Pros with poor bike fit

[Kwibus]

His problem is that he is too tall. His TT-handlebars are at the maximum allowed length right now, he would like to have longer ones but it's simply against the rules. This puts taller athletes in a disadvantage compared to smaller ones.

That's quite ridiculous. They should set rules according to peoples length. I didn't know this, but it's quite a disadvantage for A Schleck for example.
Even more for Gesink and I can't allow that!
On a serious note... it really is ridiculous

 

[Polyarmour]

Slow fat people on the internet thinking they know better than actual bike racers, cyclingnews forum as amusing as ever.

1/. I don't think you have any idea who is posting here. Pros, cycle coaches, physios all contribute to these forums.
2/. "Actual bike racers" have coaches to correct their form on the bike. Since when is a cyclist an authority on their own form? What usually happens is that others point out the problems to them.
3/. A forum is an opportunity to learn something. If you have nothing to learn, keep moving.
4/. Labelling others as slow and fat (without having any idea) sounds very conceited to me. You're view of yourself is that you're slim and fast perhaps? Provide some evidence and others might take more notice of you.

 

[Christian]

That's quite ridiculous. They should set rules according to peoples length. I didn't know this, but it's quite a disadvantage for A Schleck for example.
Even more for Gesink and I can't allow that!
On a serious note... it really is ridiculous

I'm ... not really sure what you're trying to imply here. All I'm saying is that's the rules and there's nothing Andy (or any other tall rider) can do about the rules or their height. It explains his unefficient position and why he can't really do much about it.

 

[Polyarmour]

I'm ... not really sure what you're trying to imply here. All I'm saying is that's the rules and there's nothing Andy (or any other tall rider) can do about the rules or their height. It explains his unefficient position and why he can't really do much about it.

You are right that the UCI rules disadvantage tall riders. In particular the restrictions placed on the dimensions of the handlebars. But is Andy Schleck a tall rider at 1.86m (6ft1)? This is exactly the same height as Cancellara?

 

[redtreviso]

Funny how this subject incites anger...."but I look like Lance" or something..God knows..

 

[S2Sturges]

I'm sure if Lemond had a proper bike fit he would have been the same

He always looked way too stretched on a bike.

Oh yeah, I agree, maybe it was the 80's style bike fit, Fignon was very stretched too. Lemond and Fignon both had the high saddle height. I tried the fitting suggestions in Hinault's book back then and it just about crippled me, far too extreme.. But it worked for him and no doubt many others.

 

[Christian]

You are right that the UCI rules disadvantage tall riders. In particular the restrictions placed on the dimensions of the handlebars. But is Andy Schleck a tall rider at 1.86m (6ft1)? This is exactly the same height as Cancellara?

Huh, what do you know - apparently they're both the same height. At the same time, they have a very different built though. I admit that I'm no expert on the matter, I just know that Andy would like to have longer handlebars but can't due to UCI regulations (it was either the late great Laurent Fignon or his co-host Thierry Adam who said it on France 2 during this year's Tour de France), thus hoping to improve his position.

 

[Ruxen1989]

Jens Voigt:

Haha - Jens Voigt wins this one!

 

[bedroom warrior]

Haha - Jens Voigt wins this one!

I think it is because he is riding a neutral service colnago from mavic in that picture.

 

[bridgeman]

I've noticed that a lot of pros have bad bike fits, mostly it goes along the lines of too long/too low for their flexibility. Here's a few that stand out for me.

Carlos Sastre - He always seems to hold his bars behind the brake levers, a cm shorter stem would do a lot for him

Alessandro Ballan - Homeboy runs some serious drop, it looks way painful to me, but on the other hand he does keep a nice flat back.

Lance Armstrong - That hump is just scary.

Feel free to add more.

There was a time when I though LA's hump was where they put his radio pack and that is was encased in some sort of aero form held with his heart rate monitor strap. Seriously.

 

[royalpig180]

I think it is because he is riding a neutral service colnago from mavic in that picture.

Exactly. Is that from the cobbled stage in the tour? The neutral service bike was obvioulsy a couple sizes too small for him...

 

[Kwibus]

You are right that the UCI rules disadvantage tall riders. In particular the restrictions placed on the dimensions of the handlebars. But is Andy Schleck a tall rider at 1.86m (6ft1)? This is exactly the same height as Cancellara?

And Fabian certainly doesn't have any problems at TTs. A valid argument, but
I think rules should be set calculating with body length. If some is ***cm then the bars are allowed to be **cm etc.

edit: I don't have any experience on a TT bike so if my input is ridiculous then you know why ;

 

[Ruxen1989]

I think it is because he is riding a neutral service colnago from mavic in that picture.

I know I just love the picture and the story behind. Jens is the man!

 

[Ruxen1989]

Exactly. Is that from the cobbled stage in the tour? The neutral service bike was obvioulsy a couple sizes too small for him...

No, it's from stage 16. It's a bike for children jens told in an interview later on. Great picture and funny story.

 

[euanli]

Its also a Cannondale

 

[Christian]

No, it's from stage 16. It's a bike for children jens told in an interview later on. Great picture and funny story.

Yeah another heroic Jens story. Bjarne Riis gave Jens' spare bike to a police man and told him to wait until Jens comes by on the kids bike

 

[Jukebox]

And Fabian certainly doesn't have any problems at TTs. A valid argument, but
I think rules should be set calculating with body length. If some is ***cm then the bars are allowed to be **cm etc.

edit: I don't have any experience on a TT bike so if my input is ridiculous then you know why ;

I believe that you can get a morphological exemption from the UCI, I think I remember Backstedt finally getting one for his tt bike when he moved to Slipstream from Liquigas.

Page 8 of this pdf discusses this

http://www.uci.ch/Modules/BUILTIN/g...bjTypeCode=FILE&type=FILE&id=NTI0MDY&LangId=1

 

[Finbouy]

These Pros and possibly any serious rider, spends time in the "tunnel" getting positioning right, can't imagine all that time wasted.
Whatever feels comfortable and can push out the power..

Now style, thats a different matter.

 

[Polyarmour]

These Pros and possibly any serious rider, spends time in the "tunnel" getting positioning right, can't imagine all that time wasted.
Whatever feels comfortable and can push out the power..

Now style, thats a different matter.

I think the tunnel is only part of the story. In the TdF TT Andy Schleck was all over the bike, it was clear his time was going to be poor. He probably knew theoretically where his body should be, but under race conditions he just couldn't keep it there.

 

[ustabe]

Sean Kelly always looked wrong to me, frame too small or short, Lemond said that if Kelly had a decent bike fit, he'd have won heaps more races than he did

Kelly's upper body always looked cramped, and he sat higher than anybody else his size. The difference was especially conspicuous when he rode alongside Stephen Roche.

I thought LeMond looked good except when he was overweight. Every rider who came out of Cyrille Guimard's Renault/Elf/Gitane program had a balanced, aerodynamic profile on the bike--Hinault, Fignon, Madiot, Mottet. Well, perhaps they would have benefited from smaller gears.

 

[rzombie1988]

I really think Cadel has a bad position. His looks painful trying to climb to mountains.