A question of technique

mitchgixer6
mitchgixer6 Posts: 729
edited January 2009 in Road beginners
Hi guys,

I'm new to all this road bike malarky, so new I don't even have me road bike yet! So this might be an obvious question to those that have more experience than me.

Just a quick question that maybe someone can answer for me, as it's perplexed me for quite a while now. When I watch the pros do their stuff on the tv, they always seem to position themselves really far forward on the saddle leaving about half the saddle visible. Why is this? Always seems to be when pushing hard (ie on a TT or trynig to catch a breakaway).

Comments

  • oxon
    oxon Posts: 35
    more power! thus faster speed
  • mitchgixer6
    mitchgixer6 Posts: 729
    oxon wrote:
    more power! thus faster speed

    Can you elaborate any further? Surely if that gives more power then shouldn't the riding position be changed so as that's the "norm". Then the rider could move back if the going got a bit easier??
  • John.T
    John.T Posts: 3,698
    When working hard the natural tendency is to pull yourself forward on the saddle. This position is not really sustainable in normal riding. This is known as being 'on the rivet' as older saddles had rivets on the nose. It does not neccesarily give more power, it is just a reaction. TTs are rather different in that the whole body is rotated forward on the bike. Some riders find sitting on the nose of the saddle more comfortable in this position but not all.
    This is a somewhat simplistic answer but it could get a lot more complicated.
    My Fleet.
  • octav
    octav Posts: 50
    As Lance Armstrong said , forward is more aerodynamics and staying back in the saddle is more power. You have to make a compromise between these. Lance had his saddle setback 5 cm for normal stages and for the mountain stages 7 cm . So for TT you have to be very forward but UCI allows the setback of only 5 cm. That's why the pros stay very forward on the saddle.
  • mitchgixer6
    mitchgixer6 Posts: 729
    Thanks for the replies folks. That's me happy that i got my explanation! :D

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