I have a Giant TCR Zero that I love riding and this year bought a Cervelo Dual. Have it set up in the forward position (78 degrees). I have been set up on both bikes and the Cervelo twice. The second guy was just to make sure that I was in the correct position. He just repositioned the cleat a bit and that was about it.
My thinking at this time is to go back to the Giant for racing. I just feel that much more comfortable on that bike. I really am not that flexible and find that on the Cervelo I just can not get comfortable at all. On the Giant with aerobars and with a Thomson zero set back post (seat forward) I can ride for hours in comfort and at a harder pace.
Just wondering if anyone has experienced this as well. Right now the Giant has the seat right back for road riding and what I was thinking was to get another post (carbon and the seat I have now) for road riding and then use the Thomson post and the new Aspide tri for racing. Just switch them out and throw on some aerobars for racing. Any thoughts on this. Not doing anything longer than a Half Ironman, but mostly short stuff.
Perhaps the 78 degree bike was not the right choice for you, and maybe you would have been more comfortable at 75, but that ship may have sailed as the Dual you have, set up in the 75 degree configuration, may not fit you.
FWIW, the Giant (size M), with a zero setback post and the seat 2-3 cm forward of center probably landed you close to 75 degrees.
I find that when going from a slack road bike to a steep set up I don’t “feel” as good. I figures it is because I put thousands of miles on the road bike but only a fraction of that on the steep bike. I know that although the steep bike I owned never felt as good, or didn’t feel like I was able to maximize the effort like on the road bike, it was faster for me. You may want to quantify that you are actually slower on the steep bike, some people are I guess. I know comfort is important, but going fast it also important . . .
I would also think that you require more flexibility to ride a proper positioned slack angled bike set up with aerobars rather than a steep angled proper postioned bike, therefore, going back to a slack angled bike because you are not as flexible would not seem to be the way to go. Last, which one can you run better off, if the Giant saves you a minute on the bike but costs you 1:30 on the run . . . well, you know . . .
I went through the same thing in reverse. I feel very comfortable on my tri-bike but not on my road bike. I have been set-up on both and have had my road position checked many times. I’m faster and more comfortable on the tri-bike (P3)
“Just wondering if anyone has experienced this as well.”
My wife. She has a P2K and an Aquila road bike. Has the P2K set up steep and the road bike slammed with shorty aero bars. We have a 32 kms loop where we live which we have rode hundreds of times. No traffic lights, all on rural roads. Her times on the road bike are consistant with the P2K times but she finds the road bike more comfy.
I should have included a lot more information on the set up of both bikes. The Giant right now has the Thomson post with my seat as far back as possible. I also have a 110mm stem on. The bike is a medium. The bar is about 2.5cm below the height of the seat. Very comfy set-up
The Cervelo is a 54cm and the set clamp is flipped foward. The seat is bit more forward than middle of the rails. The stem is a 100mm. The Syntace flat base bar is again about 3cmbelow the height of the seat, which means the the aerobar pads are about 1 cm below the seat. Syntace C2 med.
I am in a similar situation as you are in that I have recently gone from a 75 road set up to a Dual that is sounds to be set up similar to yours. Although I find the Dual set up more comfortable than my road set up. The fellow who set me up suggested that I get set up in the optimal 78 position, mark my seat ect. and then set the bike up in a more shallow position.
Over the winter he suggested that if I was uncomfortable in the steep position that I should “ease” into it by riding more shallow and working my way up to the steeper position. although I didnt have to do this it seems to me that this ability is the beuty of the Dual. you can ride it as steep or shallow as you want. Why not set your Dual up a bit more shallow get comfortable and then work your way a bit steeper over the winter?
maybe sitting back in the saddle is best for you. maybe not. but your cervelo set up is entirely inappropriate for anybody, and for the bike as well. the only way you can have aerobars that high on a 54cm P3 is to use a stem that angles up like a 5AM woody, or to use a stack of spacers the size of a roll of quarters. if your armrests are going to be that high, flip the clamp backward and shorten the stem to achieve the appropriate cockpit distance, and your hip angle will close down to an effective range.
one misunderstood (i believe) element of hip angles is that they’re just as bad when they’re obtuse as when they’re overly acute. if they’re too acute (your knees hit your chest when you pedal) you can’t recruit quadraceps in the most effective range of motion. when the angle is too obtuse you recruit ONLY thigh muscles and not gluteals (try a vertical jump without bending at the waist). hip angles that are too obtuse mean you’ll generate only about 75% +/- of the power available to you.
let me say again, perhaps rearward is better for you. but if you’re going to ride forward, you’ve got to follow ALL the rules of riding forward. it seems to me your cervelo is set up like a road race bike, but with the saddle jammed way forward. that’s certainly NOT going to work. i’m with you. if you’re going to ride a road front end, match it with a road rear end.