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Today August 2022

ditto I have a bunch of stems as well.
If you can get your better half to take a few pics of you on the bike as well eyeballs are better that words I think.
 
I need a fit. Don't have money for a fit. My neck hurts but my legs feel so much better then my old bike. I think I might need to rotate the bars up a little to make the levers a tad easier to reach when riding the hoods. But I also have no idea what I'm dooooing.
I don't think you need a fit. Not at this stage, anyway. If you have one, you're likely to be asked lots of questions like "Is this stem length more comfortable than the one two minutes ago?" and because it's all so new to you you'll probably reply "Uh, I dunno, really." (You'll know if a position is really wrong, but you can avoid what's really wrong without needing to try it during a bike fit.)

It's hard to see from the photo, but I think your saddle is nearer the back extreme than the front extreme. If the brake levers are a little hard to reach, try moving the saddle forwards.

Swiveling the handlebar up is better avoided. For one thing, it probably renders the drops unreachable and unusable.

There are a number of silly notions about bike set-up. One of the silliest is that while riding each leg should be straight when the pedal is farthest from the saddle. No it shouldn't!

A text introduction. Or videos.
 
Thank you all so much for the support and responses! I'll get some photos tomorrow and if you could point me in the direction, that would be ace. Here's some info in the meantime:

- never had a bike fitted. First road bike too.
- I'm 177cm tall, not sure about inseam
- I'm not flexible but that's also part of the appeal. I'm okay to have a slight amount of discomfort as I finally build a core (doing stretches and planks on my non-ride days)
- I'm looking for a slightly aggressive but mostly relaxed. I want to go fast but I'm never going to race so comfort is okay for me.

How it feels now:
- my knee is right over the pedal at the 3 o clock position. My legs felt pretty powerful and are less sore after my ride today than my previous bike
- saddle height seems right. Could be a touch lower maybe. It feels like I've had in the past though so I think we are ballpark here.
- when on the hoods I have my index and middle finger sitting at the break lever, and others wrapped around the hood. Switching gears is fine, but when breaking in basically hitting the top half of the lever. It slows me down to a stop but if I need to stop NOW, That's not going to happen.
- on the drops I've got full access to everything and I honestly think this is just more of me never riding like this, and lack of flexibility. It doesn't feel bad, it feels foreign and slightly scary as I don't feel like I've got a strong grip after moving from a hybrid.
- my neck was slightly sore on the hoods, once again I think this is just a get used to it thing.
- hour 2 or the ride when using the drops my neck was definitely in pain.
- I don't think my elbows are bent much at all so yeah I guess the reach it a little too far
 
everything sounds fine. Braking from the hoods is always two fingers and never as powerful or as quick as from the drops. If you want to stop in a hurry get in the drops. It probably feels wierd cause it's a new bike with new positions. Give it time for your body and mind to adapt to the new position while you work on your core and flexibility. Get your arm span and inseam measured. What are the pedals and shoes you are using?
ride safe, have fun.
 
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Ok, so I moved the seat forward a little and that did indeed improve my ability to grip the brakes in the hoods. Hearing that it's pretty common to not have the strongest break from the hoods compared to the drops also makes me think it could be just the adjustment period. Looking at the photos here though, it seems as though my arms are mostly straight. Advice would be good! Included photos of where I am gripping then brakes from the hoods and the hooks too to get feedback on that.

Sorry for being so paranoid but I really do not want a repeat of my accident on my new bike haha.

