Can we do Pro's that have nailed their fits! That would be good to see 😁

@pauljones4133

Жыл бұрын

I get the vibe that would be a VERY short video 😂

@darbymckilkannoncaid3279

Жыл бұрын

Tao Geoghegan Hart I hear has the best fit in the pro peloton

@henrikolsson6513

Жыл бұрын

They have another agenda then just be comfy on the bike. They wants to be as aero as possible. I would say Mathieu, Wout, Luke Plapp, Magnus Sheffield sits good on the bike.

@DanceTurbo

Жыл бұрын

Give us Remco!!!

@kpizzle1985

Жыл бұрын

I would love to see some analysis on Adam Blythe 🙏

Worth it for Francis' closing statement 😁

@bradford_shaun_murray

Жыл бұрын

4:01 woah!

@truthseeker8483

8 ай бұрын

The pro will look like a little bear on a bike....

I had a bike fit with a fairly well known bike fitter who has 'fitted pro teams' and he put me in a position (using Retul) a bit like the Gee Thomas one and it resulted in massive issues. I always assumed he knew what he was doing and the position was right and I rode with that fit for a number of years. Since watching these videos I've followed James' bike fit advice and am back cycling pain free and loving cycling again ♥️

@youeatpoo1

Жыл бұрын

I've had the opposite experience. I was fitted by a person who RODE in the Tour de France and is now a bike fitter to some former WR holder. Was riding with a lot of pain in collegiate years (non retul system). About a year ago I found James's info and fixed most of my issues but wasn't perfect. Recently found a Retul fitter that uses it as a reference and then adjusts based on the rider's need and have been pain free since.

@ericvilla6286

Жыл бұрын

No two bodies are alike. On my mountain bike, I have no bike fit issues. On my road bike, I've discovered that my left leg needs a 12mm wedge.

@yoavmiller216

Жыл бұрын

@@youeatpoo1 Hes giving you only the framework in these videos. I'm sure an actual bike fit would go beyond that for specific needs.

@timcutting9108

Жыл бұрын

@@yoavmiller216 you are bang on. James fits are a lot more in depth. I had one with him almost 18months and it was amazing. The info in videos he dose get you almost there with out the technology.

@VIEultimate

Жыл бұрын

@@youeatpoo1 Really late to this conversation, but your last sentence is what separates good fitters from... average or lackluster fitters. Using these established systems isn't bad but relying completely on it to "fit" people is just not optimal. It can be used as a good baseline but fitters should always listen to their customers and not dismiss their feedback just because "the machine says this and that." The character, experience, knowledge, and wisdom of your fitter as an ex-pro may also be very different from other ex-pros-turned-fitter. If they were properly fitted back then, are properly educated/trained, and/or know how to listen to feedback, they'd do well as fitters.

I’ve find James’ matter of fact constant state of annoyance to be addictive because it’s mixed with a health dose of indignation. Seriously, following this advice has led to me lowering my saddle, changing my saddle, getting shorter cranks and narrower bars. These changes have addressed ALL of the pain issues I was having. I worked at a bike shop and regularly did 100 mile rides with my saddle WAY too high. People are still putting their saddles too high, but hopefully, awareness is increasing. I am grateful for James and his enjoyable curmudgeonly rants.

You didn’t touch on the UCI rule that states the nose of the saddle cannot be closer than 1 inch behind the BB. I think the pro’s are just trying to get over the bottom bracket as much as they can for a more open hip angle/better power transfer while still being legal. There’s a reason why tri bike seats are slammed forward.

@MichelRegoor

Жыл бұрын

This. Pros are looking to put the power down, and therefore probably migrate forward. Also for the climber that was shown. It makes sense to migrate forward as you climb. This way you will keep your relative position to the BB.

