Bike Position / Getting the Engine to peak performance!
Assuming you have your bike and sized it correctly in the beginning. Like being fitted with proper shoes for running, for our equipment to work, it must be sized accordingly. A good fit expert at a reputable bike shop can help you determine the best fit for your bike. Fit starts with your legs and works up to your hands. From the ground up, you want to ensure you have basics of a good fit, and these can be done without expert.
There are a plethora of fit “systems” and theories. Here are some basics to get you started and maybe you’ll become an expert yourself. You’re going to be on the bike for hours a week, and pending your commute, more than your car. When it’s wrong, you know it through pain and low performance. When it’s right, there is no beating you.
The four position areas we can adjust or control for correct fit are foot, knee, seat, and bar. We will cover each of these in detail.
Foot Position –
Clipless pedals are a best way to transfer your power. A good cycling shoe with cleats is designed to efficiently transfer power in a circle around the crank. Walking or running shoes are designed to protect your feet from punishment, absorbing energy as you impact the pavement. In cycling, we want that energy to be transferred to the pedals. When selecting shoes with cleats, it is a good idea to get shoes/cleats that fit your activity. Some are designed for walking if you plan to cyclecross, or if you are touring there are shoes that can easily be walked in. If you are trying to maximize performance, there are cleats designed to be light and strong, but walking can be a challenge. If you are a road cyclist, you can get a great cycling shoe for around $50 that will accept clipless pedal cleats on the bottom. These “lock” your feet into the pedals and help you “cycle” power around the entire pedal stroke, rather than push pedals only in 1 or 2 directions.
The position of the cleat is first step in the fit/foot position. They should be positioned with the pedals spindle directly over the ball of the foot. The axis of the pedal, should coincide with the axis of the ball of your foot, this is the widest part of the shoe. Carefully adjust the cleat until this alignment is met..
Some touring cyclists or enduro athletes will move the cleat toward the middle of the foot. This might be good for you, if you are not aggressive at accelerations. This can only be determined by you, and can be considered when setting up the cleat position.
Second position of your foot in the rotation, or heal alignment. New cyclists don’t often think of foot rotation as a critical part of cycling, but will affect knee position and power. Most fit experts will tell you, that this is most overlooked item of cycling fit sessions.
Power from foot rotation can be increased, with the knees slightly angled inward. This is best done by finding your neutral position, where you’re most comfortable but in alignment with the pedal cranks. on the pedal. Neutral is where your foot is most comfortable, but correctly positioned parallel to the crank arms. Once you find this you might feel angling your heel outward about ½ degree, or .1” or more, pending your comfort level.
Now ride, on the trainer or road if possible. Putting in a short distance, and checking the comfort level of your feet. If you have done the above positioning correctly, you are now ready to move to the next position area, the knee.
Knee Position
While on your ride, focus on keeping your knees in. Not only is this more aerodynamic, but your largest muscles work more efficiently when legs are not angled out. The quad and glute muscles work in tandem and are in better contraction position with your knees slightly inward. As you develop your ‘cycle’, it will become a habit and feel more natural with time.
Cycle the power, completely around the crank stroke. On a full rotation cyclist, the truest cycling pro exhibits the same amount of force on both feet full circle. This allows them to use 100% of their leg, not just the quads and glutes, but also the hamstring, calves and shin muscles. The best sprinters, will tell you, hip flexors are the difference between winning and losing. By developing a full cycle on the crank stroke, you will become smoother, more efficient and be able to increase your cadence or rpms when you ride. This ability to increase rpms on the bike, is what makes you able to recover and accelerate when needed, without a greater power output.
Seat or Saddle Position
When most people think of seat position, they consider the saddle height as the primary, but there are four critical attributes you can control. Height, Forward/Aft, Angle and Size are all considerations we’ll discuss below.
Size
First things first, you need a good saddle. The first rule of thumb is to have a seat that fits. The perfect saddle makes minimal contact with your posterior and legs. Larger is not better, unless you put all your weight on the seat, which is not true for a cyclist. Cyclist will distribute their weight in three ways, the seat being only one. The seat will carry 60% or less of your weight while riding. The bar location and pedals being the other ways you distribute your weight.
Saddles come in different widths, pending your pelvis size. A perfectly size will enable you to feel solid on the saddle crown, but not chafed. And pending your gender, you will want to ensure the saddle is sized according to your body type and bone dimensions.
