Question: This is the year that I mortgage the house and buy my titanium dream bike! The problem is, I’m not as flexible as I used to be. The bike I want has the handlebar almost 5 inches below the saddle. On a test ride, I felt stretched out and uncomfortable. On my old bike,…
Question: My new bike is great, except that the reach to the handlebar is excessive. I know I could put on a shorter stem, but I don’t want to reduce the present 100 mm for aesthetic reasons. How can I get the brake hoods closer? — Michael S. Coach Fred Matheny Replies: You have at least three…
Question: I changed from a 42-cm-wide alloy handlebar to a 44-cm-wide carbon bar. I have a relatively long reach, 36-inch arms and a 46-inch chest. I wanted to open my chest a bit with a wider bar for better breathing. Yesterday, I did a 50-miler. For the last 20, I was in agony. My hands were…
Question: I’m confused. For years I’ve used Greg LeMond’s formula of multiplying crotch-to-floor distance by 0.883 to get saddle height, as measured from the center of the crank axle to the top of the saddle. My local bike shop used a goniometer (like a big protractor) to measure my knee angle at bottom dead center. Then…
Question: How strictly should I interpret the need to achieve a “neutral knee position” as per bike fit guidelines? — Paul P. Coach Fred Matheny Replies: Neutral knee position means that a plumb line dropped from the front of the forward kneecap when the crankarms are horizontal will touch the end of the crankarm. Most riders are…
