Is this normal? Numb feet, hands, etc.

[KLizotte]

Three weeks ago I bought my first modern road bike (Trek Lexa SLX). I’d been riding a Trek hybrid for a little over a year and averaging 80-90 miles per week. I grew up riding a steel road bike with shifters on the downtube and foam on the handlebars and don’t recall ever having the problems I’m going to describe below.

Yesterday I went for my first longish ride (50 miles) on the new bike after a series of 12-20 mile rides. Around mile 35 my feet started falling asleep (entire foot), my hand and wrists were getting sore, and my butt also started getting quite uncomfortable (I was wearing chamois) and I could feel a little bit of sciatica pain (I’d replaced the original saddle since it caused massive sciatica pain with a Selle Royal Respiro). With the exception of hand numbness, I don’t have any of these problems on my comfort hybrid for the same distance. Not surprisingly, I was riding a lot faster than I usually do on my hybrid.

Up until mile 35 I was quite comfortable; when things became too uncomfortable I did a quickie stop to shake everything loose and that helped a little bit. During the entire ride, I made two 15 minute rest stops and made a point of changing my riding position often (riding in the drops, hoods, standing on the pedals, etc).

So, are these problems indicative of bad fit (in which case why don’t they show up right away?) or is it simply a matter of building up my muscles/flexibility via more time in the saddle? I’ve done a fair amount of tinkering with saddle height/position, handlebar position and think I’m in the correct ballpark. I use pedal straps (PowerGrips) for both bikes and the same shoes. I’m most confused by the foot numbness; that really took me by surprise.

It truly was a gorgeous day for a ride though Bumped into a co-worker on the WO&D.

Topic

[acc]

Blacknell, you swine.

Calling me a chimpanzee? On a bike? You will pay.
After a winter at Bull Run trying to teach myself to corner sharply and failing, I went to Clovis at Freshbikes for a professional fitting.
It was like going to a doctor’s for a head cold and finding out you have inoperable lung cancer.
I knew Spartacus had a roving eye. I had no idea he lusted after a much bigger woman. I simply could not compete.
So after flattening his tires with some creative bike tool movements, I let him go. He wanted something I could never be, larger.

I have a new bike.

It is truly amazing. Riding a bike that fits seduces you into riding to the corner just to buy a pack of gum. Riding a bike that’s fun to ride makes you ride sixteen miles to turn in a five page paper. Love makes fools of us all.

I don’t have a name for him yet.

ann

[off2ride]

K,

Let me know when you’re ready for a Commuter Fit @ BPS in Gtown. I’ll hook you up.

[dbb]

@acc 19153 wrote:

I don’t have a name for him yet.

I am sensing an opportunity for a “name that bike” activity.

Ann should describe the requirements for her bike name and the forum members can do the rest.

[acc]

I name my bikes after handsome men. So any name is up for grabs except one: Blacknell.

[KLizotte]

Given your troubles with the last one, are you sure this new bike is really a “he”?

I think you might want to have another look under the tail, so to speak….

[acc]

Oh, he’s a guy. That’s obvious. I had to have him “trimmed” in the shop.

[americancyclo]

It’s also really nice to have a shop that will keep a copy of all your measurements in a PDF and be willing to email it to you if you’re traveling and renting a bike for a long ride. I think all the shops do this, but it’s a nice feature, in case you lose your initial numbers, the shop will always have an extra copy to give you.

[Greenbelt]

I can’t let this thread pass without recommending Jill at Proteus, although I do have a bit of a conflict of interest as unofficial group ride coordinator and cookie maker for her shop. Plus my wife’s going to start working there after the school term finishes. Jill’s very intuitive — has a good feel for tuning the fit to the type of riding you do, and has a lot of experience helping riders who have had overuse injuries or past fit problems. I’m going to get both my bike re-fit with her this summer, hopefully. (Because I’ve changed a little since they were first fit, not because they’re new bikes or anything!)

Ann, congrats on your new dude!