@MrJaycobsen

Жыл бұрын

I believe it is 5 cm, which would be about 2 inches

@WesternUranus

Жыл бұрын

Exactly For some reason saddles still have noses which make sitting on the wide part uncomfortable. You'll notice that pros are either too far forward to get over the bottom bracket and open up the hips or too far back which forces them to overextend their legs. There wouldn't be any such issues with noseless saddles

@yannickokpara4861

Жыл бұрын

@@WesternUranus Noseless feels unstable if you rotate your hip very far, though

@PCXMODSGR

Жыл бұрын

@@MrJaycobsen It is 5cm behind the vertical that dissects the bottom bracket! you need a jig basically to see it perfectly, that's what UCI is using! If you use 5 cm behind the bottom bracket, you can't ride!

regulations are a big part of these fit issues you mentioned, that 5cm rule is the culprit for riders riding so far forward on the saddle, I myself use a PRO Stealth (shorter nose) to be able to sit forward, before I sat close to the tip of the saddle and I could get more forward if allowed. Other big factor is: you´re only differentiating racing vs amateur, but more than that, the difference in terrain could be more significant and I think those extreme positions you found (e.g Quintana) are actually a feature and not a bug: they have a bike fit that allows the rider to get in a functional/efficient position for every terrain, keeping aero a biomechanics in mind. bike fitter should test the rider in more than 1 position, inclination and intensity

G could use being closer to the ground with the amount he hits it.

@davidwilson192

Жыл бұрын

Saddle fit for Roglic could do with this optimization as well

@ariffau

Жыл бұрын

SAVAGE AS F**K

Really wish we could have seen Wout's fit critiqued because I think his is one of the more correct in the current peloton. Not to mention he is about the most impressive atm.

@milesfrank6802

Жыл бұрын

THIS

@JonReid

Жыл бұрын

Came here to say this.

Ive tried different stem lengths, saddle hight, saddles, saddle all the way forward and all the way backwards and everything in between. Different frame sizes, pro bike fit etc, You name it, I've tried it. I still gravitate towards the nose of the saddle no matter what. I will just adjust body position till im back to square one sitting on the front of the saddle. Ive come to the conclusion that's just the way it is for some people🤷‍♂️ I aslo dont have any pain or problems anywhere other than the general discomfort of sitting on a bike seat for 3-5hr.

I’m 54 and looking back it amazes me the different bike sizes I rode while roughly adjusting the saddle height to a “that’ll do” position 🤣 but when I was 18 I was 9 stone and made of elastic bands 🤣 at 54 great care is now taken with fit and position otherwise I’d be in big trouble 🙄

This is a testament to the incredible amount of suffering pros can tolerate

@rh_BOSS

11 ай бұрын

At least some of it is definitely self-inflicted. I can easily see some pros consciously trading the possibility of developing genital issues later for being 5% more aero efficient right now.

I would love to see a comparison of the pro riders positions in the 70's and 80's to the current position of pro riders. Great video. I enjoy seeing professionals help non pro riders get the right fit, and remove the idea that pro riders have the most optimal position for all riders.

@audiolatroushearetic1822

Жыл бұрын

I second that. Would even want to see a take on the development of race positions. I recently seen TdF footage and docus from the 30's-50's and compared to today the positions on the bikes were extremely odd.

@johnaitken7430

Жыл бұрын

I most certainly echo this ask…I coaches back in 60s had me in totally different position, as was bike geometry..and style of pedalling

@jmorsejr

Жыл бұрын

@@audiolatroushearetic1822 I noticed in the late 80's, the pro riders did not reach for the hoods until they were out of the saddle on a climb. Riders would primarily hold the top of the bars when seated. Of course, the brake levers were positioned lower on the front of the handlebars.

"If you're not a pro, you shouldn't be buying a pro's bike." Nailed it!

Got interested on all of this bike fitting thing last June after having chronic lower back and right glute pain. So I binge watch many videos on this channel. So I decided to do DIY bike fit and based on my own assessment the solution I got is to change my stem length stem to 120mm -10 with one tiny spacer (from 100mm -7 no spacer) and to move the cleats as far back as possible. In the first few days my back still hurts, but after 2 long rides (153 and 100km) my issues are gone! I also feel like I can put a lot power and maintain a higher ave speed in flats and I'm less tired during long climbs. And this September I'm able to ride 1,000km (and counting) no aching bidy part whatsoever and I feel that I became stronger riding my bike! Thanks for the ideas and inspiration!

