Sometimes a small adjustment makes a big difference.  Lately I’ve been tweaking my fit on my road bike. I went from a 120 mm stem (the short piece attaching the handlebars to the bike) to a 110 mm stem and then to a 100 mm stem.  10 mm is about 4 tenths of an inch. What a big difference.  When I went from the 120mm to the 110mm stem I felt more comfortable with my hands on the shifter hoods and when I pedaled standing I felt my hips coming into a more powerful position.  It was a good change, but when I went to the 100 mm stem I couldn’t believe the difference.  I noticed three dramatic improvements.  First, when I stood out of the saddle my hips felt in line with my power muscles, and my hands rested on the bars very lightly.  When I sat, I immediately sat into the correct position on the saddle…every time.  The biggest change though was in descending through a complicated set of switchbacks.  My position felt amazing.  My elbows tucked in closer to my body and I felt amazingly comfortable and in control.

Sometimes tweaks make no difference at all, and sometimes the result of a tweak is amazing.  The key to making tweaks is to make them intelligently. Whether its in church or on a bike, the key is have an idea of what you’re trying to accomplish.