Best tuck position

[sponsor]

Not all the pros or racers do a downhill tuck the same way.

Got a favorite?
Is it different for straights vs mountain curves vs weather vs feel like not crashing today?

 

[Jspear]

I like the guys (like Phinney recently showed in Cali) who get down on their top tube. It's painful to think of what could happen if they slipped up. Of course you can't descend in that position if there are alot of turns.

 

[For The World]

Perhaps not the best, but certainly no more dangerous than sitting on the top tube:

The traditional style is still the best all-round position:

 

[winkybiker]

I do traditional. Stay on the saddle, feet even. Chin on the stem. I'll sometimes put my hands together on the bars under my chin with elbows tucked in, but not for long.

I've tried sliding down onto the top tube but it's very scary because you end up far forward over the front wheel.

 

[deValtos]

Matej Mohorič

http://youtu.be/Bw8tmMAoXJs?t=8m12s

 

[sponsor]

I used to see more hanging over the wheel and abs on seat, but many setups have the bars more forward now.

The on the seat and deep tuck do put more frontal area to the wind. The Phinney tuck in the ToC seems more close to what is popular, except he is very forward. I am seeing the sitting on the top tube more common and have heard comments about frames and top tube shape/ slope being better for this than others (obviously).

One rider puts shoulders on bars (along with hands) on TT. Phinney (much bigger guy was hanging his shoulders way in front of the bars and most weight was on his front wheel. That scares me.

 

[RedheadDane]

Not all the pros or racers do a downhill tuck the same way.

Got a favorite?
Is it different for straights vs mountain curves vs weather vs feel like not crashing today?

As opposed to the days when you feel like crashing?

 

[Jspear]

As opposed to the days when you feel like crashing?

Yes that's it, sometimes I just feel like wiping out! I'm going down a descent and I think, hey I want to fall. Especially if it's raining - I like to see how far I can slide. It's just another way to have epic stories to tell.

 

[sponsor]

Some days, riders are willing to take more risk than others don't you think?

 

[lexalbrecht]

The lower you can get your head, basically the more aero you will be. Generally speaking, head position is the part that affects aerodynamics the MOST of all on a bike.

 

[kingjr]

The lower you can get your head, basically the more aero you will be. Generally speaking, head position is the part that affects aerodynamics the MOST of all on a bike.

What about elbows?

 

[mambo1]

I do traditional. Stay on the saddle, feet even. Chin on the stem. I'll sometimes put my hands together on the bars under my chin with elbows tucked in, but not for long.

I've tried sliding down onto the top tube but it's very scary because you end up far forward over the front wheel.

Same here! Don't like the off the back of the saddle either.

 

[deboat]

I have been thinking of fitting my droper post from my mtb to my road bike. Lowers the center of gravity and helps with the "Tuck Postion".

 

[Hawkwood]

I remember seeing Pantani in a very low tuck on a very fast Tour descent, though he still couldn't hold on to Indurain's back wheel, but then the motorbike was having trouble as well.

 

[42x16ss]

How to do the tuck:

How NOT to do the tuck:

 

[StyrbjornSterki]

You don't break the hour record without you have a pretty aero riding position.

 

[sponsor]

I was more curious about UCI legal equipment tucks.

 

[StyrbjornSterki]

I was more curious about UCI legal equipment tucks.

It's not the handlebars that make this position effective. You also can do "shoulders over bars, hands beneath shoulders, elbows tucked" with Maes bend bars. The point is the torso is horizontal (minimizing frontal area) and the handlebars are somewhat sheltered from the wind by the rider's head and shoulders, so that handlebars and rider do not comprise two separate sources of drag. The problem with it is that much weight on the front wheel on a mass start geometry frame tends to make handling squirrely.

 

[Hawkwood]

It's not the handlebars that make this position effective. You also can do "shoulders over bars, hands beneath shoulders, elbows tucked" with Maes bend bars. The point is the torso is horizontal (minimizing frontal area) and the handlebars are somewhat sheltered from the wind by the rider's head and shoulders, so that handlebars and rider do not comprise two separate sources of drag. The problem with it is that much weight on the front wheel on a mass start geometry frame tends to make handling squirrely.

He was riding this position on the road for years, amazing given the bike was made out of all sorts of bits and pieces. I was lucky enough to see Obree beat the British 10 and 50 mile records in one weekend many years ago, using this position and a fairly large fixed gear!

 

[42x16ss]

TT'ing should be ok in that position as long as the course isn't technical but I wouldn't let that bike within a mile of a road race!

 

[Hawkwood]

TT'ing should be ok in that position as long as the course isn't technical but I wouldn't let that bike within a mile of a road race!

Nope, and he did come a cropper a few times with bits falling off his bike and such like. When he broke the 10 record he had problems negotiating a roundabout on a busy dual carriage way.

 

[sponsor]

It's not the handlebars that make this position effective. You also can do "shoulders over bars, hands beneath shoulders, elbows tucked" with Maes bend bars. The point is the torso is horizontal (minimizing frontal area) and the handlebars are somewhat sheltered from the wind by the rider's head and shoulders, so that handlebars and rider do not comprise two separate sources of drag. The problem with it is that much weight on the front wheel on a mass start geometry frame tends to make handling squirrely.

GO's position was a riding one, not really what I was asking about, but your point about creating a single surface is helpful.

The tuck position I see work very well is near that. Shoulders on bars, **** on top tube below the saddle (some frames better than others) as one mostly parallel to ground "blob".

 

[StyrbjornSterki]

These are screen shots from today's stage 7 of the TdF. There was a gradual descent about 11.7 km from the finish, which afforded opportunity to watch the descending technique of the leaders of the peloton.


This is Sylvain Chavanel in a near textbook application of Obree's preying mantis, sans aero bars, except his elbows are too splayed. Chavanel is so far forward in this photo he very nearly has his nipples on the handlebars.




The Maillot Jaune in a slightly less radical interpretation but still distinctly mantis-ish. Nibali's chin is about even with the bars.




In either case, ideally, the crank arms should be horizontal. Chavanel's pedals are slightly out of position because he is riding knock-kneed, attempting to clasp the top tube betwixt his thighs to stabilise his "off the saddle" position.

The only real variations I saw to this technique in any great measure was how far forward the rider moved, and where the hands ended up. To bring the head forward of the handlbars, one's tush almost has to be off the saddle, which shifts some load to the legs. So in addition to the potential instability caused by the radical weight shift, some might also prefer to keep bum on saddle and give the legs a short respite in the descent. And regardless of their head position, everyone's hands tend to come together on the handlebars, at least to no more than shoulder width, when it doesn't unnerve the rider to have his hands so far from the brake levers. And elbows should be tucked.

Watch the video for yourself, paying special attention to the descent just inside 12 km, and decide for yourself.

 

[yespatterns]

Judging by the title of the thread i assumed you guys were talking about playing "The Crying Game". Oh well.

 

[StyrbjornSterki]

If he could just press out into a handstand, when pro cycling is done with him, there might be a career for him in the circus.