I've theorized an optimal saddle hight and position for climbing is not necessarily an optimal position for sprinting, and if Sagan has to chose one, he is making a conscious decision to adjust position for on a climb to allow less fatigue on the leg position during a sprint which is his primary role 🤔🤷

@Cade_Media

Жыл бұрын

Definitely a factor imo - I would run a completely different position if I were racing compared to regular riding.

@Cade_Media

Жыл бұрын

(But not an outrageously high saddle height, that would be problematic for me)

@Kimberly_Sparkles

Жыл бұрын

@@Cade_Media Yes, I can imagine getting shit from James for your saddle height would be problematic.

@katmai7777

Жыл бұрын

And I am pretty sure... Sagan is climbing there but the picture is rotated to 'horizontal'. He's sitting like this on saddle because he is balancing the center of his weight to the front to climb easier.

@R0b3ert

Жыл бұрын

@@Cade_Media So if you racing your saddle height is higher, than the regular riding setup?

Would it be possible for James to show us how he chose his bike and how he has it set up. I would like to see how he applies everything he teaches to his personal bike fit.

@PhiyackYuh

Жыл бұрын

Its double standard hypocritical ideas if you observe enough. He is a big proponent of slam that stem for average punters. If you think about it, pros can only do and handle it. But he also want his client to look like a pro rider. Pretty bs right? Theres a reason why bikes has spacers. Its not one size fits all.

@rebeccapauline5266

Жыл бұрын

@@PhiyackYuh The reason why your bike has spacers is that you bought a geometry that doesn't fit you.

@VIEultimate

Жыл бұрын

@@PhiyackYuh Well that's a stupid comment from someone who doesn't listen to him enough. While he openly admits that he prefers slamming stems, he won't do it if the client isn't comfortable with or capable of the position and if it doesn't fit the purpose of the bike fit.

@doctormarazanvose4373

Жыл бұрын

​@@PhiyackYuh Such things are irrelevant when his main focus is the angle of leg extension and the correct angle of the ankle at the bottom of the stroke whilst not overreaching. He has been saying this consistently for years - watch a few more of his videos and this concept might just sink in.

Big fan of Selle smp saddles, when set up properly no sliding back or forth and very comfortable.

This gives great perspective on my own bike position thanks so much for this vid

All things bike fit coming from James is gold. I went from a 155mm SLR to the S3 SLR after seeing him mention most riders are going way too wide. Made every bit of difference!

Really interesting. I've always found these types of research and bike fit video, interesting. I had issues with my knees (ITB) and bike fits helped, but with Pros, they have relentless training with close contact with physios, trainers and nutritionists - the list goes on, who analyse every bit of feedback from their riders. I assume their riding stance and appearance on the bike also changes if they are fatiguing on a ride. Super work, guys - I love working things out like this in my head and understand how amazing these pros can come to be.

this was so interesting, thanks a lot for these videos Francis and James!

Interesting observations about the reach and sprinting. I’m no pro but I have noticed problems after having a bike fit. My reach was shortened to help with poor hip flexibility but now on hard out of saddle efforts I’ll hit my knees on the bars which is inconvenient!

@schschsch2642

Жыл бұрын

Just incorporate some hip flexibility exercises and you'll be good after a while. Was having the same issue.

We want more of this, please! 🍿

Hopeful we get a pro fitted soon, would be interesting how they would react to a much comfortable position. Great video and love the ending lol!

16:34 That’s *DEEP* insight. I’ll be sitting on that for a while. “Pro cyclists are pros” is way over my head

Great video! I have always looked at the pros positions on the bike and felt like I am not in the same positions as them and thought maybe I should adjust or get a smaller frame to be more like them. After watching this I think I’ll stick with what I’ve got! Cheers.

