Robijo11 wrote:
Something along the lines of pelvic tilt not letting the athlete rotate enough to settle into their aerobars.
Iām not sure how people can quantify this from a photo taken at a random point in time. Iām sure if a pro has chosen to ride a particular saddle for 180km then itās going to be ācomfyā for them and theyād argue they havenāt chosen the wrong saddle.
You are definitely on the right path regarding the pelvic tilt. If the pelvis is well-supported in a manner that doesn't create discomfort, the spine will be neutral. I tend to think of the spine extending from the pelvis. If you look at the back and it is excessively rounded, that's often an indication that the rider is subconsciously feeling and reacting to some discomfort in the saddle/genital area when they get down into a position where they can reach the bars. When I say "excessively", I mean like a cat. Some roundness is good - like the Golden Gate Bridge - but the musculature needs to be relaxed. At the same time, this has to be balanced against tilting the saddle nose down so far the rider is falling off the saddle and they are putting more strain on the upper body. It's a delicate balance, and two-tenths of a degree can make a big difference.
Pictures often don't do it justice, but in some cases, it's pretty obvious. We also don't necessarily know the entire story on these fits - maybe the rider is sponsored by a saddle manufacturer and ended up with the least worst option. Maybe they have something medical going on. Maybe they just haven't tried everything and don't know what good feels like. So many variables and we're all an asymmetrical pile of meat and bones.
I've had people come in the studio that had been fit by other fitters and think, "oh my - that looks awful", but then after we're done, I learn about how they got where they did, and my version of their fit probably doesn't look much better. Long femurs and a short torso can be a challenge, for example. On the other hand, I also get some fits that look great from the side view, but the rider is uncomfortable and unable to sustain the position. I won't comment on how good or bad any of these look. There are certainly some that look nice and some look not-so-nice, but would like to get the rider into the studio before making any comment.
Travis Rassat
Vector Cycle Works Noblesville, IN
BikeFit Instructor | FMS | F.I.S.T. | IBFI
Toughman Triathlon Series Ambassador