Evaluate my form.

[mike9903]

Here is a picture of me in my last race, I am in the white, blue and yellow BSK law jersey and bibs. Overall how does my form look?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/arispe/402807129/in/set-72157594557116660/

Sorry can't host the picture right now, work firewall blocks all hosting sites.

[bdcheung]

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/129/402807129_a39ccac63e_b_d.jpg

[bdcheung]

it's tough to judge from the angle of the pic, but the frame (to me) looks a bit small. Could be the angle of the shot though.

[MDcatV]

From a photo it's very hard to tell. Looks like a climb and you look comfortable enough. Head is up so you can see what's going on in front of and around you, that's good. You should probably be closer to the wheel in front of you to get into a better slipstream. Nitpicky stuff - your # looks to be pinned on a little high, and I like to put a pin in the middle (under the middle "5" of yours) to keep it from bowing out like yours is. Also, I dont like the ankle sock or no sock look - ride 'em high!

[patentcad]

Frame looks cramped, like the top tube is a bit short. But tough to tell from one photo.

[DrWJODonnell]

+1 on the photo stuff, but bike looks small. Form? You don't look like you have peaked too early! :)

[waterrockets]

Yeah, you might be too short on top tube, but you're also further forward in the saddle (look at where the other guys are riding). I'd try to figure out the saddle fore/aft first, then worry about the reach.

[mike9903]

Yeah, you might be too short on top tube, but you're also further forward in the saddle (look at where the other guys are riding). I'd try to figure out the saddle fore/aft first, then worry about the reach.
I am actually screwing with that right now, for a long time I felt stretched out when in the drops so I recently moved my saddle forward. It has helped out a ton and I acually feel comfortable on my bike, I now need to fine tune it.

[cmh]

I am actually screwing with that right now, for a long time I felt stretched out when in the drops so I recently moved my saddle forward. It has helped out a ton and I acually feel comfortable on my bike, I now need to fine tune it.

Your set up may work well for you. However, it is usually reccomended that you adjust your saddle fore/aft in relation to your pedals, then adjust the reach via stem length. It could be that your saddle was too far back in relation to your pedals - I can't tell that from this picture.

[mike9903]

My saddle is actually almost all the way forward, I did the string to the pedal spindel test and I am right there.

[branman1986]

I don't really know much about fit at all, but just from looking it seems like you're a bit scrunched up

[cat4ever]

You looked smushed.

[Jonathan Drake]

Your shorts are too long and your helmet clashed with your team kit.

[stea1thviper]

My saddle is actually almost all the way forward, I did the string to the pedal spindel test and I am right there.

that test is pretty useless in my opinion. and if your saddle has to be all the way forward for the string to be over your pedal axel, then your frame is def too small.

[waterrockets]

I am actually screwing with that right now, for a long time I felt stretched out when in the drops so I recently moved my saddle forward. It has helped out a ton and I acually feel comfortable on my bike, I now need to fine tune it.

Hmm. Comfort is a huge part of it, but you do look scrunched. A longer stem is likely to leave you feeling too stretched out again. I'd say to raise your stem if you weren't already at the top of a tall stack, as sometimes going too low feels like stretching out too far.

It may be worth swinging by 360CW or BSS for a fitting. That $200 could buy you more speed than anything else you could buy for your bike. Did you buy your bike locally?

[mike9903]

Yah I bought my bike from Bike World here in town and now I race for them, so I can get a 15% discount off a fitting. I think that I am going to do that with the money that I get for my b-day

[patentcad]

You look like you need to lose 20lbs. Yet you don't look overweight in the least. However that 'I just completed the Bataan Deathmarch' look isn't quite there yet. See the photos in the Forum of M. Rasmussen from the 2005 Tour de France.

Welcome to my nightmare, the sad, pathetic, frustrating world of an amateur cyclist in the real world, where not everybody is 5'11" and 135lbs. If you see me eating between now and July 1 I authorize you to kill me. I'll do the same for you.

[Phantoj]

I'm not a racer, so...


Why are you not in the drops? Are you climbing?

As mentioned before, you seem to be scooted well forward on the saddle... I found that I was doing that, and that when I moved my saddle forward, I was much more comfortable...