Brilliant and fascinating insight. Thought provoking

Always enjoy videos with James, particularly liked the sneaky view of what appears to be a Panerai. Must get a fit before I push the button on a custom frame

I agree about the Selle slr saddle I use a 133 mm one on my Colnogo, and I love it as much as my Brooks swift on my Domane. great saddle!!

I love your videos very much and you helped me a lot! If I would live near to you, I would be a customer. I was one of those guys who measured their sitbones and bought a sq lab saddle in 15cm because of that. Trying out the narrow slr boost, you speak about in many videos changed my cycling a lot! In my opinion, cyclists should be way more encouraged to try narrower saddles. Thanks for that James!

I think its important to consider tiredness aswell. Once your tired, you might do alot of wierd stuff to compensate for anything, like sitting on the nose of the saddle, but ofc, it might mean it was wrong to begin with

I didn't ride my RR-bike for over a year (was doing more gravel tours) and for the last two weeks started to use it for commute to work (35km a day). Before the hiatus I rode quite often and extended and I remembered it to be quite comfortable, jet with a more "race position" than on my cross/gravel/travel-bike. When I rode it the first three day's I thought to myself "what a torturing device! Is that really my old bike I had so much fun with?". I really had to stretch uncomfortably to reach the huds. I also noticed the same phenomenon that I either slided to the tip of the saddle or I gripped the handlebar way behind the huds. But after 4 days and some gymnastics I finally got used to it again and continue to improve and I really enjoy my performance in a more sporty position, but also on a bad day it feels worse again. So really what I think what we see in many of the fotos are snapshots of riders in different states of form and fatigue, perhaps compensating for the itches and aches even them get on a 180km+ etappe. To a degree you can fit your body to a bike and get comfortable with practice but know where it makes sense to stop. And you're absolutely right: Do not copy everything the pros do! Great food for thought and amazing series!

I wanna see a comparison of Lachlan Morton’s position for road race vs his ultra distance setup. I assume he should have a more comfortable setup for those adventures

@tflspitfire

Жыл бұрын

and the Bike fit benefits of birkenstocks!

Brilliant as always. Thank you.

That was interesting and funny, as James mentioned being a pro can sometimes limit what equipment they can use. I would guess the bike set up would vary depending on whether it's a mountain or flat stage. I'm pretty sure Lawrence does have arms, and a bear on a bike like to see that.🤣

My new fav cycling vid. Simply spitting facts for 17 minutes straight. James is a legend at what he does.

This is definitely my barometer for bike fit issues ✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾

I think you're spot on with all this. Though surprised you didn't mention crank length because it explains toe reach and high knees.

advantages of not sitting too high: - less CSA drag - lower COG which improves handling - less Lx flexion (increased flexion can kink illiac arteries and reduce blood flow to lower limbs, and cause arterial endofibrosis. - less listing and pelvic lateral rocking, which facilitates more equal power generation between left and right lower limbs. - more engagement of hamstrings, which increases time to fatigue of quads. - cog closer to vertical over bottom bracket on flats and climbs, which allows smoother transition from quads to hams engagement (down stroke and rear stroke), and less need for sitting on nose.

These longer videos on bike fitting are great. It would be worth discussing more what the bike fit is being optimized for -- pedaling efficiency (on flat, when climbing, when sprinting ...), aero when when on hoods on flat ground, endurance, comfort, prevention of chronic injury, or simply lower stress so recovery day is easier ? I like my bike fit so that I have a strong grip reaction on hoods when I hit an unexpected bump, and I like to have the option to move back an inch in the saddle to get a longer leg extension for seated sprints. The hardest part of a race bike style fit is always bending my neck up to look where I am going, and not just looking down at my front tire and heart rate on cockpit computer.

People say cleats slammed back but it felt like peg legs so I went forward a bit and much better balance and more calf action.

James should have an online setup and help Folks. Always informative and Entertaining!

Nice watch, James.

I think it would be funny to see bike fit critique of 80s and 90s riders. Those were something else.

This was really great!

