Apparently works. Kind of looks like Lemond and Indurain with the bars tilted at a 45 degree angle. I tilt my profile T2 Pro Bends at abount 20 degs and it just seems more comfortable.

P.S. Sherwen killed me when he commentated on Floyd's TT style in that it "may be hard to get oxygen into his carcass". :D :D

God , the English have a way with words. Luv em'. I wish Phil was here too...Bobke is knowledgable, but he trips over his tongue in an amateurish way. :o

Personally, I don't know how he won with that completely UN-aerodynamic mustache! :D

Pictures!?!?

I think it looks rediculous...but hey, whatever works. I like the position that Bobby Julich has on the bike... looks most comfortable to me.

Here's a picture of Floyd's TT position. Kind of reminds me of a praying mantis.
Cycling News Photo

It looks very aero to me, aero doesn't mean his back has to be horizontal or paralell to the ground.

Corsaire

narrow is aero. it obviously works...


i think it's totally *****in'. (rhymes with itchin'.)

It's all about balancing the compromizes. There's no doubt that you get more aero by being lower down and flat, but you also end up with more restricted breathing and some loss of muscular power as well. So somewhere in the middle there's a balanced point where you get maximum power with decent aerodynamics.

Kinda nostalgic to see the praying mantis again, it's been about a decade now. Apparently the wind-tunnel tests have shown that horizontal forearms are more aero because they don't block any more wind than just your hands.

i think he has hemorrhoids.

I don't know about Landis', but what do you think about my "TT" position?

http://weightweenies.starbike.com/ph...les/dz_102.jpg[img]http://weightweenies.starbike.com/ph...landis_170.jpg


im no expert but it seems to me that in zabriskies position the air under his chin & above his forearms flows directly to his stomach/waist/hips & traps air like a parachute.

in landis' position the arms/hands break the air and allow it to flow around the body better.

yes? no?

my tt bike is set up like landis. i tried it with the stem flipped & lower but i found my self going faster, longer with the bar up.

http://photos.imageevent.com/luv4low...ture%20002.jpg

Hell, I have a picture of him in this mantis position on my desktop. It is a pic of him in the wind tunnel.

I like it. At first I was like many of you, and I thought it was a bit strange. After further review, it looks like he can really lock himself in position with his arms like that. It also puts him right on his toes over the pedals, this might be good. I'd give it a try.

It is the way I learn to set up a TT bike... I also find it a little more comfortable.

care to share. please

Ok, the praying mantis arms is one thing, but what is up with the interlocking fingers?

it's comfortable.

Did anyone notice in the iTT yesterday that during the long, straight flat stretch, that Landis had his hands clasped together and placed between the bars and shifters. Kind of like you would clasp your hands if you were holding a bug or something.

Here's a photo from the Tour de Georgia.

He kinda looks like he is begging or praying really hard.

Makes my nads hurt just looking at him. I can't believe how he tips it. I have to assume he's pedaling so hard that there is no pressure at all on the saddle.

I think he likes that praying mantis position because it allows him to get real low. I think his arms are taking most of the weight rather than his arse, which is why he wants them under him more than the other riders.

I was amused watching Julich during the TT Weds. He kept having to nudge his butt back on the saddle every 3 or 4 strokes, almost like a nervous tick. Sort of looked like the saddle was tipped down in the front or something..

To me, logically I would think Landis' position does prevent a parachute effect from the air hitting the chest/abdomen. It seems more comfortable, too. Having never tried either, I can't say much for experiencing it myself - only how it looks.

Apparently, begging and praying work to shave off time.

It pretty brilliant. The angle that Landis' forearms are at create a wedge and almost a nose cone effect, deflect air under and around the body. It's kind of like an inverse version of the wedge that 18 wheelers haveon top of their cabs.

I can see Johan and the wind tunnel geeks at Trek scrambling like mad to find out what make the Aero-Mantis tick! :D

No. Zabriskie's back is always parallel to the ground, the air hits the seatpost and flows through. Landis' flows around the rider, but more air is likely displaced, he may not pedal as well in Zabby's position. Its not just about less resistence, but also about power output.

CSC spents serious hours at the MIT windtunnel.

Assuming that Landis' position has been wind tunnel tested to be more aero, then why wouldn't his teammates adopt it? You would think that if Phonak saw any appreciable aero advantage in the tunnel then the whole team would be doing it. I think that Floyd has some sort of back issue and he can't get into that stretched out position anymore. And I though this issue had been put to rest in the mid-90's by the classic Boardman/Obree hour record battles. The superman trumps the praying mantis every time..