TT position advice.

freehub

Ok.

So I'm tinkering with the position, and I've got some sort of TT position, but trying to make it better.

Here is a series of pics, not the best, most of em my front end is a little high, so the last 2 pics I've just put the front end on the bricks.









Now If needed I can lower the stem down by 15mm as I've got a large spacer under there.

Does the saddle need to be a little higher? It's already a cm higher than I have it for normal road riding as well as the seat is all the way forward, for normal road riding it's an extra inch back, but with it forward I can actually get on the TT bars, I could not do this with my 56cm frame as the frame was too big.

**note** My knees ain't hitting my elbows.

Any advice would be great thanks.

Zachariah

Big thread on this in the Training forum.

freehub

Ok cheers.

StageWinner

Rear end looks ok. Could be a lot lower in front if you can get down and still maintain power/comfort, etc.

Raising it up on blocks does nothing to assess your position.

amaferanga

Are those socks brown?

sub55

much depends What distances you intend to ride ?
for a 10 its probably not far away. but if you are thinking 100`s and 12h you need to drop the bars a fair bit.

shockedsoshocked

I'd personally say your saddle is a little too high and too far forward there like. I'd also say drop the stem, and maybe get a longer one (your bike looks small for you too?)

freehub

The frame is a medium, I don't think it matters if it's "too small" because I can adjust anything to suite and no one has ever thought I've had the right size frame, I had a mega small frame once, that was too small, I had a 56cm, that was too big, my caad9 was 56, they said that was too big, now a 54 and it's too small. I can't go right there so I'm happy with 54cm frame.

The next size up of this frame the top tube was too long (56cm), with my Genesis I had to have my seat almost as far forward as it could go, and that was on a seat post with no set back.

This frame I have plenty of adjustment on the front and the back, normal road riding I've got 1" of seat rail left either way.

StageWinner wrote:

Rear end looks ok. Could be a lot lower in front if you can get down and still maintain power/comfort, etc.

Raising it up on blocks does nothing to assess your position.

Raising a bike up on blocks when using a turbo trainer is normal. I've added bricks under because the path is on a slant.

SBezza

Saddle is probably slightly too high, you ideally should have the leg in the position it is, but with a flat foot, rather than toes down, though we are not talking about much, and if you have no issues then perhaps leave alone.

Looks pretty good for a road bike to be honest.

freehub

I do notice on normal rides when my saddle is 1cm lower, I always get this sort of pain in my left foot and only slightly in my right, usually on the arch of my foot/ toes, can't explain it, it's like a crampy feeling.

I initially tried the saddle half a cm lower in the TT position and just found it abit weird and possibly the power down compared to the height it is now, although I don't have a power meter so could be totally wrong.

SBezza

It might feel a bit weird at first, but I would be surprised if power was actually lower with a slightly lower saddle. I would expect power to suffer a little with it too high, I know I do.

If you are comfortable then leave it. Lowering the front might help your aeroness, but that might also impact on power, though without a PM it is impossible to know for sure.

freehub

I decided to try these insoles I have in my SPD shoes the physio gave me and I think they did the trick, I'm not quite sure if they've made the effect of the saddle being higher now due to the thickness of them as it's thick near my heal but thinner near where the cleat is.

freehub

I lowered the front by 15mm, does not seem a massive difference, I'll give it a test on the road today:

Jeff Jones

I think you're pretty close Will. A sub 24min 10 on a road bike + clip ons is damn good going.

jgsi

I was going to say, it actually looks a lot better.
Keep doing the hamstring and piriformis stretches

freehub

I'm really not sure tho.

I went out today, did a 7 and a half mile loop, then the second time I lowered the saddle by about half a cm cause I was struggling with speed, and when I changed it I was going abit faster, now if that was just due to the changing conditions or not I don't know.

What are hamstring and piriformis stretches? Is that like the one when you stand straight and try touch your toes?

Is there any benefit to these stretches?

jgsi

Best to google ..plenty of examples on web ... cyclists ...et all will probably have some form of tight hamstring and you'll also want to be able to flex from the hip nicely as well.. http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/ar ... ndrome.php

freehub

http://www2.clikpic.com/printmyride/photo_8059098.html

Well that was my position last night for deffo.


http://www.twowheelsgoodphotography.com/

http://www.21cphotos.com/i_event.php?event_id=157

Check there on galleries,I'm the only one in wheelers kit, picture with me leg all way down and one going up a drag. (Teams M-V)

Does my legs look ok and not too straight?

SteveR_100Milers

I'd be tempted to move your arms (pads) back a bit - you look like too stretched at the front which means your back has to support more weight rather than oppose the downward thrust from your legs. As others have said its a damn good position period, let alone for a road bike!

freehub

I'm unable to move em back, they're already as far back.

Maybe I should just keep it like that and focus on getting faster.

SteveR_100Milers

use a shorter stem then.

Jeff Jones

freehub wrote:

Maybe I should just keep it like that and focus on getting faster.

Yep.