[eminva]

So far, I’ve subscribed to the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” school of thought on bike fitting. I ride 100-150 miles per week on my road bike, feel comfortable, but at times I have my share of aches and pains. Usually I chalk them up to some non-bike related stupid thing (like lifting a laundry basket full of books, which led to several days of back pain) or plain old age. However, now you’ve got me wondering . . . could something about my bike be a contributing factor? If so, it is certainly not something I’m conscious of.

I could afford a bike fitting, but a new bike is not something I’ve budgeted for at the moment. I dread hearing the fitter say “Your bike is three sizes too big!” I realize this is not a good reason to avoid it, but what would be a good reason to go ahead and have one?

By the way, I’ve had the bike for just over three years and have maintained it routinely. I rarely tamper with saddle position or other variables.

Thanks.

Liz

[eminva]

Oops, two more things:

Greenbelt’s post made me realize I’ve changed, too, since I got the bike. I had major surgery which in some ways limits my range of motion in my chest and back(I’m still working on that with other exercises).

And Ann, congrats on the new bike. I suggest Phidippides. If he’d just had a bike, maybe he wouldn’t have died.

Liz

[acc]

Phidippides would only remind me of running, my least favorite activity besides taking out the trash.

Three things happened at about the same time to convince me I needed a better fit.
1. I wasn’t getting any better at sharp turns even though I spent time practicing.
2. I saw a picture of myself next to other riders at the Bike Summit Ride and my positioning was out of alignment. I looked like a flying squirrel reaching for the handlebars.
3. I knew the pedals didn’t feel right. The power of pedaling wasn’t going into the ball of my foot.

As for being sore and stiff from riding I’ve noticed two things. As long as I continue to lift and stretch I feel a lot better. And I learned some things from Tim, the combination of swimming, running, and biking works to distribute the physical stress of exercise. But you have real obstacles to manage, I’m just a natural complainer.

Does any of this really matter? Probably not if I’m just out riding around by myself. But if I ride in groups or any other situation where speed and bike handling are important then it matters.

If I don’t drown during the swim portion of the triathlon I’ll have to get on my bike and ride— with people — going fast. I strongly suspect they won’t be calling out “on your left.” Therefore I need to be in control of my bike. I won’t have the large margins of error I try to build in for myself when I’m riding in traffic or out on the trails.

The only name for the new bike that’s popped into my head so far has been Apollo.

[KLizotte]

After struggling for a month trying to get comfortable on my 47 cm Trek Lexa, I decided a professional fit was in order. It didn’t seem right that my hands and feet were constantly falling asleep and that my most comfortable hand position on the handlebars was just plain weird looking. acc (Ann) very kindly gave me the lowdown on what Clovis at Freshbikes did when she went for her fit so I made an appointment with him last Friday night. It was not cheap.

Long story short, the Trek was too big for me. I was having to reach too far for the handlebars, could barely reach the brakes, and was standing on the equivalent of tippy toes on the pedals. This was causing my numb hands and feet (and sore fingers from stretching to hold on to the brakes). I was also never fully comfortable on the bike (it always felt twitchy or wobbly if I took a hand off the handlebars). I found all of this surprising since the websites I looked at (including Trek’s), and the fine folks at Revolution, said I should be on a 47 given my 28″ inseam and 5’2″ height. Most manufacturers (including Trek) do not make an adult road bike under 47.

So I ended up buying a 44 cm Canondale Synapse alloy Shimano 105 road bike. It fits a gazillion times better. Clovis did have to put on a riser stem (I think that’s what it’s called) because I still had too much weight on my hands with the original stem. He also put wedge like inserts in the brakes so I can easily reach the brake levers (I have short fingers). Now my hands rest on the bars in a normal position and I can brake comfortably and safely (my fingers are no longer getting a workout). I did change out the saddle for one that doesn’t bother my sciatica and it sits much higher than it did on the Trek.

