A Time Trialing Thread

I’m hoping to try one of those as it has been recommended as well.

Thanks.

I will move them out slightly if it seems to be too restrictive.

Maybe someone will find it useful (study about TT positions)

2 Likes

Also it’s a large. Don’t make it any bigger. Always going to be difficult so just getting in best position as possible.

1 Like

Yup…always tough for tall people to find a frame that fits. You’ve done a good job adapting given the constraints.

1 Like

How much would you say to raise it? I’ve found this exact problem, 10 minute blocks on the turbo is pushing it but the same position on the road is fine for hours.

A few years ago I made a wood riser (no longer have it) but IIRC it was at least 2" high…I think it was a piece of 2x6 material and then I put my regular riser block on top of that also glued a piece of rubber carpet mat on top of the wood so the other riser would not move). Seemed to do the trick for me.

When I used one of the CycleOps multi-position riser blocks, I just used the highest position and it worked fine…could do extended periods doing Traditional Base HV.

1 Like

Thanks!

1 Like

I tried tonight, I used a bit of wood that was only 18mm thick so hardly any change but it was noticeable. I’ve just done a couple of hours with 2 x 30 mins in position feeling much more relaxed. Thanks for the tip.

2 Likes

Hi guys,

Great thread, lots of useful info.

I’m relatively new to TTing and I’m currently going through the phase of adjusting the position on my budget ribble alu build.
I’m 191cm/90kgs (aiming for 80-85kgs).
The frame is Large (I believe), 170mm cranks, 130mm stem already (recently changed to a longer one), uncut extensions at around 320mm, 20cm+ saddle to pads drop.

I can’t judge how good/bad the position is, so I would like to ask you for help and comments.
I’ve attached pictures/gifs for reference.

Thanks!

IMG_8324 (1) IMG_8325 (1)

Position looks good in general.
As a baseline position, I would want my head to be a little lower. Especially in the head on shot, your head is poking out high. A good way of mitigating that, might be moving UP the arm cups a little (so likely the entire extensions) and with that, be able to have your shoulders up higher.
That would lead to your head sheltering you shoulders and your frontal area becoming smaller. Also, it might increase your hip angle, which generally increases comfort and power.

This is not necessarily true for everyone, but in my experience, this saves quite a few watts and actually should improve feel on the bike.

1 Like

Thanks a lot for the feedback. It’s really appreciated.
The head sticking up too much is a fair comment, I will definitely try adjusting the cockpit to eliminate that.

Just wanted to communicate that Down isn’t always the right way. A lower front can actually lead to a greater frontal area, because of the head moving more up. I went down the same road, and found a middle ground position is best for me.

3 Likes

Agree with @Aeroiseverything. Have you considered getting an angled spacer for under the bars? It helped me raise my hands a bit but also “drop into” the position more, reducing frontal area.

1 Like

Thanks!
The extensions have very little adjustment options, so it would probably require me to get a new set.
I’ve got an adjustable stem though, which is pointing down at the moment and also a couple cms of spacers to move up.
So, is this a matter of just moving the pads up, or pads up + tips of extensions higher as well?

I’d move everything up a bit as well, you’re head is sticking out instead of you tucking it because your elbows/arms are so low. You could also do with some more reach. If your adjustable stem allows you to go 20mm higher and further forward, I’d give that a try. If not, a longer 6 degree stem pointing upwards for instance might be a workable solution.

2 Likes

Thanks for the contribution!

I’ve moved the stem up already, it is now pointing slightly up. The saddle to pad drop is now greatly reduced. This is a little bit counter intuitive but I understand the reasoning behind this now.
I was never entirely happy with the handlebars which is down to the limited adjustments,
but… for the time being I’ve also moved the saddle back around 1cm (around 5cm saddle to bb setback now) to give me more reach and have ordered deda parabolica extensions/pads, with 55mm of stackers, which should give me a lot more adjustability.

As a rule, you normally don’t want to move the saddle back to give you more reach…it closes your hip angle, changes your position relative to the BB (which should largely remain fixed) and can make it more difficult to get lower in front.

However, as with most fit rules, it is not 100% and the increase in your stack may offset some of the issues I noted.

Definitely agree that you need more reach and the suggestion for a longer, 6* positive stem is a good one.

ETA - to get your head lower, work on collapsing your shoulders when you ride. Think of relaxing your upper back muscles, which will allow your shoulder blades to move in towards each other (the mental image I use is trying to get the blades to touch while I relax the muscles).

This will lower your head relative to your shoulders and can be less fatiguing than the traction methods of “shrugging” or “turtling” because you are relaxing your muscles vs. tightening them to hold a position.

1 Like

Not an expert but the cue that I found works for me is driving my chest down rather than my shoulders up.

Physical cues can be very individual, so use what works for you. Your suggestion is certainly similar to what I am suggesting in terms of effect, but to clarify, I am not suggesting that the cue is to raise your shoulders “up”. My cue is to collapse them “inwards”, which has the effect of lowering your chest and head.