Bike Maintenance and Fitting Issues

Saddle height and sore hamstrings…  This post covered a minor saddle height issue that turned out to be a double issue (see “The Cleats” post below).

Saddle Sore No More Parts One, Two and Three:  These three posts cover upgrading the saddle that came with my road bike to a new Specialized Romin.  The saddle that came with the bike seemed to be quite nice, it was padded, and felt great but as I ramped up my miles I developed a hot spot on my right sit bone.  Well, I got a lesson in saddle technology and fitting – that’s right, my new saddle is sized to my butt and the position that I ride in.  The first post covers the diagnosis of the pain and the fitting process – I go into great depth.  The next two were simple updates.

It’s the bike maintenance time of year… Topics covered:  Carbon bike/aluminum seat post, cleaning the chain, cassette and chain rings (very briefly), cleaning the melon cover (helmet), proper tire inflation and a few other fun topics.

What a difference a millimeter makes…  The cleats  This post examines how a millimeter or two off in the cleats can effect the ankle angle which, for me, translated into an exceptionally sore and tight hamstring.  Also explored is the reason behind why I waited so long to correct the issue.

A Noob’s Guide to Cycling Shorts…  Are $150 Shorts Worth It?  You bet your butt they are.

Crazy, Odd, Obscure Maintenance Tip:  Do you have an odd “whish, whish, whish” sound emanating from the back of your bike?  This could be the tip for you

Road Bike Maintenance Day – Lube and tire direction, avoid my mistake…

A New Way to Clean A Chain and the Drivetrain:  Remove the chain completely…

‘Tis The Season To Clean Your Chain, Derailleurs, Cassette, Chain Rings…  A simple post on cleaning the drivetrain:  How clean is clean?

A Noob’s Guide to Cleaning the Tough Stuff on a Road Bike…  Quill Stem, Seat Post, Brake Cables, Brake Pads, Cassette and the Frame.

A Noob’s Guide to Wrapping the Handlebars – Without Using Electrical Tape

Tinkering on the Road Bike Pays Off:  Just a short run-down on some of the things I tinkered with on my 5200…

Road Bike Saddle to Bar Drop and Arm, Shoulder and Neck Pain

Does your bike make a clunking sound when you pedal?  Read this…  It might help.

What Pains Me About Cycling:  Saddle Height  This is the first post in a series and covers saddle height.
What Pains Me About Cycling:  Saddle Position, Fore/Aft Location  This post discusses the proper location of the saddle.
I.      Saddle Position-Fore/Aft, an Experiment:  I moved my saddle back and nosed it up (men only, women nose down) to see what happens.
II.     Saddle Location Experiment Pt. 2:  A little more tinkering and the results
III.    Saddle Location Experiment Pt. 3:  SUCESS!
What Pains Me About Cycling:  The Saddle  This post details problems related to the saddle
What Pains Me About Cycling:  The Cleats  This post looks at cleat position and differences in shoes.
What Pains Me About Cycling:  Bars, Hoods and Stem:  This post examines possible cockpit issues.
What Pains Me About Cycling:  The Shoes  Differences in shoes is examined

An Amazingly Simple Bike Fix… This is a link from a blog-friend of mine whose bike developed a shifting problem.  It details my shop owner’s main philosophy on owning a bike:  Tinker with it and see if you can fix it.  You can’t mess it up so bad that we can’t.  Also, in a nutshell, this post is why I write in the first place.