A good bike fit results in the cyclist being both comfortable and fast. 

Comfort in the aero position is critical in triathlon.  If the rider is not comfortable, then they will constantly shift position on the bike and will often sit up to relieve the discomfort.  Sitting up negates the benefits of having a time trial bike, so will clearly result in a slower bike split.  You need to find an aero position, that you can stay in for the duration of your race, which means hours and hours for long course events.

Let’s face it, we also want our bike position to be fast too. As long as it’s comfortable, the more aerodynamic your position, the better.  This essentially translates into getting you to have the smallest possible frontal area exposed to the wind.  It is also important that, wherever you end up in terms of position, you can still push high power through the pedals. Things like the height of your aero bars, the width of your arm pads, your saddle position, your cleat position and even type of saddle all play a part.

If it sounds to you like this is quite a complicated process, then you are correct  .. it is.  That is why I highly recommend a professional bike fit.  It should be one of the first things you spend your money on and ideally do it before buying a time trial bike (the fitter will be able to recommend bikes that will fit you best).

I was scheduled for a bike fit in early April, but had to cancel it due to the pandemic shutdown.  I am still waiting to get a date for an appointment.  In the meantime however, I am doing a lot of riding outdoors and have discovered that my comfort level has been compromised, since I installed the new front end on my bike. 

This is why I bought the book in the photograph.  It can hopefully get me closer to the ideal position, while I wait for an appointment with the bike fitter.  I also think that if I educate myself on the bike fitting process, then my next fit session with be better too.

I have a three hour bike ride tomorrow, so I’m going to read the book tonight and try a position tweak on that ride.  I’m looking forward to the education…