Bike fit / correct riding position

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Next to the big Tesco

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So i've put on my old saddle and now my bike fit is more or less the same i've had for 2-3 years but i've developed a problem in another knee - same fatigue / discomfort / sort of pain, eventually.

That knee is going inwards significantly more than the other.

Is it more of a bike fit problem or muscular imbalance?

I'm going on a bike tour in a week, so not the best timing to develop a problem.
Wonder if I should go clipless or with casual sandals (which probably could adjust the feet to more natural position if it's got something to do with it).

Right - so I did a bike - it’s a 90s Nigel Dean - measures 560mm Tt and seat tube 550mm - I’m 180cm tall but legs are short with floor to sit bone around 84cm. So the Tt is pretty much up my gooch on stand over . Canyon would have me on a medium endurace for example - lower Tt and who’s stack is only 5mm lower than the Dean but reach is much less - can’t remember figures.

Having set my bike up I find a lot of pressure going into my hands and some tension in shoulders not fully Locked out but I feel shoulders rounding forward. There isn’t a huge bar to saddle drop - but I’m wondering if basically for my body build I would need a smaller frame. My body feels like the hoods are too far away to be comfortable- but as a newbie to all this Perhaps it’s about flexibility/ core etc. I’ve put a 80mm stem on and raised it up to almost level with saddle - hopeful I can get away with something like this - I guess I might go to a shop and sit on a few frames to get a feel for what normal feels like -right now I just dunno.

Do you stretch? Do you stretch your quads?

Having set my bike up I find a lot of pressure going into my hands and some tension in shoulders not fully Locked out but I feel shoulders rounding forward.

@dancing james once showed me IRL a way to let go of pressure from hands and unlock elbows, I cant describe it, maybe he can, it works but you may need to do some lat exercises and planks to support your body over longer time, obv with fatigue all of that goes out of the window

Ew workouts … nah I get it thou - I think If you are balanced on the seat properly most of your weight goes down - then your core supports you as you lean forward and your arms can bend etc - I think if the bike is too long you reach out beyond what’s reasonable for core to handle so arms lock and weight falls forward.

How used to riding a bike are you?
The geo doesn't seem radically off but hard to tell without seeing you etc.
You often see mamils who have just started out with saddle forward and short high stems as they haven't yet developed the core strength and typically ride in a very upright position.
As time goes by they start to rotate their pelvis and stretch out more. Also as you get stronger, the pressure going through the pedals will start to counteract the weight of the upper body, again making life a bit easier.
As a general rule you should be fairly well balanced over the bottom bracket and then adjust reach to suit. But as I say, a lot will depend on how accustomed you are...

Thanks - super helpful - never ridden drops/hoods etc. Could well be me not the bike. bike's been a lockdown project 2 yrs in the making - i'm pot committed and want to enjoy riding it - I now realise I should have just paid for a bike fit and bought a bike at decathlon ! See how I go in mamil mode for a bit I guess.

Might be silly to ask but is your saddle level? Even a slightly nose down saddle can put a lot of pressure on your hands and cause you to tense up rather than relax and stretch out

No - good question - its a flite - perhaps a bit nose down - here's the bike: have posted elsewhere but anyway...

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Definitely looks a bit nose down, maybe 1-2 degrees which could certainly cause the symptoms you described. Try level it or even half a degree nose up. Pop a solid flat surface on top of the entire saddle and use an angle finder on your phone to check the level. Or just adjust it nose up slightly til it feels better

Not really but my flexibility is good, in general.

I've been "prescribed" some knee stability exercises by kinesiotherapist which I do from time to time but not very regularly (mostly when I start feeling some pain again).

Anyway, I went on a tour and chose to ride in my sandals instead of s-works.
Worked out just fine, I was expecting it to be way worse.

Whenever I'd feel some fatigue or discomfort in the knee I'd just move it more towards the bottom bracket. I wonder if my knees would be better off if I went with spd.

Been trying to convince myself my bike is the correct size. Just bought a 130mm stem for it to increase the reach.
Every time I see myself on it, I can't help but think it looks like a BMX 😂 simple solution; don't look at myself on my bike.

It's a 56cm Tarmac. Is it too small?

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To me it looks about right. I prefer my bikes to be smaller rather than larger. If yours is too small then so are my five bikes; but I wouldn’t care as I can ride them as long as I like and they perform exactly as I like.
130 is on the long side but if that’s what you need then so be it.
How tall are you?
How does it feel? Can you ride it for 8 hours without discomfort? Do you feel cramped up or stretched out?

Yeh, cheers.
It was a mate that pointed it out to me and like an earworm, it's been stuck in my head ever since.
I wouldn't say I've ever really had issues doing long distance on it.
I'm 183cm on the dot, longish back, hence the long stem. I usually run a long stem on all my bikes. I feel alright on it, but I think a bit more stretch would be better, but not the end of the world.

I think up to a point it’s really just personal preference. I’m 180cm and my 3 off the peg bikes are all 56. My 2 customs are actually a but shorter front to back as my height is in my legs but my torso is a bit hunched. I use a 110mm stem.
I think the trainers and baggy shirt don’t help the photo but to me it’s def not bmx territory. I’d say you’re probably 56 or 58 but the 56 just looks a bit more pro…

the 56 just looks a bit more pro…

Yeh, I'll take that 😂.
Cheers for the feedback. Helps settle some my mind, and more importantly, my bank account.

You're in trainers. not holding the hoods with locked out arms so fix that before asking for bike fit info :P

130mm stem on an already long race bike is pretty long. I'm sure all the slammed stemmed "pros" out there will love it, as it's leaned against a cafe wall, never being ridden for more than an hour.

I'm a couple of CM shorter than you, get pretty low on my 56cm Tarmac and I think it has a 120mm on it so your setup isn't outside the range of reasonable. Handling might start to get a bit meh if you go much longer. Depends on bar shape a bit too - skinnier bars you might want longer stem, etc.

These days I tend to size up on frames though, unlike road racers, because I want to stick as much as possible within the frame triangle.

130mm stem on an already long race bike is pretty long

The Tarmac has a short wheelbase and came with a 90mm stem. I definitely feel the need to be more stretched out on it.
I was also told that you don't want to be able to see your front hub over the bars, but not sure if that relates to road bikes or not, and if there's any truth in that. The front hub was visible by some distance.
I don't think I'd go any longer than a 130mm.

I'm sure all the slammed stemmed "pros" out there will love it, as it's leaned against a cafe wall, never being ridden for more than an hour.

Goooood, this is what I'm after when I use it to cycle to Waitrose.

I am slightly regretting not buying the 58cm when I got it a 3/4 years ago, but I went off of what my other bikes are, which at the time were around 56cm

When I say long, I mean the top tube, the reach not the wheelbase. Race bikes have longer and lower position for da aeroz and short wheelbase for handling responsiveness. Coming with a 90mm stem is probably because 99% of people buying Tarmacs nowadays are MAMILs doing clubruns at best.

I am slightly regretting not buying the 58cm when I got it a 3/4 years ago

If it has taken you 3-4 years to ask "is it the wrong size" then you've kinda answered your own question here.

.

Fair point.

I've never really had issues/pain riding it, but only after a pal said it looked small, but maybe it's meant to.