Originally Posted by
SafetyThird
So I dropped the seat height a few mm and the next set show the results of that.
This second set with the seat a little lower and the hands further back seems to be a better setup. Either way, they're both a lot better than the previous one based on the tri geometry. The hands closer to me version certainly felt more comfortable and so it looks like I need a shorter stem to make that work. I expect that the longer stem is a bit more aero and efficient but I'm still only just getting back into riding so comfort is likely the best option to go for currently.
Any further thoughts?
I like the look of the 4th photo from the top the most. You look a little cramped in the 2nd set. If that feels like it puts too much weight on your hands, try moving the saddle and bars both back ~1cm, and assess hand comfort while pedaling at your normal tempo pace. And bend your elbows! A lot. Try riding the hoods with forearms horizontal, see how that feels. Fine tuning of saddle height mostly concerns being able to develop the most power with least effort. Most folks just have to fool with it, a couple mm at a time, both up and down. Find where you feel strongest. I'm sure you know how to do that, though the road position does use muscles a little differently.