After seeing the pic of one of our poster’s position, I was wondering a similar question. I’ve been fitted before by a ‘FIST’ certified dealer. The 90 degree front angle (‘armpit angle’) seems uncomfortable and too stretched out.
Is it possible to have the rear 90 degree angle showcased in Dan’s article and a slightly less stretched out frontal area and still generate the same amount of power with our legs? Could the front end be at 80-85 degrees and not have any adverse affects? I’m generally more comfortable that way for longer 3+ hour rides…?
We all need to dial in the details to be comfortable. I, for one, am more comfortable with my “armpit angle” less than 90 degrees (meaning, my elbows are closer to my knees than Dan’s standard setup). My upper arms are basically vertical to the road, while my torso points upwards a little, like the pic posted today. I have learned that I like the front end of the bike up nice and close to me. I feel more compact and powerful that way. So, you are not alone in what you think feels good.
Oddly, when I’m holding onto the bars with my hands (eg, road bike or when climbing on the tri bike) I like the bars waaaay out in front of me. I like the stretched-out feeling when riding that way, and will climb on the tri bike with my hands draped out over the ends of the cowhorns.
As for power – I believe that, once we find a position we like and that is comfortable and allows us to breathe, we can produce as much power as in any other position. The angles at which our muscles perform best are determined by training, not some built-in factor. This has been confirmed in studies comparing rowers, runners, speedskaters, cyclists and nordic skiers. Not surprisingly, each group put out the best force-velocity (“Power”) at the joint angles unique to their respective sports. There is no “best” joint angle arrangement (within the usual and reasonable ranges used in all these sports).
So, get comfy and spend a lot of time riding in your chosen position.