Your TT position - pics
Jeff Jones
Posts: 1,865 Editor
Starting a new topic for this one.
Front on shots are good for this sort of stuff.
Your position isn't bad but it needs a bit of work, especially your helmet/head position. Helmet needs to be flatter against your back and your head/torso could go down a bit, subject to you being able to still put out the power. Ditto your elbows could come in, although not too much.
Wouter Sybrandy has it sorted:
I find the Bell Meteor needs a lot of tweaking to sit flat on your back, e.g. two weeks ago I had it right
But last Saturday I was in too much of a hurry and it was pointing up too much at the back and moving around a lot. Not that it would have made 2+min difference - it's the principle of the matter!
15min of adjusting the straps and a bit of tape has it nice and snug now.
celbianchi wrote:go on - I'm game for a bit of postion tweaking. Photo taken 2 weeks ago on second lap of a hilly 23. The meteor helmet is new this season, I must see about getting it closer to my back - looks unaero to me, though could just have been head position at the time. I think it needs to rotate back a bit.
Anyhow - position has not been tweaked for a while and in terms of standard distance saw me get a 21'12 in a 10 last season (levens) and a 56'26 25 (M2510). Last season was first at tt'ing though have road raced for a few years). I usually finish between 6th and 10th in most Open north eastern events.
FTP on my road bike is 290.
Oh - weight is around 73kg, 5'9 tall
Fill yer boots with constructive positional advice - especially Jeff who is a bit brisk himself.
Front on shots are good for this sort of stuff.
Your position isn't bad but it needs a bit of work, especially your helmet/head position. Helmet needs to be flatter against your back and your head/torso could go down a bit, subject to you being able to still put out the power. Ditto your elbows could come in, although not too much.
Wouter Sybrandy has it sorted:
I find the Bell Meteor needs a lot of tweaking to sit flat on your back, e.g. two weeks ago I had it right
But last Saturday I was in too much of a hurry and it was pointing up too much at the back and moving around a lot. Not that it would have made 2+min difference - it's the principle of the matter!
15min of adjusting the straps and a bit of tape has it nice and snug now.
Jeff Jones
Product manager, Sports
Product manager, Sports
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I might think about changing the bars as they are what came with the bike when I bought it (profile design T2). They are set as close to the stem as I can get them.
I have one more spacer under the stem I can drop the front end. A longer stem also maybe?
I'm aiming for a mid 20 for a ten on a decent course this season so any watts for free are most welcome.
yes in the 24h
Orson
What did you make the visor from for your Meteor ?
I got one from Bob Heath Visors but because the helmet sits far back on my head ( to get the fit right ) the visor isn't deep enough! That one on your photos looks spot on.
Cheers.....
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I guess you could make your own with the right perspex?
No you don't look it, although front-on would tell more of the story. You're only an inch taller than me and the same weight so we shouldn't be vastly different. I have my elbows further back than you, and my knees go inwards over the top tube.
Tried tiliting your bars up slightly?
Product manager, Sports
As Jeff has said still need to sort out the helmet 100%, or possibly get a better fitting helmet.
I was fiddling with my helmet last night (quiet at the back there!). I put the meteor II on, played with the straps for a bit, then kind of held the tail and pulled it downards towards my back, there was a ratchety type noise like when you pull a cable tie through, and then when I got on the bike - it was pretty much flat down against my back, hopefully it will stay there when riding at race intensity. However, I could see no ratchety type plastic inside the lid that would lead to this.
Maybe I've broken it!
SteveR_100Milers: as others have said, you are making life harder for yourself with extra weight. Shedding a bit should enable you to get your elbows a bit narrower (subject to you being able to breathe ok). Alternatively, you could go wider with your forearms but aim to keep shadowing your thighs.
Big shoulders are of no help in a TT, unfortunately.
SBezza: you look cold
Product manager, Sports
Not tried the bars tilted upwards, they are actually parallel to the ground though they don't look like it in that pic.
With regards to the stem, I have an adjustable one fitted, that is down as far as it will go. I could get a longer adjustable stem which would allow me to get slightly lower, and slightly longer, but other than that it is a new frame.
The frame is perhaps slightly too big for me, but until I get one that is a better fit, it will have to do.
You have a power meter don't you? You could maybe test this with some roll down tests.
Product manager, Sports
Product manager, Sports
I am riding the same 10 course as I rode on Sunday so we'll see how it goes.
Oh - and I have taken the bottom spacer off below the stem so I'm right down at the lowest height.
Not in the same leauge as the others but I would be grateful for a few pointers. I DO know I have to loose some weight. and I only have access to this bike for the moment for TTing.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3013/243 ... 8d.jpg?v=0
http://img362.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 076tl5.jpg
http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/3407 ... e001af.jpg
Yeh but he goes around corners like i go down 25%hills with the wind behind me
Position wise, I'd experiment with tilting the bars up a bit to get your elbow angle closer to 90 degrees. This is not a be all and end all - I just find it easier to generate power that way because I can 'lock myself in' a bit better. There are plenty of counter examples (Boardman, Obree in the superman position)
You're quite upright too, but I assume that's because you're on your road bike (tried an angled stem?)
There's also the engine to consider
Product manager, Sports
I struggle with getting my head in the right position. But otherwise - open to suggestions!
Compared to position last year:
Have raised saddle and moved it back. Plus lost some weight!
That looks good to me, you've picked up the helmet position already (seems like a few of us need to pay more attention here). I'd be happy with that.
I tweaked mine for a club event last night, moved the saddle position into the 78 degree position (it has two option 74 or 78) I'd always used 74. So went for a more aggressive position and dropped the bars removing my bottom spacer. Felt pretty good. Rode a pb on the 10 course in question and 25 secs quicker than I did the same course on sunday in an Open. I had road raced on Saturday though and could feel it in my legs on Sun, so the jury is out still .Felt good though,
Your saddle still looks a little too low to me judging by the amount of knee angle at the bottom of your stroke maybe?
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We've got similar setups and are both quite compact wrt elbows being close to knees but I've got a more horizontal torso: http://www.charleswhittonphotography.co ... 41971.html
Product manager, Sports
Thanks Jeff. How do I get lower? Just take some shims out of the headset/bars?
Another option is a more steeply angled stem (looks like you've already flipped it the right way).
Your position this year does look lower than last year though - it's not too far off the classic 'flat back'
Product manager, Sports
i`m not recommending that anyone does this, but i know a rider who drilled a small hole
in the tail of his lid, through which he threaded an elastic band , which was then safety
pinned to his skinsuit . worked a treat , problem is , its nighon impossible to look behind you.
alternatively , you could just buy a decent lid that fits better.