Can this ride be tweaked?
 

Maybe someone out there can offer me some advice to help me squeeze the most performance I can get out of my bike. I know that the number one performance enhancer is the engine. Aside from that, I was wondering if a tri seat post (like the Profile Fast Forward Carbon) would help me out. I'm on a nice road bike right now with shorty bars. I've been told that a more "tri" seat position would help me gain some time, perhaps in the run? I'm still trying to shave about 4 minutes off my bike in the sprint distance, and another 4 or 5 off of my run. Any ideas? I'm also liking the thought of Profile's Tri Saddle, if for no other reason that I can rack my bike from the back of the saddle.

This saddle??
http://www.profile-design.com/2006_p...pages/saddles/

As in the Tri-Stryke? It is in the mail to me and should be here by the 27th. I'll let you know after that. I used the fast forward seat post for most of my season last year, before I got my tri-bike. I found it to be very beneficial for getting into the bars that I had attached.

Here are some good pages to read before you decide to invest too much money into various upgrades and changes you are going to do to your bike. If you can achieve the measurements that the author suggests, then I think you could go for the seat post upgrade.

http://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadin...r/techctr.html

There was also a good article in the latest Triathlete mag about fitting. Worth the time to go pick it up and read the article at the book store if you don't get it.

On a sprint distance if you are trying to shave 4 min this is clode to 3-4 km/hr on average and you will not get that by simply changing your saddle. If you have a pure road setup and try to get a TT or TRI setup as indicated in slowtwitch.com you will find that the front end will never be low enough to get in that tuck. I don't believe in having a better TT will also give you 4 min. on the run, not for a short sprint distance.

Thanks james57. I can see what you are saying about not getting the full benefit for the sprint distance, but I am planning to work in a longer event this season, at least an international. I was hoping a change in the seat post angle might help save my legs a bit for the run. Yep rplong, that's the saddle I'm looking at. I was really thinking that the true performance changers would be the seat post and new bars. I haven't had an issue with my saddle in the short distance. Actually, my saddle never really bothers me no matter what the distance. Racking from the back of the saddle would help though. I prefer to rack my bike by the saddle vs. the bars, but my bike is so tall that once I unhook it I actually have to lean it way over on its side to get it under the bar. In a crowded rack that could be an issue. Please let me know how you like the PD saddle, and I have that issue of Triathlete so I'll give it a good look.

Probably getting a professional fit, if you've not already, would do more than any component replacement.

After that - wheels.

All this said, I am looking for improvements to hold me over until a true tri bike is on the horizon.

rplong, How do you like the saddle so far?

sorry for not updating! I acutally just switched it out last week. I did a few rides and a race and a half (cancelled HIM, about 25 miles into the bike). I liked the hooks on the back of the saddle which provided a nice place for me to rack my back. I racked my bike like that for the first race of the season and before my wave started in the pool I went to check to make sure everything was cool and it was lying on the ground....soooo.. nice but did not work the best. The second thing I did not like about it was the nose was very wide. My legs would make a 'swishing' sound as they pumped up and down against the sides of the nose. Soooo If you want to give it a try, I got it pretty cheap and would sell it to you for even cheaper, with box, never peed on, but I'm not going to use it any more!

Thanks for the post, and sorry to hear it is not working well for you. I appreciate the offer, but you've got me considering other options now as well :). Is there a tri saddle you would recommend?

I just put back on the stock cervelo selle italia saddle on my bike. It does not really seem 'tri' specific but has worked really well so far, so I will stick with it.

I've switched to the profile design tri-stryke saddle about 3 months ago. raced 8 races since then. absolutely love it. a ton of folks at the races use the same saddle. triathletemag recommends it. it's by far the cheapest (~$40...is what i got mine for [check nashbar.com or performance bike] tri-specific in the market). I know if retails for nearly $75, but it's worked out great so far.

same here about racking the bike with the bars. not too big a fan either.