Manon: Getting your bike set up correctly is the difference between an efficient, comfortable ride
or an inefficient, and uncomfortable ride. Maybe even causing yourself some injury.
In this video, I'm going to run through how to set up your bike correctly for you, when to do it,
and how to know if you've done it right. [music]
There are three main parts to the bike that you can adjust to ensure a proper fit.
The saddle, the stem, and the handlebars, and the cranks.
If you're buying a new bike from a bike shop, make sure you get them to set things up properly
for you before you take your new pride and joy home. Some adjustments, but not all,
can cost a little bit of money. Let me show you. [music]
In a recent video, I went through all the details and steps you need to set up your saddle
correctly. This included saddle height, how far forward or back to have it, and the saddle tilt.
You can go check that out here, or in the description below. I'm not going to go through it
all again, so I'll wait here, so be quick. [music]
Adjusting your stem and bars affects how stretched out you are on the bike.
This is one of the biggest changes that you can make to how your bike fits you and how you feel.
You might not need to adjust anything, but if your bike is too low for you, you'll feel far
too stretched out and you might not have proper control over your steering. You might get a sore
neck and sore shoulders, and your saddle will be uncomfortable too because you're putting pressure
on places that you just don't want pressure. On the other hand, if your bike set up is too
short, you'll feel constricted. Your arms will be way too close to your body and you'll probably
ride around with bent arms all day. As a general rule, you don't want to be sitting bolt upright.
Then, on the other hand, you don't want to have your chin on the handlebars. Something in between
like this, with your back at a 45-degree to the floor and a 90-degree bend between
your back and arms when riding on your hoods. If you want a position that allows you to be a
little bit faster, and a little bit more racy and you are flexible enough to do so, you can do this
by moving the handlebars away from you, either by lengthening the stem or dropping the handlebars.
Likewise, if you want something a little bit more comfortable, and you are maybe not so flexible,
you can do the opposite, so moving your handlebars up and a little bit closer to you.
You can change the height of the stem on the steerer tube here depending on how many spaces you
have above or underneath it. This will have a big impact on how far you have to lean over the bike
and will make a big difference for how comfortable you are, and your speed on the bike.
For greater adjustment, you can even replace your stem with a shorter or longer one,
but this does mean spending a bit of money. [music]
There's also a degree of adjustment in your handlebars, too. While your levers
are fitted, you can change how far forward you need to reach by a good couple of centimeters.
You can also tilt your handlebars upwards or downwards which will affect your lever
position. Not only that, it will affect how stretched out you are
on the bike. Have a little play around with these until you find a position that you're happy with.
When you come to tightening up the bolts, make sure you adhere to suggested torque
ratings. It's important to know that once your saddle is sat up correctly, it should
remain where it is. Don't be tempted to adjust it forwards or backwards to affect your reach.
Handlebars come in all different shapes and sizes. The handlebars for your road bike
consist of the following measurements. The width, the drop, and the reach.
The drop is the distance between the top of the handlebars and the bottom of the curved
section. A shallow drop brings everything closer together meaning your hands don't have far to
travel between positions. A big drop, that is far less common on road bikes, requires a bit
more flexibility as you have further to travel between positions. It will usually suit a taller,
more flexible rider. [music]
The reach is the distance between the straight part of the bar and the curved section where
your hoods are mounted. A longer reach should be paired with a shorter stem and vice versa.
If you have shorter bars, a longer stem. This all comes down to personal preference and you can have
a little play around and see what you prefer. The width of the bar is quite self-explanatory.
The correct bar size is usually down to the terrain you're going to be riding on,
your riding style, and, of course, your style. A smaller bar will be better suited for road
racing, whereas a wider bar will give you better control over rough terrain if you're riding on
gravel and at lower speeds. Of course, a smaller bar will be better suited to smaller riders too.
[music] Finally, let's look at the cranks down there.
Far less vital than the saddle and the reach adjustment, but it should also be considered in a
proper bike fit too. To start with, they can come in a variety of different sizes usually based on
the size of the bike. A smaller frame, therefore a smaller rider, will generally need shorter
cranks. This is due to leg length, hip mobility and to ensure the rider isn't over-reaching
at the bottom of the pedal stroke, or at the top. However, not everybody is the same. There is
growing evidence that having shorter cranks is more comfortable and more efficient. Mainly
because in a very aerodynamic position, your hip joint is very closed, making it hard to breathe.
Having shorter cranks will alleviate that. [music]
That being said, the difference in crank length is millimeters, ranging from 160 millimeters to
185 millimeters. With, by far, the most common length being 172.5 millimeters. If you do think
you would benefit from a different length, make sure you test it out before you go and buy one
because changing chain sets is not cheap. This is why a professional bike fit will come in handy.
Yes, it will cost you a bit of money, but they will be able to analyze your
body and how it interacts with the bike, and take into consideration all sorts
of measurements that you just can't do on your own. Again, getting all these things
set up before you purchase your bike is the best thing to do. There's no point in buying something
that just doesn't fit you. Your body will adapt to work in most positions and it might feel okay,
but you could be doing yourself some harm further down the line. You know when you've got it right
because riding a bike, it shouldn't hurt. You might get some aches or pains on long rides,
but it should never be painful. If you did enjoy this video,
then please give it a big thumbs up, and I hope it has helped you get your bike set up correctly.
If you do have any questions, please drop them in the comments section below, and I'll try my
very best to get back to you. [00:06:26] [END OF AUDIO]