timtak

@ Coasting
I am a goof ball.
@ Roopull
These are prescription lenses. The lens needs to be high, and not just frameless, since I am generally looking out just under my brow.

LesterOfPuppets

I have the problem too. My specs' frames are just a tad too low, though.

I'd rather full frame giant lenses. A la Charles Nelson Reilly

timtak

I bet I would still be able to see those frames.

Charles Nelson Reilly and another big glasses wearer Elton John
are gay. I wonder if there is any connection with big glasses and gayness. Dead good for cycling anyway.

BoSoxYacht

Btw, your helmet is not on your head properly(or you have a gigantic forehead).

WalksOn2Wheels

O, I am REALLY lost here. I followed your link to your cockpit and noticed there was a shot of your bike. That is CRAZY long and low. What drove you to this position? World Championship TT riders aren't this long and low. I mean, to each his own, but I am deadly curious as to how you evolved to this position. Is there a shot of you on the bike and in the drops?

bbattle

Some serious Trolling going on here. I like it!

Darth Steele

LOL, I had the same thought

StanSeven

I've been around here about the same amount of time as you. We've both learned how to tell trolling from serious posting I see. Me, it took about a dozen threads like this sucking me in to learn.

timtak

BoSoxYacht
> Btw, your helmet is not on your head properly(or you have a gigantic forehead).
Thanks. You mean I should have my helmet further forward? If I did it would obscure my vision. What is more important avoiding fracturing ones skull, or being able to see, I wonder.

WalksonTwoWheels wrote
> I followed your link to your cockpit and noticed there was a shot of your bike. That is CRAZY long and low. What drove you to this position?

I have explained elsewhere on these forums but since I am very very happy with my bike, I would love the opportunity to explain and recommend it again, and again!

The bike was a bit too small. I am 175-76cm and the bike is a 54cm top tube. It was cheap at auction and I think the bike's manufacturer said that 176cm was the upper limit for the bike.

But, partly because I was a runner and tend to run on my pedals, and partly because I can't touch my toes and prefer not to get into a backwards pointing V, and partly because I had a belly when I first started road biking, I put the saddle forward to saddle tip over crank, not 5cm behind. I did not know about UCI rules, nor care.

The tendency to want to go forward to over the crank seems to be shared by time trialers, who use non UCI bikes, or chop the tips off their saddles, or use bar tape to make the tips of their saddles sittable or wiggle back and forth on their saddle like this

With the saddle so far forward, the bike length was just too short. I rode in a fairly upright position on a 10cm stem, approached a fairly normal position with a 12cm stem. I was scared to go longer because other people don't go so long and low (I thought that there must be some reason, bleat, sheep that I was) and I was worried about steering.

But after seeing some John Cobb (of Cobb saddle's fame) videos
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsV...ZH1ED26jESbfuQ
particularly this one
recommending a horizontal back, and thinking about Obree and (praying) Landis, I bought a 150mm stem - 30 degree stem (flipped), and I am loving it.

Four pronged "E" shape Time trial bikes are just a BAD idea for riding on roads with traffic. It seems clear to me that one wants to have ones hands on the shifters and brakes. When you are on a road with cars it is important I believe to never to have to take your hands off the brakes.

Additionally, Road bike handlebars provide more ride positions for variation and increased comfort.

But the low position that time trialers get into (forward saddle, lower, more forward bars) is aerodynamic and fast. It looks uncomfortable, but that is not my experience.

So what better than to cross a road bike with a TT bike by putting road bike saddle and handlebars forward to create a type of hybrid bike, or lanced road bike?

Not only do I find that there is no problem with steering, that the lower position is comfortable (with these glasses mind you) and faster but also the longer stem increases flex improves ride quality in my forks.

I regained a KOM on my commute this morning! There are not many Stravarista's in my area but I am often the fastest on the segments I ride. I am 49 years old (I am not a premium members so I can't tell the ages of the other riders).
https://www.strava.com/athletes/4396206/segments/leader

Lance your road bike now! You won't regret it :-)

A 150mm stem 50USD
Trial Bike Rock Crawler Bicycle parts NEON 30 degrees 150 mm 20 inch 3D forged stem-inBicycle Stem from Sports & Entertainment on Aliexpress.com

A 20mm headset spacer that you need to cut at a 60 degree angle 3USD
Wholesale Product Snapshot Product name is 3PCS Carbon Fiber Washer Bike Bicycle Handlebar Spacer 10-15-20mm Black

