I installed an adjustable stem to lower my aero bars even further. I felt I was sitting a bit too high with my old stem. Since I am fitter now than opening weekend, the core is stronger and the belly is not so much a problem, I can therefore lower the bars into a more aerodynamic position. Also this position allows me to slide forward on the seat into a more powerful position when I need to gain some extra leverage during the last lap of a Kilo.I am aiming to beat my best time of 1:19.98, so any tweaks will help. The 1:19.98 was done at TTown in a 108" gear (52x13) which felt good but was difficult to get going from a standing start. I am therefore going to switch to using a 96" (50x14). I am still discovering new things about my abilities, learning new techniques and the feel of different gear ratios. The cumulative effort of training and experience will definitely lead to a better time. The learning curve is steep and just when you think you have every base covered something new comes along to make you rethink your plan.
Today is the day for the States Kilo but I decided not to go since it was raining as of 2pm in Queens, with a 100% chance of further precipitation for late afternoon. The temperature is hovering around 70F, not ideal conditions for track time trials.
5 comments:
Mike, awesome job this weekend. You did great holding it together in the final match sprint. One correction though, I took gold while jody took silver in the match sprints.
-Alexander Barouh
oops...corrected....everything was a blur on that last sprint, I was concentrating on pedaling with one leg just to finish, couldn't make out who was flying by me.
Mike
hey i have a question on that last picture. what stem where you using? and does it have any play when sprinting?
That is a 120mm Ritchey adjustable stem ($59). I only use it for the Kilo event not Sprints or mass events. I did not notice any play, it is relatively stiff in the standing starts. The other adjustable stem is the Look stem which is way too expensive at over $200, but it is adjustable in a number of positions. The whole purpose of these adjustable stems is to be used as a temporary solution until you figure out what your optimum position is on the bike.
I believe the Ritchey adjustable stem is designed for Mountain Bikes so it should be relatively durable, but I wouldn't take a chance with it for Match Sprinting where the forces and torque can be extremely high.
My regular stem is a Thomson Stem 90mm
is that the max angel of the stem??
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