# Too much weight on hands, but ONLY when sitting down



## Whiterabbitt (May 16, 2020)

So here's a head scratcher, help me figure this one out.

I get that on my bike, I should have ALL my weight on my feet. After some troubles late summer, that is absolutely internalized. I had to move the handlebars a LOT to fix it. Now when I am standing and descending, I'm totally GTG.

But I noticed when I sit back down on my seat some weight transfers back on my hands, I'm not really able to let go of the bars briefly without falling forward.

So, how does one go about fixing this when the bars are in the "right" place for weight distribution while standing? Move the seat on the rails I suppose? forward or backward? And there will be ramifications for seat vs cranks for climbing too if I mess with that, right?

What say you guys? just don't worry about it?


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## jeremy3220 (Jul 5, 2017)

Move the seat back and down or tilt the nose up. As you move the seat back you'll be able to lower it (to maintain the same straight line distance to the BB).


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Without seeing what's going on, it's hard to say for sure.

It DOES take some core strength to support your upper body. And it takes some flexibility to hinge comfortably at the hips.

If you're a long-legged rider with a short torso and/or short arms, then your seat is going to be pretty high relative to your bars. If you have a bike with a pretty steep STA, a similar sort of thing happens. There are a number of other factors involved that I don't necessarily have a good handle on, or am just not remembering to describe. Pictures can make a difference, but won't necessarily tell us everything we need to know.


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## Whiterabbitt (May 16, 2020)

well, I definitely am tall, and proportionally long legged. That was the root cause of not being balanced when standing, earlier. I had to make huge adjustments to the bars to bring them up, much more than normally recommended. I finally got a clue from the clydesdale forum. I'm a featherweight, but their workarounds being super tall applied to me. 

Anyways, that fixed the standing part, so this is the seated issue now. And yes the seat is quite high relative to the bars compared to a normal person.

I'll see what I can do with the seat, it's already as far back as it goes on the rails by simply loosening nad sliding the seat. Maybe there's something else I can consider.


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## Pisgah (Feb 24, 2006)

Many bikes today are designed to give the experience you describe, by reducing stack height. Lower stack heights place a rider in a more “aggressive” downhill position with the handlebars being more weighted. The increased weight on the front plants the front tire for better turning.

With that said, I can’t stand low stack heights. A low stack, to me, is only optimal when aggressively riding downhill or climbing steeper grades. The design is not best for long, beater rides with a lot of rolling and/or rocky terrain. This is especially true on long rides when backpacks are generally heavier.

i opt for a bar height that’s even or slightly higher than my seat. For me, it’s more comfortable over the long haul (literally).


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## jeremy3220 (Jul 5, 2017)

Whiterabbitt said:


> I'll see what I can do with the seat, it's already as far back as it goes on the rails by simply loosening nad sliding the seat. Maybe there's something else I can consider.


The bike might be too small. How tall are you and what bike are you on?


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## rangeriderdave (Aug 29, 2008)

I don't think you want no weight on your hands/handle bars being seated . But you don't want to have to support your upper body with your arms either. You could try a higher stem or higher rise bars. Or figure out how to transfer more weight to your saddle while riding there.


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## Mark16q (Apr 16, 2006)

Had a similar issue on my oiz when I got it. Never an issue on other bikes, so after much measuring and comparing spec shortened stem by 10mm and hand pain is gone. Feel much more balanced and standing is no different. Guess I was a bit too stretched out and the 10mm got my balance neutral again.


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## FactoryMatt (Apr 25, 2018)

thread needs pics


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

You might have the wrong sized bike. You might just need a proper bike fit.

Tilting the nose if the seat up slightly higher than exactly level usually helps get weight off the hands.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk


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## Monty219 (Oct 26, 2020)

If you have extra steerer tube spacers above the stem you could swap them below the stem to raise handlebar height for free.


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## targnik (Jan 11, 2014)

Bars with greater rise should sort it out 

Sent from my HD1900 using Tapatalk


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## {|xDi|} (Dec 2, 2020)

I felt like you also. It felt uncomfortable for me to have too much weight on the front handlebars. For longer rides it got tiring fast. I only measure 5' 10" with my clipless shoes on but I like to have a longer extension on my legs while pedaling even though my bike is medium size with 165mm crank length. So my saddle height is slightly higher than average. I by chance was in the market for a new fork. So when I installed it I cut the steerer tube much longer than what the stock height was. A good 5" inches of height was added to my handlebars. At the same time I upgraded my stem to a short 40mm stem. So now the bars are higher, and closer to me. It feels so good, so comfortable. Look into a stem/handlebar setup with the right rise/sweep possibly that would help you.


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## PuddleDuck (Feb 14, 2004)

Are you able to post a pic of the bike, and of you on the bike, both from the side?


