Originally Posted by
WhyFi
Even pros aren't rocking ridiculous setups like yours. Lower != better; it's not a matter of "aero is everything," it's more like "speed is everything." Speed is going to rely on a balance between aero and power production. Power production will include muscle recruitment, oxygen intake, etc - this can suffer dramatically with extreme setups. Maybe this is an optimized position for you, in particular, but I have a strong hunch that you don't have enough data for even that conclusion.
I am into speed, but another objective is cosplay. I get a kick of riding my Lance Armstrong bike with a "7" on it and every year when the TDF comes around I cycle a little bit faster in my team lyrcra. I want some of that Israel Premier kit!
But,
no you are wrong, the pros do rock a "ridiculous"
ADDENDUM I see now that you are claim that my, and or Cobbs, set up is ridiculous because you believe it would not result in speed. I am sorry about that. I believe it does result in greater speed, as argued by John Cobb, and there is nothing ridiculous about it.
set up like mine and Robbie's when they are cycling time trials which is what Robbie's and my set up is for. If you ride in a team, in a big group, taking it in turns to lead the line, then the current un-aero aero road bikes may be a good idea (I say may, because I think even the pros may be dissatisfied with the comfort bikes that they are being encouraged to ride by the sponsors).
Sir Bradley
Alternatively, if you are more into cosplay than I am, and have a stronger desire to ride what the pros are riding, then a future shock may be for you, even when riding on your own.
Another objective is financial. Some people are I think financially inclined to sell expensive bikes to fat people, encouraging in them the cosplay dream of riding a pro's
group ride bike, when the same customers would be much faster on something more suited to their style of riding.
99 % of the riders I see are riding alone.
Originally Posted by
GhostRider62
Cobb sets a very low and flat back position on Robbie. Then, he calls it an all day position. He also says it takes weight off the hands and sit bones. Just wanted to say also that I recently bought one of his saddles, and it was also worthless
So you are saying his advice is worthless. I find his advice to be very good. I did not understand the part where he said that it takes weight off the sit bones, and sitting on ones glutes until recently. I thought it was a crazy idea, but I now feel it is great. I now sit on my saddle a bit like I am sitting on the seat of a recumbent, and push forwards rather than stomping down (
explained here).
The diet advice is entirely an optional extra. In order to keep from getting fat again, it is a good idea, I think, in general to find things and activities that incentivise remaining non-fat. If you keep wearing baggy trousers then no one will say "hey, nice style!" because they won't see how thin you are. I recommend therefore buying tightish jeans if you get thin rather than sticking with form-hiding baggies. Similarly if you get thin and keep riding a Clydesdale geometry you would not enjoy the aerodynamic benefits of getting down long and low. If you do get a genuinely areo bike however, like Robbie's, then you will be encouraged to remain thin because going fast is fun.
I write a list of things that I attempt to use to encourage me to stay thin in the description of the photo below.
The Japanese Diet by
Timothy Takemoto, on Flickr
I am not as thin now alas. Let's keep up the fight!