TT position on a standard road bike

Mike67

I'm stabbing around in the dark a bit at the moment and am looking for some advice regards adjustments for said dilemna.

I use my road bike for club TTs and the like but fitted with clip ons...can't afford a TT bike (under threats of serious damage to my health from Mrs B ).

Currently I shift the saddle forward to compensate for being on the TT bars and up to give the same BB to saddle height as my normal riding position.

Things I'm not sure about are:
Just how far forward should the saddle go relative to 'normal' position and should the BB to saddle height be the same/measured in the same way as with my normal riding position.

Rough ideas as a starting point would be appreciated as I guess, like most cyling related stuff, it will eventually boil down to what feels best.

Johnpsanderson

Frankly - most positioning advice boils down to 'suck it and see' - so definitely take any responses, including mine, with a pinch of salt.

There's an argument to be made that you don't need to shift your saddle at all - the bars are the things to move - and if you are having to shift your saddle position to get a decent TT position then it's flexibility which is limiting you.

The reasoning is that if you've found the most effective position to get the power down in the drops on your road bike in a nice aerodynamic position (and if not, why not?) - all the tribars are for is to narrow your front profile - not to help you get any lower....

However - if you are going to move your saddle forward you've already remembered trigonometry principles and moved it upwards accordingly.

Mike67

Mmm.. interesting.
Like I say I'm guessing a bit but I assumed that because I was leaning further forward (or at least it feels that way), with my elbows on the pads effectively where the top of the handlebars are, I would need to shift my rear end forward too.
I also tended to end up right at the front of my saddle in its normal position when doing a TT...maybe that's normal too....if downright uncomfortable...but then TTs aren't about comfort either I guess

Might just try it back in it's normal position for comparison purposes.

Johnpsanderson

Mike67 wrote:

Mmm.. interesting.
Like I say I'm guessing a bit but I assumed that because I was leaning further forward (or at least it feels that way), with my elbows on the pads effectively where the top of the handlebars are, I would need to shift my rear end forward too.
I also tended to end up right at the front of my saddle in its normal position when doing a TT...maybe that's normal too....if downright uncomfortable...but then TTs aren't about comfort either I guess

Might just try it back in it's normal position for comparison purposes.

RE: leaning forward / ending up right on the end of the saddle - try shortening the reach on your tribars - if you are being pulled forward on the bike is it because you are too stretched out?

You shouldn't be uncomfortable on the bike.

andy_wrx

See if this helps
http://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/ ... kefit.html