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You should also take a picture where you put both feet on the pedals where one of them is in the 6 o'clock, the other in the 12 o'clock position.
  • When you do a bike fit (and I disagree that this is something you don't need to do), you start with the saddle.
  • I third what others have said about breaking from the hoods. Also, you need to consider you have rim brakes and are heavier, so your brakes have to work harder.
  • You don't seem very flexible. On the first two pictures you are hunched over while your back is relatively straight. Probably that is the cause of the discomfort. That suggests to me that you should bring your saddle forward to reduce the hip angle.
  • It is a bit hard to tell since your foot position is all over the place, but I think your saddle is too far back and perhaps also too high: on the second picture your knee is almost fully distended. I'd probably first bring the saddle forward.
  • Once you are sure about the saddle position (height, horizontal position and tilt), I'd look into getting the handlebar position fixed.
  • At present I'd optimize your handlebar position for being on the hoods. But you should be able to get into the drops and be comfortable for a while. You will need to be in the drops e. g. on descents or when you think you need to brake suddenly.
Apart from this, and I know you are strapped for cash, the first thing I'd upgrade are the tires. Get 28 mm wide quality tires (e. g. GP 5000s), that'll be the best investment. Wider tires give you more grip and comfort. Again, given your weight, you will need additional grip e. g. when breaking. And you will need to run higher pressures, too, which reduces comfort.
 
good on you for getting back on bike and asking the questions you don't know.
bump that saddle forward a bit and it looks good for now.
I think stem is probably fine.
things I'd budget for first
1:flowers for your wife. she got you through all this. But I bet she is happy seeing you staying healthy.
2:binding pedals and shoes . (someone may have a set sitting around not being used). They improve your efficiency and that makes cycling a lot more enjoyable iMO.
3:tires as @OreoCookie said
4:time so you can meet up with other cyclists and learn by being social and that makes cycling a lot more enjoyable IMO.
 
@kiwisimon's list is great, especially #1. From the pictures the bike looks brand new, so it falls into one of the two best deals categories for used bike: either you get a barely ridden garage queen (seemingly your case) or a bike that was used heavily, but meticulously cared for.

Regarding the stem, IMHO it is still a bit early to call, but if I had to guess, at worst you might need a slightly shorter one. 54 cm bikes often come with 100 mm stems (you can figure that out very easily, it is usually written someone on the stem, alternatively whip out a tape measure). Cheap Deda stems cost about ¥5,000, so even if you need another stem, it is not a big investment. But I'd ask around here, perhaps someone (cough, @bloaker, cough) has a stem lying around. While it may seem superfluous to spend money on something that is only 1 cm shorter, on road bikes single centimeters can make a huge difference.

I also agree that in short order you should get clipless pedals and shoes. For beginners I usually recommend mountain bike shoes and SPD pedals, they are easier to clip in and most likely there is zero efficiency loss compared to road-style pedals.
 
Thanks @kiwisimon and @OreoCookie ! I've definitely reiterated to my partner just how much she has pulled me through this to the other side!

Not working and stuff means I'm slowly rebuilding savings so yeah, I've got a little list. 28 tires definitely up the top there, just for some comfort and peace of mind. Then I do want to get some SPD pedals and shoes. (If anyone has some laying around I'd be keen to work out a deal). I particularly want them because they are easier to walk around in I've heard.

As for the bike condition, I was genuinely impressed. It has been dropped, some scratches on the crank and a few wear and tear spots on the body. I originally was trading in my Giant and paying a little extra to have this get me through next year and then upgrading to a brand new bike. But now I've got this here, it seriously does seem very well maintained and rides loads better than anything I've owned, including my super expensive Brompton I had years ago.

So now I'm actually thinking of keeping this for a few years before even considering a new bike. The guy in broken English said it was cheap because they had it there for a few months, and the combination of it being a 54 (they mostly sell the next size down) and being a Sora and having some slight scratches no one seemed interested, so they dropped the price. I was trying to keep a straight face because he seemed to make a big deal of the smallest blemishes and to me it's "as good as new" haha.

I'm going to my LBS to buy a replacement inner tube for my kit. If they aren't busy I might ask if they can take a look at the fit and handlebar situation. They have a small local club and deal with mountain bikes and road bikes, and they have been quite friendly in the past.

I'll do the stem measurements and everything today too and share. I'm currently at the hospital getting another checkup on the jaw.

Finally, yes. I want to ride with some of you and ask a million questions. Also want to reiterate how welcoming you all have been, and for the kind words that were shared after my accident!
 
