9/16/15 12:28 PM

I recently rode my road bike for the first time in a year. Had a terrible ride- could not breathe well, low on power, and felt exhausted after 30 minutes. I bailed.

I've been riding my lemond Poprad which has the same published spec for the seat tube angle-72.5.

Got my new custom ti and on the first ride it felt like my road bike-low power, early fatigue.

Tape measure reveals the issue: the Lemond is slacker and the saddle is 5 or more mm further back. I never measured before because all 3 bikes have the same seatpost and saddle, and they are positioned the same on the rails. I've decided to stick with the road and new bike position, and I'm sure I'll get used to it.

Walter spoke some time back about moving his saddle INCHES forward for a time trial bike. How did it work out?

I can't move 5mm how can you move inches?

9/16/15 2:00 PM

just doing my homework.

the theory is that you rotate your hips and everything around the BB axis, not just slide forward.

i think sparky has done some stuff with this, his experience is that theory != reality, and it takes some adaptation to get it to work.

normally, i'm *very* sensitive to saddle position changes...5mm in any direction is problematic!

i religiously use one of these to get all the position on all my bikes as close to *identical* as possible.

<img src=http://www.merrypad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/elba_bedroom_drywall_6.jpg height=600 width=450>

9/17/15 7:21 AM

I have found I do better with my saddle a bit forward. I think it is a very subjective fit area and can also be very dependent on the terrain you ride. I like it a bit farther back when I have a bunch of climbing to do but forward for fast flat rides where I spend more time low on the bike.

9/17/15 8:04 AM

Triathlets talk about maintaining the same hip angle. So you rotate your whole setup around the BB rather than just moving one ccomponent. (You always move at least TWO components).

If you can't move the saddle forward, try raising your handlebar! You may lose some aero, but you may get a lot more power and less fatigue.

9/17/15 10:03 AM

always move at least TWO

Exactly. You can move the cleats and bar height the 5mm to maintain setback and body/leg range. Rotate you body maintaining angles of your riding position in theory you make best power and be comfortable.

Remember that rotated forward your will have more weight in the front of your fore-aft CG window on the bike. Thus staying in the pedals will help there.

Something that has worked for me are these Fizik saddles I have on 3 bike now. They are longish and easy to move around on and still be supported well. When I get my forearms on the bar tops I need more setback. [on road bike] Climbing a lot less. Having the real estate on the saddle seems to be working for me. Having said that, the forearms on top is contradictory to the rotated position [I said 'need more set back then']. So not analogous to that, just to make the real estate point.

On the Blade the front center is generous as to keep you in the CG window riding rotated forward FWIW.