Cycling position changes 2/13/09

I have been working on my cycling position lately after discovering I had major fit problems, currently I’m fine tuning and experimenting and trying to get closer to my perfect fit. I had an expert fitting the other day, but, I think fit is such a personal thing that they can only get you close, in the end you’ll have to know for yourself if a small change is helping.

So I spent some time yesterday marking and measuring where the fitting had me, so that I could come back to that position and reset my fit position if my position experiments don’t work. I know that I need to give each position a couple weeks to get used to and judge, but some of the things I could tell right away needed to be adjusted because it was obvious after a short one hour ride.

So these are my latest changes

1. Switched from my WTB saddle to my San Marco saddle that originally came with the bike.
2. Moved my fore-aft position forward about 3/4″
3. I assume my KNOPS is moving forward by moving my saddle forward, but when I measure with a plum string it doesn’t seem to be moving forward, but I know that it must be? I think I need to find a way to measure KNOPS better. I need to be on a trainer or someone holding me straight while I get a real plumb string not just a string with a tool hanging on the end.
4. Moved the saddle up 1/4″

These changes are based on the feeling of not engaging all of my leg muscles fully, I think my KNOPS was still too far back.

Also I don’t think I like wear the fitting put my cleat further back, it feels like it’s to far back now,  I think the ball of my foot is now actually slightly forward of the pedal axle where I like to be either right on it or slightly behind.

I was careful to make sure that I didn’t make the mistake of putting my saddle too high like I had it before, it was giving me a dead spot in my pedal stroke the fitter said, I think he was right. I like the saddle on the high side, but you have to know what the limit is.

I still need to move my brake levers closer though I think, the fitter suggested that but I haven’t had time yet.