I have been tinkering with my position the most I have tinkered since I started doing TT’s quite a few years back. I have gone Lemond, I have gone Boardman, even Obree and Moser.
Physiological injuries have forced some of my change, going high like Indurian on occasion, then getting back lower. I am at physiological crossroads with my position now.
What I have gathered is that despite the fact that I have decent flexibility in my lower body, years of abuse on my upper body have made it very difficult to go low AND narrow. I end up with a very wide shoulder stance, which ends up just slightly narrower than the narrowness in my drops position on my road bike.
I have also determined that a “flat” aerobar is NOT for me. My carpal tunnel and thoracic outlet syndrome will not allow me to have a turned down wrist position. My shoulders ached for days while trying to get this flat-extension thing down. I have not thoroughly exhausted my options for bar bends, as I may have solved the bar bend with yet another MTB bar that has considerable rise. I also may need to rest with a nearly palm flat position. This will take some going over.
I have never claimed to be a fit expert, I only know bad positioning when I see it. When I would see someone who I saw was suffering, I would send them to my PT (or any PT, for that matter), then recommend a good fitter. I have looked in on some of these people later, and saw that they were meeting their potential.
What do I conclude from all of this? Core strength, as well as weight training exercises and flexibility regimens NEED to be done in order to get the best possible position for you. A good fitter like Demmerly or anyone else cannot do their best work without you in your optimal condition in the strength and flexibility departments.
If you really want to improve, get to a PT, follow a regimen made for your core strength/flexibility issues, then get a good fitting.
And to the fitters: partner up with a local PT to send your clients to when you see definite need for improvement in the core strength/flexibility areas. You will end up putting well-positioned, healthy athletes out there.
