A couple of experiments with bike fit
I'm dragging. Work's been a bear, digging out from the holidays and a week away under the weather. I've been getting up too early and staying up too late this week. And to top it off, I don't think I've quite kicked this thing. it just seems to want to hang on.
Still I couldn't resist hopping on the trainer this afternoon to verify a few things and try out a couple of ideas I got at last night's seminar.
First let me just say, if you ever get a chance to go see John Cobb talk. Take it. This guy is so smart it hurts; but he talks about bicycle aerodynamics in terms so simple anyone can grasp the concepts. I highly recommend it.
John got me to thinking about position again last night, so I thought I would try a couple of things out. The SRM chart you see here resulted from the session. I'm happy to say just about everything he recommended seems to be consistent with the position changes I've made recently. Those changes I did make today were mostly just tiny little experiments to see if a change felt better, worse or just different.
I still have some work to do on this; but I think I'll let that wait until I feel a bit better. I want to be able to put some energy into the pedals. I want to see how these changes hold up out on the road.
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I hear you...
Returning from this illness has been tough.
Couple with that the influx of work, the winter darkness (little day light), lots of rain, and family obligations....it is tough to get back on the bike and accomplish much!
The main thing is
Ah, but you don't really need to make a big accomplishment every time you ride. The main thing is just the riding itself.
Mark Ewers
I may not be fast, but I'm 2 old 2 go slow
So give us a position tip ..
So give us a position tip ..
Position tip from John Cobb Seminar
OK, here's one interesting item I picked up in John Cobb's bike positioning seminar. It's one of the things I'm experimenting with.
For optimal power production your best saddle configuration is probably not level from front to back. This ran counter to my intuition, but John says tilting the nose of the saddle up facilitates a forward pelvic rotation which helps position the large muscles to fire properly and drive the cranks.
And of course it follows that engaging these muscles more fully and with the right timing should have a positive effect on power production efficiency. I'm all on board with that kind of end result; and that's why I'm trying it on for size.
Mark Ewers
I may not be fast, but I'm 2 old 2 go slow
Like a whale.
It is counter to my intuition also...
Raising the nose of the saddle makes the pelvis rotate forward? If I raise the nose on mine, it makes me feel like I am going to fall off the back of the bike...I can not understand how it would lead to anything but rear rotation of the pelvis and a more humped back....or a change in saddle contact points (ouch).
This does not mark the first time I have been wrong in my thinking...
how about for climbing?
Thanks - interesting - did he say anything about position while climbing?
For better climbing
He said nothing specific about positioning for climbing aside from saying that everything he recommends positions the cyclist's body for better leverage and less fatigue.
I have to admit, the experiments I've done so far have resulted in the same or better leverage to the pedals as before and less upper body tension. I expect those changes and their benefits would work for me whether on the flats or when climbing.
Mark Ewers
I may not be fast, but I'm 2 old 2 go slow
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