UCI regs state the saddle needs to be 5cm behind the bottom bracket at minimum. Some riders will be sitting on the nose because they cannot get the saddle where they want it to be able to sit "on" the saddle due to these regs.
Having said that, these pro riders spend> 90% of their time on a road bike, and don't always like having a TT position with a drastically different saddle placement to their road rig.
Getting back to the bar issue, most sponsored riders are given a bike and just ride it. There may be personal quirks, like double taped bars for example, but mostly they'll be on stock team equipment. This is especially true for the time trial bike, so if that's riding straight extensions, so be it. Contractual obligations and such like.
A couple of examples of riders with specific TT bike requirements:
Jan Ullrich - Giant/Bianchi branded Walser, depending on which year you go with.
Cadel Evans - his T-mobile bike had Pro bars with Zipp extensions and Vision brake levers.
Chris Boardman - His entire pro career was based on winning time trials, and so was allowed to use non team issue gear, like a Hotta or Lotus.
David Millar - Had a custom Scott plasma made for the tour last year.
The kind of rider, like the above, who is going to get special dispensation for use of non team equipment in a TT is either a GC challenger, or a TT specialist, who is getting paid to win time trials and not much else.
"Here's how you run a marathon. Step 1: You start running. Step 2: There is no step 2." - Barney (How I Met Your Mother)
Having said that, these pro riders spend> 90% of their time on a road bike, and don't always like having a TT position with a drastically different saddle placement to their road rig.
Getting back to the bar issue, most sponsored riders are given a bike and just ride it. There may be personal quirks, like double taped bars for example, but mostly they'll be on stock team equipment. This is especially true for the time trial bike, so if that's riding straight extensions, so be it. Contractual obligations and such like.
A couple of examples of riders with specific TT bike requirements:
Jan Ullrich - Giant/Bianchi branded Walser, depending on which year you go with.
Cadel Evans - his T-mobile bike had Pro bars with Zipp extensions and Vision brake levers.
Chris Boardman - His entire pro career was based on winning time trials, and so was allowed to use non team issue gear, like a Hotta or Lotus.
David Millar - Had a custom Scott plasma made for the tour last year.
The kind of rider, like the above, who is going to get special dispensation for use of non team equipment in a TT is either a GC challenger, or a TT specialist, who is getting paid to win time trials and not much else.
"Here's how you run a marathon. Step 1: You start running. Step 2: There is no step 2." - Barney (How I Met Your Mother)
Last edited by:
neil_laing: Jul 18, 08 7:55