Your power has seemed off...from what?

seat is way too high, that won't be helping

If you expect to get a benefit from any of the gear shown in that picture you have to race with what you train on, and train with what you're planning to race. If you train with a power meter, use it during the race and analyze the results afterwards. Ride that bike when it's not a race situation and figure out the position that maximizes your speed for the power you (are able to) put out. Go to one of the more capable fit studios or a wind tunnel and get them to help you.

There are any number of reasons why you might "feel" off during any particular event. Having objective performance numbers makes it possible to go past the feelings and actually plan something to improve the next time around...

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Less is more.

Looks like you're drafting.

Had a 2011 p3 without a power meter. Changed to this p4 with a power meter about nine months ago. Transferred the fit from the p3 to p4 as close as I could. The p4 is a more aero bike yet the normal training rides have been slower at what seemed to be the same perceived effort. Being comfortable I didn't mess with the fit. Now looking to see if there are fit issues to change.

You'll quickly find if you haven't already that PE varies a good deal at a given power output from day to day, week to week and within long rides. What seems way too easy at the beginning of an IM will likely seem too hard by the end. The upshot is that it's really impossible to compare how much power you're currently outputting to what you "think" you were in the past when you weren't actually measuring it. Going forward you'll have concrete data that should prove very useful.

Hugh

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Genetics load the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger.

bingo

Thanks

Amateur opinion of a P4 owner here:

The P4 is a long, low bike. It works best for people (like me) with shorter legs and longer torsos. It appears to me that you, being long-legged, struggle to reach the pads properly, and that could cause your perception of having to work harder for the same (or less) power.

But drop your seat and move it forward. That should get you closer to the pads.

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Citizen of the world, former drunkard. Resident Traumatic Brain Injury advocate.

I have been with a powermeter and bike fit since 2008. I can clearly pinpoint the period when I was too low in the front. My power output was 10% lower and I had hard time running after. My bike splits were ok as I was more aero but everything else suffered. You can be too low in front or have that saddle to high, which leads to same. Powermeter helped me realize that. Lower is not always better.

Good info thanks. So how do you check and change you fit with a power meter? Get a power base line with the current fit, make the change, and re-test? Do you watch your power when testing or not look at the power numbers so you are not influenced? Can you re-test right after making the change or should you ride that poison fit some amount of time? I know basic simple questions but do not want to mentally influence the test, want it to be a true physical test. Thanks

when doing fit...dont worrie about power testing. It takes time for the body to adapt to a new position. Testing is pointless until adaptation are done.

So get a proper fit. your not far off but could move forward and open that hip angle a little more.

Proper position, proper training, then you will have some numbers that are worth using as reference

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Jonathan Caron / Professional Coach / ironman champions / age group world champions
Jonnyo Coaching
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Two questions. 1. Do you train on a road bike part of the time? 2. Do you do 2x20 at FTP on a regular basis, which assumes you have an FTP estimate.

Now try going out and doing 20 minutes at about 103-105% of FTP. It won't be fun, but it should be pretty doable on the road bike. Now next week when you are equally rested, try it on the TT bike. If you can get through it without took much additional effort on the TT bike, then I would say your fit is pretty good. If you can only hold that power for 10 minutes in your TT position, then it is time to look at refining your TT/Tri position. Most people lose some power on the Tri bike, but if it is more than about 5-10% you have serious fit problems.

Looking at the picture you see that you have a hump in your back, the leg is very extended at the bottom of the pedal stroke and has a fair bit of toe point.. Your upper arms are at lmore than 90 degrees and your nest looks a bit strained from looking up. I would say you are too high and reaching too far and the saddle may be putting too much preassure on your soft tissue.

Put your bike in the trainer and see how a video of you on the trainer compares to the picture you posted. Then.
1. Tip the saddle down about 5 degrees and see if that lessens the lump in your back by allowing you to rotate the hips forward more. This suggest different saddle. The tilted saddle might not be ridable without slipping, so this is just a fit indicator
2. Try moving the saddle down 5mm check hump and comfort. Try 5mm more and check again.
3. If lower helped, try moving the saddle back 5 mm from the more comfortable spot. Does this relieve some preassure and help hip rotation? Does it change the angle of the upper arm?

If any of these things improve comfort or remove the hump, then try your 20 and see if your power came up. You might still be reaching a bit too much, so you might try pulling the bars back 5mm as well as coming up the same and seeing how that works.

Since one of the most knowledgeable people around on bike fitting said this, I'd start there!

Great information and detail, thanks. I didn't do many, maybe 2 rides, on the road bike in the build to the race. I however will be getting back on it do will do this test. Thanks again

You can't fit from a static picture. There's no way of knowing what you're doing - e.g. spinning lightly, getting ready to brake, climbing, etc. You have to watch the rider ride the bike. The seat does look high but the toe dip on the non-drive side may not be seat height, it very well could be a hip drop on the other side making it look that way. You could also be on the saddle where you normally are not. Again, you have to watch the rider ride the bike. Outside of that is speculation.

On to 'advice' - it's free so grain of salt and all that... Don't confuse comfort with compensation (or being used to something). You can be comfortable in a bad fit if you ride it enough. My concerns with your fit would be your hips, the arch in your back (it could be natural or it could be arched to help make clearance for pedaling) and the slight pull/push happening with the lower abs and lower back (tied to the previous point) - again, static pic and I'd need to see how you ride.

However, and this is an Occam's Razor thing; If you transferred your fit to the new bike, your measurements might be off. Saddle height needs to be measured consistently, saddle set back is tough so you need your own (consistent) system, drop - did you measure top of saddle to top of pad? or top something to the middle of the pad, bottom of the pad, to the bar, etc? There's lots of ways to miss this by a centimeter. Was the rear mech hung up in the bike stand and inadvertently push the back end up a cm? Lots of stuff can screw up transferring coordinates. And my guess, and it is just a guess, you may want to revisit your fit coordinates.

Thanks for the details and suggestions. Will for sure look into these suggestions. The arch or hump in my back has always been there, think lack of flexibility and the back compensating. Reading the pelvic tilt and hump suggestions I'll continue to work on flexibility to see if I can make any improvements. Again thanks.