And here is a list of seatposts that may be able to provide forward offset (the rails of your saddle may do)
Universal Cycles -- American Classic Alphatype Seatpost
Profile Design Fast Forward (Aliminum 30mm, Carbon 38mm *forward*)
Tomson Elite (16mm or more. Triathlete recommended, so flippable)
Nitto S84 37mm (can it be flipped forwards? The seat post is not long enough for me)
Ritchey WCS Wayback 40mm (can it be flipped forwards?)
Boardman E4P seatpost about 40mm (can it be flipped forwards?)
Truvative Stylo 25mm (Flipable?)
Canyon VCLS seatpost 15-35 setback (not the twin barralled shock absorbing version. Does not look foward flippable)
Dixna Arc 35mm (flippable?)
Velo Orange Grand Cru 30.2 (flippable?)
3T Iconic 25 25mm (looks flippable)
FSA K-Force Light Carbon Seatpost 37mm setback (flipabble ?)
Sakae Ringyo (SR) MTE-100 60mm adjustable (but it does not look flippable and has a really short post. But perhaps I can stuff it in a carbon post. I think I may try it! But 435 grams is heavy!).
https://velobase.com/ViewComponent.as...66BEC&Enum=105
USE Sumo (they used to produce a 30mm forward, which I have, now only 10mm offset seems to be available)
Oval Concepts Aergo are offset posts but I don't think that they are flippable.

Here are pictures of my riding positions. When I am riding my elbows are more bent, and when I am wearing my cycling specs my head is further down.

WalksonTwoWheels also wrote
> Is there a shot of you on the bike and in the drops?
Spinachi-like home made mini aero bars

Hoods (where I ride most of the time)

Drops (only very rarely)

BoSoxYacht

Nice fit, LOL.

timtak

Yes, it is a very nice fit, LOL.

Not only am I am going fast and recommending the comfort/ergonomics of the fit, but also pro riders are getting small frames and long stems.

Mark Cavendish is 175 cm height (about the same as me) and went from a 52 (smaller than my bike above) to a 49cm (!) bike with 140mm stem.

Pro bike: Mark Cavendish's S-Works Venge - BikeRadar

Personally I think his bike looks a bit too small for him, and lacking goofy specs, seems to have his neck crained upwards


but he is a lot faster than me.

You do not need to have a small frame to lance your road bike.
Just move your bars and saddle 5cm forwards, and go down as far as you can comfortably go.

woodcraft

I really enjoyed your photo album.

How about these to keep your head down?
Belay Glasses for Rock Climbing | Belay Specs

timtak

Thanks. What are these? If there was a link I am afraid it did not work.

Silvercivic27

Bro, do your arms even bend? And why so formal on a ride?

Silvercivic27

I found the perfect functional outfit to complement the spectacles:

timtak

I do bend my arms when riding but when posing for a photo on my bike when it is not moving, it is difficult to get into my normal riding position without falling down. When I am riding my arms are at about 150 degree angle - i.e. at about 30 degrees less than straight (when on the hoods as I almost always am).

I do wear latex when I am riding, but I took the photos above while at work in my usual work gear.

I will try and get a photo of my usual riding position but, this is not rocket science.

Time trial bike handlebars are very bad in traffic (no brainer).
Time trial bike position is good aerodynamically when you can't draft (no brainer).

Therefore when you can not draft (hence time trial position), and you are in traffic (hence road bike bars), time trial position combined with road bike handle bars are good. This is simple. Do it. You will like it. Buy that long stem and forward offset seatpost now.

TT

silkroad

Can you still reach or even pedal with that seatpost?

surgeonstone

Don't forget the helmet. It amazes me the difference how I see cyclists versus the population at large. My wife regularly tells me how ridiculous cyclists look. Good for the humility factor.

surgeonstone

You are taking goofiness to a new level.

wphamilton

I had a strange idea that I hesitated to mention earlier, but with these larger glasses it might work. You could angle some mirrors at the bottom of those, on the inside, to see the road ahead of you when your head is down in your aero position. I'd use those little stick-on eyeglass mirrors but you'd need to have them mounted somehow at almost right angles to the lenses.

woodcraft

fixed the link in my post above
Belay Glasses for Rock Climbing | Belay Specs
I actually have a pair of these.

WalksOn2Wheels

Ok, so you post this picture as an example, but you're missing one thing. He may be on a smaller bike with a long stem, but his saddle to bar drop is what you would call reasonable, maybe even conservative for a pro fit. What you have going on is entirely different. Another example: Cancellara is about 6'1" but still rides a 58 with a slammed 140mm stem. So he's long and low, but his bars aren't in a position to suggest that he is in a diving competition. I'm 6'2" and usually end up on 56 cm frames, but my saddle to bar drop is about 9 cm. And honestly, I usually end up on "endurance" geometry frames. I'd probably get a 58 cm frame in a racing geometry.

I mean, if it works for you, that's great, but you seem to imagine that everyone would benefit from doing this and so far, I see a grand total of one person that claims to benefit from this position.

Also, notice in the picture you posted that Cav does not require special eyewear to see straight ahead.

redlude97

You are literally falling off the front of your bike if you can't get into a riding position sitting still. Aero is about decreasing frontal area, which includes the forearms. If your handlebars are so low that you can't use the drops, and your arms are straight in the drops and on the hoods then you aren't as aero as you think. Notice Cav's forearms are 90 degrees on the hoods while yours are very far from it. There is more to a bike than aero even when riding by yourself and based on your position and weight distribution I bet you are a horrible descender.

JohnDThompson 

Now all you need is a "tall bike" to go with them!

BoSoxYacht

timtak, I see they make blingy gold ones now.