Height
For the height, many cyclists struggle with the correct location. To start, with your shoes on, measure your inseam from the floor,. Multiply this distance by 96%. This will be good starting point from the top of your pedal to the top of the seat at the greatest distance. Your objective is to be high enough that you are at the base of your leg extension. If your saddle/seat is too low, you will notice that your quad muscles are working more than the rest of your leg. If you saddle is too high, you will notice your hips rock during normal pedal stroke.
Fore/Aft
The location of your saddle, front/back is a relationship of what your riding style is. As mentioned in the cleat positioning, there is one constant. I always look for my rider, pending the style to have good alignment of the knee over the foot. Pending the riders leg development, most would have the knee directly above the ball of the foot, or slightly behind it as a touring setup.
In a Time Trial configuration, the riders torso is more horizontal. Flexibility and back muscles are contributing to the performance of the rider, and they are not accelerating like you have with group ride or general riding. Because of this, the knee will be slightly forward in relationship to the foot. This helps with aero profile of the body and use of the larger muscles in a position of extension.
Angle
As you adjust the height, you can ride and make adjustments to the angle. Generally the “nose” of the saddle should be level. Pending your riding style and bike configuration, you may prefer to angle the nose of the saddle down 1-2 degrees down or more, if you are Tri-athlete or Time Trial bike.
Many of the adjustments made to the saddle, should be tested. The point is, we know where we should be sitting, but that is often compromised when we are actively riding. Since riding is a dynamic situation, it’s good to test your position and make adjustments that feel right to you. So ride for couple minutes on the trainer, adjusting the height and angle to fit and you’ll eventually find your sweet spot.
Now you are not done with the saddle. As you train, lose weight and gain flexibility, you may need to make adjustments to the saddle position. Also, when considering the position, keep in mind your riding style, goals and terrain. If you find yourself in the hills, you may position yourself differently than if you are riding a flat time-trial. You will be pulling yourself forward and back, so the angle of the seat will be important, as you will push against the crown of the saddle as a technique explained later.
Bar Position
Road bars come in various widths. I noticed this, as I changed from my Criterium bike of the 80’s to a Roadbike of the 2000’s. The rounded and narrow Cinelli bars of old, gave way to what seemed like a set of bull horns, I quickly accepted and appreciated.
Most new bikes come with 42cm wide bars, but we are all different sizes. With a 54inch chest, I prefer the wider bars over the narrower versions. The bars should be shoulder width and allow you arm to line up with the brake hoods and handlebar drop position, without change in width.
Road bars come in different drop distances as well. If you spend 90% of your time on the tops, you might consider the drops to be shallow, as deep drops are not something most people need or want, unless they are in a wind tunnel. When on the drops, it should be comfortable, you utilize this body position on descents, and cornering. The drops will increase your weight distribution to the front wheel, which is good.
Position of the bars is also important, you will want the drops to be level with the floor. The bar ends on the drops should remain level, irregardless of where you want to contact the bars on the bike. The height and location of the bars should be adjusted with the stem. Most bikes today, with the floating headset bearings allow the user more flexibility than years past. With minimal hardware adjustment you can invert the stem from up/down sloping configuration without much hassle.
The stem will help get the bars in the right location for you. As with the saddle, you want to have the bars, and reach in a comfortable location. There is no black and white limit, it’s more of what feels right to you. A good rule of thumb is that you can remove both hands from the bars, and not fall forward. This is a function of flexibility, back strength and skill, but its good start. Also, you want to determine when on the drops if you are comfortable, and can you breathe? The bar location, if for no other reason is essential to good performance, by how it contributes to the athletes’ ability and breathing is key. You want to learn to position yourself on the bike in a manner that your back is flat. Your bars should be available, but in reference to the bike, they are supporting only 25-30% of your weight.
You will learn where you want your bars, but here are some things to consider. Do you prefer to rest on the brake hoods, drops, crown of the bar on top. These are things to consider for correct bar location.
You can adjust the location of the bars, by the stem length. Many stems are available with different angles and lengths. The bars, when looking down while in the riding position, will most likely not inhibit your ability to see the hub on your front wheel. If they block the hub, this is considered a stretched position, which many, like myself prefer. While looking down and you see the hub behind the bars indicates your stem is too long. In this position your hands may become numb on long rides.
For the length, I suggest many people starting out, allow the stem to angle up. From this position, they can relearn and if need be, position their hands on drops to give them aerodynamic and or control they need without changing stem length. It’s important to get the stem length correct in the beginning. Like your saddle position, the stem should not be compromised. Most shops will swap your stem, at the time of purchase, so pay attention to this detail in the beginning.
