I’ve changed a lot of things since the last attempt at this. The P2K was just way too long in the top tube for me unless I rode really steep – took too many spacers, and the even w/ the 8cm stem I was too stretched out. This is on a Soloist, which actually has a shorter top tube for a given height, thus meaning reasonable spacers on a frame I can ride less steep.
I lowered my saddle 1cm after seeing my pics, and these now reflect that. I greatly prefer a little elevated heel, but I can drop my heel here.
I’m not trying to be super-aero, just as aero as I can while I slowly (like over months/years) get lower.
I’m with Tom…cleat is too far forward…sure, its individual…but its what you get used to…if I recall, the evidence says power is better with cleats further back…
i like how you color coordinate your outift with your bike. even the red accents on your shoes match the red highlights on your wheels! well done, you metro-sexual phool!
oh … and the position looks good. maybe bring the bars back a little to get your upper arms at 90 deg.
You are not riding a mountain bike, so black sox are absolutely prohibited.
And if you take a photo with all your equipment the chain has got to be on the big chainring! :-)))))
Just joking, position looks good
VEry good set up, esecially the length of the aerobars. Your cleat does look somewhat too far forward on the shoe, but that is an individual thing.
Good to hear, thanks.
One thing I don’t like is the braking position on the “Hed hoods”. Way too high and short. I’m going to drop the bar 1cm and then put the Hed spacers under the pads. Won’t do much, but it’ll help. I also can’t get the extensions any closer together without the pads becoming too close. Guess I’m not as much of a fan of the Heds as I thought I’d be.
Any better bars (integrated or bar+clip-ons) for my application? I’d like them to be a lot lower with the same pad height (meaning the bar needs to either angle down or have more space between the pads and bar) and a lot longer out front. The longer front is more important of the two things. I wish Hed had made the wing sweep forward.
As for the cleats, I had them farter back, but when I got my fit from PK several months ago, he moved them there. I didn’t really feel much of a difference, and it seems to work OK.
I can’t move the bars back any – that’s an 8cm stem. And I’ve already had to re-drill the Hed carbon armrest cups to slide them back a little. Any further and they nail my knees when I’m outta the saddle anyway. Lemme tell you, those carbon cups are sharp!
No one commented on the Vasa barely visible to the right?
I almost wept when Tom, and at least one other, mention about moving your cleats back, because I had that thought, which I otherwise would have kept to myself. See #1.
If you do move your cleats back (but your race is next week, correct?), you may find that your seat needs to come down a tad, because your heel, hopefully, will be more into the stroke, which will get your hips rocking. THen if your seat comes down, you can lose a spacer. See #1.
Somebody mentioned bringing your aero bars back. That would change your upper-arm/torso angle from apporximately 90 degrees, and it looks like it is just barely there now. When you get more acute than 90, at least when I get more acute than 90, it is very uncomfortable. See #1.
Looking at your right knee in relation to your chest/torso, it looks like you have a lot of room there to possibly get lower in front, which will get your back flatter, and I think make you more aero. But it sounds like you didn’t like riding steep, or I would pull your seat forward and remove a few spacers. Maybe you will think about that over time. Even being old and decrepit, I am surprised when I look at the drop from my seat to my aeros. See #1.
BUT YOU LOOK GOOD AND YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE A GREAT RACE!!!
NOW, have you thought through your clothes changes? Is this a wetsuits swim? Are you going to change into bike shorts at T-1, running shorts at T-2? A lot of guys wear tri-shorts with a thin pad (vaseline under the shorts) under the wetsuit and their HR monitor and bike shirt on, and never change. I keep forgetting how long your race is, but if you haven’t cycled with the thin pads, don’t start now.
I almost wept when Tom, and at least one other, mention about moving your cleats back, because I had that thought, which I otherwise would have kept to myself. See #1.
If you do move your cleats back (but your race is next week, correct?), you may find that your seat needs to come down a tad, because your heel, hopefully, will be more into the stroke, which will get your hips rocking. THen if your seat comes down, you can lose a spacer. See #1.
Somebody mentioned bringing your aero bars back. That would change your upper-arm/torso angle from apporximately 90 degrees, and it looks like it is just barely there now. When you get more acute than 90, at least when I get more acute than 90, it is very uncomfortable. See #1.
Looking at your right knee in relation to your chest/torso, it looks like you have a lot of room there to possibly get lower in front, which will get your back flatter, and I think make you more aero. But it sounds like you didn’t like riding steep, or I would pull your seat forward and remove a few spacers. Maybe you will think about that over time. Even being old and decrepit, I am surprised when I look at the drop from my seat to my aeros. See #1.
BUT YOU LOOK GOOD AND YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE A GREAT RACE!!!
NOW, have you thought through your clothes changes? Is this a wetsuits swim? Are you going to change into bike shorts at T-1, running shorts at T-2? A lot of guys wear tri-shorts with a thin pad (vaseline under the shorts) under the wetsuit and their HR monitor and bike shirt on, and never change. I keep forgetting how long your race is, but if you haven’t cycled with the thin pads, don’t start now.
Thanks for the good thoughts.
I’m not moving my cleats back. Don’t want to mess w/ that this close to D-day.
I’m w/ you on not shortening the front end – I actually prefer being a little stretched out. Lower = later, although I dunno how much lower/more forward I’ll go as I really lose power more forward. I have about 4cm of saddle rail left if I decide to go more forward in the future.
Half-IM… no wetsuits. No clothes change, period – straight onto the bike, straight into the run. I don’t feel a big diff between my road and tri shorts. No HR monitor (PT on the bike, RPE on the run… maybe I’ll put on the HR monitor for the run but doubtful). Of course, all this assumes I make it thru that swim.
Dissenting opinion on the cleats here. (and yes, you don’t wanna F with 'em now, or anything else probably either, not the week before the race). I always had 'em further back, and still do on my mtb shoes, but for my road/Tri shoes (the same pair) they are like yours.
Put there by none other than Paul Levine, so far be it from me to debate that point. Took me no time to get used to 'em, and overall I’m faster and much more comfy than I was before, so he musta done something right.
If you think you are fast, you are fast. You certainly look fast
let us know how ya did, I’m curious if I am in contention for your title of Worst Swimmer on the Forum 2005 (my $'s on me, at least as of right now). Good luck!
Dissenting opinion on the cleats here. (and yes, you don’t wanna F with 'em now, or anything else probably either, not the week before the race). I always had 'em further back, and still do on my mtb shoes, but for my road/Tri shoes (the same pair) they are like yours.
Put there by none other than Paul Levine, so far be it from me to debate that point. Took me no time to get used to 'em, and overall I’m faster and much more comfy than I was before, so he musta done something right.
If you think you are fast, you are fast. You certainly look fast
let us know how ya did, I’m curious if I am in contention for your title of Worst Swimmer on the Forum 2005 (my $'s on me, at least as of right now). Good luck!
Well, it took me 25 mins to swim 1000 in the pool today. I definitely won’t have a good race… it could very well take me an hour to cover that 1.2 miles. That’ll juuuuust about put me dead last into T1 and of course, wasted.
PK technologies set my cleats… like you, I ain’t in any position to argue. Funny thing, one of the screws fell out yesterday and the other 2 were super loose. Whoops!
That’ll juuuuust about put me dead last into T1 and of course, wasted.
That means you will get to pass people on the bike. Even though you are wasted just keep moving deliberately through your transition tasks. Head out on the bike fairly easy until your blood gets down into your extremities, 56 miles is a long time.
