There are three contact points between the rider and the bike. These are the saddle, the handlebars and the pedals. All of the riders weight is born on these points. The bike fit is successful when the weight is born appropriately by each of the pedals, saddle and handlebars.

There are many telltale signs that a bike fit may be needed:

Problem	Symptoms	Fix	How
Shoulder and Neck Pain	Aching in shoulders and neck after a certain distance	Alter reach, usually reduce it	flip stem to raise bars, fit shorter stem, move saddle forward
Saddle pain	pain in buttocks/sit bones	shift some weight to bars/pedals.	Raise saddle or lower bars or saddle is too narrow, use wider saddle raise saddle and/or raise stem
Leg rubbing	pain in upper thigh	reduce friction	Shave Upper thigh, wear better shorts, use narrower saddle
Saddle pain	pain in frontal/perineum	move weight to sitbones	Drop nose of saddle, use saddle with cut out hole, use Adamo saddle
Wrist pain	ache in wrists	Reduce weight on hands	raise bars, use gel bar padding, use bars with an oval profile, use padded mitts
Numbness in fingers	lack of sensation in one or more fingers	Less pressure on hands	raise bars, use gel bar padding, use padded mitts
Knee pain	pain in front of knee, persists and gets worse with distance	Less stretching movement in knee	saddle too high, lower saddle
Knee pain	pain in back of knee, persists and gets worse with distance	Ensure knee moves over full comfortable range	saddle too low, raise saddle
Knee pain	pain in the side of the knee (lateral and medial)	Ensure cleats are correctly aligned	cleats may require left or right rotation
Achilles tendon pain	pain in Achillies tendon immediately on cycling	Do not over stretch tendon	saddle too high, lower saddle
Hot foot	burning sensation in ball of foot	reduce pressure on ball of foot	ensure shoes are not too tight. Wear appropriate socks. Move cleats towards rear of shoe

Table based on: long-distance-ride-bike-fit-tips

Hand numbness is commonly associated with endurance riding. It is typically due to excessive pressure on a nerve in the hand and possibly vibration damaging the nerve. Nerves regrow at a very slow rate hence recovery can take some time. The following suggestions were made for avoiding hand numbness:

• Pad the bars Use thick tape, gel inserts can be installed, or apply two layers of tape.
• Wear gloves with lots of padding
• Use a bike that is inherently comfortable Bikes using a stiff aluminium frame with thin high-pressure tyres are of their nature less comfortable than bikes made from steel, titanium and carbon fibre with larger tyres at a lower pressure. Part of this comfort factor is the transmission of vibrations to the hands
• Use a bike that fits
• Use bars that allow many hand positions Having many different hand positions allows the rider to move their weight around onto different parts of the hand.
• Improve core fitness A person with strong core muscles can effectively “move” their weight into a better position. This will take their weight off the hands and onto the backside and pedals
• Use bars with an oval profile to distribute the load over a larger area, thus reducing the pressure on a specific point.

Hot-foot, a known cycling issue, can occur on long rides, on rides undertaken on warm days, or on rides which demand prolonged foot pressure, such as rides which includes steep hills. These rides compress the nerves between the heads of the foot’s five metatarsal bones. Hot-foot can be really debilitating, as it is excruciatingly painful, and can turn a long ride into a miserable experience.

• Remedies off the bike include bike fit, changing shoes to a wider fit, moving the cleat position further back, or changing the inner sole.
• If it occurs while riding, lifting the foot on the upstroke and holding it while wiggling the toes can relieve the pressure and allow airflow under the foot.
• Ice or cold water can sometimes reduce the inflammation of the foot, reducing the compression on the metatarsal bones.

Chamois Cream

The saddle is one of the well-known contact points. One can spend a lot of time trialling different chamois creams, different saddles and different knicks. If you spend enough time on this quest for saddle comfort, one often finds that the just problem disappears. The body adapts.

Repair Cream

Another popular post-ride (or overnight on a big ride) saddle application is the soothing emollient “Sudocrem”. Widely available in Australian pharmacies/supermarkets, it is a zinc oxide/benzoate concoction for treating nappy rash/pressure sores. It undoubtedly goes under various other names worldwide. It should be at the bottom of every drop-bag. Clean, apply and sleep.

Crème Randonneur

Of course if you want to cover all bases, Crème Randonneur is the multi-purpose cream of choice. 🙂