That sure could be the case. Worth keeping an eye on it to see if you improve after you get accustomed to the work again.
2nd guess above, BOOM!!! 
Hard to say. It could be that your fit is actually fine and you just pushed yourself above & beyond what you had trained in that position & power before then.
Without seeing anything of you on the bike, it’s nearly impossible to say. Could be that your effective reach in that position is a bit short for the power and duration you wanted. But that is only one of many possible issues.
Changes for every rider. Some are more casual riders that I just have push to what they consider their typical pace. But for the more performance oriented riders, I have them us a range of positions and powers.
Few of my clients even have power, so we just talk in general about efforts and I have them kick hard and short or sustained as needed. I do rely a lot on the rider to tell me the power and positions they aim to apply. I will look at any and all positions they desire.
Hi guys, I’m a fairly new-ish rider (2,5 years) and I just keep struggling with my fit. I’m 19 years old, but I’ve been playing the classical guitar quite seriously since a young age and lead a sedentary lifestyle (not a flexible athlete, mild scoliosis).
My main problems are saddle sores and hand/neck pain. My bum hurts on both sides/ in the middle, but the pain goes away after the ride. The neck pain really only starts after around 2h outside and I sometimes get discomfort in my wrists/ palms.
I tried doing a fit using MyVeloFit - that says I’m within range. I also do quite a lot of research on my own (Francis Cade, Cam Nichols), but can’t seem to figure it out. I’m thinking the problem could be my feet? Both of my knees seem to track a little inward. I also get a burning sensation on the outside of my feet when doing higher cadence work.
Here’s some videos: Bike fit - Google Drive
Some discomfort would be normal IMO, especially if coming from a sedentary lifestyle whilst your body gets used to the new activity, but that should settle down, if it continues look closer at your fit then.
The videos won’t play for me, but are your hips moving excessively ? if so it could be a sign your saddle is too high and lowering it should also make you more upright and take pressure off your hands/ wrists and transfer more weight through your core. The more upright position may mean you’re holding your head/neck in a more comfortable position. Another sign for some people that the saddle is too high is the need for your toes to point down at the bottom of the pedal stroke (for me a horizontal foot is better). If the saddle height is OK, it could be you just have to develop your core strength (the simple ‘plank’ is a good exercise for that) and then your body will have the strength to hold some off the weight from it rather than putting it all through your arms/wrists/hands. The plank is also good for your neck strength. Good luck!
Thanks for the reply, the videos should be fixed now. As for the saddle height, I’m already pretty low. I’m going to try to strengthen my core a bit. Could this also be influenced by the saddle? I’m using the stock saddle that came with my Scott - without pressure relief and very flat - maybe doesn’t provide enough support?
The saddle shouldn’t cause any core problems. Most road bike saddles are like that and some folks find a flat narrow saddle the most comfortable, but if your body doesn’t get used to it could be not right for you.
How tall are you and what size bike is that?
There is a bit of hip/ back movement I think most evident when your leg throws its self down at the bottom of the pedal stroke. The foot may be marginally toe down then too but not by much. I would try marginally lowering the saddle to see if it helps, don’t make extreme adjustments though.
I’m 183 cm (6ft) and it’s a size 56 Scott Foil (110mm stem).
Unfortunately, I think your bike is too small….
You are running into core issues because you are having to stay upright the whole time since you can’t stretch out.
Problem: Saddles sores + neck pain + hand pain.
After watching your videos, I’d bring the saddle up and forward incrementally and re-test.
Looking at your lower back angle which appears to have a slight anterior rotation, I’d lean on your core’s weakness as the key driver of the hip motion and reach issues you’re experiencing that are leading you to saddle and neck discomfort. Your lower back is attempting to make up the reach due to the weaker core, and as a result, you’re over-extending your upper body to compensate which actually does the inverse of what most people think, and forces your neck into a tighter, more downward angle. The lack of firm hip placement on the saddle is clear in the second video.
The alternative here could be to shave off 10mm from your stem and try incrementally reducing reach, assuming your saddle position is comfortable if you sit up on the tops of the bars as opposed to hoods/drops for a stint of time. You can artificially test reach deltas this way and isolate that, at least.
I have to disagree here 100%…IMO, the problem is he doesn’t have enough reach. Reducing his reach is only going to make things worse.
In addition, you really should adjut your saddle position to compensate for reach issues (either way)…your saddle should be based on the BB location. Now, there are times where you have no choice and this may well be one of them, but I would move his saddle back in order to improve his reach.
Adjusting stem length doesn’t really look like it will be an (affordable) option for him as it is an integrated system.
If you look at his videos, he is almost bolt-upright. It looks like a position for a hybrid, not a road bike. He is as aero as a door right now.
I’m not suggesting he adjust his saddle for reach issues, I’m suggesting his saddle setup is improper for his current hip and core strength relative to his position.
IMO putting a longer stem will exacerbate the weak core and anterior tilt.
Putting the saddle more forward will put more pressure on his hands/wrists and will cause more neck pain. In my experience 90% of the time neck pain doesn’t come for an agressive neck angle, but too much weight on the front end.
I’d say try going back with your saddle and by that increase reach and reduce weight on the front end.
@pnzr is on the right track, IMO…the “best” / cheapest option for him right now is the slide the saddle back and extend reach that way.
Next “cheapest” is to invest in a new stem / HB combo, that is at least a 120 (and a higher angle probably as well if possible)…but that is still gonna be $$$.
Both of these options are just bandaids, though…he is just on a bike that is too small. He should be on a 58 at least.
Thanks for the suggestions guys!
Today my training consisted of high cadence drills (continuous 110-120 rpm on the flats) and I’m jumping around like crazy, which confirms the hip instability. I also tried putting the saddle 1 cm down and that didn’t improve things.
I previously had 42 cm wide handlebars with longer reach, which I switched out to shorter 38 cm ones and feel more comfortable now (but that could well be due to the width).
I’m going to try to put the saddle up and forward tomorrow and report back. I did have the saddle much further back previously - that seemed to impinge my hips and I had a dead spot on top of the pedal stroke. Furthermore, the hand pain wasn’t any different.
Could the hip instability be caused by my feet? I do have quite severe “duck feet” coupled with knock knees. When I ride both my knees sometimes randomly rub against the top tube. So maybe I need to increase my stance with adapters? I already have my cleats pushed inward.
If you didn’t, please consider starting with a lower cadence and over time increase cadence. Your training should reinforce solid pedaling mechanics, and reject all bad technique.