Worst Pro Cyclists Bike Fits (Expert Bike Fitter Explains)

[@askmeaboutmattweiner]

Give us more critiques! This was a lot of fun

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Yes, we should have done a top 10!

[@mark11602]

Especially TT position explainer of why they're all sat right on the nose - looks so uncomfy, but is it just necessity or could they get as aero without being impaled?

[@invisiblescout6335]

​@@mark11602 TT saddle design makes it bearable. They do it to open up the hip angle so they can rotate their pelvis further forward which allows them to lower their upper body and straighten their back better, achieving a more aerodynamic position.

[@DanceTurbo]

​@@roadcyclingacademy looking forward to part 2!

[@mark11602]

@@invisiblescout6335 I understand the why, just seems like surely they could be put in a aero position where the bum is still properly on a saddle? Never sat on a TT saddle though, so don't know how 'bearable' you mean - it looks awful!

[@felixjackson2670]

Excellent. Thank you. Been doing ‘bike fit’ for folk over past 10 years or so....still find the whole subject fascinating,constantly learning ,as new information/data/concepts come into my radar. These discussions are amongst the most interesting and intelligent regarding the wide and varied topic of bike fit....was never a fan of imposing a computer diagram of dots over a riders position and then adjusting the position to match...the thought that a computer bike fit is only as good as its operator springs to mind.

[@jasonjohn-boy6979]

Neat video concept! Would have been killer to have a lot, a lot more B-roll of poor positions as examples - as good-looking as Neill my be.

[@kibot2815]

I think it has something to do with copyright

[@jasonjohn-boy6979]

@@kibot2815 yea, figured as much. Just feels flat to look at a guy talking about something that is predominantly learned visually. Cheers.

[@K9SupplyTV]

Of all the content RCA produces I greatly appreciate the bike fitting videos.

[@invisiblescout6335]

AvV's position drives her trainers mad and they've tried fixing it multiple times, but everything they've tried resulted in compromised power output.

[@serdiezv]

When they change your position, you're now in a weird, foreign position, so it makes you self conscious, you obsess, and you can't perform.

[@tommyrq180]

I wonder how long she took to attempt to adapt to the new position. Often the undoing of bike fit changes-rider says “I don’t like it” because it’s uncomfortable but they don’t put in the miles to see how their system adapts. Totally agree that AvV is an obvious disaster but so it goes. As a coach, the “my results justify my training/position/attitude/diet” often undermines a proper approach and limits the performance, and the more talented the rider, the more this limits adaptation and improvement. To be fair, sometimes the coach/fit/dietician prescribe dumb things or in a wrong-headed way and athletes ignore or hide that they are not following instructions. Elite performance improvement is a team sport and is uniquely and wonderfully complicated. 😊

[@polthomaskeeley7860]

Yeah, I agree with previous comments that point out that her performance-coaching-fitting team must've wrestled with this position question (debate, challenge) for some time. 4 x World Champion omg. And to think that there could be a better adjustment for her (as for all bike riders).

[@veganpotterthevegan]

​@serdiezv everyone's different. Some people get fit into a position that creates more power, the rider keeps riding that way, and they wind up having pain from the more "ideal" position. Some produce less power and hope for adaptation to that "better fit". That adaptation sometimes happens and sometimes doesn't

[@JackMott]

@@veganpotterthevegan I would wager almost no cyclist carefully experiments enough with what their power is before and after a position change to really have any idea. You happen to have a 5 watt low test after a change and you maybe just be seeing ghosts. People tend to make the same power over a pretty wide range of weird ass positions so if seat too high isn't giving her saddle sores or other comfort issues its probably fine. Would be a wee bit more aero to be lower though!

[@bikesavvy3654]

Totally agree, I was the mechanic with the AIS from 1998-2008 and the road riders would get a bike fit at the start and middle of the year. Everyone would come out saying change it back.

