Time Trial PB's

[Justinslow]

You look like a sack of shoot on a nice bike
Seriously though , you need to find whats best for you . Play with it and dont be afraid to try new things .
My first thoughts where the saddle needs to go up as your knee looks very bent in the pictures and lose the spacers under the stem . You are the expert not us . Try it , test it and see what it does for you .

Yeah you could be right, I tend to have my saddle a tad low on my other bike but find it so damn uncomfortable if I try to raise it, the spacers, yep small steps I think, back is killing me as it is!
Oh and the tubs were fine!

 

[Cuchilo]

Yeah you could be right, I tend to have my saddle a tad low on my other bike but find it so damn uncomfortable if I try to raise it, the spacers, yep small steps I think, back is killing me as it is!
Oh and the tubs were fine!

Try dropping the bars right down and adding the spacers to bring it back up in small steps . I bet you wont add them .

 

[jowwy]

Im going the oppisite here to cucho.......

If your calves are cramping it means your riding toes down and over using the calves and achilles. To me it also looks like just looking at the pictures that those hips will be rocking and rolling.

Look at moving the cleats back, which takes the calves out of play and slightly lowering the saddle. It means your thighs, butt and hamstrings will work more than your calves and will stop the cramping. Once that position is dialled in, then you can drop the bars the same amount as you dropped the saddle......

Your also losing time with the ill fitting leg and arm warmers as the are rucking up and causing drag.

 

[Justinslow]

Im going the oppisite here to cucho.......

If your calves are cramping it means your riding toes down and over using the calves and achilles. To me it also looks like just looking at the pictures that those hips will be rocking and rolling.

Look at moving the cleats back, which takes the calves out of play and slightly lowering the saddle. It means your thighs, butt and hamstrings will work more than your calves and will stop the cramping. Once that position is dialled in, then you can drop the bars the same amount as you dropped the saddle......

Your also losing time with the ill fitting leg and arm warmers as the are rucking up and causing drag.

Well, there's another story, I noticed one of my cleats had moved when I was on my turbo, so readjusted and put them both to the rear of the shoe after seeking advice on here. This is supposed to help the calf I believe, although I only did it the other day so this was my first road ride with them in that position, I know - tinkering just before a TT never a good idea!
The leg warmers were because it was cold, in hindsight when I got going I didn't think about the cold and could have ridden without them.
The suit is a club one and the arms are a little long, but they will have to do.
My right calf is still very stiff and tender today, just hoping it eases off a bit so I can train again as I've another sporting 21 mile TT this Saturday. I would have only done a recovery tonight, hoping I can do an "easy" session tomorrow night.

 

[jowwy]

Well, there's another story, I noticed one of my cleats had moved when I was on my turbo, so readjusted and put them both to the rear of the shoe after seeking advice on here. This is supposed to help the calf I believe, although I only did it the other day so this was my first road ride with them in that position, I know - tinkering just before a TT never a good idea!
The leg warmers were because it was cold, in hindsight when I got going I didn't think about the cold and could have ridden without them.
The suit is a club one and the arms are a little long, but they will have to do.
My right calf is still very stiff and tender today, just hoping it eases off a bit so I can train again as I've another sporting 21 mile TT this Saturday. I would have only done a recovery tonight, hoping I can do an "easy" session tomorrow night.

If you have moved your cleats to the rear of the shoe....then saddle has to be lowered on relation to that change.

I would say drop it 5mm and see how it fairs from there

 

[Sharky]

@Justinslow - You seem to be getting conflicting advice, to both raise and lower your saddle! Could be just the typical pains you get with your first TT's of the year, coming out of a winter hibernation and possibly riding too big a gear before the body adjusts back into full race mode.

Like the bike by the way.

 

[Justinslow]

@Justinslow - You seem to be getting conflicting advice, to both raise and lower your saddle! Could be just the typical pains you get with your first TT's of the year, coming out of a winter hibernation and possibly riding too big a gear before the body adjusts back into full race mode.

Like the bike by the way.

Yeah I know! All good intentions, but I'll take my time adjusting stuff. Yes you are right first TT and a fairly long one for me, warm up could have been better and fluid intake also could have been better beforehand. I rolled off the training quite dramatically in the week prior to the TT, so maybe I rolled off too much?
Bike position is always on my mind though and I will work on it, trying to get my frontal area lower, but oh my back!
I could feel my calfs beginning to spasm three quarters of the way round and knew I could cramp at any point. Then there was a 40 mph downhill fairly hairy lefthand bend (damp cold) which I free wheeled round then another slower tighter left which again I freewheeled round, it was after this freewheel that when I put the power down my right calf instantly cramped.
Thought that was it, but stood up and stretched it for probably 300 yards just cruising trying to "work it away" and luckily it went away good enough to get a 6th on strava for the last section of the course. I did have a mate in front though who I caught and passed which helped as a bit of carrot!

 

[jowwy]

@Justinslow - You seem to be getting conflicting advice, to both raise and lower your saddle! Could be just the typical pains you get with your first TT's of the year, coming out of a winter hibernation and possibly riding too big a gear before the body adjusts back into full race mode.

Like the bike by the way.

Having suffered the calf cramps like justin, thats why i advise the lowering of the saddle slightly as to not ride toes down......its like walking on tip toes, agony on calves and achilles

 

[SWSteve]

@Justinslow bike looks amazing! You must be looking forward to the season in it!

If you're getting conflicting information/still aches later this season it might be worth speaking to some of the guys you see at events regularly and ask about fits, who did they use...

 

[Cuchilo]

Speak to the guys you are racing with anyway . They are the ones that actually see you riding rather than us looking at a snapshot .

 

[Hacienda71]

Throw caution to the wind(tunnel)

 

[Justinslow]

Cheers @ItsSteveLovell, it's a funny thing, yes I am looking forward to the season but also know the "pain" it brings, it's horribly addictive .
The bikes good enough for me, i just need to get better at riding it!

Dropped the saddle 5 mm and the bars one spacer tonight and did a mid turbo session. All seemed good so we'll see.
Plenty of people in the club saw me on Sunday and no one said anything about the set up so i don't think it's a million miles out, just need to fine tune it and get my torso/head a bit lower.

 

[fimm]

If you've got a turbo, you could take some photos (and even a video) of you on that bike on it - that way you can have a look at your position yourself.
Post photos here or show them to your clubmates if you want... (when I was a regular on the triathlon forums "Critique my position" threads were quite common and it was a forum tradition that if people didn't have anything useful to say they'd make silly comments about whatever was in the background...)

 

[Cuchilo]

You could also put the vid through the bikefit fast app if you have it . Or send it to me via whatsapp and i'll see if i can import it into the app .

 

[Justinslow]

21 mile sporting course again yesterday (Saturday) 53.13, don't know my placing yet, but felt a bit rubbish. Getting the excuses in, had a couple of heavy going physical days at work Thursday/Friday and at my age - 44 I ain't no superman, I felt physically ill afterwards and very cold. Winning time was 46 something!

Any thoughts on riding position?