Originally Posted by
Brian Ratliff
Yes, if you try to fit a road race position to a touring bike (or vice verse), you might have problems. I would suggest moving the bars up and back on the touring bike to accommodate the slacker seat tube and get yourself into a more upright position so you are using the bike as intended. If you are going the other way and trying to apply a touring fit to a race bike, I'd suggest rotating your position forward, by moving your bars down and away, to get yourself into a more aerodynamic position, again, to use the bike as intended.
People lionize "bike fit". It's funny. The only part of bike fit that is important for physiological reasons is saddle height. Saddle setback, handlebar height, reach; all these things are more or less to the rider's preference. Some riders even change these according to mood. Many racers change these according to the event.
No, I don't agree at all. I don't think any rider changes their setback according to their mood. Riders certainly change height and reach, of course.
Setback is set in stone, or it should be. No matter what purpose you are putting the bike to. Finding this position on my racing bike, after much trial and error and finally getting a pro fit was a complete revelation in both power output and comfort.