Bike fitting on Colnago v1-r

Back by popular demand, the general all-things Road forum!

Moderator: robbosmans

pdiomidis
Posts: 44
Joined: Fri Aug 30, 2013 8:31 pm

by pdiomidis

Hello to all, i would like some advice about bike fitting. To start with i am 1.73cm with 81 inseam and i am riding a colnago v1-r 50s with 12cm stem.

First of all i have done on the past bike fits but the numbers they gave me because i haven't ride for 1 year are not fit to me anymore. So this is how i ride at the moment. (click the links for image)

https://i.imgsafe.org/323d4cfd2e.jpg
https://i.imgsafe.org/323d83c433.jpg

To be honest i feel ok, i don't have back pains or anything else but i got hand sore in palms. That means i have to much weight on my palm. Still i can't understand why.

My saddle isn't tilt forwards and the seat height isn't so high.
As you see i use x2 10mm spacers too and i feel i am riding to high i would like to go lower but then i guess i will have more pain in palm.

Any advice of what changes i can make?

Thanks in advance
Panos

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com



AJS914
Posts: 5397
Joined: Tue Jan 28, 2014 6:52 pm

by AJS914

Moving the seat farther back or tilting it back will shift the weight back and take weight off of the hands. Maybe try it a tiny bit?

pdiomidis
Posts: 44
Joined: Fri Aug 30, 2013 8:31 pm

by pdiomidis

AJS914 wrote:Moving the seat farther back or tilting it back will shift the weight back and take weight off of the hands. Maybe try it a tiny bit?


I did try that and then it was too far for me to reach hoods and I was feeling to long.

The stem is 12 should I change for 10 and change the setback or it's the same think?

I do want to go lower because I feel too high but will result in more pain.

I guess it's Campagnolo hood ergo, I touched other hoods and seemed more comfortable. My problem is that the palm isn't touching only the grip of shifter half palm is on shifter half on handlebar.

But when I ride in other handlebar positions because I have tired the plm already I pain in drops and tops too.

User avatar
BRM
Posts: 817
Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2014 3:43 pm

by BRM

Start using gloves with some minor padding.

AJS914
Posts: 5397
Joined: Tue Jan 28, 2014 6:52 pm

by AJS914

In my opinion there is this obsession with being lower that is unnecessary. Higher up and comfortable for 100+ km is much more enjoyable. The pros also get lower by riding small frames (like 1 or 2 sizes smaller).

If I were you I'd try the seat a little farther back to take the weight off of the hands and the shorter stem as you suggested. I'd also try raising your stem just to see if that changes your comfort. It looks like you have a small spacer on top of the stem. I'd do it at least as an experiment. Free to try.

I recently experimented with how low I could put my stem and after going two 2 more centimeters I was getting a bad pain in my lower neck. I raised things back up. It's better to be comfortable than look pro. I also don't think that one or two centimeters lower would really make much of an aero difference to be measurable. (I'm sure that is debatable. :-)) And I can always use the drops or get on the hoods and lower my forearms if there is a time on a ride when I want to be the most aero.

thedonnydino
Posts: 83
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2016 11:10 pm

by thedonnydino

Grab a bike fit. There are lots of variables, and I would be loathe to suggest any change of equipment.

Hand pain, or excessive weight on your hands would suggest that you are not supporting yourself with your core muscles. If you haven't ridden in a year perhaps you lost some core strength and flexibility.

For what it's worth though, you are young, you don't need to have your handlebars up around your neck. I wouldn't be making outrageous adjustments.

My personal opinion is that 'upright' geometry is a response to an older demographic getting into cycling at an older age.

AJS914
Posts: 5397
Joined: Tue Jan 28, 2014 6:52 pm

by AJS914

Pros used to ride upright geometry:
Image

User avatar
wheelsONfire
Posts: 6283
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2014 8:15 am
Location: NorthEU

by wheelsONfire

It's tricky with fit i agree. Do you move alot and change pose on your bike?
If i sit at a trainer i can sit differently than i do when i actually am out cycling.
Someone told me this has to do with core activation.
It's maybe strange, but no matter how well i feel at a trainer i still don't find that position working once i am out riding.
I also need saddle higher. If i lower seat i seem to not support my sitbones as i "lift" my weight somewhat when i pedal.
Maybe you overstretch when you reach the bars? And/ or have bars angled in a way that makes you hold your palms badly?
Bikes:

Ax Lightness Vial EVO Race (2019.01.03)
Open *UP* (2016.04.14)
Paduano Racing Fidia (kind of shelved)


Ex bike; Vial EVO D, Vial EVO Ultra, Scott Foil, Paduano ti bike.

nismosr
Posts: 1317
Joined: Mon May 05, 2008 5:15 pm

by nismosr

panos,

may I ask what's your top of saddle or center bb measurement, I'm 180cm and thinking of oing small on a c60 or vr1 ..
2020 Colnago C64 Mapei-SR12 EPS-WTO 60
2021 Basso Diamante SV-SR12 Disc EPS-WTO 60
2023 Colnago G3X-SRAM AXS Force-Levante

pdiomidis
Posts: 44
Joined: Fri Aug 30, 2013 8:31 pm

by pdiomidis

AJS914 wrote:In my opinion there is this obsession with being lower that is unnecessary. Higher up and comfortable for 100+ km is much more enjoyable. The pros also get lower by riding small frames (like 1 or 2 sizes smaller).

