Make your bike match your body
The bike setup section of this site contains all the details you need. Briefly:
Put your saddle wherever you need for comfortable pedaling. Here are some tips.
When it comes to shredding — generating peak torque and having complete control of your bike — the most important relationship is the one between your hands and feet. Unlike the classic fit methodologies, the RideLogic™ system positions your handlebars independently from your saddle. Independently.
When you jump well, you actively manage the lever between your hands and feet. The more closely that lever matches your body, the better you can jump.
Get RAD. The Rider Area Distance (RAD) is the imaginary line between your bottom bracket and the centers of your grips. Basically, your ideal RAD lets you achieve full hip extension with your shoulders packed and arms perfectly straight. This is just like a deadlift. It allows you to access your full potential strength, and it gives you great range of motion for turning, braking, steeps, etc. Read more about RAD.
Rider Area Distance (RAD)
Then get RAAD. The Rider Area Angle in Degrees (RAAD) is the angle of your RAD compared with level. The more XC/road your bike is, the lower the RAAD. The more downhill/motocross your bike is, the higher the RAAD. Read more about RAAD.
Rider Area Angle in Degrees (RAAD)
If your bike is the correct size and your RAD is dialed, your RAAD will be fine, and your bike will feel great.
Find your ideal handlebar width. Your ideal handlebar width fits your body — not the kind of bike you ride or the decade in which you’re riding. It provides a good balance of pulling and pushing strength. It gives you plenty of arm range for bike handling. It helps you do the big work with the big muscles in your torso, rather than the small muscles in your shoulders. And it helps you get more decades out of your shoulders. Calculate your ideal handlebar width here.
My RAD is around 83cm-84cm and my bike with a new 45mm stem installed recently and with all the spacers used at max (3.5mm top cap gap distance) is roughly around 82cm and I feel like when steering with the bars a little more than usual (mostly on difficult climbs) I’m slightly touching my knees on the bars (I think the shifter levers in particular)…I have a spare 60mm stem around and I was thinking installing that and see how it goes, but still I like it a lot how my bike handles with the newly installed 45mm stem than with the previous 60mm that I had on…so I’m still a bit unsure on weather going back to the 60mm stem or stick to my 45mm, but dealing with the knees touching the bars at times…so what you reckon?? Any other advice maybe or suggestions?? Thanks!!
Hi!
If your knees touch the bars when you’re pedaling out of the saddle, that’s likely an issue with your form. Try pushing your hips back and pedaling from a hinge rather than a squat.Your quads won’t burn, and you’ll have more power.
The best way for you to add RAD to that bike, while retaining that nice short-stem, short-SHO feel, is to increase the rise of the handlebars.
Namastoke,
Lee