Love the closing statement!! hahaha🤣

This video is really good. Every time I see G going up a hill sitting on the nose on his saddle I go nuts

I've noticed that pro riders today have the saddles REALLY high, compared to pros several years ago. I suspect they are using frames on the shorter side, which, in combination with a slammed stem, allows them to sit really low, i.e., more aerodynamic.

@lunam7249

8 ай бұрын

its faster to ride on a bike thats a little small for you

Peter Sagan a known descender appears to also be travelling downhill. Another explanation for the shift forward is to centre his weight more on the bike and provide more force on the front wheel for grip or carving turns.

You have captured most of them when they are potting down a lot of watts. When I take a huge poll in the front I’m sliding forward on the saddle, I’m not sitting like that all the time. Don’t think G is sitting like that when his not putting down the hammer. That’s the good thing when using a long saddle that you can slide forward and putting down some more watt.

Listened to a lot of James advice in the videos he's done with Francis and would like to think I've got my riding position pretty much dialed in. The thing is now you find yourself cringing at other riders whose position is terrible. There are two local triathlons near me and they're maybe a great swimmer and runner but seeing them struggle on a bike really gets to me.

im 13 seconds into the video, i'm so happy haha. thanks francis and james.

More of this, please! E.g. of other analysis to show: WvA (maybe one of the best fitted), Vdp & Valverde (too high), Yates (G. Thomas replica?), Kiesenhofer (using right leg/cleat shims now vs no shims in Tokyo).

I would love, I mean LOVE if you did a critique of historically great riders' positions. Merckx, Lemond, Fignon, Coppi, Anquetil. Fascinating

@S2Sturges

7 ай бұрын

Hinault was legendary for the precision of his fit, although nothing really like the modern fit of today, both are efficient in their own ways

Completely agree. One wonders about damage as form drops with fatigue also, causing long run problems. The shot of Nairo looks like he took a spare of a vehicle as he's normally on a smaller frame. Adam is just bonkers, although Ridleys have such weird limited sizing, : cue Andre Greipel. Hows the Autumn?

Saddle width has a major factor on were you sit , I have had saddle positions 1.5 cm forward and back from my current position and I still only use 3/4 of the saddle. Also you do find riders and especially the pros who move around on the saddle depending on the terrain or current muscle fatigue

@jason200912

Жыл бұрын

I'm on a tt bike so I move the saddle maxed out to the front and sadly still wish it was more forward. Gonna have to buy a short stem to compensate

HAHA I love that dude. I be yelling at the tv about pro bikefits, especially when they are lined up on the trainers dude...

James, at the TdF this year there was a Movistar rider in a breakaway with Fred Wright. I noted his leg was FAR too extended... I'm fairly confident his saddle is too high [but like to see you put a number on this] (there was also great, side-on tv coverage of him with crank at 6 o clock). id love you to do another of these but for more riders. Id also like to hear your thoughts on Nibalis shoulders (bar width) and all of Ryder Hesjedal. Cheers,

Great topic! And I love all bike fitting content with James. But couldn't sitting on the tip of the saddle be a way of getting around the UCI 5 cm roule? The outro 😂😂

So interesting! Thank you

According to Adam Hansen, he fits himself and others partly based on getting a stable pelvis and limiting the dead center at the bottom of the stroke aided by Leomo software. That plantarflexion looks extreme, though, and having looked at some photos on his channel he sits very far forward, rides alot on the tops rather than hoods and can't bend his elbows in the drops, because his handlebars are down at his wheel. I can't speak for anyone else's saddle height, but I find that I underextend my leg when at the 144/36 degree knee angle I was fitted at and get a bit too much knee to gut and hip impingement even though I'm quite slim(long legs, rotated pelvis and short torso). This could be down to an uneven saddle engagement, however... have yet to find a position where my right sitbone feels planted and raising the bars just makes me push away from them especially in an aero position.