Sounds like you scored a great deal. Sora should keep you on the road for a while, and since rim brake bikes are on their way out, you can expect a few nice deals for used drivetrains down the line. Ditto for wheels. But honestly, I wouldn't worry about that. Fit >> specs.
As for the bike condition, I was genuinely impressed. It has been dropped, some scratches on the crank and a few wear and tear spots on the body.
If you use a bike, you'll get scratches and rub just from plain use. That's purely cosmetic. Japanese seem pretty averse to buying used stuff. We blew our Covid stimulus money on a new washing machine: my wife insisted on a new one.
 
If you use a bike, you'll get scratches and rub just from plain use. That's purely cosmetic.
Exactly! It shifted like a dream and just felt nice to ride when I was testing it. I guess it's like the camera secondhand market here - people expect brand new quality otherwise the price goes down. Good for me as the secondhand market is Aus you're lucky if you're getting anything in decent quality for a nice price haha.
 
Slight update. Moved the saddle closer, and measured my inseam at 80cm exactly. Did the old 80x0.883 and adjusted height accordingly. Was about 2cm too high earlier. Did the plum line from the front of my kneecap and it goes right through the spindle. Took a short ride and it feels better, but I'm still just not comfortable on the hoods and the breaking power. It's probably just a case of adjustment and building strength. If I'm still feeling this way after a couple of weeks maybe I'll experiment bringing the hoods a little closer on the bar.

Going for a 20km ride in the morning, see how it goes!
 
Yes, you must buy special shoes and special pedals and ensure that the former are clipped in to the latter!

Except that no you needn't.

I'm never clipped in. Tried it, didn't like it. I'm slow, but I attribute this to age, weight, atrophied muscles and laziness, not to pedals, shoes or clipped-in-ness. However, if it means anything I have been known to go up and down hills and to exceed 200 km with running shoes and MKS Sylvan something-something tourist pedals.

On bike fitting: my bike-fitter was very patient. But he started by asking me what my regular cadence was. I said, honestly, that I had no idea. So he said OK, ride this here bike on rollers as if you were riding your own bike out on the road. I said, honestly, that it was such a different experience that I really didn't know if I was rotating my legs slower or faster than I would if I were riding my actual bike. Et cetera. But maybe I was/am exceptionally stupid.

Yes, maybe it's my exceptional stupidity that also explains why I can't take any of these formulae or "this-should-be-directly-over-that" stuff seriously.

Oh, and -- cough -- people, you're trying to brake, not to "break" anything.
 
Yes, you must buy special shoes and special pedals and ensure that the former are clipped in to the latter!

Except that no you needn't.

I'm never clipped in. Tried it, didn't like it. I'm slow, but I attribute this to age, weight, atrophied muscles and laziness, not to pedals, shoes or clipped-in-ness. However, if it means anything I have been known to go up and down hills and to exceed 200 km with running shoes and MKS Sylvan something-something tourist pedals.

On bike fitting: my bike-fitter was very patient. But he started by asking me what my regular cadence was. I said, honestly, that I had no idea. So he said OK, ride this here bike on rollers as if you were riding your own bike out on the road. I said, honestly, that it was such a different experience that I really didn't know if I was rotating my legs slower or faster than I would if I were riding my actual bike. Et cetera. But maybe I was/am exceptionally stupid.

Yes, maybe it's my exceptional stupidity that also explains why I can't take any of these formulae or "this-should-be-directly-over-that" stuff seriously.

Oh, and -- cough -- people, you're trying to brake, not to "break" anything.
That's what I get for using my phone to post, damn iPhone.

I'm keen to try some clipless pedals. Why were you not feeling them? Just didn't fit your riding style?
 
My feet are fidgety.

With "platform" pedals, I can wear any shoes.

I can put a foot on the ground faster when not clipped in.

There are one or two things fewer that might go out of adjustment.

I see no advantage in being clipped in. I wear running shoes. By sneaker standards, their soles are stiff. They're not as stiff as the soles of my one pair of cycling-shoes-to-be-clipped in, but they're easily stiff enough. They're also a lot lighter.
 
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