Okay, so following up from my first 1%er post on Thursday, here we go for 1%er number 2. Strap yourself in and prepare for wisdom. Or something kind of like it at least.
Okay, 1%er number 2 is this. Get a bike fit.
Let me lay out a scenario for you. A person goes out and spends $9000 on the latest greatest triathlon bike that all the forums agree is simply the best and will get him an Ironman PB. Guaranteed.
They set the bike up themselves based on everything they have read online, even making sure they are copying the riding position of their favourite pro. They even check themselves in the mirror, looking slick. Definitely going fast.
Race day comes along and everything is going swell. Up until the 100km mark on the bike. About then the back starts feeling uncomfortable. By 120km they are spending sustained periods out of the aerobars to relieve the back. By 140km they are riding on the basebar as getting on the aerobars is uncomfortable. They struggle on to the end of the bike and then suffer through the run as their back gives them trouble the entire way.
Okay, perhaps an extreme example, and perhaps one that doesn't stand up to that much scrutiny, I mean why would they not have problems until race day? Wouldn't they have noticed it in training? Well shush to you, it is my point and I will make it how I want. Lets call it poetic license. You get my point though.
The reality is a lot of people set up their race bikes based on a mixture of pseudo internet science, gut feel and a bit of 'that looks about right'. It is a big gamble to take on the longest part of the race. Not to mention the cryable shame that comes from somebody spending thousands of dollars on an aerodynamic bike only to ruin it all by riding it in a position that leaves all sorts of bits of body sticking out in the wind. Never forget that the biggest source of drag on a bike is you!!
So how do we avoid all these pitfalls? Easy, we spend a couple of hundred dollars (or less) and get somebody to fit us to our triathlon bikes. It really is as simple as that.
Getting a COMPETENT and EXPERIENCED bike fitter to help adjust your bike position means you will end up with a position that is the best compromise of comfort, aerodynamics and efficiency FOR YOU.
Why are some of the above words in capitals? Let me spend a few moments to explain why.
Somebody once said to me 'just because somebody has a certificate saying they are a qualified bike fitter, doesn't mean they are?'
There are a number of courses that provide people with bike fitting qualifications. On the whole the courses provide good general rules and are not a bad place to start. Would I be going to somebody who had done one of these courses and not a lot else? Probably not. Why? Simply because the systems these courses are based around really are based on general rules. Bike fitting is never so simple. We don't all fit the mold, sometimes we need something a bit more specific to us. Would I go to somebody who had done a bike fitting course, but also had a demonstrated good track record and good experience? Absolutely. Would I go to somebody who hadn't done a course but whose knowledge and experienced I trusted? Without out a doubt, and quite often do.
In the end it comes down to this. When choosing a bike fitter, go to somebody with a decent track record whose expertise you trust. This 1%er tip only counts if the fit is a good one.
The rest of the above capital letters were about making sure the bike fit is right for you. There are countless ways to fit a person to a bike. Some of those fits will be more aerodynamic than others. Aero is good obviously, but only if you can actually ride in that position. If a riding position is so aerodynamically aggressive that you can't actually ride in that position, then it sort of defeats the purpose. No point copying the riding position of your favourite pro if it doesn't actually work for you. A good bike fit will help you find the right position for you, one that allows you to get aero and stay that way for the duration of your bike leg, however long it may be.
So that is 1%er number 2 for you. A simple and relatively inexpensive thing that you can do that can make a huge different to how comfortable, and fast, your race may end up being. Why wouldn't you?
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