Stem length for a more aero position
05-31-14, 06:22 AM
#3
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There are some general tendencies that you might expect to notice. At first, lengthening the stem will probably immediately feel worse when going slowly, as the steering will feel heavier and slower. But once you get up to speed, it is very likely that the front end will feel much more stable and better planted. However, if you reach a point where the stem is too long, you will know it because the rear wheel will now have too little weight on it and it will be unstable and skittish in turns. Again, at what point this might happen for you on your bicycle you will have to find out for yourself.
06-01-14, 01:02 AM
#4
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I'm not clear. To get more aero, are you getting down in the drops or not?
If you are not in the drops, you are not doing much to improve your aero drag. Longer stem + saddle forward won't help much if you are still up on the hoods.
Basically, look at yourself from the side (have someone take a pictures, or ride by a reflective window). The closer to horizontal and flattened out your back is, the more aero.
If you are not in the drops, you are not doing much to improve your aero drag. Longer stem + saddle forward won't help much if you are still up on the hoods.
Basically, look at yourself from the side (have someone take a pictures, or ride by a reflective window). The closer to horizontal and flattened out your back is, the more aero.
06-01-14, 07:04 PM
#5
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You just have to try it. Reversed setback seatpost (set forward?), longer stem, etc. No one answer.
06-01-14, 10:57 PM
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I've heard 90-120mm is the sweet spot. I have used 80, 90, 100, 110 and 120 on various bikes. My current road is 120 and feels great.
06-01-14, 11:21 PM
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Moving everything forward doesn't make you more aero, it just puts you further forward. And the negative effect of closing the hip is a loss of power but you have to get pretty low for that to happen and working on hamstring flexibility will help though after a certain point some of the muscles in the hip actually stop being able to contract.
Getting your shoulders and head low and your back as flat as possible are the way to get more aero. Core strength is important to maintaining the position and so is spending a lot of time riding that way.
Getting your shoulders and head low and your back as flat as possible are the way to get more aero. Core strength is important to maintaining the position and so is spending a lot of time riding that way.
06-02-14, 10:36 AM
#8
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There is also a UCI limit for saddle position:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/USACWeb/for...egulations.pdf
As you can see in the photo of Cancellara in this article:
UCI eases rules on time trial positions | Cyclingnews.com
even with his saddle at the limit position, he still is perching his perineum on the nose to open his hip angle further.
For endurance or all mass start events; road, track and cyclo-cross, the nose of the
saddle must be a minimum of 5 cm behind a vertical line drawn up through the center of
the crank axle. For speed events (track); sprint, 500m, 750m, kilometer and team
sprint, the nose of the saddle may move forward inside this 5 cm dimension, but never
beyond the center of the crank.
saddle must be a minimum of 5 cm behind a vertical line drawn up through the center of
the crank axle. For speed events (track); sprint, 500m, 750m, kilometer and team
sprint, the nose of the saddle may move forward inside this 5 cm dimension, but never
beyond the center of the crank.
As you can see in the photo of Cancellara in this article:
UCI eases rules on time trial positions | Cyclingnews.com
even with his saddle at the limit position, he still is perching his perineum on the nose to open his hip angle further.
06-04-14, 09:08 AM
#9
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Stem length has little effect on steering. The fact is you lean to turn. Bikes are different from cars that way. It's possible to get too low. At some point you lose power with increased drop. It's also possible to to have too much reach. At some point your saddle will be too far forward and the reach is so long that you're just too far forward. Your goal is to be as low as possible without being so low that you lose power. Your goal is to be forward enough with maximum reach without going too far. As the saddle goes forward you put increasing weight on your hands and toes. At some point you've gone too far. If your reach is so long that you can't maintain your saddle position and your sit bones slide forward of the sweet spot it's too long.
Last edited by Clem von Jones; 06-04-14 at 09:15 AM.
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