New cycle and comfort level

umer76

Hi All, I just started cycling for little exercise but starting with only 6Kms very soon I can now do almost 30Km return trip on the road in less than 2 hours(which is a lot for me). I have a mountain bike and I am a tall guy. I have 6'3 height. My bike is only 20" and I am thinking to buy 26" cycle. The problem with my current bike is, I feel lots of strain on my wrists and shoulders. I have seen various videos on youtube and adjusted my seat height and position accordingly. Only problem remains is stress on the wrists. With the bigger cycle would this problem go away? My current cycle is fine and will only part with it if new bike will not have this problem. Any good advice will be helpful. Thanks.

lpherman01

A picture of you on your bike would be a big help, but I'll venture an educated guess that you are riding in too aggressive a position for your ability level. It takes quite a bit of core development to be riding in a forward leaning position. A strong core alleviates pressure on the wrists & shoulders. I would suggest a set of riser bars or a higher angled stem to get the bars up a little more and put you in a more upright position, for now.

umer76

I will try to take the picture of the bike with me. But is it that cycle size does not necessarily corresponds with the height of the person?

jagi410

Sizing varies. At Walmart and other "box" stores, bikes are sized by wheel diameter. 20" is usually a BMX bike, 24" is a young child's bike, 26" is a Mountain bike, and 700C is a hybrid. This is all wrong.

At bike shops, bikes are sized by the seat tube, from the center of the cranks to the top of the frame where the seatpost inserts. At your 6'3" height, NOTHING at a big box store will fit you properly. You'll need to go to a real shop and get an appropriate framed bike. Probably 21"-23", or XL depending on the brand.

Assuming the bike you have now fits reasonably well, you can invest in Ergon grips. About $30 and will make a nice difference for your wrists. http://www.ergon-bike.com/us/en/product/gp1 Most quality bike shops should carry these. As for shoulder pain, it could be a number of things, and as lpherman01 suggested, a picture of your seating position on your current bike will offer clues.