I agree Francis with all your observations in these photos I sometimes Scooch forward when I’m in the drops and maybe want to push the pedal a little bit harder and they get up on the nose sometimes but my question an issue is how do you factor in many of these saddles that are not flat and have that rise towards the back of the whale tail of the saddle I might say that also sometimes pushes you forward or forces you in the center or towards the nose I find the saddles that rise up a problem even though I ride with one I find it kind of messes up the position I want to be in I like your video you had recently of the most popular cutaway saddle that you recommend from Selle Italia

This looks like fun!...🍿👀

Great video, thanks a lot! Two questions: Isn't there this UCI Rule that says that the tip of the sattle mustn't go further than the bb? I found that it can be difficult to stick to that rule if you adopt a fairly aggressive position. That might be why pros slide forward. And would you generelly advise against reducing your setback to the point where the tip of the settle sticks over the bb?

@peermancolin

Жыл бұрын

it's 50mm behind the BB

Hey Francis and James, question from RSA. I know that its difficult to tell but if there's plenty pressure on the pubic arch (feels like that's where I am sitting) could saddle height be a touch too high? I'm sure you will also say reach is to far and saddle width etc, however I'm comfortable on my SLR kit karbonio with the small cut out and even without the cut out on my gravel bike. Regards Massimo

Would like to see a Part II of this video where you fit check pros of yesterday year.

Sorry, the problem with photos to judge the saddle hight is the distortion of wide angle lenses. Cyclists often pass right in front of your nose, a normal lens (50 mm in 35mm film) would be too long. It seems, -Sagan is climbing as a sprinter, therefore sitting in front of his saddle -Thomas had clearly a crash (look at his ripped jersey and his forearm) possible sitting on the front his saddle to counter some of the pain -Adam @ 11:36 is clearly sitting on a stationary bike, mimiking a TT warmup, look at the seatpost. As the livelihood of a pro depends on a healthy contact with the saddle, I can't agree with the general opinion that they are more willing to suffer than us normal people. -Armstrong was called Mr. millimeter because of his own particulars in saddle hight. -A masseuse discovered late in the career of Ullrich, that one of his legs was slightly shorter than the other. I don't mean any disrespect...

Idea for video: can you do one talking about the planter flection/foot angle. Is optimum saddle height is done with a relative flat foot loaded under power.

Biggest factor to keep in mind is the competition I think. Pros are concerned with winning, Health comes at a second best purely by nature of it being necessary to win - you can't win if you're too injured to compete - and if they could ride the bike dead they would. Ultimately, they're taking everything to extremes at the sacrifice of comfort, and such. A perfect fit might make the bike more comfortable and be better for your body and such - but it may not be optimal for a flat-out sprint. Only one of those things is going to give you a realistic edge in the last 300m. These guys routinely risk severe injuries and even death in the pursuit of a coloured jersey. But would you descend 10km at 80kph or more? It's the same thing. Don't get your bike set up like a pro, because your goals are different. We all ride for fun, even if sometimes the fun is competition. These guys, they might have fun occasionally, but that is never why they clip-in to the pedals.

A couple of missed things: 1. UCI rules (saddle behind BB). 2. Crank length (longer - which definitely helps some people climb, requires a more open angle at the bottom of stroke).

Adam Blythe once said the idea of staying in the same position on a saddle would be horrendous. the amount of hours the pros ride every week and the time they spend in the red zone must be a factor in how much they move around the saddle during races. could it be that these photos are not representative of the total amount of time they spend in the saddle?

@bikefitjames5579

Жыл бұрын

He also has a stupid position

Can you guys show a few before and after bikefits that you've done? Maybe have James explaining why was done and why etc?

Excellent informative discussion gents 👍. A pro good bike positions video?

Interesting topic and I'm pondering on how all of these things are generalized also: My Achilles heel tendons are really short, so i cannot really have a proper flat foot and I have a relatively short back, or, long legs and arms.. at 180 cm, and my leg length alone I would be measured at a 58 or 56 frame, but then my stem would need to be almost negative length... In other words: these are specific riders, and cases and they have specific builds and are in some pictures strained but would sit perfectly for 90% of the time until the final of the race when they try to produce more power. now what this means for me personally: in terms of saddle height I could ride an XS frame with maximum seat extension and the reach would only be ten centimeters, would I ride an S-sized frame, the reach, height and drop would be okay with an 8 cm stem + 2cm spacers. Which frame would I best pick?

