School's In Session

Timothy O'Donnell

When Timothy O'Donnell came into ERO for fit and aero testing, we made one significant change to his position that helped him with comfort, aerodynamics, and power. Could a similar change help you?

Find your Spot

What is Your Optimal Saddle Position?

Are you having trouble finding your "spot" on your bike? That one position where you feel planted, comfortable, and powerful? If so, you're not alone, but just a few adjustments can change everything for you!

When T.O. came in for his bike fit, everyone looked at the before and after photos and thought we made several massive changes to his position. In fact, that's not what happened. We made one change that helped him find his spot providing him comfort, power, and improved aerodynamics. Check out the video and read on afterwards to see if the changes we made for him might help you, too.

What Is The Lesson?

Dial In Your Saddle Position

The main change we made was to saddle position, but it wasn't saddle height, which effectively remained the same. The key was the fore/aft position of the saddle.

We often see clients who constantly inch forward on their saddles as they pedal. We call it doing the typewriter. You slowly inch forward to the front of the saddle, and then slide yourself back. Inch forward, slide back, inch forward, slide back...it never ends. This is not normal, and it can be fixed. The problem could be that you're sitting too far forward on your bike.

A bike designed to be ridden in the aero position has a much steeper seat angle than a typical road bike. As you move forward, your upper body can rotate down on the aero bars. The problem arises (and this often comes from bad advice on the internet as so many pieces of bad advice do) when you continually move forward in an attempt to get your upper body lower and lower. There's a tipping point. A place where you've gone too far forward and are now constantly falling into the aero bar. You've lost your balance on the bike.

While it's true that moving forward can help you get lower, it needs to be done properly so you find balance in your saddle position. You should be stable on the saddle, not constantly moving around. If you find yourself "doing the typewriter" as described here. Perhaps your saddle is too far forward?