So we eventually upgraded him.

 

[Andrea]

RE: Debra

No, I really appreciate your opinion. In fact, I had another question that I figure you would know cause you're into cycling so much. Is the padded seat cover better or padded bike shorts? I also haul my son around on the back, and don't want to have to change just to go out for a fun ride. But those bike seats are sure uncomfortable! Then again, if it was adjusted right it might not be so bad. I don't have any discomfort on my spin bike.

Andrea

 

[kellib]

RE: bike seats and shorts

I say padded seat and padded shorts! I've been told to stay away from the gel seats. My seat has a little hole in it to protect my parts from too much direct pressure and it has a little padding for my rear. Shorts have some kind of padding in them - not enough though, my bum still aches at about mile 15...
you might find some good deals on both items at www.nashbar.com or maybe your local bike shop has some good deals going (end of summer kind of thing perhaps). have fun!

 

[Andrea]

RE: bike seats and shorts

Thanks Keli! Guess what just came in the mail! My Nashbar catalog And Debra, I was looking at seat posts and they are all straight. So much for that idea! Now I'm wondering what to do. I'll have to find a scheme to raise some bike money...

Andrea

 

[Debra]

RE: bike seats and shorts

Teach spin classes for bike funds! (Only half joking.)

I'd go with bike shorts too except for very short &/or leisurely rides. And Keli is right about the gel - as it ages it moves around & creates problems where you don't want problems.

Do you have a V-bike? The seats on the Schwinn spinning cycles are nasty. Shorts are mandatory.

Looks like Nashbar has a lot of good deals on shorts. Since you're training for a dualathon, look for 6 or 8 panel shorts. I don't care for the short spinning type shorts, but some women like them.

Last (I promise): is your seat all the way back? There isn't usually much range, but it sounds like you need every cm. Look under the saddle at the metal horizontal rails.

Debra