Assuming you have your bike and sized it correctly in the beginning. Like being fitted with proper shoes for running, for our equipment to work, it must be sized accordingly. A good fit expert at a reputable bike shop can help you determine the best fit for your bike. Fit starts with your legs and works up to your hands. From the ground up, you want to ensure you have basics of a good fit, and these can be done without expert.
There are a plethora of fit “systems” and theories. Here are some basics to get you started and maybe you’ll become an expert yourself. You’re going to be on the bike for hours a week, and pending your commute, more than your car. When it’s wrong, you know it through pain and low performance. When it’s right, there is no beating you.
The four position areas we can adjust or control for correct fit are foot, knee, seat, and bar. We will cover each of these in detail.
Foot Position –
Clipless pedals are a best way to transfer your power. A good cycling shoe with cleats is designed to efficiently transfer power in a circle around the crank. Walking or running shoes are designed to protect your feet from punishment, absorbing energy as you impact the pavement. In cycling, we want that energy to be transferred to the pedals. When selecting shoes with cleats, it is a good idea to get shoes/cleats that fit your activity. Some are designed for walking if you plan to cyclecross, or if you are touring there are shoes that can easily be walked in. If you are trying to maximize performance, there are cleats designed to be light and strong, but walking can be a challenge. If you are a road cyclist, you can get a great cycling shoe for around $50 that will accept clipless pedal cleats on the bottom. These “lock” your feet into the pedals and help you “cycle” power around the entire pedal stroke, rather than push pedals only in 1 or 2 directions.
The position of the cleat is first step in the fit/foot position. They should be positioned with the pedals spindle directly over the ball of the foot. The axis of the pedal, should coincide with the axis of the ball of your foot, this is the widest part of the shoe. Carefully adjust the cleat until this alignment is met..
Some touring cyclists or enduro athletes will move the cleat toward the middle of the foot. This might be good for you, if you are not aggressive at accelerations. This can only be determined by you, and can be considered when setting up the cleat position.
Second position of your foot in the rotation, or heal alignment. New cyclists don’t often think of foot rotation as a critical part of cycling, but will affect knee position and power. Most fit experts will tell you, that this is most overlooked item of cycling fit sessions.
Power from foot rotation can be increased, with the knees slightly angled inward. This is best done by finding your neutral position, where you’re most comfortable but in alignment with the pedal cranks. on the pedal. Neutral is where your foot is most comfortable, but correctly positioned parallel to the crank arms. Once you find this you might feel angling your heel outward about ½ degree, or .1” or more, pending your comfort level.
Now ride, on the trainer or road if possible. Putting in a short distance, and checking the comfort level of your feet. If you have done the above positioning correctly, you are now ready to move to the next position area, the knee.
Knee Position
While on your ride, focus on keeping your knees in. Not only is this more aerodynamic, but your largest muscles work more efficiently when legs are not angled out. The quad and glute muscles work in tandem and are in better contraction position with your knees slightly inward. As you develop your ‘cycle’, it will become a habit and feel more natural with time.
Cycle the power, completely around the crank stroke. On a full rotation cyclist, the truest cycling pro exhibits the same amount of force on both feet full circle. This allows them to use 100% of their leg, not just the quads and glutes, but also the hamstring, calves and shin muscles. The best sprinters, will tell you, hip flexors are the difference between winning and losing. By developing a full cycle on the crank stroke, you will become smoother, more efficient and be able to increase your cadence or rpms when you ride. This ability to increase rpms on the bike, is what makes you able to recover and accelerate when needed, without a greater power output.
Seat or Saddle Position
When most people think of seat position, they consider the saddle height as the primary, but there are four critical attributes you can control. Height, Forward/Aft, Angle and Size are all considerations we’ll discuss below.
Size
First things first, you need a good saddle. The first rule of thumb is to have a seat that fits. The perfect saddle makes minimal contact with your posterior and legs. Larger is not better, unless you put all your weight on the seat, which is not true for a cyclist. Cyclist will distribute their weight in three ways, the seat being only one. The seat will carry 60% or less of your weight while riding. The bar location and pedals being the other ways you distribute your weight.
Saddles come in different widths, pending your pelvis size. A perfectly size will enable you to feel solid on the saddle crown, but not chafed. And pending your gender, you will want to ensure the saddle is sized according to your body type and bone dimensions.
