New Bike: Critique My Fit

Triathlon Forum
1

After seeing so many people submitting their fits, I wanted to get some advice from the ST experts. I just received this bike about a week ago and have it set up very similarly to my old bike. The armpads are 17mm higher on this bike than mine from last year.

http://youtu.be/AvH4CDdVmFo

Notes: I race sprints and Olympics, so my position needs only to be optimized for <60 minutes.
0:00-0:10 is my relaxed, casual riding.
0:11-0:28 is turtling my head and shoulder blades. And yes, I can see up the road enough in that position.

Once the weather gets nicer out, I plan to field test my position against short tail helmet fairing, -17* stem (currently running -6* 90mm), and praying mantis style extensions.

2

Miss it looks like you seat is a tad bit high. Your toes are really pointing downward to the point you could be losing some power.
Also the shelf is cluttered. And are they red solo cups on the shelf?

3

Looks good

Wouldn’t listen to this:

Miss it looks like you seat is a tad bit high. Your toes are really pointing downward to the point you could be losing some power.

4

Yeah… the shelf is currently a disaster. I have been disassembling and swapping bikes the past few weeks, so those are all the left overs.

And the solo cups… those are there for,… erhm,… hydration? Yeah, that’s it! Hydration!

5

I like the seat height. Nothing to improve here from an online fit. Setback and drop could changed, but we just don’t know now do we dude? If I suspected anything, the reach to the bars might be a tad long, though it looks good when you ride hard.

6

Really his toes feet look to be pointed down a bit tomuch to me. Although I know some people like to ride that way. Seems to me he would be losing power when pulling up and might benefit from a more level foot position when clipped in. This way he can "scrape on the upstroke and point a bit on the down stroke. To maximize power for the short sprints and oly distances.

7

I am all for the red solo cups ;0)
.

8

Toes pointed down doesn’t mean anything by itself. Look at his leg extension and you can see that his seat is NOT high. If anything, I would argue that he could bump it up a hair.

People need to stop looking at someone with their toes down and assuming that their saddle is too high. I have a natural “toes down” pedaling motion and most people would tell you my seat is too low (dropped it a bit for IT reasons).

9

Like I said some people like the toe down pedaling. I however do not. I find I like a more even stroke where I can pull and push better. Dave Greenfield fit me. But also fit me for tri’s half in distance and below. I was just offering another point of view to try.

10

Like I said some people like the toe down pedaling. I however do not. I find I like a more even stroke where I can pull and push better. Dave Greenfield fit me. But also fit me for tri’s half in distance and below. I was just offering another point of view to try.

Fair enough…but a preference for “toe down” pedaling does not equate to a saddle being too high. You have to look at the whole picture…and if you do, it is pretty clear that the OP’s seat is NOT too high.

Conversely, you could have a flat foot through he bottom of your stroke (or even heel down) and your seat could be too high…but if you just use the ankle / toe visual, you would miss that.

11

Take another video where your heel is dropped so it is more level during the whole pedal stroke. With your toes down and heels up your increasing your reach and it makes it look like your knee is overly bent, probably around 140 degrees maybe less. If that’s the way you ride and your not changing it for anyone bump up the seat 5 mils and see how that feels. Also looks like your shoulders are rolled forward a bit, maybe bring in the bars a few mils especially if you also raise the seat. My opinion, mark everything before you make changes. Best thing get a Guru fit :wink:

12

Never mind about the reach. Watched a second time, looks good

13

looks pretty good, seat can probably be raised a little bit.

14

I like the seat height. Nothing to improve here from an online fit. Setback and drop could changed, but we just don’t know now do we dude? If I suspected anything, the reach to the bars might be a tad long, though it looks good when you ride hard.

This guy’s statements can basically be taken as fact.

15

I am all for the red solo cups ;0)

Finally, another Toby Keith fan on ST
.

16

What is the current conventional wisdom on knees pitched so far out over the pedal stroke?

I remember being warned away from that particular situation as it could cause knee injury, but I don’t recall if that warning was for a road bike fit, or if it’s now outdated info, or simply bad advice.

17

After seeing so many people submitting their fits, I wanted to get some advice from the ST experts. I just received this bike about a week ago and have it set up very similarly to my old bike. The armpads are 17mm higher on this bike than mine from last year.

http://youtu.be/AvH4CDdVmFo

Notes: I race sprints and Olympics, so my position needs only to be optimized for <60 minutes.
0:00-0:10 is my relaxed, casual riding.
0:11-0:28 is turtling my head and shoulder blades. And yes, I can see up the road enough in that position.

Once the weather gets nicer out, I plan to field test my position against short tail helmet fairing, -17* stem (currently running -6* 90mm), and praying mantis style extensions.

not being able to slow it down or measure anything, I would have to say that your position looks very good to me if you can sustain that position. Seat height, drop, extension, head and helmet position, everything - looks very good. I would go so far as to say that this is one of the best positions I have seen in these critique my fit threads. I am not a certified fitter but I think I have a good idea of what constitutes a good fit. Do you feel strong and relatively comfortable?

18

What is the current conventional wisdom on knees pitched so far out over the pedal stroke?

I remember being warned away from that particular situation as it could cause knee injury, but I don’t recall if that warning was for a road bike fit, or if it’s now outdated info, or simply bad advice.

Road bike fit, outdated, and bad advice.

19

After seeing so many people submitting their fits, I wanted to get some advice from the ST experts. I just received this bike about a week ago and have it set up very similarly to my old bike. The armpads are 17mm higher on this bike than mine from last year.

http://youtu.be/AvH4CDdVmFo

Notes: I race sprints and Olympics, so my position needs only to be optimized for <60 minutes.
0:00-0:10 is my relaxed, casual riding.
0:11-0:28 is turtling my head and shoulder blades. And yes, I can see up the road enough in that position.

Once the weather gets nicer out, I plan to field test my position against short tail helmet fairing, -17* stem (currently running -6* 90mm), and praying mantis style extensions.

not being able to slow it down or measure anything, I would have to say that your position looks very good to me if you can sustain that position. Seat height, drop, extension, head and helmet position, everything - looks very good. I would go so far as to say that this is one of the best positions I have seen in these critique my fit threads. I am not a certified fitter but I think I have a good idea of what constitutes a good fit. Do you feel strong and relatively comfortable?

Thanks for that!! And to everyone else who took the time out to view.

I am a bit sore right now, only because this is the 1st time back on a tri bike since August, so naturally certain spots need time to adjust. I was able to hold this position well last year during duathlons and a time trial. I did experience some leg cramping during the du’s but never for a stand alone TT, which leads me to believe I overcooked the 1st run.

As far as comfort goes, it is comfortable *enough. *I very rarely will ride my tri bike if it is not a hard effort because I like to treat this bike as “go time.” I would not throw on running flats or spikes unless I am racing or doing hard track work, so leaving the tri bike for races and hard efforts helps the flip that mental switch to “ON”.
I am excited to get in some field testing once the polar vortex in Chicago leaves to see how the new bike handles!

20

Miss it looks like you seat is a tad bit high. Your toes are really pointing downward to the point you could be losing some power.
Also the shelf is cluttered. And are they red solo cups on the shelf?

Saddle isn’t too high!

The fit is really good.