Pain is Your Diagnostic
Getting a proper bike fit is part science, part intuition. After you’ve had the most reputable professional bike-fitting shop you can find adjust your bike to fit your body’s specifications, you’ll want to look for physical cues to tell you whether anything’s out of whack.
When it’s right, you’ll notice nothing. But when it’s wrong, it will hurt. And not in a good way. Use it. The pain is your diagnostic. It will tell you what needs to be adjusted on your bike.
Here are a few links between your pain and your bike:
Neck pain
You’re craning your neck too much. Could be plain bad posture. Could be your stem’s too low.
Shoulder pain
Your saddle angle may be too low in the front, making slide forward. When you push yourself back, it increases pressure on your shoulders. On a long ride, holding one position on the handlebars can make your shoulders hurt. Try drop bars with more options and move your grip more often.
Mid-Back pain
Upright handlebars keep your spine straight and put more pressure on your back on the bumps. Bars that allow you to arch your back as you ride are better.
Lower Back pain
Your stem may be too low or too long, causing you to strain to reach the bars. Or your seat may be too high. If you’re rocking as you pedal, lower the seat.
Seat pain or numbness
You’re putting too much weight on the saddle. Slide back. You should be sitting on your bones, not your crotch. The handlebar position may be too high. Your saddle may be the wrong design or composition for you. Sometimes it takes several saddles to get the right fit.
Knee pain
In the front of knee. Your seat is too low or too far forward.
In the back of the knee. Your seat is too high. You’re over-extending your leg.
In the joint. You’ve got an incorrect placement of cleats, causing you to twist your knee as you ride. Have a professional adjust your cleats. Keep tweaking it till it’s right.
Achilles tendon pain
You’re pedaling with your toes instead of the balls of your feet. Your cleats are too far forward or your seat is too high.
Hand and Finger pain
You’re putting too much weight on your hands. Your stem may be too low. If your saddle is tilted down, it will push you forward too much, putting more pressure on your hands.
Diagnose the problem and fix it. If your fix doesn’t work, try something else. Find the problem. Right now, it’s aches and pains. Keep riding and you’ll work yourself up to something chronic. Not advisable.