Thanks Chad (just don’t ever ask me TT questions!)
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Copy that. I will handle those silly things. 
General question…having the redshift system I often find myself riding (comfortably) in the forward up saddle position even when on the hoods. I’m putting good power and RPE doesn’t feel different to saddle back. Seems like a good option to alternate (maybe sharing specific muscle fatigue). Thoughts? Do you have similar experience?
I do the same. When I first got it, I rolled into a hill after a long stretch I the forward saddle with the extensions. I totally forgot to switch the saddle back, and ripped the hollow. I was half way up before I realized my “mistake”.
Turns out it’s like riding the river, but with better leg extension. So I think it is a great position to use for other stuff.
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Hi Mate
From a front on view. It looks pretty good. Will you be using a TT helmet? I would be interested to see you with a helmet on as well.
- You should be looking through the top of your eye lids.
2 And you do want to turtle neck. Shoulders up to your ears.
3 Your position is constrained by your frame, we know that. I think its about as good as it is going to get.
4 To relieve your quads you could slide back onto the saddle further. This would releive some of the pressure on the quads and you perineum.
5 Take OFF the saddle bag
6 I cant recall how long your TT is, but you wont need two bottle for a 20, or 40k TT. 1 bottle 1/4 full for a 40k TT.
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Hey man, thanks for your feedback and tips!
Don’t have a TT helmet atm. I do want to invest in one and get a speedsuits as well when this whole Covid-19 thing blows over. The local TT competition’s I’d like to take part in are 16 km max, so I won’t be using a bottle or saddle bag.
My own goal before that time is to do a sub 3hr 100km flat TT in my current standard road kit. I’ve estimated I’d need close to 200W average for that, which is a nice challenge considering my upright FTP is 246 and my TT FTP is probably 5-10% lower. Currently in my last week of SSB2 and starting SPB next. Best 100km effort to date was a 3:07 so 32.2km/h, and this took me 181W average. However, this was during an outdoor 3 x 20min sweetspot TR workout extended with Z2 and the sweetspot efforts were not done in TT position.
The quad issue seems to be fixed with my new saddle which has a split nose. I’m now actually able to sit foreward more and activate my glute/hams. Also, no more pressure on perineum.
/edit: forgot to mention I also swapped my rear cassette from an 11-32 to 12-25. That makes it much easier to hold target power at a narrower cadence range.
more updates:
- physio complained about my ITB being too tight. More rolling to the program, every day, no excuse.
- lower back pain - i’ve had that before when i cycled more, before kids. All points to weak core.
That would also explain my difficulty staying on the hoods too long. But still, looking forward to the proper bike fit next week. 2 shops in balance, one has a very good reputation, but fits are done by cyclists, not physios - and more TT/triathlon dudes from what I can tell. Other shop has a physio on the books, but I haven’t been able to get any feedback on them.
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If you have a rehab programme from the physio your position will change, might be worth putting off a bike fit for 6-8 weeks. Just an idea.
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Quick note. Aleays been a Selle Italia flite type sadle guy since the mid 90s.
My recent TT bike came with an ISM and I gave it a try and it has been working well for the last 4 years.
I kept the original Selle Italia on the road bike but recently replaced it with the ISM from the other one just to see how it works.
My God, my position just got a win win upgrade both in comfort and aerodynamics. I now ride the drops with the same comfort as I was riding the hoods.
My head is much lower without neck issues.
Never ever I’m my wildest thoughts I was expecting such a dramatic change just from a saddle replacement.
Final note to say the previous fit was professionally approved by two fitters and had worked very well in the past 25 years so I can say that the only change in position did come from the saddle.
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So far the physio hasn’t introduced anything I wasn’t doing already.
I just need to keep at it and increase the frequency.
It’s not only bike related, I’m carrying a lot of injuries and niggles that i’ve been lax to address properly.
Worst case scenario, I’ll do a fit next week, and i’ll do another one in 2-3 months if I feel the need.
Might also get a new bike if this containment thing makes me save more money 
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Good to start by using the following road bike setup sheet to record the saddle to bar measurements, and compare between both bikes:
With those numbers, and comparison, we can start to diagnose the issues. I will add, that the center of handle bar to hood contact is also good to measure and compare. Bars and hoods vary, so just center of handle bar is limited use.
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Quick comparison, saddle nose to contact of hood. This distance is an angle, and can be impacted by handle bar reach, width, and hood position and design.
I am no fitting expert. Actually I am still trying to improve my position (see above). But one thing to look at might be a saddle. Do you have the same one? Is the saddle tilt the same? I had some really bad neck, upper traps and lats (and sitting parts) pain with the new saddle after I tilted it slightly. I was thinking that it will allow me to ride with a flatter back. Well, certainly not the way to go. Might not be your case but still worth measuring the saddle tilt precisely. And mine was 4 degrees when I had the problems!
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Looking for some general advice – I find myself continually sliding forward on the seat while in TT position on my tri-bike. I’ve tried tilting it back and even after tilting it waaaay too far back I still had the issue (and obviously was uncomfortable with it being tilted back that far). I then brought it back to level (normal position) and slid the seat forward a bit but I still find myself sliding forward. Aside from that, my position is pretty comfy and it doesn’t prevent me from getting long/hard rides done…it’s more annoying than anything.
What is your setup on the front?
Is it relatively low?
Do you have any incline on the arm pads and/or extensions.
If you are sliding forward in the saddle, what else is happening to your body as a result?
(Moving forward, scrunching up, other?)
Hi, love this thread.
Would appriciate some input on my fitting issue. I am getting calf cramps (gastrocnemius?) after harder efforts. Was adressing this to the cleats as i assumed the calves are doing too much stabilising work?
So the cleats were set as long back as possible. Some relief was felt but cramps still remains.
My next thought is adjusting the fore-aft saddle position. This is currently set to an position where hamstrings and quads feels equally engaded. I have done some checking with KOPS and ”lifting hands from bar” tests and position feels ok. Should sliding the saddle forward benefit calf relief?
Are there any other things I could do to relief the cramps?
Thanks!
Lower your saddle so that you don’t have to poke with your toes, but can naturally fall with your heel during the pedal stroke. Fore/aft isn’t relevant, in my opinion, but going more forward will effectively lower your saddle unless you compensate.
There are lots of great insights on bike fit in this video: Why THIS Bike Fitter Stopped Using Motion Tracking Technology (the full discussion) - YouTube
Neill (the fitter in the video) echoes a lot of what my current fitter has told me, namely:
- That a shorter crank length is not necessarily a bad thing, and
- The importance of good innersoles and arch support.
My fitter also recommended Bont shoes as they’ve got a thinner stack height. I don’t remember why this is good, but I think it’s related to the shorter crank length 
.
All that’s left is for me to spend a bunch of money!
Thank you for the fast response!
I will try that tonight on my zwift session and keep notice of my foot movement around the pedalstroke.
Just a question for my understanding in this topic…
When is the saddle too low? Is it when knee angle at top of pedalstroke is less than 70 degrees or any other indications here?
When your quads load up way too quickly; pain in the front of your knees; you naturally start dipping the heel too much in the bottom to stretch out your legs; back pain; cramped sitting position with difficulty breathing. Generally, too low is better than too high, and on your bad/fatigued days, you’re better off sitting too low than too high.
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