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## Velorangutan (Aug 28, 2012)

The tilt of your saddle can have a large impact on how much weight is on your hands. With the nose tilted down your hips will want to roll forward causing hand pressure. Try experimenting with the tile. I like a very level saddle. When the nose starts pointing up too high you'll notice it not being comfortable. 

If you feel you need to point the nose of the saddle down to maintain comfort for the boys, you may want to look at a different saddle. The WTB silverado has been a great saddle for me. Before I discovered that saddel 10 years ago I played musical saddles and have a box full in the attic.


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## Fleas (Jan 19, 2006)

jeremy3220 said:


> Move the seat back and down or tilt the nose up. As you move the seat back you'll be able to lower it (to maintain the same straight line distance to the BB).


+1

-F


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

The saddle issue is another one.

On my most recent bike, a Guerrilla Gravity Pedalhead, I had to get used to a steeper seat tube than most of my previous ones. I learned that saddled that I liked before didn't work. Namely, ANY flare on the back of the saddle pushed me forward onto the bars even more. I got shoulder soreness from it.

When I switched to a saddle that was completely flat, that completely eliminated the issue.

Crank length is another one. Shorter cranks mean you're going to have to raise your saddle more to get a comfortable leg extension. Longer cranks will let you drop that saddle a little. It's only a few mm in the grand scheme of things, but if you're on super short cranks, it could make a notable difference in comfort.


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## DeoreDX (Jul 28, 2007)

An exercise that someone showed me that has helped me set the seat position and handlebar position requires either a trainer (ideal) or a stand you can sit on the bike without falling over or someone helping hold your bike upright. If on a trainer you pedal at a comfortable resistance and cadance. Put your arms behind your back at the base of your spine and slowly start tilting over until you find your spine angle that you are comfortable holding without using your arms. You want to shoot for this spine angle. People are built differently with different muscle strengths and weight distribution so this angle differs from person to person. When you reach forward to grab your handlebar the weight of your arms will move your center of gravity forward slightly which puts a very slight bit of weight on your hands. You shouldn't have to roll your shoulders forward to grab the handlebar. You also don't want it in your chest like you are doing a pushup. Moving the saddle forward and back will also change this spine angle. I get the saddle position set first into a position that doesn't hurt my knees and feels like I'm using the most muscle groups then move to setting the handlebars to match my prefered spine angle.


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## PuddleDuck (Feb 14, 2004)

DeoreDX said:


> I get the saddle position set first into a position that doesn't hurt my knees and feels like I'm using the most muscle groups.


Me too  I then work by feel to set stem length and height, but I'll try your technique to see what happens. Thanks!


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## fly4130 (Apr 3, 2009)

Harold said:


> Crank length is another one. Shorter cranks mean you're going to have to raise your saddle more to get a comfortable leg extension. Longer cranks will let you drop that saddle a little. It's only a few mm in the grand scheme of things, but if you're on super short cranks, it could make a notable difference in comfort.


I feel like this is the week I am constantly missing something. Shorter crank arms mean your saddle should go up? Aren't you reducing the maximum pedal extension with a shorter arm? Wouldn't that mean a slightly lower saddle?


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## Cerberus75 (Oct 20, 2015)

fly4130 said:


> I feel like this is the week I am constantly missing something. Shorter crank arms mean your saddle should go up? Aren't you reducing the maximum pedal extension with a shorter arm? Wouldn't that mean a slightly lower saddle?


170mm to 165mm would mean max extension is 5mm higher when the peddle is at the bottom of the stroke. So saddle should be raise accordingly.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

fly4130 said:


> I feel like this is the week I am constantly missing something. Shorter crank arms mean your saddle should go up? Aren't you reducing the maximum pedal extension with a shorter arm? Wouldn't that mean a slightly lower saddle?


No. maximum pedal extension is measured at the point where the pedal is farthest from the saddle. so for a given leg length (your leg doesn't change lengths), a shorter crank arm means that the saddle needs to go higher to give you the right extension to your leg when the pedal is furthest from the saddle. There's a tool to measure this dimension used in bicycle fitting.









Seat Height Tool


Easily and quickly set, record, and transfer seat height measurements for a bicycle. This adjustable yet rigid measuring tool improves accuracy and consistency when measuring saddle height.




fitkitsystems.com


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## aaronedmonton (Nov 28, 2020)

I have this issue on my Specialized Pitch. I loaned my bike out to someone else and they commented on it as well, without me mentioning it. Very leaned forward and weight on my hands.


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## fly4130 (Apr 3, 2009)

Harold said:


> No. maximum pedal extension is measured at the point where the pedal is farthest from the saddle.


Wow, yeah I was way off. Thanks Harold that makes perfect sense. Somewhere in all of this is a metaphor for the benefit of a change in perspective.


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