I ride a P3SL 55cm bike, Look ergostem, seat pretty much all the way forward. Seat also as low as it can go without cutting the seat tube. I have attached a video clip of me riding at about 200 watts on my computrainer. Any advice on improving my position. I am just ramping up for my training for IM AZ. Going to be a lot of computrainer miles this winter. I wore the aerohelmet so you can see how it fits against my back. Thanks.
Unless you can get your head lower (I mean by dropping it between your shoulders, not by lowering the bars), there’s not much reason to worry about your back. The top of your helmet is what’s going to catch the air, not your back.
I think your position looks very good. If you can maintain power that way, I probably wouldn’t change a thing. You could try jutting your chin down and forward, but few people have the discipline to ride like that for very long. You could also try to roll your hips forward; that might flatten your back more. But again, I don’t think most people can ride that way for very long.
I’d love to tell you; however, this is a relatively new position and I haven’t time trialled these distances as I am just building up for IM Arizona.
It feels fairly comfortable, so far, but I haven’t really gone far yet. When I test myself, I’ll repost with data if I remember, although it might be awhile until I build up to 112 miles.
Most people have that hump. I believe it was Cobb or perhaps Rinard that estimated that it’s about 80/20 or maybe 90/10 in terms of people who will have a hump vs. those who can have a totally flat back (e.g. Zabriskie). Don’t be fooled into thinking that a flat back is normal. You just see a lot of pictures of guys in that position because many of the top TT’ers in the world (Lance being a notable exception) can get a flat back. They also generate massive wattage. Doesn’t mean that is normal or necessary in order to ride well.
Like you with the scheurmans whatever Also have the hump and never worried about it - hasn’t impeded my cycling in any way - my poor engine? Well that’s an entirely different thread:)
I’m not really seeing a problem since your aerohelmet transitions nicely to it. If in fact your seat is too high, which I think is hard to tell from static pics, then lowering it (and possibly your front end afterwards) might help, since a seat to high could be putting strain on your back muscles in a weird way, which doesn’t allow you to get lower and relax in front. But even if that doesn’t change the hump in your back, I wouldn’t worry, since the side profile looks good.
There is a link to a video of me on my trainer on the original post, how can one tell if my seat is too high? I know people look at the toe down pedalling, but it seems that some people just pedal toe down, unless I’m wrong.
Your hips seem to rock an awful lot in that video, which makes me think your seat is too high. Some people pedal toe down, so don’t go by that. But hips rocking is almost always a bad sign. And just eyeballing it, your knee extension seems to be at least on the high end of acceptable, especially considering you pedal with so much toe-down AND your hips are rocking back and forth. It’s always worth it to make the trip to see a good fitter. If there is not one by you, schedule a fit next time you are at a race. I know, I know, never change anything before a race. BUT, if that is the only time you’ll be near a good fitter, it will be worth it.
EDIT: if your saddle is too high, it could also be affecting your ability to properly rotate your pelvis forward, which could have an affect on the curvature of your back. (I know that is a lot of “coulds.”)
Also have the hump and never worried about it - hasn’t impeded my cycling in any way - my poor engine? Well that’s an entirely different thread:)