they never check?
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Triguy98 posted 42 weeks ago.
There is no required set up for USAT or NAS races. Pretty much anything goes. Only road racing and time trials have geometry and fit constraints.
PS- most of the shops on your end are pretty good. Florida Bike Sports, Chainwheel Drive, and others are excellent and know their stuff.
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kylie posted 42 weeks ago.
Actually USAT does specify some bike setup rules (in Article 5, section 11 Bicycle Specifications in the USAT rules).
However, I've never seen any of it checked -- especially for the age groupers. Perhaps they check pros at bigger races (ITU, Kona, etc) but as long as it doesn't look crazy out of spec, I doubt anyone would know.
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PJT posted 42 weeks ago.
1. I've never seen or even heard of an age grouper's bike getting measured for this in a USAT tri. But you're right, they have a 5 cm rule for the saddle nose. The one rule I have heard RDs announce would be checked is the requirement to plug all bar ends. Apparently, insurers are very concerned about this.
2. If you're very concerned, move it back yourself. You may need to drop the seatpost ever so slightly to compensate. For 3 cm, I might also move a small spacer from above the stem to below it.
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RV posted 42 weeks ago.
Bar-ends are the only thing that I have witnessed being checked as well.
A 3 cm change is a fairly big adjustment to your position. I would think that other adjustments would need to be done to accommodate this as PJT mentioned. Someone that does a FIST bike fit would be good to review any proposed changes and could work you into the new position, if you decide to make the change.
RV
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gh posted 42 weeks ago.
Is a FIST certified fitter the thing to look for these days, or are there other comparable certifications?
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stewarba posted 42 weeks ago.
The question sounds more ethical to me.
IF there is a rule specifying saddle geometry and you KNOW that your saddle's geometry is not within specs - SHOULD you get it corrected whether they check it or not? To me if there is a rule and you knowingly violate it, you have basically cheated. Of course no one will ever really know but you and most people could care less (assuming you don't expect to be competitive), so how do you feel about it?
Just out of curiousity, are you sure its 3cm too far forward? If the LBS measureed it and said its within specs, could you have measured it incorectly?
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2008 Sprint Tri A race goals
S: 500m in 10:00 – FS Stroke only
B: 22mph avg over course
R: 5K <= 25:00
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gh posted 42 weeks ago.
stewarba;79131 wrote:
The question sounds more ethical to me.IF there is a rule specifying saddle geometry and you KNOW that your saddle's geometry is not within specs - SHOULD you get it corrected whether they check it or not? To me if there is a rule and you knowingly violate it, you have basically cheated. Of course no one will ever really know but you and most people could care less (assuming you don't expect to be competitive), so how do you feel about it?
That was the main reason I went to get it changed and the reason I asked about swithching bike shops. I may not be competative at the moment, but being competative is my goal. If he's not willing to support my playing by the rules, they why should I continue to go there?
stewarba;79131 wrote:
Just out of curiousity, are you sure its 3cm too far forward? If the LBS measureed it and said its within specs, could you have measured it incorectly?
The only thing he measured was me for the frame. The saddle and bars were set up eyeball-style. When I read the bike rules and measured everything, I placed the bike on level ground, got out a long carpenters level and ruler and measured 8cm.
I did mention to him that while aero I'm pushing myself back on the saddle 75% of the time anyway, but he said that if anything he would raise the saddle and not slide it back.
This guy is not a triathlete and neither rides tri bikes nor rides anything competatively, but the owner is a triathlete and does compete. The only problem is that aparently I'm "his" customer and can never get to the owner when I try.
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kylie posted 42 weeks ago.
Call and ask for the owner. Tell him your comments. Say you do not want to be that guy's customer any more, and that you will be a customer of the owner if he can help you. And if he can't, then you'll be moving all your business. Sometimes owners don't know all about the interactions of their employees and customers, and the guy currently helping you may have even told the owner you prefer him!
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PJT posted 42 weeks ago.
Serious question,
Is the 5 cm rule meant to limit a competitive advantage, or is it a safety rule? It seems to me to be primarily or even only for safety, though I don't know if this changes the ethics of the matter.
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kylie posted 42 weeks ago.
I'm not sure PJT -- however, I don't think it changes the ethics. The rules are the rules, for whatever reason they are in place. By signing up for a race I feel you are signing up to play "their way", no matter what that is.
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JamieM posted 42 weeks ago.
I would think it's one of the rules to keep frames and positions from getting too out of hand.
8 cm too far forward? I could be wrong, but that doesn't seem like something a good shop would have sent out the door.
Though I agree with kylie (did I spell that right?) about talking to the owner, especially if the guy you're dealing with isn't into tri's.
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UFTriGator posted 42 weeks ago.
Sorry for jumping into this thread so late, but 8 cm sounds pretty crazy. I keep my bike within UCI regs for TTs, which requires the end of the saddle to be flush or behind the BB. I keep mine as far forward as allowed (flush), and people who ride my bike almost always say that they feel that they're about to fall off the front. How do you have it 8 cm past that and not fall off? Your legs must be behind you. Can you post a pic of your bike so I can submit it to the Lance foundation for testicular cancer?
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Socket posted 42 weeks ago.
He said 3cm too far forward, not 8. Bit of difference there.
This is something I'll definitely keep in mind when I (finally) get my bike fitted.
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UFTriGator posted 42 weeks ago.
The USAT limit is 5cm. 5 + 3 = 8.
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Not fast enough.
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Socket posted 42 weeks ago.
Right... that math thing I've heard so much about... gunna have to look that up one of these days *wheres the dunce hat smilie when you need it?*
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Triguy98 posted 42 weeks ago.
With my saddle set at 78 degree seat tube angle, my nose is about 2 inches in front of the BB. If someone was to ride a QR with an 80 degree SA, I can see the nose being even further forward.
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UFTriGator posted 42 weeks ago.
Triguy98;79330 wrote:
With my saddle set at 78 degree seat tube angle, my nose is about 2 inches in front of the BB. If someone was to ride a QR with an 80 degree SA, I can see the nose being even further forward.
Well maybe I just need more man-space than you. :D
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-Matt
Not fast enough.
Since I'm training for and plan on entering half Ironmans, I went through the rules to make sure my bike was set up according to spec. I figured it's better to train with a proper setup rather than changing things right before a race.
My saddle is 3 cm too far forward, so I took it to the LBS to get it adjusted as well as anything else that would follow. I was told that it was set up where it needed to be and that nobody ever checks these things at races anyway. Essentially, he refused to change it.
They're the only Cervelo dealer within 1.5 hours of home, but the only thing that's "Cervelo" is the frame and seatpost. Components are mainly Shimano, Gossamer and Vision, which are available anywhere.
Given this, what are your thoughts? Find another shop?