For endurance riding, one of the keys to success is making the rider as comfortable as possible on the bike.
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:
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.
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.
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.
Of course if you want to cover all bases, Crème Randonneur is the multi-purpose cream of choice. 🙂
