THE FORE AND AFT OF CLEATS AND SEATS

I confess: I’m a true tri geek.  I have now lived in two “iron” towns: First it was Kona and now, Lake Placid.  I did not move to Kona because of triathlon.  (I was a tunnel-vision runner back then.)  My wife and I were seeking a new vision in life – and we found it in many ways.

For the first 6 years that we lived in South Kona, I would not go near Kailua during the 2 weeks of Hawaii Ironman milieu.  I just knew that the race would lay claim to me.  As a dreadlock rasta, I was focusing my creative energies on playing bass for a reggae band as well as my daily runs.

Finally, when the last band I played for dissolved, I threw everything into the endurance training and racing basket.  I was immediately embraced by the Big Island “Peaman O’hana” and discovered the joys of the tri community.  In October ’98, with a few marathons under my belt, I volunteered at an aid station by the Energy Lab, finally witnessing my first Ironman.  I announced to my wife that very evening, “I’m doing Ironman next year”.  A month later, I did my first triathlon on Thanksgiving, riding my ancient Stumpjumper, with tattered panniers and dreadlocks flapping in the breeze.  (Heck, at least I had aero bars!)  Sure enough, eleven months later, I did my first Hawaii Ironman.

The move to my second “iron” town, Lake Placid, was intentional.  I was entering the triathlon industry as an employee at High Peaks Cyclery, where I gained certification and significant experience as a Bike Fit Technician.  And that, my fellow tri geeks, brings me to the purpose of this meandering recollection:  In my experience of living and training for years in two distinct world-class Ironman race locations, the bicycle set-up and fit for an athlete is profoundly different for these two contrasting courses.

While both bike courses have approximately 6,000 feet of elevation gain and loss, the similarities end there.  In Lake Placid the gradient changes occur in long stretches of incline and decline, as the course snakes between mountain ranges.  Athletes incur some wind conditions, but they are variable and intermittent, due to the topography and the forests.  In Hawaii, the course is rolling, with shorter climbs and descents.  However, since the course extends along the vast and virtually barren coastal lava fields, smack-dab in the middle of Great Blue Pacific, wind is not only a factor, it is the reigning champion of Hawaii Ironman, and plays the leading role in the epic Myth of Kona.

For Lake Placid, athletes do well to develop a variety of riding positions that respond to the hilly terrain and intermittent wind conditions.  (See “The Set-Up”, Triathlete Magazine, Feb ’07, or visit www.zendruance.net.)  In contrast, for Kona, athletes must train to ride in aero position for the entire 112 miles.  Since the winds typically shift from trades to thermals during the daily cycle in Kona, athletes encounter headwinds in both directions.  Riding upright in these conditions is like riding with a drag chute attached.

Bike set-up for these two courses can differ tremendously.  Since both are long courses, comfort becomes a priority.  (From the comfort perspective, choose carbon, steel or titanium for frame material.)  A significant part of the comfort factor in fitting for these two races has to do with the fore-aft positioning of the saddle.  What follows is a consideration of the criteria for determining this critical variable.  In my opinion there are many great bike fitters, but few have extensive experience in the saddle of a tri bike, training and racing such divergent long courses.  Few are sympathetic to the pain and agony of riding a tri bike for 112 miles, only to follow with a 26.2-mile trot.  The more you know as an athlete, the more you can work with your bike fit professional to achieve the best fit for your specific races.

First, a few words on fore-aft cleat positioning: On hilly courses with variable wind conditions, athletes will spend more time upright, holding the base bar, or, in the case of conventional bars, on the brake hoods.  Place the cleat so the pedal spindle passes just slightly behind the base joint of the big toe.  It’s easier to climb hills in an upright position with this aft cleat position.  The leg drives the pedal more directly, with a shorter cantilever in the foot.  This also places the foot slightly farther forward, creating a bit more setback to the saddle.

For aero courses like Kona, you may move the cleat very slightly forward.  This allows the longer cantilever of the foot to slightly decrease the range of motion in the hip, by “ankling” the pedals a bit more through the bottom and top of the pedal stroke.  It also places the foot slightly farther back, emphasizing the steeper seat angle, to aid in keeping the hip joint more open.  Cleat location will vary from athlete to athlete (and even between the left and right foot of the same athlete).  The main point here is that a set-back location may work better for hilly courses and an up-front location may work better for flatter, windy courses.

