Novice Bike Fit?

willtri

As i can't search the forum

Has anyone got a simple way/method of getting the best set up for me on my bike.

I've a Trek 1.5 - Oval Tri bars.

Pretty much just picked it up for Cycle Surgery and no real fitting apart from seat height.

The main bits i'm struggling with is.....

Fore/aft of saddle - moved it forward a bit as i heard you should - seem to have lost power - very cramped on tri-bars
Saddle height
Handle bar height

Had a look on the internet and can't find anything particularly useful...

I might post a pic...

Cheers,

Will

Tesseract

It's a tricky one to answer without seeing you on it, but I can give you the dubious benefit of what I learnt from building my own bike over the winter.

Saddle further forward is the tri position, as it apparently helps on the run, however there is a chance you'll lose power, as you've found. Roadies tend to have a further back position, hence the layback on most seat posts. IMHO it's about getting the balance right for you. Another consideration is how long your stem is. If you're cramped on your tri bars, it could be the bike's just the wrong size for you...FWIW I read an article recently where some top level triathlete had chosen to move their seat back to get more power.

Saddle height - ignore anything out there that tells you it should be x cm per your inside leg. It's a real "feel" thing, and depneds on your foot position as you cycle, but you want it as high as you can go, while still maintaining a slight bend in your leg at it's straightest.

Handle bar height - as low as you can comfortably go.

Overall, in terms of saddle/ bars height, it's all about making your front profile as small as you possible can. Find a way to get your bike in front of a mirror, and keep makes changes til you've got as small a frontal area as possible, while being comfortable enough to still cycle. You will find some power loss, but that should come back as you get used to the new position.

MG

This is a LLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGG link, but it is worth it, read it then tweak your bike accordingly.

http://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/ ... fit06.html

If you can try and get someone to film you cycling on the hoods, on the drops and on the tribars, a good 5 minutes in each position. This should give you a sound view and give you a good basis to iron out any issues you may have. You could also post a couple of pics on here with the pedals at 12oclock and 6oclock. Alternatively go to a LBS and get a pro check your posotion, trust me its worth it!!!!!

willtri

Cheers guys,

That's a fair bit of reading on the train back home!!

BikeDynamics

Hi

Have a look here http://bikedynamics.co.uk/guidelines.htm it might be able to help


Mike at BikeDynamics.co.uk