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catapultkid
 
i just got a caad 5 built up and i would like to learn about how to angle your body on the bike during sprints like how to the maximize power, be areodynamic, and being able to spin high. should your arms set low, seat high? things of that nature.

thanks for your help, here to learn, all ears

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ed073
 
i just got a caad 5 built up and i would like to learn about how to angle your body on the bike during sprints like how to the maximize power, be areodynamic, and being able to spin high. should your arms set low, seat high? things of that nature.

thanks for your help, here to learn, all ears

as close to your road bike as possible to begin with, then adjust from there in small increments.

Your training will primarily determine how you "maximise power" and "spin high", not your position.

catapultkid
 
tweek by pushing the seat foward, and droping the bars?

ed073
 
tweek by pushing the seat foward, and droping the bars?

you can try that for sure.
Just mark the components with a texta so you can go back if need be.

catapultkid
 
cool thanks, what about stem length

is it more customary to stretch out alittle more(longer stem), or go down on the stem(steeper stem)

CrimsonKarter21
 
Shorter stem than what you use on your road bike, about 1 cm shorter.
For me, I like a very deep saddle-bar drop. Being down very low in the front is as aero as you can get on drop bars and aero bars.
I like to be low enough to where my knee's barely clear my chest.

As for sprinting, I put my chest maybe 6-9 inches above the bars and put my hands in the drops (not the flats) and pull.

goldenskeletons
 
your positioning makes sense in theory, but when your knees just barely clear your chest, doesn't this affect your breathing? i just switched to a positive rise stem because i was having a hard time breathing right. is this something you don't have an issue with, or have you conditioned yourself to breath properly in a more aero position?

i'm not calling your tactics into question, i'm just curious as to what you're doing right that i'm not.

catapultkid
 
good breathing is easier with a flat/level torso not hunched?

CrimsonKarter21
 
My back is level when I do this. My forearms are also parallel to the ground, bars, and back.


I'll take a picture in the near future

ed073
 
cool thanks, what about stem length

is it more customary to stretch out alittle more(longer stem), or go down on the stem(steeper stem)

you're worrying about it too much.

concentrate on logging plenty of 25-hour traning weeks before tinkering with your positon for negligible benefit.

bitingduck
 
Spend a bunch of time on the track training with more experienced riders. You'll get plenty of advice on how to adjust things to get better performance, and a lot of help in how to race better, which will matter much more than little position tweaks.

catapultkid
 
yeah, i understand, just looking for some advice

oldsprinter
 
The other thing you might want to look at is cleat position. Depending how far back your cleats are now, you might find that edging your cleats forward a bit helps when you're accelerating and sprinting.

You want to make sure your arms are still bent at least a little when you hold onto the drops.

CrimsonKarter21
 
Since I've got tons of free time due to a school suspension, I took a few pictures of me on my trainer, unfortunately, this is the best of them. It's not perfect, but you get the idea.
http://a872.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/98/l_92734d1f34f75def71385dc39055a547.jpg

queerpunk
 
i'm not Captain Experience, but here's what I've found with regard to my body positioning. i should note that i'm pretty short, 5'5", so the compactness of my body definitely changes/informs some of the variables.

1. it's easy to have the saddle be just a hair too high, and rob me of power in my stroke.

2. it's easy to have the bars too low, and rob me of comfort and the ability to breath. you can get low by bending your elbows if you need to get down down down, but it sucks to be reaching too low to your handlebars.

3. it's good for me to remember to get low by bending my elbows; this ensures that i'm not reaching too far for the bars, which means that when i really need to, i can get low, flare my elbows out a bit, and feel like i've got a strong, stable position on the bike, while opening up my ribs for some more lung capacity.

4. it's really easy to feel like i'm going to be stronger if i push my saddle forward, but i remind myself that i need toom to get rearward on the saddle in order to spin smoothely. having a saddle that accomodates the extent to which you like/need to move fore and aft is important. i like to move forward to start a sprint, and move forward to spin and keep the pace smooth and fast.

catapultkid
 
thanks alot guys, some of the best written/picture advice so far

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