I am booked in for a bike fit on both my road bike and TT bike next week. I was reviewing my old bike fit details and I noticed that my last fit has my saddle tip (Adamo TT) at 22mm, which from which I understand means 22mm in front of BB. On my new speed concept, even my rudimentary headphone cable plumb line gives me approx 50mm behind the BB.
I had no idea until now that my fit had changed so dramatically between bikes and might explain some of the issues I have been having with power.
Saying that, I am curious as to what your current measurements are set at. I appreciate that some, if not a lot, will have UCI specific fit, which is probably where mine is now.
Would there be any appreciable difference in moving the saddle forwards (I would need to flip my post to do this as saddle is already pushed all the way up)
IT would also depend on where you actually sit on the saddle, that’s what’s important
Keep in mind losing a little power often isn’t; a bad thing if you get more aero… and can be a matter of a period of adaptation… or might mean that you still have fit issues, as getting low doesn’t mean having to low a significant amount of power.
I am 50mm behind BB with an Adamo saddle.
Moving seat forward while pads go forward and down allows you to “rotate around the BB” to get lower
But there is a point where it’s too forward. I don’t know what this point is.
I once read the following and would love to hear people’s comment on it
When you ride really steep, the medial malleolus****(the boney protrusion where your fibula/tibia ends and your foot begins****) is aligned vertically with the femur hip joint,
The Femur hip joint shouldn’t be ahead of that line, or you will lose power
IT would also depend on where you actually sit on the saddle, that’s what’s important
Keep in mind losing a little power often isn’t; a bad thing if you get more aero… and can be a matter of a period of adaptation… or might mean that you still have fit issues, as getting low doesn’t mean having to low a significant amount of power.
It was more of an observation really. I should have checked, but my LBS said they ‘moved’ the fit coordinates from the old bike to the new and it seems like they havent if I am reading it correctly. To me, a potential 70mm difference is huge and I am surprised I have not noticed it before now. I will see what my fitter says come next week and where we end up, but I am thinking of going with a steeper angle for sure.
When you ride really steep, the medial malleolus****(the boney protrusion where your fibula/tibia ends and your foot begins****) is aligned vertically with the femur hip joint,
The Femur hip joint shouldn’t be ahead of that line, or you will lose power
Nonsense. Muscle activation is independent of orientation in space, relative to gravity’s direction. You can find the references on PubMed if you care to look.
Besides, triathlon cycling is all about NOT producing the most power possible. We budget our power out based on our tactical decisions. We have to save energy for the run.
To the original question, I train with the saddle nose a few cm behind the bb (5cm, I think). For racing, I rotate the whole thing forward and down and have the nose 5cm in front (and armpads ~22cm below the saddle). I ride that steep position in the final three weeks before an event to get my neck used to it. It’s not good to train on since it’s dangerous to ride like that.
When you ride really steep, the medial malleolus****(the boney protrusion where your fibula/tibia ends and your foot begins****) is aligned vertically with the femur hip joint,
The Femur hip joint shouldn’t be ahead of that line, or you will lose power
Nonsense. Muscle activation is independent of orientation in space, relative to gravity’s direction. You can find the references on PubMed if you care to look.
Besides, triathlon cycling is all about NOT producing the most power possible. We budget our power out based on our tactical decisions. We have to save energy for the run.
To the original question, I train with the saddle nose a few cm behind the bb (5cm, I think). For racing, I rotate the whole thing forward and down and have the nose 5cm in front (and armpads ~22cm below the saddle). I ride that steep position in the final three weeks before an event to get my neck used to it. It’s not good to train on since it’s dangerous to ride like that.
That’s a big jump. Is that purely for a change in position for aerodynamics or do you find a difference in power as well? Perhaps also a difference in the run off the bike?
When you ride really steep, the medial malleolus****(the boney protrusion where your fibula/tibia ends and your foot begins****) is aligned vertically with the femur hip joint,
The Femur hip joint shouldn’t be ahead of that line, or you will lose power
Nonsense. Muscle activation is independent of orientation in space, relative to gravity’s direction. You can find the references on PubMed if you care to look.
Besides, triathlon cycling is all about NOT producing the most power possible. We budget our power out based on our tactical decisions. We have to save energy for the run.
To the original question, I train with the saddle nose a few cm behind the bb (5cm, I think). For racing, I rotate the whole thing forward and down and have the nose 5cm in front (and armpads ~22cm below the saddle). I ride that steep position in the final three weeks before an event to get my neck used to it. It’s not good to train on since it’s dangerous to ride like that.
Thanks. I didn’t come up with it. I quoted from a guy supposedly knowledgeable in fit. I found it odd, hence why I asked if true.
So, the only thing limiting you from going forward/down is your neck and the ability to look forward ?
That’s a big jump. Is that purely for a change in position for aerodynamics or do you find a difference in power as well? Perhaps also a difference in the run off the bike?
Thanks
Same power either way…it’s just more aero. The change is worth ~1.5-2mph at the same power. All of my joint angles remain the same, so running off the bike is the same either way.
The only downside is the extra weight on the arms/shoulders, and some neck stress. Those are solved by just throwing in an adaptation period.
So, the only thing limiting you from going forward/down is your neck and the ability to look forward ?
Right…if your back is truly flat, looking up the road is a chore. In a race, I look up for a bit, then look down and relax, then look up again. That really doesn’t work on training rides! Very dangerous.
It’s possible to set up a bike with all the same joint angles; one position sitting up in a medium aero position for training, and then roll the whole setup forward around the bb for racing. Saddle comes forward and maybe up 1cm; armpads go down and forward. Hold out a piece of string, one end fixed at the bb; use the string to scribe a circle with the other end running through any given component (seat and bars) and you see where that component needs to move to.
Once you have a good bike fit, it’s just geometry to rotate that fit into more- and less-aero setups. Just a circle around the bb.
I am 50 mm behind but can’t go any further forward per UCI rules. On my training bike it is 25 mm behind IIRC and because of that I can open up my hip more it feels much better and powerful…