[@bikesavvy3654]

Only time was when Mapei fitting in Italy and all seats went up and measurement was taken 100mm width saddle to centre bracket

[@Joseminario]

Did they do it little by little? Otherwise it's a shock to the system

[@Shadowboost]

​@@JoseminarioI'm by no means a pro, but I've hopped on different road bikes with different positions (one can't be fixed, the seatpost is stuck in the frame so can't be raised) and I adapt within a few rides. Yeah, it utilizes different muscles a bit, but speed wise, I'm not drastically affected. The body can adapt a decent amount. And yes, I know this is these guy's livelihoods, but they're extremely flexible, top performance humans. My position change is probably more than they would be playing with

[@Joseminario]

@@Shadowboost I guess you are better at adapting than most. In my experience if you change bike position or cleat position you are gonna feel it if not that day, the day after for sure.

[@javiermartindiez9857]

You're the best Neill. There's a video of Francis Cade and James (Bikefit Tuesdays) where they make a similar analysis of the pro riders. Sagan, Thomas, Anemiek is also on the list :)

[@geothunder1971]

Sean Kelly had a notoriously cramped bike position, imagine King Kelly with an expert bike fit back in the day

[@Joseminario]

Fernando Escartin also comes to mind. He looked like he was fighting with his bike and did not look comfortable at all

[@johns3106]

Kelly had what looked like a terrible position, but it worked for him!! Really…could a “modern” fit have improved his palmares?… I doubt it- he won pretty much everything there was to win (often multiple times!). What allowed Kelly to win was natural talent, hard work and a FIERCE will to win! The “hard man’s hard man” didn’t need a “perfect” fit to make him unstoppable! As a contrast, many of the former Renault riders (Fignon, Mottet, Madiot, Lemond) had better looking fits (and looked great on the bike) but didn’t have nearly the success Kelly did.

[@Joseminario]

@@johns3106 if I remember correctly, Lemond once said Kelly could have won the tour on a different bike position. But we'll never know.

[@S2Sturges]

@@johns3106 I believe that was Guimard who was responsible for the fits of the mentioned riders.. LeMond mentioned in his book Guimard told hime to raise his saddle 3 cm, slowly.. But Greg jacked it up in one go, saying he could barely reach the pedals at first, but was a extremely strong and efficient position, same with Hinault

[@johns3106]

@@S2Sturges Yep…Guimard had some strong opinions about position, including a saddle height that may have been too high…several of his riders (including Hinault and Fignon) suffered some severe knee tendinitis.

[@DarkpowderUK]

Hear hear for bike fitting. Before i ever rode a road bike and trained on it, i got a bike fit. Never had a problem. Key for me was to maintain and ideally improve flexibility, core strength etc and book a subsequent bike-fitting periodically.

[@dan44zzt231]

I've always thought Geraint Thomas position looks horrible. He sits all the way forward on the nose of the saddle most of the time and rides super toes down. But then who am I to criticise 😂

[@GerhardVA]

Same 😂 I can’t imagine the saddle sores he gets!

[@jjjensen9493]

The camera is ussually only on him when he’s going uphill. If you ever watched him ride on the cobbles or in the group he sits pretty even on the saddle. Also he rarely ever crashes or complains of soreness. And lastly is toe pointing I guess Is subjective to some people because personally I don’t think it’s that extreme as some would think. It’s not as extreme as Vleuten or your local club beginners spinning at.

[@savievankint]

​@@jjjensen9493nope, he does not sit even on the saddle. Whenever we call down or do easy ride we amateurs sit even on the saddle. When we go full gas we are at the nose of the saddle. G still sits on the nose of the saddle even on coold down ride!!

[@Lauriieton]

Loved this! Keep em coming as well as some of the best pro cyclist bike fits if possible!

[@stevestewart-sturges2159]

I recall a interview Greg LeMond had where he stated that Cyril Guimard told the whole Renault team put up their saddles something like 3 cm, in stages, but Greg raised his all at once and said he couldn't reach the pedals.. All this guys n the 80's rode with some overly high saddles, and Ibeilev it was the reason Hinault had to have two operations on his knees... In his book Bernard suggested that inseam X .883 seat height, which I believe Claude Genzling formulated, which is now the recommended industry standard...

[@ptkewl]

I was once criticized a lot on a KZbin video comment section because I pointed out AvV saddle position was too high. Glad to find other similar opinion now.