Height
For the height, many cyclists struggle with the correct location. To start, with your shoes on, measure your inseam from the floor,. Multiply this distance by 96%. This will be good starting point from the top of your pedal to the top of the seat at the greatest distance. Your objective is to be high enough that you are at the base of your leg extension. If your saddle/seat is too low, you will notice that your quad muscles are working more than the rest of your leg. If you saddle is too high, you will notice your hips rock during normal pedal stroke.
Fore/Aft
The location of your saddle, front/back is a relationship of what your riding style is. As mentioned in the cleat positioning, there is one constant. I always look for my rider, pending the style to have good alignment of the knee over the foot. Pending the riders leg development, most would have the knee directly above the ball of the foot, or slightly behind it as a touring setup.
In a Time Trial configuration, the riders torso is more horizontal. Flexibility and back muscles are contributing to the performance of the rider, and they are not accelerating like you have with group ride or general riding. Because of this, the knee will be slightly forward in relationship to the foot. This helps with aero profile of the body and use of the larger muscles in a position of extension.
Angle
As you adjust the height, you can ride and make adjustments to the angle. Generally the “nose” of the saddle should be level. Pending your riding style and bike configuration, you may prefer to angle the nose of the saddle down 1-2 degrees down or more, if you are Tri-athlete or Time Trial bike.
Many of the adjustments made to the saddle, should be tested. The point is, we know where we should be sitting, but that is often compromised when we are actively riding. Since riding is a dynamic situation, it’s good to test your position and make adjustments that feel right to you. So ride for couple minutes on the trainer, adjusting the height and angle to fit and you’ll eventually find your sweet spot.
Now you are not done with the saddle. As you train, lose weight and gain flexibility, you may need to make adjustments to the saddle position. Also, when considering the position, keep in mind your riding style, goals and terrain. If you find yourself in the hills, you may position yourself differently than if you are riding a flat time-trial. You will be pulling yourself forward and back, so the angle of the seat will be important, as you will push against the crown of the saddle as a technique explained later.
Bar Position
Road bars come in various widths. I noticed this, as I changed from my Criterium bike of the 80’s to a Roadbike of the 2000’s. The rounded and narrow Cinelli bars of old, gave way to what seemed like a set of bull horns, I quickly accepted and appreciated.
Most new bikes come with 42cm wide bars, but we are all different sizes. With a 54inch chest, I prefer the wider bars over the narrower versions. The bars should be shoulder width and allow you arm to line up with the brake hoods and handlebar drop position, without change in width.
Road bars come in different drop distances as well. If you spend 90% of your time on the tops, you might consider the drops to be shallow, as deep drops are not something most people need or want, unless they are in a wind tunnel. When on the drops, it should be comfortable, you utilize this body position on descents, and cornering. The drops will increase your weight distribution to the front wheel, which is good.
Position of the bars is also important, you will want the drops to be level with the floor. The bar ends on the drops should remain level, irregardless of where you want to contact the bars on the bike. The height and location of the bars should be adjusted with the stem. Most bikes today, with the floating headset bearings allow the user more flexibility than years past. With minimal hardware adjustment you can invert the stem from up/down sloping configuration without much hassle.
The stem will help get the bars in the right location for you. As with the saddle, you want to have the bars, and reach in a comfortable location. There is no black and white limit, it’s more of what feels right to you. A good rule of thumb is that you can remove both hands from the bars, and not fall forward. This is a function of flexibility, back strength and skill, but its good start. Also, you want to determine when on the drops if you are comfortable, and can you breathe? The bar location, if for no other reason is essential to good performance, by how it contributes to the athletes’ ability and breathing is key. You want to learn to position yourself on the bike in a manner that your back is flat. Your bars should be available, but in reference to the bike, they are supporting only 25-30% of your weight.
You will learn where you want your bars, but here are some things to consider. Do you prefer to rest on the brake hoods, drops, crown of the bar on top. These are things to consider for correct bar location.
You can adjust the location of the bars, by the stem length. Many stems are available with different angles and lengths. The bars, when looking down while in the riding position, will most likely not inhibit your ability to see the hub on your front wheel. If they block the hub, this is considered a stretched position, which many, like myself prefer. While looking down and you see the hub behind the bars indicates your stem is too long. In this position your hands may become numb on long rides.
For the length, I suggest many people starting out, allow the stem to angle up. From this position, they can relearn and if need be, position their hands on drops to give them aerodynamic and or control they need without changing stem length. It’s important to get the stem length correct in the beginning. Like your saddle position, the stem should not be compromised. Most shops will swap your stem, at the time of purchase, so pay attention to this detail in the beginning.