Time Trial Positoning Part 1

A recent experience at a local time trial inspired me to do a little research on the issue of UCI positioning rules. I've found the relevent rules here: http://tinyurl.com/6mc7rx , although not without difficulty. The UCI could do a lot to make it easy to find the rules that are of great interest to riders more accessible.

I'll paraphrase a rule that is of relevance to the riders at UCI governed time trials.

1. The tip of the saddle needs to be 5cm behind the bottom bracket (1.3.013)

So here is the issue: riders were showing up at the start line, with their bikes in what I am going to assume is their optimized time trail position, one that they have probably spent time training in. The commissars checked their setup measuring the distance from the bottom bracket to the nose of the saddle, found them out of compliance with the rule above and required them to change their setup minutes before their race (the photos posted here demonstrate the measuring and are not intended to imply any of these riders had a positioning issue).

This is a big deal for 3 reasons:

1. This forces the riders to sit on the nose of their saddle in order to maintain that optimized position (something I can't do, that is for sure)
2. If they decide to ride on a more comfortable part of the saddle, the distance to the cockpit increases, perhaps stretching the rider and resulting in comfort issues.
3. Riding further back on the saddle also requires the saddle height to be decreased to prevent over-reaching during the pedal stroke.

Just imagine having your positioning de-optimized right before your race.

--Next Up--

Positiong solutions, equipment options and the other rules