Firstly I want to say Hi. I joined here to buy the bike pictured below. This is my 2nd year doing Triathlons (mostly Sprint, however I completed NYC Olympic distance this year as well in 3:09), I was a runner in high school then took about 10 years off and ended up in crap shape, one thing led to another and here I am. To preface this I am a midpack at best age grouper, I have a lot of work to do but I enjoy every minute of it. I have been using a road bike with a fast forward seat post and aero bars up until I bought this Mercury from a forum member here FIFO (thanks FIFO!)
I had not planned to race this bike initially so I had time to test, tune, and fit it perfectly. Unfortunately however I broke my road bike (long story) and it is in about 4000 pieces right now (I do all my own work on my bikes) and I won’t have what I need to fix it for around a month, and I have a sprint this weekend, and another in 2 weeks, and a 3rd in 3 weeks! So the Mercury is going into the fray.
I followed the FIST instructions as best I could here but unfortunately a) I don’t have a trainer and b) I live on a dimly lit street across from a strip of bars so since its almost 11 I don’t wanna become roadkill. But after adjusting and whatnot this is what I came up with and I feel pretty comfortable here. But maybe Im losing something. Obviously I need to cut down the aerobars about 20mm. But other than that does anyone see any other issues with my position? Sunday is the race but I have Saturday to fool around with the fit and test it out on the road. Thanks all for any help you can provide!
Welcome! I am no expert but I know what position I have developed and what works for me. Hip angle and leg extension look good. I would hold off on cutting the extensions. You are really choked up in the picture. Is that what feels comfortable? I would try riding in both positions first (choked up and not). Is the saddle slammed all the way forward?
Anyways welcome to ST!
Welcome! I am no expert but I know what position I have developed and what works for me. Hip angle and leg extension look good. I would hold off on cutting the extensions. You are really choked up in the picture. Is that what feels comfortable? I would try riding in both positions first (choked up and not). Is the saddle slammed all the way forward?
Anyways welcome to ST!
I’m not sure what you mean by choked up, but I think you mean I can definitely stretch out a bit more however then I get more of an angle to my upper arms than what FIST says, so i pulled back a bit. I assume that i should have my fingertips able to touch the shifters so the only way to shorten the bars (Zipp Vuka Clip ons) is to cut them down they are pushed in all the way already. Saddle is not all the way forward it has a tad bit more room, as well I was thinking of moving it down slightly more. I guess pushing the saddle forward a bit will correct my aerobar length issue somewhat.
Thanks!!
It is really hard to say anything when you are sitting still. For example -I would be willing to bet that if I watched you pedal your heel on the foot facing me is NOT in the position it is in, in the picture. So any advice I would base on what I see here would be faulty. I think that the best advice is do some local research on bike fitters and see someone to give you a dynamic fit. Right now you are just posing for the camera.
RV
It is really hard to say anything when you are sitting still. For example -I would be willing to bet that if I watched you pedal your heel on the foot facing me is NOT in the position it is in, in the picture. So any advice I would base on what I see here would be faulty. I think that the best advice is do some local research on bike fitters and see someone to give you a dynamic fit. Right now you are just posing for the camera.
RV
You’re right I agree. We have a good shop who is a fitter but I really don’t have any time before the race (Sunday) to get down there (appointment only) so I’m trying to do a quick and dirty to survive the event, not be in pain when Im done, and lose as little as possible.
Ok the few times I was able to take it for a run (thanks to my schedule/weather) was not enough apparently 
While I finished the race, and fast (to me, 18 mph, 2 mph faster than last year!) and beat my time from last year as well. By the end of the bike leg my neck and upper back hurt. I stayed aero for the whole race (9.3 mi) excluding 1 steep climb and I had to take a little break for about 1/2 mile from the pain.
The bike felt great, stable etc, I just hope I can get to the bike fitter before my next one (2 weeks), but my schedule is so busy.
PS The Adamo Race Saddle is the most glorious thing ever invented btw. I got off the bike and down south it was like I hadn’t even rode it!