@audiolatroushearetic1822

Жыл бұрын

The length of toptubes at same framehight differ enormously on different models/brands. I always would take the whole frame geometry into account before buying. You only can compensate so much with stem length, saddle position and spacing your stemhight before you hamper your steering, your ride-feeling and even the looks of the bike. Also on a RR-bike too much (or even any) spacers underneath the stem not only don't look good but also are a security risk because more fork shaft is exposed and not supported by the expander plug (which goes hopefully all the way through the stem-clamp). I have a similar body shape like yours and I never regretted to buy a more compact frame (got to get used to the toe-overlap though :D). So if I were you I wouldn't fixate myself on a particular bike brand if they don't have a frame that fits your geometry! Cheers and good luck!

oooh man this is a great upload!!!!!! i'm 20k into carbon bikes, my back still hurts. in my case it had nothing to do withe the bike, but more with my lame muscle mass. the solution was off the bike.

That was interesting. My first guess was „Specialized does not make a saddle narrow enough for Sagan“. Can you look at the positions of pro riders from past decades where everyone had a built to fit frame?

Hearing you talk and normal speeds sounds funny 😂

I think the best way to put it is; pros succeed in spite if their position, not because of it. Trying to imitate it is a recipe for discomfort.

Hey FC and James, this is as much an observation as it is a question but has the industry then got modern geo a little wrong for these bikes? There is a tipping point before a rider will “want” to get further behind the BB. Are seat posts to slack on modern race bikes? Cheers, Ken

Do you think there’s been some translation of fitting for a TT position to the normal riding mode? Aero positions and fits seem to be prioritized today (for good reason).

People in my cycling club asked me how I was able to comfortably tolerate the amount of drop on my bike. The answer was quite easy: I’m pretty slender and flexible and most of all my reach isn’t absurd thanks to a proper fit

@abedfo88

Жыл бұрын

Thats interesting I can handle a lot of drop but I like a short reach. The big drop really takes weight of my hands, arms, shoulders and stops me getting tension headaches

Great video! Nice insights. Is is possible that some of these photos are taken at a time when some of these riders are accelerating? The rider would perhaps lean further forward to be able to put more weight on the downstroke and so slide forward? Generally, I too have always thought that many pro's do not look ideally placed on their bikes.

@simonpierredegroote7436

Жыл бұрын

That is actually the case, and actually, at the elite level you want a position that activates the glut most of the time to preserve the quadril for accelerating. Classic cyclist prefers to feel strong over their 2/3h ridding the Sunday.

Please record James watching Annemik Van Vleuten at the Worlds ITT. He might have a seizure with how bad her fit was on the TT bike!

@henrikolsson6513

Жыл бұрын

Her saddle was way of, must have lost a lot of power at the bottom of the pedal stroke.

@rebeccapauline5266

Жыл бұрын

@@henrikolsson6513 I have no idea how she does it, and I especially have no idea how she has been doing it for so long. Absolutely insane "position."

I have a question related to body position on the bike. So I've been riding for the past 4 months at a decently high weekly volume with no pain/discomfort and a nice controlled and balanced pedal stroke. A couple weeks ago I randomly started getting super weird tightness behind my left knee. I now have significantly less power output on my left side. My left leg feels fatigued almost immediately after getting on the bike. My pedal stroke on the left side feels very uncoordinated, my foot feels all over the place, my quad tires easily and my entire leg generally feels unstable . My knee is also popping just walking around campus. I have to attribute this to some sort of IT band or patellofemoral injury since nothing related to my bike fit has changed at all since the start of the season. Any thoughts on what this could be and how to remedy it?

Is James suggesting that with a proper fit you shouldn't have much if any saddle sticking out behind you? Can we use that as a guide in making adjustments at home?

