I’ve been adjust my position for the last year. Recently I lowered the seat and raised the handle bars. I’m now more comfortable. I can also put out more power than with my higher seat position.
I think I’m much less aero now. Today, I took a video of myself with three different front end setups. During each setup I try three different back positions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBaxSQcGXks
Which position do you guys think would be the best?
Back position #2 is ridiculous. I don’t know why you’d even try to get into a position that’s not comfortable and raises your head. So, forget it.
Back position #1 is obviously your default, since it’s the postion that you were riding in before you knew that recording had began and said it was the most comfortable.
Back position #3 (turtle) may be slightly better (would have to see frontal shot). But, if it’s less comfortable, I’d save it as an option for when it really matter (like riding into a headwind), unless your races are short, where it’s OK to sacrifice some comfort for speed.
Full drop looks the best. But, how is it comfort-wise? See above about your goal race distances. Just get as low as you can while still being able to maintain that position for the duration of your race and still get off and run afterward.
Your saddle height actually looks a little low. But, I beleive it’s because you ankle so much at the bottom. Do you always ride like that?
EDIT: I just wanted to say that I really like your bike. That’s my favorite P2C color scheme.
Steve
your seat is seriously WAY TOO LOW!
Seriously.
I don’t know how you have more “power” with it like that, your knee hardly changes position throughout the entire pedaling cycle.
hate to jump on the raise your saddle band wagon, but its pretty low. How much? you’ll need to see an experienced fitter.
Position 1 or 2 and raise the seat up a little. Go with what is most comfortable. Any aero gains miumum if at all from what it looks like between two. Maybe rotate the two to stay comfy through out. Think this is a first on ST that a seat is to low. LOL
your seat is seriously WAY TOO LOW!
Seriously.
I don’t know how you have more “power” with it like that, your knee hardly changes position throughout the entire pedaling cycle.
It’s a first for Slowtwitch!
And I agree, it hurts my knees just to watch it…
Jodi
Haha, the bike shop guy was yelling at me to raise my seat too.
I used to ride with the seat much higher. I’ve been to two good fitters and they both had my seat pretty high, maybe 6+ cm higher.
I’ve always had problems putting out as much power on my tt bike as I do on my road bike. I lowered my seat to try to get more power. I used to distance on my road bike from my BB to where I sit on the saddle and made those two equal.
I now put out close to the same power on my tt bike as my road. To get any idea of the power difference I was doing 3x15 at 250,260,265 watts with the high seat. With it lowered I can do 3x15 at 290,290,300.
So, should I raise the seat just for the sake of raising the seat? I don’t have any injuries in this low seat posistion and it feels like I can use my hamstrings a lot more.
I’m also 6’6 and 183lbs. I have a feeling that everything is magnified with me but Im not sure.
I was trying posistion 2 because I hear that a flat back is more aero. Like how lance raised his front end to get a flatter back, but I really don’t know what to do so that’s why I’m here.
I’m doing NO next weekend and I’m going to keep that regular setup for that. Tomorrow I have a 7mile TT which I think I will try the lowest drop for…I’m not sure though.
I’d like to be able to slowly work my way into the lower posistion. The pain part is always my neck. I have been doing some neck bridges and that seems to help.
Thanks for the reply.
I haven’t read all the responses.
Back position #2 is just stupid. Who told you to even consider that? So what if it makes your back flat if your melon is sticking so high up in the air?
Your saddle is too low. You need to raise it. Then something like bar position #2 will be about right.
Use the shrug as much as you can. That’s a no-brainer for everyone. So what if you can’t hold it forever. It’s a tool in the aresenal. Use it when you can.
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