[@10ktube]

I'm surprised MVDP didn't make this list, his saddle looks crazy high, toe pointer, etc. He's not really unstable looking, but with the history of back issues, I was always curious why that wasn't a topic of consideration to get him into a better position. Great video.

[@florianjunghans8087]

I think MVDP has lowered his saddle hight already because of his back issues. This was mentioned by german GCN commentators during this year Tour of Switzerland. If you compare his actual saddle position with some videos from 2019 or earlier you can see that he reduces saddle hight. Not much (my estimation: 5 mm), but he has.

[@jjjensen9493]

What?! I been watching mvp ride for years since 2012. I always thought he was stable in Cx and mT. Toe pointing I have noticed on the road, but I can assure he does not always do that. In the Amstel gold race that everyone knows for example he was not toe pointing…

[@Knud451]

I also think he has dropped the saddle height. He looks better now.

[@koDiacc]

He has back issues because of his crash. Also back pain is really complex and mostly not because of shortened muscles etc (that’s what research suggests)

[@Whistler4u]

MvdP is more an example of perfect position.

[@larrylem3582]

It would be great to analyze Lionel Sanders and Kristian Blummenfelt's TT positions.

[@global_nomad.]

great fun video...bit more like a chat than a lesson....

[@timyaiser]

When I first started riding a road bike in 2015, my neck, shoulders, and triceps fatigued and hurt after 15-20 miles. I also experienced numb hands. I watched many different videos about all of this and made the recommended adjustments. That was my bike fit! Been fine ever since.

[@adamkubiak1933]

Great clip as always. I’m a fan of Neil’s approach. We cannot diagnose pros’ positions as bad. But in some cases, I do ask myself a question “how much better could he/she be”.

[@robertmcfadyen9156]

Pro riders have this amazing ability to climatize and compensate to some extent . Getting the positions correct would help them produce those , 2 - 3 percent ( possibly ) better results .

[@restraum]

Fantastic analysis! It’s in the nature of bike races that its actors are on view for hours at a time. Like Neil I am often amazed at how some pro riders perform with sub optimal positions.

[@lucperon9600]

Long time watcher. Love what you are doing. Any chance you could explain how you would normally correct muscle imbalances and what could be causing them? I have had knee surgery and one foot just doesn't want to go straight anymore and I can't wear SPD-SL cleats. My foot seems to need to be on huge angle outwards for my knee not to hurt. Lateral knee pain. now my bad leg has a massive inner quad and almost no outer quad and opposite on the left leg.

[@vr4966]

It’s amazing how much we can absorb disfunction when we are young. Pay attention early on to avoid my issue at 46 with 2 cervical disk replacement, it will catch up with you.

[@turtleneck369]

do u do stretching because if u don't do all right things even bike fitter might not save you from injuries or problems and ecen if u do everything correctly it might still happen but most amateurs don't strech enough yoga an stuff is awesome for prevention of pain,injuries ...

[@cornishalps9870]

@@turtleneck369 don't see the need on a bicycle as your not using the full range of movement of your joints.

[@turtleneck369]

@@cornishalps9870 silly argument stretching has always benefits no matter what u do but it's exactly what most people never do regularly as warming up muscles stretching can be essential to preventing injuries sores muscles or improving flexibility and comfort on the bike it has lot's of simple benefits, every pro does it + of course massages and so on it's basic part of the good training....

[@mat_from_ballarat]

I'd love to hear an analysis of Adam Hansen's position.

[@ronitdebnath]

Saw James' criticism?

[@natus99]

would be great to do a follow up void on the best positions on the bike. And also - what do you think about Pogacar's position(s) on the bike - his Tour de Flanders bike setup, where the saddle nose was super sloped down.

[@mlafleurhua]

Really fun video - very entertaining. As an aside, did anyone notice the orange BMC in the background with the SMP saddle? I think it is starting to actually look good...

[@frankspeakmore7104]

That footage you showed was so interesting, I was watching that particular stage of the race. If you were wincing at van-vleutens position please have a look at rider no 25 G Realini, just in front of her and tell us what you think!