If I were you I'd try the seat a little farther back to take the weight off of the hands and the shorter stem as you suggested. I'd also try raising your stem just to see if that changes your comfort. It looks like you have a small spacer on top of the stem. I'd do it at least as an experiment. Free to try.

I recently experimented with how low I could put my stem and after going two 2 more centimeters I was getting a bad pain in my lower neck. I raised things back up. It's better to be comfortable than look pro. I also don't think that one or two centimeters lower would really make much of an aero difference to be measurable. (I'm sure that is debatable. :-)) And I can always use the drops or get on the hoods and lower my forearms if there is a time on a ride when I want to be the most aero.


I have to agree about the obsession of being low and that comfortable is the case and not just to look pro. But to be honest i feel that i am too high on the bike. My drop at the moment is around 6-7cm, i used to have 9 and was ok.

I have to say again that i haven't ride alot the last year so i just started to dig deep.

The next step now is to use a small stem and go the saddle back, i did try the saddle back without changing the stem but was far away.

BRM wrote:Start using gloves with some minor padding.


I have to admit that when i used gloves the pain was a bit lower but didn't solve the case. I don't wear gloves often, only in races and some rides, on my previous setup it wasn't necessary for gloves and i would like to do the same here too. But it's an option too.

pdiomidis
Posts: 44
Joined: Fri Aug 30, 2013 8:31 pm

by pdiomidis

nismosr wrote:panos,

may I ask what's your top of saddle or center bb measurement, I'm 180cm and thinking of oing small on a c60 or vr1 ..


This is a small test of what i was riding 2 years ago, but using that measurements is not so comfortable. Bear in mind i have campagnolo shifters that maybe it's the problem. They have really different grip from shimano maybe i haven't used to use them.

Image

Fiery
Posts: 420
Joined: Sat Mar 16, 2013 9:21 am

by Fiery

You definitely seem like you could move the saddle back a little. If the reach to the handlebar is comfortable right now, you don't need to go all the way down to a 10 cm stem when you move the saddle back, 11 cm should be perfectly fine.

As you say, you are not in best shape right now. As you get stronger, I'm sure you'll find yourself being more comfortable with more drop and/or reach to the handlebar.

Fiery
Posts: 420
Joined: Sat Mar 16, 2013 9:21 am

by Fiery


Look at how deep his drops bar, and how low on the curve the hoods are. Overlay a modern shallow handlebar attached to a -6 degree stem, and you will end up with a modern-looking "slammed" position.

Image

pdiomidis
Posts: 44
Joined: Fri Aug 30, 2013 8:31 pm

by pdiomidis

Fiery wrote:

Look at how deep his drops bar, and how low on the curve the hoods are. Overlay a modern shallow handlebar attached to a -6 degree stem, and you will end up with a modern-looking "slammed" position.

Image
Fiery wrote:You definitely seem like you could move the saddle back a little. If the reach to the handlebar is comfortable right now, you don't need to go all the way down to a 10 cm stem when you move the saddle back, 11 cm should be perfectly fine.

As you say, you are not in best shape right now. As you get stronger, I'm sure you'll find yourself being more comfortable with more drop and/or reach to the handlebar.


I put the hoods to be completely horizontal with the handlebar so I get my palm more grip on them. When I did that and put the handlebar horizontal too the reach went bigger and I was obligated to bend more to reach hoods. That's why I moved all the handlebar a bit upper.

If you see my handlebar it's not shallow bend and I can't get enough to grip on them. If you don't understand why I mean you can see that photo

http://brimages.bikeboardmedia.netdna-c ... 2016-3.jpg

All I want to say is that when I put my palm in the hood I want the whole palm touch the shifter hood and not half the hood and half the handlebar causing the part that touches the handlebar too become red and pushing my blood pressure.

I will try more setback with smaller stem to see what happens.

cloudnine
Posts: 34
Joined: Sun Apr 15, 2012 7:04 pm

by cloudnine

I'm almost the same dimensions as the OP and also interested in a V1-R, I currently ride a 53 Storck Scenario 1.0 and my fitter recommends I ride the size 50s frame with a 110mm stem and a longer reach handlebar he said a 52s would not be recommended because the reach would not be ideal with the added setback of the seat post of the V1-R.

How does the V1-R ride despite the numb hands?

Thanks

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com



Post Reply