This weekend I screwed around with my bike position. I ran around trying to find a background that wasn’t a friggin mess. I know, the gardens. But I’M A TRIATHLETE!!! WHAT DOES SHE EXPECT!!!
Here are the before photos:
And here are the afters:
What was changed was that the seat was raise by 1.5 cm. I put the stem off my cross bike on it, which was about 1.5 cm shorter, and lowered the bars by 1.5cm as well.
Then I took kid to hockey, came home, did the requisite screwin around, got on bike to ride it. Rode it 10 minutes, rain started, rode it 8 minutes back. It felt fine- the height difference of the seat wasn’t much of a problem. It was a bit weird, but my butt wasn’t wobbling as I pedaled. I feel like I should have the front down a bit further still, and would like my hands closer to me. I want to replace the aerobars with one of those ubercool visiontech carbon, but for the life of me I can’t figure out how the geometry of them- they have an integrated stem on them and I can’t figure out where a give size would put my elbows, hands etc. I also want to go with those flat/sbend kind of bars.
Ride it. Make a change, then ride and let your body adapt. As you get more comfortable, you’ll probably be able to get a bit lower in the front, should you choose to. But ride this position, and get used to it before you make more changes.
I’m not qualified to critique your position, but I wanted to offer some observations on the Visiontech bars you’re considering. I looked at a set of the integrated bars with the R-bend. I believe the stem length is 9 cm. I’m a long-torso, short leg body type, so I was scared off from the integrated unit. I ordered the VT base bar and carbon R-bend clip-on and I installed it all about 3 days ago. Used my 12 cm stem. Though I’m only 5’ 7" tall, I ordered the large base bar and the longest clip-on option. I’m really glad I did. I’ve been very suprised to find that I don’t need to cut a thing. I seem to be quite comfy and aero right where things are. I had to flip the arm rests around, but that was about it. I’m glad this all worked out for me, but the important question I have is how any of this would work for a person who was very much taller than me.
Bottom line … I think you’ll find the VT stuff tends towards the small side. Order larger than you think you’ll need. And if you have any question about a 9 cm stem, don’t go with the integrated unit.
Here’s another clinker. I was really ticked off to discover that my Cane Creek brakes wouldn’t fit the VT base bar. I called FSA about it and the customer service guy cheerfully said, “that’s so you have to buy our brakes.” No shit … but I had to appreciate his brutal honesty. I’d have liked to have known about that before I was into the middle of the project. There was nothing about it on any of the websites where I priced the basebar and clip-ons. There was nothing about it on the FSA website. It was a total surprise. So … make sure your brakes are gonna fit. The VT brakes are about $90!
Despite the brake thing, I’m happy with the end result so far.
As long as they’re still making the integrated bars with investment casting, don’t buy them. A better Vision setup is the flat base bar and the clip-ons. Cheaper and more adjustable, and every bit as aero.
I like the way your elbows have come back, and your upper arms aren’t so angled forward. You’re now in position to go lower if you choose to. Good work.
I found the sizing of the Vision clip-ons to be spot on, although I am using the non-R-bends. I went by the sizing chart on TriSports.com. Based on the measurements, I needed the largest size, but went with one size down. I have a short torso and like a pretty short cockpit, despite my height of 6’0".
You get style points for the car and the paving stone driveway. New bike position looks more comfortable also. Is that a small Japanese Maple in your front yard?
Where is your saddle nose in relation to your BB? When I got mine to 81 deg, I was able to go much lower in front, without sacrificing comfort or perceived power. (I’m a stiff old man.)
I put an adjustable stem on my SR and was able to lower my bars gradually and well below where I could with the fixed stems that I had, including an inverted ‘comfort’ stem.
I started with a Nashbar adjustable, which I got for $20. Somewhere I think saw the Ritchey adjustable on sale last week. I think it was Nashbar or Perforrmance. I got the 12cm but think I should get a 10. If you know someone with an ergo stem, you can play around with infinite variations.
Convertible BMW: Check
IM jersey: Check
IM tattoo: Check
Fancy-schmancy bike: Check
Onto the fitting critique…
Something’s not right, but I can’t put my finger on it. Maybe your bike is too big. Or maybe you need shorter aerobar extensions. Looks like you’ve got your saddle pushed way far forward and your elbows still need to come back a couple inches (you’re too stretched out). Also, your left knee is flaring in the second frontal shot. Not sure why, but something that requires attention (could it be that raising your saddle is causing your hips to rock???).
