Tri bars added - underwhelming improvements

[grellboy]

Happy New Year everyone. This year I have set a goal of improving my best 10 mile TT time considerably. PB is 26.49. Would like to go sub 25. Sure losing weight will help but knowing the importance of aerodynamics, I tried out some tri bars attached to my normal road bike. Whilst we are not comparing like with like - as I didn't ride that route today - I was pretty disappointed with the lack of immediate improvements, somewhat naively I now realise. Basically I found the tri bars were really uncomfortable, not on my back but on my thighs, which makes me think my saddle/seat post is in the wrong position. Looking at the photos below - which is the same set up sans tri bars i would have used when setting my pb (hands on hoods for that btw) what sort of adjustment would any more experienced riders suggest I need to make to the position to make

the tri bars more comfortable on my thighs?

 

[Tin Pot]

It’s a compromise.

Some people can get comfy, others can’t. The geometry of the bike is against you. Bear that in mind to avert too much disappointment.

I can’t find my old pics, but I’ve done tri bars on roadie and built a tri bike. On a well fit road set up you want to bring the seat forward and drop the bars as much as you can, try not to lose your seat to B.B. measurement by raising the saddle slightly.

Whatever you do it will close down your hip angle significantly and cause difficulties - but should be minor over a 25min TT.

 

[grellboy]

It’s a compromise.

Some people can get comfy, others can’t. The geometry of the bike is against you. Bear that in mind to avert too much disappointment.

I can’t find my old pics, but I’ve done tri bars on roadie and built a tri bike. On a well fit road set up you want to bring the seat forward and drop the bars as much as you can, try not to lose your seat to B.B. measurement by raising the saddle slightly.

Whatever you do it will close down your hip angle significantly and cause difficulties - but should be minor over a 25min TT.

It was not so much a comfort thing as feeling that I wasn't even getting the most amount of power out of my thighs due to the new position of arms.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

It was not so much a comfort thing as feeling that I wasn't even getting the most amount of power out of my thighs due to the new position of arms.

Yes. You've significantly changed your hip angle in order to lean so far over

 

[Tin Pot]

It was not so much a comfort thing as feeling that I wasn't even getting the most amount of power out of my thighs due to the new position of arms.

That’s normal too - you’re using less of your usual bike muscles, and more of your unused muscles. They say it takes a matter of weeks to attain a similar power output, possibly more. This then takes the thread into the whole power vs aero debate which I’m sure you’ve heard about.

Certainly for me it took a few weeks, my FTP tests became the same in aero or in usual road position. Others find they always are a few watts short in aero.

 

[grellboy]

So should I shove my seat forward and just crack on?

 

[Ian H]

Your upper arms should be roughly vertical when on the rests. Bear in mind the new rule that specifies the elbow must be no more than 3cm in front of the steerer tube.

As mentioned above, moving the saddle forward can help. But it will take a few rides to get comfortable.

 

[Tin Pot]

So should I shove my seat forward and just crack on?

Give it a go, for sure.

 

[Tommy2]

And raise the seat height.

 

[themosquitoking]

Best two things you can do to turn your position on that bike into a tt position is get an inline seatpost and then move the saddle all the way forward. Experiment with saddle height after that.

 

[cyberknight]

Best two things you can do to turn your position on that bike into a tt position is get an inline seatpost and then move the saddle all the way forward. Experiment with saddle height after that.

Maybe buy another post and saddle so you can keep your road bike set up the same ?

 

[grellboy]

Best two things you can do to turn your position on that bike into a tt position is get an inline seatpost and then move the saddle all the way

Thanks for the advice, if the weather ever let's up!

 

[Ian H]

If you really can't get comfortable you might have to raise the bars. You will still get aerodynamic advantage from having your arms tucked in. Mount the elbow rests as close together as you can cope with.

 

[grellboy]

I know nothing about this subject other than to add that Redshift make a dual position seat post (or is it just the seat clamp) that enables you to flip flop between a higher, more forward position for the tri bars and a more normal position for the ordinary bars. It may or may not be of interest.

It was of interest.....until I saw this!

 

[Milzy]

Mine go on mid summer and come off in the fall. They always hurt. Stick with them and you just hurt a little less and go for a bit longer every time. They’re just a total PITA tbh. It’s easier to just have a TT bike.