UKC

After an hour of riding I get a knot in the back of my neck even when I've been changing my hand position. Do you think a shorter stem would help? If so, how much shorter should I go to notice a difference, 10mm, 20mm? I realise a bike fit would be best, but they're also expensive!

In reply to rob wmc: longer?

In reply to malk:
If I used a longer stem so I was more stretched out, wouldn't that be worse as I would be bending my neck at a more aggressive angle? Or am I not looking at this correctly?

In reply to rob wmc:
What angle is your stem? You might find flipping it upside down lifts the bars an inch or two

Remember changing your stem length will change the handling of the bike.

In reply to rob wmc:

used to have the same bother on my bike and flipped the stem round which gives a few degrees higher bar this has made the word of difference no neck pain now. different stem length is more related to arm lenghth/body size

In reply to rob wmc:

First make sure your saddle fore-aft position is right. With feet on the pedals the front of your knee should be directly over the ball of your foot (which should be on, or slightly forward of your pedal). A plumb-line is good for this.

With your saddle adjusted put your hands on the bars in normal riding position. You should not be able to see the hub of the front wheel because your bars are in the way. If you can see the hub getter a shorter or longer stem as required.

In reply to kevin stephens:

...with your pedal in the foremost position of its rotation, yes?

I was going to suggest the hub thing, but you beat me to it. Seems to be a good general rule of thumb.

Also ensure that your saddle is the right height as this will effect everything; sit on the bike and your heel should just touch the pedal at bottom dead centre when your leg is straight. Again, this is just a rule of thumb but forms a good starting point.

In reply to rob wmc:

Cycling with your elbows locked out can reduce shock absorbsion and increase symptoms in the neck.

If you're in the habit of riding with straight arms try a slight elbow bend. This can require a shorter stem.

In reply to Static:

Thanks everyone, already flipped the stem which did make a difference. Hadn't heard of the tip about having your view of the hub obscured by the handlebars, will have a look tomorrow. Thanks again.

In reply to rob wmc:

I'm wary of the hub-obscuring tip - doesn't work at all for me. Probably a decent rule of thumb but don't treat it as gospel.

In reply to rob wmc:

Have a read of this page on sheldon brown particularly neck and posture sections, should help:

http://sheldonbrown.com/pain.html#neck