[@rubenkuperus8318]

I was thinking exactly the same, but couldn't reminder her name :-)! She is a very small rider (1.5m/40kg), but stil it looks like if she has a bike that is a size too small, she sits at the very front of her saddle and her torso is in a very upright position?!? but she also still rides big numbers and wins a stage....

[@frankspeakmore7104]

@@rubenkuperus8318 I think it was the Vuelta 2023 for women a mountain stage (7?) when I first saw her. She has talent but her position is very very unique!!

[@twintwitch1]

How do you keep your foot from running into the front wheel when the cleat is moved back. Too long a top tube and too short a stem? Just asking. I moved my cleat back a little and have to watch my foot hitting the wheel. I just could not handle moving it back as far as recommended here because pedaling felt so weak and awkward.

[@craigbrady73]

What would be your first port of call for someone with bow legs? I have bow legs and rides over a certain distance I have pain in my feet (hotpots) and terrible pain (muscle knot) in my right rhomboid.

[@w720s]

Would be interesting if you could analyze pogacars recent changes to his saddle position in this tdf 23

[@myNamezMe]

Perhaps the seat height appears too high because it's set to accommodate a semi-standing position. This configuration might activate the muscles in a desired way.

[@io8787]

actually, SD Works riders have all really nice positions, Vollering and Kopecky too look rock solide..for men, I would actually mention G Thomas and Yates brothers..all of them sitting on the very tip of their sits as soon as the road goes up 0.5%

[@hockysa]

i love this. very balanced discussion analysing pro fits (not fits?) more please

[@S2Sturges]

LeMond talked about that in one of his books, when Guimard came on as coach at Renault, he jacked up everyone's saddles, in Greg's case, he said 3 cm, which he did all at once, and said he could hardly reach the pedals. The formulas that LeMond quotes in his book actually derived from some research on oxygen uptake that Cyrille Guimard did with some Renault team riders in the early 80s (at the University of Nantes, iirc). You look at Fignon and JF Bernard, they all all hyper extended and super stretched out as well..

[@gnemilostiviy2370]

Why all the rage about moving cleats back amongst bike fitters? I noticed this disconnect between bike fitters and racing cyclists, I did a bike fit at the beginning of the season and the guys just moved my cleats all the way back and dropped my seat. My sprint power dropped by 300w and the position was something I can't use for Crit and track racing (though I explained it at the beginning of the session what my needs are). Sure mid-foot is great for all day riding at the same pace and less chance of knee pain, but I find it's not applicable to real world racing situations where pace changes all the time and you have to respond quickly sprinting out of the saddle

[@cornishalps9870]

blimey 300w is a lot, can't imagine being limited to a 900w sprint. Also the reason I prefer longer cranks than the recommended 165mm even if I am short. Having that leverage is crucial in a road race or crit.

[@chrisr3809]

Possible that "too high" saddle heights help combat pro riders with tight/low mobility hips?

[@superstrada6847]

I've noticed Annemeik's high saddle for years. It's like fingernails on a chalk board for me to watch! I'm glad I have your eye!

[@marylandflyer5670]

I’m sure you remember an interview with Greg LeMond many years ago, and he said the first day as a new pro for a French team, the director raised his seat like 2 inches!

[@eto2352]

I always wondered about AVV. She looks so unstable on the bike but can't argue with the results. Does anyone look as perfect on the bike as Michele Bartoli did?

[@graemesayer3068]

Does a high position, like AvV's, come from having a style which is notably toe-down, or does the toe-down style come as a result of having a saddle too high? If it is style-driven, then dropping the saddle will feel unnatural and that's probably why so many revert to the original position. Conversely, if toe-down is required only because of the high saddle, dropping the saddle should quickly result in a more neutral pedalling action. Thoughts?

[@arnoid]

Interesting watching this after Froome's latest interview about his fit at ISN vs SKY...

[@frederickstaana1269]

Remember kelme rider, Fernando Escartin is one with very akward position

[@evenespelid6531]

What I find striking with these kind of bike fit videos - or analysis - is that they assume that the riders haven't tried out the suggestions that the expert in this video suggests, since bike fitters rely on - relatively - the same theory. Furthermore, the teams these pro riders are riding for would obviously have access to the best bike fitters out there with way more resources than a stand alone bike fitter that makes a living fitting amateurs and semi-elites.