I also got outfitted for clipless for the first time (SPD with mountain bike shoes because I insisted on the ability to walk around easily). While apprehensive at first, I found them very easy to adapt to. No falls or close calls at all; made powering up hills so much easier.

My first real ride with the bike was on an organized group ride around Baltimore on Sunday. Lots of stop and go at the beginning till the crowd thinned then lots of hills on the outskirts of town. 48 miles and zero numbness or pain!!!! It was a miracle. I felt very comfortable on the bike; no more wobbliness when I signaled and I felt comfortable going down some rather scary hills. I was also happy to discover that going over bumps no longer felt like I was going to lose a filling or two in the process. I would have biked some more that day but it was 84 degrees by then and I was very sweaty and hungry.

Loved the clipless system. Wish I’d gone that way earlier. Unfortunately the shoes turned out to be a little too short so now I’m awaiting a special order pair to come in. Other than that, I’m a thousand times more pleased with the new bike because it simply fits me better.

I almost went for the all carbon Synapse but the deal breaker was the lack of rack or fender capability. Clovis was rather aghast I turned down carbon but I need more flexibility in my bike since I may use it for commuting sometimes and I hate wearing anything on my back while riding. Also, because the frame is so small there is no room to secure a lock or pump. I can’t even fit two full size water bottles. It stinks being a short person.

I’m now looking to sell my virtually brand new 47 Trek Lexa SLX. It’s a great bike, just the wrong size for me. Post will go up soon. PM me if you are interested.

Word to the wise: if you feel numbness in hands or feet, can’t find a comfortable spot for your hands on the bars, feel wobbly, small bumps cause you to go “owww”, then the bike does not fit you. You may or may not need a new bike (sometimes a simple stem adjustment is all that is required) but do yourself a big favor and get a professional fit. Better yet, go to a fitter first, then buy the bike. I wish I’d done that.

Regrettably the front of house salespeople are rather useless when it comes fitting (some salespeople tried to sell me 50 cm bikes!). I didn’t know what a properly fitted road bike was supposed to feel like and figured I’d get used to it. An expensive lesson learned.

Thanks to everyone for all their advice and offers of assistance. It was greatly appreciated!!!!

[GuyContinental]

@KLizotte 20263 wrote:

So I ended up buying a 44 cm Canondale Synapse alloy Shimano 105 road bike.

Dang- I should have thought of that earlier- My wife has your dimensions (more or less) and ended up buying pretty much the same bike because it was just about the smallest female specific bike made. It made a world of difference for her when combined with a Clovis fit. Congrats on working it out!

On the pedals- I wouldn’t sweat the MTB style vs road… I used my winter bike for the rain today (with eggbeaters) and honestly couldn’t feel much of a difference- not having to walk like a duck was nice as well. The important part (IMO as a faux-roadie) is the shoes- super stiff and well fitted carbon MTB shoes make a big difference in power and comfort.

[eminva]

Glad to hear you are on a bike that fits and that you are happy and comfortable, but sorry for the expense and trouble that preceeded it.

It is with some trepidation that I face an appointment with Clovis tomorrow afternoon. My husband bought his last bike there and got a fitting as part of the process so he has been encouraging me to get one. It has been 3 1/2 years since I bought my bike and there have been enough changes in my riding and circumstances that it seemed like a good idea. However, I would be devastated if the diagnosis is that my frame is the wrong size. So don’t sell that 47 yet, K.

Why can’t the sales staffs at various bike shops learn some of this mojo? Seems like a lot of folks are making expensive mistakes . . .

Liz

[acc]

I feel your pain. It’s amazing how much better life is when you don’t look like a flying squirrel stretched out over the handlebars. And I no longer dance the hula reaching for the bottom of my pedal. I was shimmying in the saddle like I needed the money. It is a bit mortifying when Clovis starts bringing out the adaptive equipment for the little clown bike to make it easier to reach the brakes.

A professional fit makes a world of difference. If something hurts and probably shouldn’t it might not be you. It might be the bike.

Sometimes being treated like a lab rat pays off.

ann

[Author]

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