Went for my first bike fitting since I first got a tri bike in 1999. They took a ton of measurements and asked good questions and really communicated well.
In summary, he put more spacers in my headset raising it 15mm, (previously mistyped as 150mm) and tilted my aero bars up about 2-3 degrees; they were previously pretty much horizontal. The purpose of the change was to achieve 90 degree angles in my shoulders and elbows to improve the skeleton support of my weight. This he said will be slightly less aero but will significantly improve my ability to run off the bike. Ironically I am happy with my run times off the bike and was looking for better bike times with an improved position, but I will take time savings where ever I can get them.
He also said I should separate aero bars about 2 cm’s more then they are now, but one of the heads to the allen bolt underneath the pad is stripped so it could not be done at the moment. Another odd thing is I found out I was riding on 175mm cranks which are way too big for me. I am 5’10" with very short legs. I was shocked and a little perturbed to find this out and never checked. I went back to my bike order sheet which I still have, from when I ordered this bike 2 1/2 years ago and it was spec’d to have 172.5 cranks.
He did not make any changes to the seat height or the distance form the seat to the aerobars.
I road in the new position on the trainer for about 30 minutes and I am ok with the additional spaces, but the up tilting of the aerobars really feels uncomfortable and my handling skills while in the aero position feel a little compromised.
So my questions are?
Should I gradually tilt the aero bars up to give myself more time to get accustom to the new position?
Any ideas on removing a stripped allen bolt head?
It seems odd to me to not have the aero bars horizontal and tilted up, is it common to have them tilted up? Looking at some race photos it seems they are more horizontal?
*Should I gradually tilt the aero bars up to give myself more time to get accustom to the new position? *
huh? keep your forearms level
Any ideas on removing a stripped allen bolt head?
have a bike mechanic remove it
It seems odd to me to not have the aero bars horizontal and tilted up, is it common to have them tilted up? Looking at some race photos it seems they are more horizontal?
Yep 150MM or milimeters, 1.5 cm’s. Basically one large spacer and one medium spacer. I feel very upright, but it i have not been in the new position for any extended period of time.
Rockfish- 150mm is 15 cm, not 1.5 cm. 150 mm is almost 6 inches. No wonder you’re uncomfortable if it’s up 6 inches. However if it is really 1.5 CM, then you’re probably fine. Stay level on the forearms. Do a brick and let us know how it works out.
I have Syntace bars, one of the allen bolts was stripped, it has been redrilled and replace with a larger hex bolt. It works fine, but I can’t make adjustments with an allen wrench, obviously. I have to pull out a socket wrench.
You “rode in the new position on the trainer for about 30 minutes and I am ok with the additional spaces, but the up tilting of the aerobars really feels uncomfortable and my handling skills while in the aero position feel a little compromised”
Can you please explain the concept of bike handling assessment while on a trainer ???
I also rode it for about 15 minutes in my neighborhood when i went home last night but it was dark and I did not have lights, so that is the basis for my handling comment.
1.5 cm is 15mm, not 150mm. 150mm = 15cm = way too tall.
A tilt of 2-3 degrees in your aerobars should be almost imperceptible. The addition of 1.5cm of spacers is a MUCH larger difference. Are you sure the tilt is only that little? It sounds like you’re really noticing it.
For your stuck allen bolt, some WD40 or some other spray from your hardware store, combined with an allen key that fits very snugly into the stripped hole, will do the trick 50% of the time. If not, a trick I’ve used on other stripped screws but not on a bike is to put a very small diameter cutting tool onto a dremel and cut a small slot in the screw, then use a flathead screwdriver to get it started. Last resort is to drill it out but you need some more specialized tools and some skill with your drill if you’re going to do more good than harm.
Lee Silverman
JackRabbit Sports
Park Slope, Brooklyn