[@Jin_KX]

Also have my cleats pulled as far back as I can here! Can't help but feel that lots of people could benefit from this. Sadly this is unlikely achievable without some sort of adaptor like the ones sold by Midfoot Cleat Cycling. Feet is 256mm long and I wear a size 42 Lake CX241. Impossible to get the cleats far back enough without an adaptor.

[@markusseppala6547]

I had to get the Midfoot Cycling adapter when I changed from Shimano mtb shoes to road shoes.

[@suryaprakash-fb5gr]

I'd like to do this too but sadly the front of my shoe rubs against the back of the front tyre in low speed situations when I have the cleat far back, can be quite dangerous if you're climbing on roads with hairpin bends. Any solutions to this @RCA?

[@DieterWoestemeier]

​@@suryaprakash-fb5grsame problem

[@callumph]

I have size 46.5 CX241 and could never get the cleats far enough back. Always felt like I was on my tippy toes.

[@slownoah423]

Are Lakes known for this? I also wear Lakes and feel like my cleats can’t get as far back as when I wore Shimanos.

[@danielklein6442]

3:50 how much better Anemiak would be if she had the right position. Well then I wonder if the world's top cyclist really ignore such a basic thing. Isn't it that everyone is unique and everyone has their own position on the bike that is the most efficient in producing highest power for them? I think that if she took a "correct position" (the scientific one) she would not be so good.

[@nadiabentuler9746]

Annemiek van Vleuten going into retirement and the pressures of performing receding a bit (though i suspect less so the long training rides she is famous for), maybe she will find herself in a better place to consider your colleage's advice for more than a few days/weeks ;) Very vintage, i know, but do have a look at the position Michel Polentier had. Not much bikefitting then, but i am always wondering what someone like you going back in time would have told him then. Especially since most of my cycling is on bicycles of that era.

[@Duc2B]

Haha. Don't you think that those pros haven't tried many different positions before finding the right one? I believe it's a bit of science but a lot of feeling and experience.

[@newoldsteel]

I’m at a point where I have my own measurements and can fit myself on any bike I obtain super comfortably and efficiently, but getting a professional bike fit makes the bike so uncomfortable and I’ve been riding over 10 years.

[@richardhaselwood9478]

Perhaps a quick follow up on why the right shoe size is important. Also, the importance of wearing the correct socks when you are trying on new shoes at the shop. Otherwise, you'll be like me, and you'll find out the hard way the there is a difference in the sizing of NW shoes between their MTB and road shoes ($^%%%&$%&*^ing hell), and you can't get the cleats quite far back enough on the road shoes. Great to see a different fitter on KZbin. I like watching Bike Fit Tuesdays on the Francis Cade channel, and have gotten some useful stuff from James.

[@christopheroliver148]

If you mean Northwave, I was startled by how wide a three strap road shoe of theirs was in my normal size of 41; the length was perfect, but the side to side slop made them basically unusable. I had picked them up on an end of season sale, but I wound up putting them on evilbay. My best lace-up leather shoe was a Vittoria I wore back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, and since then, I've worn Times and DMTs. If you remember the old American male/Italian male ad that ran in Velonews, I'm almost an exact match for the Italian despite being very much American of Dutch/Irish ancestry.

[@richardhaselwood9478]

@@christopheroliver148 *sigh*, yes, Northwave... Over a year, and 6000 odd km in those road shoes. Will be replacing with one size down pretty soon.

[@christopheroliver148]

@@richardhaselwood9478 You must have much broader feet than I then. If the shoe fits...

[@richardhaselwood9478]

@@christopheroliver148 You misspelled "Hooves".... 🤣 Anyway, from memory, I think my NW MTB size is 46. I tried on the road in a 45 a few days ago, with the right socks on, and swore loudly (other people in the shop laughed) at how much more comfortable they felt. I also have some older NW 3 strap MTB shoes I rarely wear (spare pair), and now you mention it, they do feel funny when I put them on.....

[@christopheroliver148]

@@richardhaselwood9478 Currently I have three pair of DMT road shoes (ChronoX, Radial, & Prisma) because I needed the four bolt Time/Speedplay drilling which is very rare. Sadly, the sole adhesive leaves something to be desired, and two pair have had soles Gorilla Glued back on.