I have measured the saddle angle and its over 80 degrees. The bike itself is hugely adjustable- I’m not sure I need a smaller size. The beam itself is now at its top limit- if you look at the way the angles are, as you move the seat angle steeper, the seat is further down the slope of the beam. What I’m finding as a limitation is that the headtube is so long on this bike. I’m going to need a steeper downsloping stem to get down any more. I’m hoping that new aerobars will have lower elbow pads than the syntaces I have on there now.
I think the adjustable stem is a good idea now that I’ve given up the idea of the visiontech integrated bar. When I’m happy with it, I can swap in a normal stem that matches whatever I put on there. But, as my ‘A’ race next year is Florida, the extra couple of hundred grams probably isn’t significant.
I do feel my current aerobars are too long. In light of John Cobb’s suggestion, when I rode the bike last week, “choked up” on the aerobars, there were 20 watts of untouched power all of a sudden. The shorter stem still isn’t short enough, I agree. With the flatter S-bends/racer bends, its maybe something you’re not as locked into as with the upturned syntaces I have on there.
And the car is sweet. 250 km/h. With the bike on the back. Way home from Tupper Lake, 401. Father screaming in the passenger seat. Wind ripping through your hair. Can’t hear father though- the stereo is hooked into the car’s electronics, and as it speeds up, the stereo volume goes up automatically. 450 watts. Works out to 112 per ear. And it gets better mileage than my old prelude. Too bad winter has to come!
In the dark secrets vein, I suspect now that its true. I’m almost certain you can pick up hot babes with a car. How shallow are they? Don’t they know we have feelings, thoughts, sensitivities, quiet fragile sides to be unearthed layer by layer? Women!
I was at the same limits of the beam. there are 2 things you can do. You can get the riser thingy that SR makes to elevate you seat, OR, you can do as I did and use the ‘side mount pedals,’ which will necessitate that you lower your saddle by 2.5-4 cm depending your currrent pedals (Speedplay vs Look). You will definitely need the lowering stem. I like mine SMPs, but the increased Q might bother some people.
Look at the pictures of the T2+ again…they are the full diameter of the aerobar tube plus a bit above the bar. This is barely better than the Syntace models. Hed Fliplites and the Ovals are at least close.
The visiontech racing bend clipons look to me, in the pics, as though the bottom of the armrest pads are going to be almost touching the base bar. They look cool. They might be my best bet. And I think with the racing bend the sizing isn’t likely as critical. I can play with it as it comes out of the box for while,then later on when I’m sure, cut them to the right length.
I think I can maybe move the set forward slightly more without lowering the seat (the beam angle moves the seat down when you slide the seat bracket forward on the beam) by moving the seat forward on its rails, leaving the clamp at the same spot on the beam.
And the scrotum pack doesn’t race with me. I wedgie a tubular and a CO2 cartridge/nozzle behind the seat in front of the cages, then wrap the thing in Canadian Tire tape to make it mo aero.
I will spend the winter again working on bringing my knees in. Riding the trainer this morning, I agree- my elbow pads are a bit too wide- probably I’ll bring the elbows in a cm or so and see where that puts me.
Unfortunately road cycling here is pretty much done. I might be able to get out a few times, but it will be with full winter snowmobile type suits on. Makes it impossible to tell how you’re doing aero wise with all that stuff on.
I’ve seen the T2+ mounted with the extensions below the base bar. I thought that was an option with those, but I could be wrong. THe Ovals do go right on the base bar.
Look at the distance between the medial portion of your shoe and the crank arm- There seems to be a significant amount of distance there. This is worthy of investigation…
I have speedplay pedals- I think there is some lateral adjustment on the cleats, but its only a couple of mm. Is this something that would need a different kind of pedal (Not fussy on this, like the speedplays), or a different cycling shoe (ones I have are almost worn out). I was thinking this morning as I rode it on the trainer, thinking of the comments on getting the knees in, that a wedge under the cleat would help. If I could get the center of the pedal more lateral under the shoe, functionally its probably the same thing