[fly:yes/land:no]

it sounds like you may need to increase your flexibility. the bike def. looks small (2-3 inches of spacers hints that the frame is too small for you and the bars have to be raised to get up to your arms), but from what you have said, i think that the shop that fit you was probably just trying to get you comfortable with that bike. you said that you have moved the saddle forward and in addition you are sitting on the tip of it. that may be a product of poor flexibility, getting you more over the pedals, and effetively flattening our your body, but also scrunching your torso even more. a rule that i have heard but have no attachment to: when you are on the hoods, your bars should block your vision of your front wheel hub and the hub should be slightly ahead of the bars when you are in your drops. (again, this is an old wives tale, but may be helpful.) that said, i would def go get a pro fit if possible, cause there is a lot going on here.

a crude means of determining if you have the right size frame:
http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CCY?PAGE=FIT_CALCULATOR_INTRO

[DrWJODonnell]

I'm not a racer, so...

Why are you not in the drops? Are you climbing?


A lot of racing is riding around at a tempo pace (or less) in a comfortable position. Oftentimes, the hoods are that position. The fact that there appears to be no angle and no one seems to be on the tops would suggest that they are not climbing. Even so, I have been on the tops at times in flat road races and in the drops before while climbing, so don't think that a certain position is used 100% of the time for a given activity.

[I am The Edge]

i agree - the bike looks to be too small for you.

[ri_us]

I also think that your saddle height is too short and that you need more core strength and flexibility to get your head down. Longer bike will flatten your back fine.

[Phantoj]

A lot of racing is riding around at a tempo pace (or less) in a comfortable position. Oftentimes, the hoods are that position. The fact that there appears to be no angle and no one seems to be on the tops would suggest that they are not climbing. Even so, I have been on the tops at times in flat road races and in the drops before while climbing, so don't think that a certain position is used 100% of the time for a given activity.

Hey, thanks for the reply. The guy on the very far left of the picture (black Giant) appears to be on the tops. The riders seem to be in the big chainring and big cog in the back... so the speed is probably fairly moderate - 15-16 mph, maybe?

[mike9903]

I found the pictures before and after this one, but you cannot see my form. I believe we had just come from the downhill section, that would explain why I am so far forward on the saddle. After the downhill section there were some rollers, so that would explain why the guy has his hands on the tops, or he was struggling to breath!

so the speed is probably fairly moderate - 15-16 mph, maybe?

I am guessing we are going 30+ at this point, I maxed out at 41 mph on that hill!

[San Rensho]

Upper body looks pretty good. Your upper body is bent forward towards the middle of your back, not at the hips. Elbows bent shows your upper body is nice and relaxed.

Can't tell from the photo if your saddle height is correct because neither pedal is at 6 o'clock.

If you mostly ride criteriums, then I disagree with the others that have said you are too cramped. Being stretched out is good for long road races, but for criteriums, where you stand up and sprint a lot, having the bars closer to yout body gives you better mechanical advantage when you are standing up and pushing down with one leg as you pull up with one arm.

[I am The Edge]

the more i look at it, the more i think that bike is WAY too small for you.

[MDcatV]

To the OP - seems the consensus of the board is that your bike is too small. That might be the case, but please, if you feel the need to play around with your bike fit, have it done by a professional. No way anyone can look at 1 picture where you could be doing anything and conclude that your bike is too small.

[stea1thviper]

having the bars closer to yout body gives you better mechanical advantage when you are standing up and pushing down with one leg as you pull up with one arm.

nope. quite the opposite actually.

[San Rensho]

nope. quite the opposite actually.

Explain.

[stea1thviper]

basically, when you are sprinting out of the saddle, your center of gravity is alot further forward. also because when you sprint your arms rock your bike (some do it purposely for more effect, but everyone does it to an extent), it is natural for you to shift your weight forward to center to load path along your arms, which in turn contributes slightly to the power you generate while out of the saddle.

if you are bunched up on your bike, you are going to lose power out of the saddle because you cannot get the ideal leverage.

[Snicklefritz]

Your shorts are too long and your helmet clashed with your team kit.

+1 The helmet doesn't match with the kit, but you do get points for the shaved legs. When you change socks to get the ones that are more than just ankle socks, get something that matches. Like black.

[mike9903]

The helmet not matching the team kit really does kill me, before I was on the team I had everything red, black and silver, now I got this blue, yellow and white thing going on.

Anyone got a white and silver Bell Sweep R that they want to trade for the red and black???:D