[@adamhindle9215]

AvV is also awful at descending. I wonder if the high seat contributes to that too?

[@liwanacf]

Now give us a list of the best bike fits in the peloton.

[@Ob1sdarkside]

I'm glad you mentioned Van Vleuten, I reckon her style is worse than froomes

[@ds6914]

Great to get your thoughts on - A. Peak Torque's ideas about Pogacar rotating saddle forward for hilly races to get better climbing position B. Geraint Thomas when he's riding on the rivet (ie sat right on tip of saddle). kzbin.info/www/bejne/b5-Zn4eEnsaWo5o

[@irespectfullyrefuse]

Suprised there's no mention of good ol Geraint Thomas, his saddle seems quite high. Also looks like he's overreaching given how he sits on the nose of the Arione and how his upper back looks pretty stiff.

[@Eirikkinserdal]

But it works eh? Now he is on the antares versus evo adaptive, still on the tip 😅

[@abedfo88]

If you've seen Phil Burts videos he has fit him previously and said he is a macro adjuster and epic compensator so can ride things like much smaller team mates bikes without pain etc.

[@irespectfullyrefuse]

@@Eirikkinserdal Yes it works of course. It's why I thought it could be a great example to support Neill's conclusion that pro athletes are in a different league and can tolerate, or even prefer in this case, positions that are not considered optimal on paper by bike fitters. I wonder if Geraint's early years on track bikes might have influenced his preference for that, with their raised BB you could feel like you're higher on the bike. Don't know, just thinkng out loud...

[@irespectfullyrefuse]

@@abedfo88 Yes I have seen it, Ioved every second of it, he has amazing knowledge and I like how realistic he is on how much you can change a pro's bike fit, even if it's "incorrect".

[@Vam1500]

Maybe she needs a road dropper post for the climbs!

[@МихаилПискеев]

Domenico has huge external tibial torsion

[@bendardania]

Cam, here is some info that might be interesting to you and your viewers. Your buddy more or less covered it. I use to work with many athletes to improve their strength and conditioning and most importantly their technique… some of them cyclist, really good cyclist. I come from the world of competitive, I will just say sports. Here is an example of modifying a runners form to help avoid injury and ultimately improve performance. Subject A: 22 year old; over-strides, kicks, never clears, left foot full foot rolling heel- toe, continues with right foot landing and lifting, 0 push… etc etc this guy is a sprinter: national champion, after helping him modify his tech, results where that he had less injuries, but no longer national champ. Subject B: 19 years old. Almost identical tech, because he was a teammate with subject A he adapted almost identical tech. After helping with his form, he broke national record. What I can tell you is that sometimes in professional level older they get changing technique doesn’t result in better result. Cycling and running,are unique sports. What I always tell anyone that rides a bike non competitively is the following.l: Try to find the right size bike based on your height and your inseam. Ride at at least 2 to 3 times a week for about 20k each time and work with a fitter to adapt to a technique that is comfortable. Performance, for non competitive riders should never even be a priority. Great content, as always. Thank you

[@daviddjerassi]

You are so right but she is not alone if you have time to watch elite Woman's road cycling i think maybe 15% + need a bike fit i am amazed their teams don't send them for a bike fitting for even higher performance output thank you all at RCA you guys are a one off .

[@raymondrichardson538]

Shout out to Ben Healy, who's had an amazing, break-out season so far, but looks horribly crooked on his bike. Not sure what's up with that.

[@gerrysecure5874]

Maybe position and form is overrated for performance. If you bring the power in the right angle to the pedal thats what it takes. How much you move your head or pelvis or ankles doesn't matter much. Roland Stadler a former top swiss tennis player had an extra long raquet because he played both sides double handed and needed more reach. The body and the movement pattern can adapt a lot.

[@MitchVanVit]

Van Der Poel is monstruously different from the average recreational cyclist, as is Van Vleuten, I like to think they "invent" their awesomeness (power), using muscles and stuff like no other can use, so optimising position their way, getting it as far from the "perfect" IA generated pedaling human model, as the gap between them and the grupetto on the finish line. I'm just a low level racer BTW !

