Bike fit / correct riding position

http://www.hughston.com/hha/a_15_3_2.htm

Arms too straight, gripping too tight, etc.

Not sure how that helps my "bingo wings" as the area is medically known. Hands had been fine, legs fine, not even any saddle soreness despite riding without padded shorts(maybe balls of steel, who knows)

This might be a weird one but during the DD I had a pain in the upper of my arms going along from elbow to armpit. It wasn't unbearable pain and it only hurt once I stopped it might just from not moving much for ages but seems worth asking about. Ideas?

Too many cereal bars

Not sure how that helps my "bingo wings" as the area is medically known. Hands had been fine, legs fine, not even any saddle soreness despite riding without padded shorts(maybe balls of steel, who knows)

That was for Indra's forearms. Yours is probably Upper Arm AIDS.
Curable by changing your position so you upper arms are more relaxed. Maybe.

my left foot seems to rotate (about the axis through my shin) at the bottom of my pedal stroke. Any ideas how to stop this I'm guessing its not good for my knee

If my knees are hitting my elbows when in the drops what am I doing wrong?

If my knees are hitting my elbows when in the drops what am I doing wrong?

Longer top tube/stem so your back can be flatter and so elbows more forward? Can't imagine any position where elbows hit knees that doesn't involve a hunched back...

Too many cereal bars

The gels taste ming.

That was for Indra's forearms. Yours is probably Upper Arm AIDS.
Curable by changing your position so you upper arms are more relaxed. Maybe.

Would doing some sort of upper arm exercise help? Beyond cycling I simply put don't exercise so maybe going beyond the usual limits made the unused muscles stand out.

If my knees are hitting my elbows when in the drops what am I doing wrong?

Mine's the same, live with it.

The gels taste ming.

Would doing some sort of upper arm exercise help? Beyond cycling I simply put don't exercise so maybe going beyond the usual limits made the unused muscles stand out.

Unlikely. Riding is keeping your arms in a static position. Weights is probably dynamic and unlikely to target whatever the problem area is.
You're better off addressing the cause which is likely a fit issue.

That was for Indra's forearms. Yours is probably Upper Arm AIDS.
Curable by changing your position so you upper arms are more relaxed. Maybe.

Thanks Hippy, I'll get looking into it.

Longer top tube/stem so your back can be flatter and so elbows more forward? Can't imagine any position where elbows hit knees that doesn't involve a hunched back...

I'll have to try, I'm already using a pretty long setup.

Mine's the same, live with it.

I'm going to give slightly wider bars a go and see if it helps, I'd rather get it sorted as there must be a reason for it.

You have a very long legs with a short reach, of course it'll hit your elbow.

Wider bar might help, but might cause your wrist to bend inward when on the "hood".

My reach has gotten longer with my leg length not changing, nearing normal :)

My current bars are only 38cm I think.

I don't ride with a club and none of my friends are seriously into cycling, so any information I get on bikes and riding is either from personal experience, mags, related websites, and forums.

I have a little bit of a problem in that I am hyper-mobile (very flexible, sometimes in a bad way) and find it difficult to get into a good position and stay there, often using a position that isn't anywhere near ideal simply because that's what shape I fell into when I got on the bike.

I've recently had a bike fit that really highlighted this, as between each change, my measurements were completely different as I changed position each time I got on and off the bike.

Working out what would be more of a generalised "ideal" position in the first place and consciously sticking to it would seem to make more sense.

What I had assumed at first was a issue with saddle shape (so many saddles...) or fit, seems to be more an issue of the rider!

I had fallen into a position that has my sit bones (Ischial Tuberosities*) right up on the rear of the saddle, which meant my lower-mid spine arched back quite a bit to rotate my pelvis back far enough that it was only my sit bones taking any weight, but this wasn't too comfortable after a while.

Just recently I've changed to a wider saddle and been sitting with my pelvis rotated much further forward so that more of my weight is taken by the bones (Ischiopubic Ramus*) a bit more forwards to the sit bones and positioning them further forward on the saddle, just where the saddles wings widen, which gives me a much straighter spine and so far feels ok, but I'm still taking time to properly get used to it on some longer rides.

So, which position is seen as advantageous for road cycling, pelvis rotated back with a curved lower spine, or tilting the pelvis forward onto a smaller contact patch, with a straighter spine?

Could my discomfort have been due more to bad positioning on the saddle, or of my body?!

• References are taken from this article by Steve Hogg
  

It never occured to me that hyper-mobility should be a consideration - I've not gone for a bike fit yet - is it still worth it if you're hyper mobile? Sorry I can't help, but I'm curious to see what the people in the know think.

Yes, it is worth it, but if you are hyper mobile you need to work on strength and postural muscles to help you hold the position. Otherwise it is easy to sag and flop about.

what was the name of that website where you measured loads of stuff and popped the numbers in to give a fit?

I cant afford a proper fit till I've sold some stuff.

Competitive Cyclist.

That's the one, cheers.

could poor leg flexibility cause you to need the seatpost lower than otherwise?

I went out with my seatpost a little higher today and it felt tight/wrong but my knee still had a slight bend.. Always wondered as im 5ft 6 yet ride a 49cm frame?

can you touch your toes with straight legs?

Grooming ^

can you touch your toes with straight legs?

nope

using a stick

nope

This is probably why your knees don't straighten out

Your knees aren't meant to straighten out whilst you pedal.