V-CLUB TRAINING CORNER
We’ve teamed up with Marilyn Trout, certified USA Cycling Elite Coach to answer V-Club members’ training questions. You can view her coach profile at: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mountainpedalscoaching80903
Send your cycling inquiries to Marilyn, and for a limited time, if yours is selected to be answered in our V-Club column, VeloWear will send you a $20 gift certificate that can be used towards any purchase on VeloWear.com. To submit your inquiry, e-mail her at trout_mic@msn.com, and type “V-Club Training Question” in the subject line of the e-mail.
V-Club member Laurie Stojanovic is our 46th winner of a $20 VeloWear gift certificate! Her question that follows was answered by Peg Labiuk (nee Peggy Maass), a colleague of Marilyn Trout, and a certified NCCP level 3 coach with a career in international road and track racing. She is a World Championship medalist, World Record holder, U.S. Olympic Team member, former British national team coach and Kreb's Cycle co-founder (British Columbia, Canada).
Accentuate Your Fitness with a Proper Bike Fit
Hi Peg,
I have a custom Seven bicycle that is about 6 years old. Generally speaking, I love the bike and I think it fits me well. However, I am not comfortable in the hoods or drops. It seems that I have a more difficult time getting enough air, especially when I'm in the drops, which makes my efforts seem more difficult than they need to be. I have a feeling I will need different bars, as my coach and I have spoken about this possibility although I am ever so comfortable on the tops of the bars. I have two bikes that I can compare, one of which is the one I am having problems with as far as comfort on the bars (Seven). Both are custom and were designed to be within millimeters of each other as far as measurements go. (That being said, it's interesting how they still feel different!) I have plain old aluminum bars on the other bike, a Waterford, and have always felt comfortable in the drops on that bike. So, I am essentially trying to recreate on the Seven what I know to be comfortable on the Waterford. Unfortunately, I can't swap handlebars because they are different diameters.
Without actually seeing me on my bike, could you offer some suggestions?
Laurie
Laurie,
It appears to me that perhaps your bars are too wide, and/or the drops are too deep, and/or your stem is too low. Regarding your position "in the drops", can you send me info on three things for your bars to confirm my thoughts:
- What is the height difference between your seat and the bars/stem. Normally it's 0-4 cm.
- How wide are your handlebars? Measure center to center, also how deep the drop is. What brand are the bars?
- Measure across your shoulders - from AC joint to AC joint. That should match the width of your bars.
I’d like to do some further investigation on the specifications of your two bikes. I think I can assume that the bikes have different geometry. The question is, are they each set up for your optimal body position? You can see other charts in the velowear.com archives in answering similar questions of proper bike fit. I think you might find the answer yourself by doing a detailed comparison of the two bikes. I'd also check the frame angles of the two - if they are set within millimeters of each other but still ride differently, it could be different frame angles or even wheels.
How is your back and hamstring flexibility? How old are you? Since you are comfortable on the Waterford, can you please send me specs on that bike vs. the Seven? Measure everything center to center in centimeters:
- Top tube length
- Seat tube length
- Seat height
- Seat setback
- Crank length
- Plumbline
- Stem height and length
- Handlebar width
- Stem to nose of seat
Note: tube lengths are measured from center to center, seat height from crank bolt to cusp of seat
Ideally, I would suggest you find someone in your area that is certified in bikefitting to optimally fit you on the Seven. Be aware that there are many amateurs out there. I’ll send you some contacts that might be able to steer you in the right direction.
Cheers,
Peg
Bike Fit Follow-Up ...
Peg,
The biggest change was a decrease in the saddle to brake hood distance. It was off by a whopping 5 cm! I had to come up with a different seat post (setback was 5 cm from optimal) and different bars. The cockpit was way too long and I wasn't able to get good torque to turn the pedals. There was a noticeable difference right away. We used the Computrainer to monitor my pedaling efficiency during all the changes and it increased by 10-15% (from ~65% to ~78%) with all the changes. Once we got different bars, we were able to increase the stem length to put more weight over the front hub. I couldn't figure out all these years why when climbing a steep hill I had to work so hard to keep my front wheel down. Everything was shifted way too far back.
I understand that it would have been nearly impossible to do something like this thru e-mail. If you have other cyclists that are looking for your help with bike fits, perhaps the photos on the Chronometro website (link below) will help.
http://www.cronometro.com/biodynamicfittings.html
Thanks for all your help and I wish you continued success with your coaching efforts!
Laurie
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