[@ovi-kernkraft400]

Adam Blythe has to be one of the most extreme cases of "bad fit"

[@danfuerthgillis4483]

The worst bike fit is taller riders looking like they are sitting on pogo sticks due to the wrong sized frame!! It looks ridiculous with the seat post extended out to the max lol

[@graemefk6519]

Not all athletes are quite as immune to having their positions changed ... Bernard Hinault famously changed his position radically mid career ...

[@brucehumphries6889]

Is there a limit to how far back a person goes with the cleats? Biomechanically speaking?

[@ronitdebnath]

After a certain point its about the lever length and not stability of your foot or ankle.

[@michalsz.7179]

what comes to mind as a response: I wonder how many more you'd won... or how much more power you'd be able to grind out :D There is always this element of having to trust and overcome your own believes and giving it a go... difficult with seasoned pros, maybe easier with younger athletes

[@fpgamemearray]

suggestion for a possible part II: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3ulaGuahburo5o at 1:33 cattaneo looks really extreme in both reach and saddle height even though he seems comfortable

[@MrMattie725]

Btw, as a Fleming I can say it's 'Evenepoel', not 'Evenepoel' or 'Evenepoel' like you said ;)

[@danielklein6442]

Btw, according to the instructions of professional bike fitters, my FTP was a watt per kg less than when I set up the bike according to the perception of where the power goes. And guess what, according to the instructions, everything is wrong.

[@felixschneider7370]

@neill : please do a "pro cyclist review" section :-) AvV is obviously a mess sitting on the bike, but it's even worse when she is out of the saddle😮

[@savagepro9060]

When young little Andre Agassi was hitting balls erratically all over the place, Nick Bollettieri told him to continue WITHOUT changing ANYTHING. The hope was that he would PERFECT the imperfection! It took a while. Agassi took off LATE in his career.

[@zedgee4514]

it's what works for the individual.

[@rogeriosantos321]

This bike was really easy to assemble kzbin.infoUgkxMesz3KOGEmwmvyKQfLfrRSUXLFzfVHZA and required very few adjustments out of the box. The wheels did not require any truing/adjustments. The frame had some small scratches, but nothing major.I did replace the seat though - the seat it came with was very uncomfortable. The tires need to be re-inflated every 4-5 days, but this appears to be quite common for the narrow 700x25 tires.Overall, in my opinion, this bike looks and rides like a much more expensive bike.

[@savagepro9060]

Neil Stanbury: Worst Pro Cyclists Bike Fits Pro Cycling Champions, in chorus: "If it ain't broke don't fix it!"

[@ilanpi]

Non-aero positions: Quinn Simmons and the majority of the women's peloton.

[@911thisguy]

Thank you! A v V is one of the best-but her position leaves her missing out on many Watts

[@serdiezv]

Van Vleuten is my favorite female cyclist, but she does certainly have a peculiar style. Not only in position, even when out of the saddle she's rocking SO MUCH.

[@Joseminario]

I follow women's cycling a lot and I did like her until I saw her win the Vuelta this year like she did. I guess if she needs to attack when people are on their nature break to win, then that's what you do 😊

[@serdiezv]

@@Joseminario she just did the same thing SD Worx did to her last year in the Tour. They have no right to complain about this tactic, other teams might, but not SD Worx.

[@Joseminario]

@@serdiezv I did not know that. Thanks for letting me know, I'll rewatch when I get a chance, I know I watched the woman's tour last year but probably forgot or they didn't make such a big deal out of it maybe. Anyhow thanks for the info

[@serdiezv]

@@Joseminario it was the stage won by Uttrup Ludwig if I'm not mistaken

[@Joseminario]

@@serdiezv cool. I'll check it out.

[@peterch4978]

Pros can have 2 bikes to test performance of old vs new setup

[@markr6383]

Great example of how high AvV's saddle looks kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJK6oqGPZduVgtk

[@ronitdebnath]

OMG.

[@philipk4475]

Her legs are almost fully stretched and she has to point her toes down quite a lot even then. Looks really uncomfortable

[@richardmannion2779]

everyone's position looks bad when compared to Marlen Reusser; on either the road bike or TT bike. Solid, aero and powerful.

