So I had a Retul fit done about 3-4 months ago. I had it done with the intentions of doing an Ironman in August, so not too aggressive, still wanted to consume calories without cramps, etc…
My question is, how long do you stay with a fit before making adjustments? I have saddle sores, my shoulders and upper body ache from riding in the aero position too long, etc… I recently did Florida 70.3 and ended up with back pains and could never really get comfortable on the bike - kept adjusting my position due to the sores in both my seat and from my upper body aching.
So, this am, I moved the cockpit up one spacer (the person doing the Retul fit actually lowered at the very end down one more spacer) and tilted the nose of the seat down slightly at an angle to a similar position where it was before and volia, I’m more comfortable overall.
So did I wait long enough to try and adjust or should i keep on sticking with the Retul position and take a little HTFU? I don’t feel like I changed it THAT much, but it is one spacer and I’m probably a slight bit further away from the cockpit due to tilting the nose of the saddle downward a tad.
My personal experience with saddle sores - is if/when my saddle is to high - I’m miserable.
I try to change my position at least once a day
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Saddle sores can really ruin things for you.
If your saddle is a bit high, it can lead to rocking back and fourth a bit on the saddle to reach the pedals. The rocking causes friction which can increase the chance of a saddle sore.
Other things you can do about them is to use a good quality antimicrobial chamois cream. My preference is DZ Nuts, but Assos and other brands work fine. Also make sure you have good shorts and that they are washed after each and every ride.
Regarding the other aspects of your fit, you should have adapted to your fit long ago and your shoulders and upper body should not ache. I would say that a week or two is about the longest you might expect some discomfort from adapting to a fit, and I wouldn’t expect it to be in your shoulder and upper body if your cockpit is set correctly. Are you spending a lot of time on the trainer or is this from riding outdoors? I always find that when I transition from lots of trainer rides to outdoor riding that there is a short adaption period associated with that.
HTFU doesn’t apply to an uncomfortable bike fit, go get things fixed up! Have you spoken to your fitter about your problems?
Good stuff. Thx for the advice. I do spend a lot of time on the trainer, but I’ve done some long rides outdoors on the weekends.
I’ll bet that by tilting the nose down more, I’m in effect lowering the saddle a bit since i tend to ride on the nose more than the back of the seat.
I’ll try it like it is for now and see how it goes. I’ve never had saddle issues before, so I’m breaking new grounds. He did lower the cockpit at the very end after saying i was in a great position to get me more aero. I’ll give up an aggressive postition to be comfortable…learned my lesson on this one.
This is a reputable bike fitter in town, so I trust his judgment, I’ll give him a call. The other issue I’m having is that I can’t digest nuitrition as well as previously and from everything I’ve read it could be from being to far bent over, maybe my body just can’t handle it.
I obviously waited way too long to make a change…