During my 90 minute, Zone 1 / Zone 2 ride on the bike this evening, I spent quite a bit of time in the aero position. That position felt quite comfortable this evening and I felt like I was able to produce good power in this position too.
For long course triathletes, a quality bike fit is a must. To be successful on the bike, it is very important that you are comfortable. If you are in pain, you will not only be unlikely to race well, it will also probably mean, you won’t enjoy your training rides. Training for a long course triathlon, requires spending a lot of time on the bike, so you have to like training rides and to like training rides, you have to be comfortable.
I felt so good on the bike this evening, that I decided to take a video of myself, to capture my position and measure some angles. Today’s photo’s show my position and the angles I measured. I would describe this position as my most comfortable position, and the one I would chose to ride in an Ironman event. My body isn’t super low, but if I go lower, I find it harder to maintain the position for the length of time needed in an Ironman (around six hours for me right now).
I am no bike fit expert, but based on what I have read, my ‘angles’ look pretty good. The angle at my knee is about 145 degrees, which is in the range quoted as desirable by most bike fitters. The angles at my hips and shoulders are close to 90 degrees, which I believe are the angles that are most stable and comfortable.
Like I said, I am not a bike fit expert, but I do know this position felt very comfortable and that is what really matters.