I know what an ST approved tri bike position looks like (zabriskie?), but can someone give me a link/pic (or drop a name) of an ideal position on a road bike?
A side question, is it possible to have both an ideal tri and road bike position on the same bike (like Ashburn’s bike with drop bars and aerobars)? I’m not talking the UCI positions but more the IM distance ST-approved positions.
Was looking at this one last night - Bobby J. Notice how he really engages the core. Would be nice if his right leg was in the 6 o’clock position, but you can sort of see the angle.
I would say there is no one answer. Every pro rider has a unique skill set which he/she brings to the team. For example, Lance Armstrong was/is a strong sprinter. Floyd Landis is a good descender.
Therefore, I would analyze pics of Floyd for downhill positions but I would look somewhere else for flats and hill climbs.
when was LA a good sprinter?
I wouldn’t say LA was a strong sprinter, at least relative to his other skills. A great time trialist yes, sprinter no.
Pettachi, McEwen, Horshovd (sp?), Cippolini etc are all better sprinters.
when was LA a good sprinter?
OMG, are you kidding? LA is one of the best sprinters of all time. I’m talking sprinting on a bike, not running.
Thanks everyone for their picks. Any opinion on the second question regarding the possibility of an ideal tri (ST) and road position on the same bike?
No I’m not kidding - seriously how many sprint stages did he win in all his TdFs? Time trialling even on a prologue is not sprinting and neither is outgunning the one or two other guys who made it up the mountain with you. Sprinting is diving out of a wheel and beating Thor Husvold or Robbie McEwan or Pettachi or Cippollini to the line. I’m no statistician and I’m prepared to be proved wrong but I’d be surprised if you could name 5. I don’t think I’m using unusual terminology here - LA is/was not a sprinter.
I was typing without looking at your post - good list!
when was LA a good sprinter?
OMG, are you kidding? LA is one of the best sprinters of all time. I’m talking sprinting on a bike, not running.
LA was not even close to being one of the best sprinters of all time. Even the biggest LA fan would tell you that.
I’m definately no LA expert so I won’t argue with you. My point was that professional cycling is very much a team sport; whereas tri is an individual sport. I’d say there is no “ideal” road bike position.
great minds and all that… 
I’m not sure a sprinter road position is that different than any other top cyclist, what sets them apart is their ability to generate massive watts for a very short period of time out of the saddle.
A side question, is it possible to have both an ideal tri and road bike position on the same bike …
Not at the same time. You can use the same bike and make adjustments back and forth. I was skeptical of this claim until I got the Soloist. Switch that seatpost around backward, remove the aerobars and it’s a great road bike. The caveat is that, while it would fit me, I could also fit on a larger size, and I would prefer the larger size for road racing due to the longer wheelbase. Still, my saddle and handlebars can be in the perfect roadie setup on this small-ish frame.
To race long course tri on this bike, I would merely drop the bars down to race height by using a Look Ergostem. I can duplicate my Yaqui race position almost exactly.
jpflores, You have got to be kidding. Sprinters ride more on the front of the bike. Look at any of the major sprinters today or even pictures of Phinney of the past. A good all around position is one that lets you generate power, lets you be balanced on the frame, and gives you comfort for the 100+ mile ride. Look at pictures of Mercks, Moser, Lamond, Hinualt, Induran… ALL of these guys could generate power because they could get BEHIND the crank. In other words they sat further to the back of the bike. Just the opposite of the sprinter. A great book to read that explains all this is Eddie B’s book on racing. As for LA as a sprinter. I would even say he won 0 in a 5 man-up sprint. He won ALL his one day events in a solo break.
I was referring more about a sprinter’s ability to generate power **out of the saddle. **To your point, if pettachi, mcewen, etc do ride in a significently different road position when seated than the all-around guys, than I stand corrected.
I’d be curious to see pics of what you’re referring to.
Just so i’m clear since I’ve never had a road bike, are you saying on your soloist, the current setup with the drop bars and aerobars:
it’s not ideal for road racing because of the top tube length. That you prefer a larger frame for road racing but you can still race on this smaller frame, it’s just not your preference?
it’s not ideal for long tri because of the height of the aerobars creating a non-ideal aero position. But if you drop the aerobars for long tri, will the drop bars be too low to reach…the curvy horn part?
I’ll hunt some down. If you can get the tape of Paris/Robeux 1976 you will see the BEST position of a non-sprinter whom I would fathom to say generated more power than anyone at that time and that would be Moser. It shows him bridging a gap. And he drops everyone on his wheel.
For the ideal bike position (roadie) look up photos of Michele Bartoli. He was as close to perfect as you can get. Mario Cippolini had a pretty ideal position as well. Amongst current pros, a lot of the CSC guys look pretty good on the bike, as does Tom Boonen. But start with Bartoli.
He won ALL his one day events in a solo break.
He lost twice in a sprint with Michael Boogerd, how embarrassing is that?! 
I rest my case.