Advice

macken04

Hi all,

So I am new to the whole cycling buzz and love it. I bought a second hand Giant OCR zero road bike. My original goal was cycle to work and home (about 20k round cycle). However I liked it so much that I now intend to go on 2 longer weekly cycles (have done 2 up to this point).

I need some advice as at this stage I know the bike doesn't fit me that well and some adjustments need to be done. After a few week the bike has given me some serious left shoulder pain and numb hands which seems to look like im putting too much weight on my hands . The frame is marked M and although im 6ft 1' it was the one recommended to be by two Giant dealers and my legs are quite short. I have booked an appointment fit Irish fitness to get a proper fit up done.

I original thought this was quite expensive however after seeing the detail they provide I think would be worth the one time expense. I do also plan within the next 12 months to upgrade the bike once i have fully gotten into the swing of it, so this would again assist me in purchasing a new frame (i hope)

So my question is am I being over serious by getting the fit done, maybe it is a waste of money.

Thanks for all your help and adivce

Coronal

Howdy!

First of all, welcome to cycling

I've not had a fit done properly, so i can't comment there, but what I did do was use this site to input some measurements. It then outputs a frame size recommendation which you will have for the future as well as several important relative distances on the frame. It seems to have worked out pretty well so far. Maybe try that first and see.

That said, it'll take some getting used to anyway, perfect fit or not. Bending your elbows relieves some pressure on the hands anyway. A saddle that fits also stops you from shifting about as much and varying the pressure.

I wouldn't say the Irishfit thing is wasted money, it should give you a good idea of your rough settings, taking into account your current fitness and flexibility. And, as you say, you'll have more information for the next bike.

Remember, when you do change something, do it in small increments and test for a few hours. Enjoy!

Ant

Good advice from Coronal. Having the right fit is really important and it'll help avoid injury if you're cycling a lot - and if you love cycling, odds are you will be. Other posters on this forum have reported good things about Irishfit and I wouldn't mind trying it out myself.

macken04

Yea thanks for the advice. I think im going to play around with the fit for a while and get comfortable on the bike. See how i feel after a long ride or two. I might be jumping the gun going for such a pro fit when i have done very little cycling. My first step is to purchase a good set of cleats and clip pedals