[@julianmorris9951]

I’ve been riding 40s and when I think of my position on the bike I cringe because now I couldn’t tolerate it🤣 bike fits benefit old timers more 🤔

[@Xhadp]

So considering this video is about how pro cyclists will always reject a fit. Do you think there a better way of conducting a bike fit for the pros? It seems like the process of changing everything in a bike fit wouldn't work for a pro cyclist that would change it back after complaining how terrible it is. I feel like doing a multi-step fit process would be better for pros where you would gradually lower them into the correct position over time rather than doing mental gymnastics on them with changing by the bike fit to the optimal position only to be changed back to its original position.

[@joelecho]

Put them in the wind tunnel, and tell them that the better position was 20 watts more aerodynamic?

[@trk_peaks]

In triathlon I am always so stunned on how unefficient (aerodynamically) and uncomftable most female pro position are. Most age groupers got better fits than they have. It is quite strange to me why that is the case.

[@brulsmurf]

women have different bodies.

[@Edmond347]

Bike fit is the biggest nonsense there is out there. The idea that there are people whose job it to "bike fit" people is preposterous. You sit on a bike for an hour or so and the guy keeps asking you, "How does this feel"? Then moves the saddle a few millimeters and asks the same question. There are basic rules about bike fitting that are just common sense such as the saddle height so that you don't extend your knee or the reach so that you don't lose control over the bike. But anything this joker will tell you goes out the window once you're on the bike for 5-6 hours in real life conditions. You will then have to make adjustments yourself. Your body will tell you what the best fit is, not a guy with the question "How does this feel?" That's why he doesn't understand why Van Vleuten rides the way she does.

[@Joriankisjes]

They are both Dutch, not belgian. 🙂👌🏼 thank you!

[@madmonkeycycling9098]

Aaaaah Yes, have been saying Annemiek needs a bikefit for years. Same for Geraint Thomas.

[@cherriagana]

Always love people struggle with our Belgian names :D

[@lovenottheworld5723]

Bike fitters appear to be obsessed with having the hips motionless on the saddle. If the hip joints don't move freely in that position it won't be the best. There's not much scope for adjustment so the rider might be better off doing microadjustments by twisting from side to side with each stroke. That's where I think it goes a bit awry with bike fit.

[@discbrakefan]

I think the issue is more keeping the lower back from twisting and contributing to the pedal stroke. I can tell you from personal experience this can result in damage

[@neilhamey9803]

There's a difference between stability on the saddle and the functionality of the hip joints. They're two very different things.

[@wdoug95608]

Certainly, the PRO rider would have TRIED the lower seat position as you suggest... and did not like the results ( thou I can bet that SHE didn't give the new position enough time . ) Great Show !

[@robertlight2370]

Before I even watch this I'm voting for AvV as the worst. Now I'll see what Neil says...

[@johndef5075]

Arent some people capable of finding their own best position?

[@steveChef70]

Caleb Ewan looks weird on a bike. Doesn’t look natural, but the guy can sprint.

[@williambrazil3760]

If the position looks and the person doesn't get injured it it's a good fit. Good position or technique is what produces results, not what looks pretty

[@swites]

Speaking for myself but funny how u think u look good on a bike until you see an event video of yourself and then the truth hits lol.

[@brunospasta]

If I would name one pro that looks awful on a bike: Pozzovivo

[@turtleneck369]

cuz he is hella injured and crooked from terrible injuries that's why look it up it's incredible he can even compete

[@DanielaAngulo]

Now do the best!

[@koDiacc]

You see this a lot in women this toe dropping and too high saddles

[@SophiaGailecruz-pr8oo]

Its the riders preference, cant do anything about it 🤷‍♂️.

[@savagepro9060]

Froome is over the hill, and we're not talking about climbing!

[@WHALEx3]

Seems like he’s just picking in people with long limbs because he also has long limbs

[@MrMattie725]

Van Vleuten 'one of the best all time females'. 'One of'? Who's even in the discussion here?

[@MP48]

its pronounced Ay-vene-pull (Evenepoel)