Originally Posted by
ejewels
Hey Guys,
Its known that a torso angle at about 45 degrees is a good balance of aero and comfort. Good for general road cycling. I read an article that suggested your torso should be at 45 degrees to the top tube. However I always though it was to the horizon, or straight floor, which seems to make more sense since there are sloping top tubes. Maybe this article got it wrong?
The rule of thumb originated when just about all bikes had level top tubes. It's a decent starting position that is much more aerodynamic than sitting bolt upright, but not as tiring to the neck and hands as a more leaned-over position.
If for some silly reason we were going to go by the actual top tube angle, then I would argue for the inverse -- people on new carbon bikes typically want to be more aero, and folks still riding old steel bikes tend to be older and want to sit more upright.
