Tips for Setting Up your Bike

Bike set-up is an important issue for both tri- and duathletes. If your bike is correctly set up, you will definitely be more efficient. If the set-up is wrong, it could cause injury and discomfort and most definitely inefficiency.

Cleat position
Do you have the right crank lengths on your bike? Maybe these are aspects  not even considered by most novices and even intermediate athletes. Why? Because most bikes will come with standard crank lengths.

It is a fact that time trialling and also climbing is improved by a slightly longer crank. Joe Friel, triathlon and cycling guru, also supports this view. He says, “One way to gauge this length is based on your leg inseam length.”

How do you check inseam length?
Friel says you can stand bare feet with a book between your legs firmly near the crotch as if the book represents the saddle. You should be facing a wall. Mark the top of the book against the wall and measure this distance to the floor. This, Friel says is your inseam length.

What now?
If the distance is 31 inches or less, your crank length should be 170-172.5mm. If the length is between 31-33mm, then you need a crank length of 172.5-175mm. With an inseam length of 33-35mm, check your cranks are between 175-177mm. And lastly if your inseam length is above 35 inches, then you are looking at about 177.5 to 1800mm for your ideal length.

Add, though, that one should not necessarily assume that one should opt for the longer crank length. A longer crank length does place stress on the knees. You should still be comfortable.

The cleat position is best determined by placing the ball of the foot on the pedal in the neutral position. It can be moved slightly forward or back to cater for individual biomechanics. The neutral position gives you the best all-round efficiency whether on a flat or hilly surface. Cleats with a bit of "float" also allows for minor foot movement.

Saddle position
The saddle should be parallel with the floor. Sounds obvious but sometimes athletes have their saddles pointing over the handlebars! Some good time-triallers believe the nose should point slightly downwards as it adds a small degree of comfort. On my bike, the saddle comes quite far forward. In this way, you protect the hamstrings for the run as well as generating more power than if the saddle is further back.

Secondly, bringing the saddle forward generates greater power for a time trial as the “glutes”, and hamstrings are in the best position. Most of your power for a time trial comes from those major muscle groups and ligaments.

Saddle Height

For triathlons, the saddle is often raised higher than for road racing. You are more powerful with a raised saddle. Friel suggests the easiest way to determine the correct saddle height is to sit on your bike in the aero position. He says you should place you heel on the pedal at the bottom of the stroke. When the leg is straight, this should represent your most favorable height. Friel adds that for every 2cm you raise the saddle, the saddle should also move forward 1c m and vice versa. Once again,  word of caution to novices out there. A straight leg places additional stress on the knees.

Experimenting is the best way to assess what works for you, one's own biomechanics will influence the ultimate position.

Good Luck!