With the optimal fore-aft cleat position (as well as the width and toe-in/out), establish a “ball park” seat height, and begin to address the fore-aft saddle position.  In the case of Lake Placid type courses, I begin with the athlete riding upright on the tri base bar or hoods of the conventional drop bars.  I assess how much weight the athlete is bearing through his/her arms and hands, and how much time s/he will spend in this position.  Two other variables unique to each athlete affect this condition as well: core strength and center of gravity.  An athlete with significant core strength can support a forward leaning torso without relying on the arms and shoulders for support.  An athlete with a low center of gravity and a slender chest and shoulders will have less forward-leaning weight, while an athlete with a massive upper body and/or a proportionately longer torso will have more.

As the saddle moves back away from the bottom bracket, the athlete’s center of gravity begins to shift back.  To experience this for yourself, stand on the floor with your feet in a set position and lean over in aero position.  Hold on to something at your side and shift your weight back.  Your hip angle closes down (not so great for aero position) as your weight shifts into your lower torso and legs (great for riding upright).  Now shift your body forward, leaning farther out.  Your hip angle opens up (great for aero position) as your weight shifts forward (not so great for riding upright).  There is a “give and take” for every position adjustment.

Determining the fore-aft saddle position for each athlete must create the perfect compromise for these two positions, based on the proportion of time s/he will spend in each and on the athlete’s particular cycling strengths and biomechanics.

Once the seat is far enough back to minimize the need for weight support in the shoulders, arms and hands, slide to the back of the saddle, “locking” the sit bones into the saddle sides for stability and pedal at slightly lower than normal cadence, as if climbing.  There should be a slight feeling of riding a recumbent bike, where the sit-bone-to-saddle connection provides some of the core stability for leg power production, giving the body’s core muscles a break.  Tilting the pelvis forward can also help to strengthen the “lock” between sit bones and saddle.

Triathletes unaccustomed to this “roadie” position may be reluctant to use this positioning strategy, but it can pay off on hilly courses in the long run, literally.  The more s/he changes up the use of pedal power and core stabilizing muscles, the fresher s/he will feel for that little jog that comes after the dismount.

Now it’s time to see how much damage we have done to the aero position.  If the seat has been moved in the aft direction, it may be quite a stretch to the aero bars, requiring a shorter stem or, at the very least, moving the elbow pads aft and shortening the aero bars (if possible).  An aft seat position may also close the hip angle down so that, in aero position, the athlete generates more up and down movement in the saddle due to limited range of motion in the hip flexors.  Another symptom of a closed hip angle is when the knee flairs out to the side at the top of each pedal stroke, causing the rider to weave side-to-side in synchronicity with pedaling cadence.  (It’s important to determine hip flexor range of motion in the beginning of the fitting process.)

In the case of limited range in the hip flexors, alleviating weight from the shoulders, arms and hands may be a combination of moving the saddle aft and raising the base and aero bar position by changing the stem angle and/or length.  This will keep the upper body higher in both aero and upright positions, sacrificing some aerodynamics for the sake of comfort and biomechanical efficiency.

In setting up a bike for Kona, the focus is almost solely on establishing a comfortable aero position, since the athlete will spend little time on the base bar.  In this case, the saddle will be positioned farther forward to keep the hips open and to minimize overstretching of the hamstrings, glutes, and low back.  Still, it is important to assure that the athlete is not supporting too much weight with the upper body.  This not only alleviates the stiffness and pain associated with supporting the upper body for 5-7 hours; it also frees up the shoulders, arms and upper torso to help stabilize the core and to control the bike in windy conditions.

Upper body alignment and strength figure much more prominently into core stability for pedaling power in aero position than for conventional roadie positions.  In aero, less of the body’s weight is resting on and above the saddle.  Regardless of rider position, biomechanical efficiency begins with a stable core and minimal movement in the saddle.  If the athlete is stretched out too far in aero position, the shoulders will “disconnect” from the core in a shrugging posture.  This makes navigation, balance, core stability and biomechanical efficiency very challenging.

The purpose in providing this information is not to offer a do-it-yourself guide to aero bike fitting.  There are many variables specific to the athlete, the bike and the training and racing goals that come into play in a comprehensive fitting process.  A bike fitter must be able to perceive the synergy of all of these variables and patiently work to “tune-in” the optimal balance.  Athletes need to be aware that optimal bike set-up can vary according to the location, topography and distance of goal races, as well as changes in fitness and flexibility.  When you invest in a bike fit, be clear about your goals and find a fitter who takes these into consideration.

Copyright Shane Eversfield 2008