Pros sit more on the nose of the saddle, because the uci has imposed restrictions on how far forward to nose of the saddle can be in relation to the BB, but being more over the BB enables you to use the quads more. So it is a uci règlement issue rather than a bike fit issue, probably.

My question would be more on: they tolerate extreme positions but are they getting any (power) benefit from them? I can't work out how a 152.7º knee angle and 33.7º feet angle will provide more power than a "regular" position.

This would be a nice series with pics of your followers riding!

I'm looking to buy a narrower saddle. The one you mention is that the superflow? 135mm? Because I see you can get some selle italias all the way down to 130mm. Hope you will find time to answer thanks alot! :D

@robertnykopp3499

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Selle Italia SLR Boost Superflow size: S3

@daniels.2720

Жыл бұрын

Yes > 131mm slr

Most of these photos were when the riders are doing big efforts I think. Maybe there is something in their bikefits that makes them more comfortable when doddling around in the peleton? Which is probably the most of their time spent. Then when the going gets tough, it's shorter and they are producing a lot of watts so you're barely even seated anyway.

@gaza4543

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I think most naturally move forward when working hard so yes these arnt the best photos but for me this is where bike fits start to fall down a little as you’re not being tested at fatigue.

My usual issue is that the bike feels awesome on the flat... Perfect knee extension, perfect reach... Around 4% incline or higher and I'm at the nose of my saddle for the entire climb... If I had to guess I would say I lower my heels when climbing, but if I try to forcefully raise them it takes a toll on my calves

@K777John

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A good friend of mine who was a semi pro and has been riding for over 60 years has a saying when we are climbing ‘heels down and roll it round’-works for me…..

@bikefitjames5579

Жыл бұрын

When the front of the bike is elevated you inevitably drop the heel - I’d say your saddles too high!

@JoanRaba21

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@@bikefitjames5579 thanks! I'll try to lower it a bit then

I'm certainly not a pro, nor an athlete, but I must say I have that tendency of moving my position towards the nose as well. It's because when I try to really engage my "ass muscle" I ended up feeling sore on my seat bone after the practice (It's a quite fast peloton, at least to me. I need to really work hard to keep up with my mates). But when I slide my position further forward, there's no sores at all afterwards. (still got dropped sadly, but no seat bone sore at least). Is it because my saddle width? or is it anything else?

the selle italia slr's fit me very well, but the cut out version is too flexy, and the non cutout is very stiff with less padding. it fits me the best out of any othe rsaddle i'v used but these saddles also need sit bone relief areas too.

Many pros use TT like position with the nose of the saddle dipping down, this allows then to ride on the nose without discomfort. Just my own observation.

This is maybe a question I need to email to them but do they offer different fits for different disciplines/biked? EG. Cyclocross race bike and winter bite fit for example :) hope the videos

Oméga, Panerai.. pays well to have a bike shop these days!

Doesn't the reach shorten when climbing? So for a climber like Nairo maybe he wants more optimal position on steep grades and is fine having a bit more reach on the flats?

@ivarbrouwer197

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dunno what you mean, but that was an exceptionally strained image of Nairo, near the end of a race: he's trying to produce more power than would be sustainable for an extended amount of time. In other words not really representable for +80% of his ride.

@chicagoan

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@@ivarbrouwer197 I mean the steeper a hill the shorter the effective reach of your bike gets (it essentially raises your handlebars respective to your seat). So if he was optimizing for climbing he might have a slightly longer reach which would effectively shorten on steep grades to his desired position. Hard to say from a photo obviously. He's also tiny and may already be on the smallest bike they have.

interesting you point out that the pros' saddles are sticking out that much, I always thought I'm doing something wrong by sitting more back on the saddle and my butt being flush with the tail end of the saddle

Hey, which brands do you sell? Focusing on one brand changes the picture on the saddle market in a wrong direction.

I would love to hear what James has to say about MVDP and Remco. Two fantastic performers but sometimes my back hurts from watching them race.