Increasing Drop

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rossjm11
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by rossjm11

Question for the community! Does increasing flexibility and core strength allow for a greater drop?

This can both ways, a steeper stem or a higher seatpost.
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boots2000
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by boots2000

Flexibility and core strength can help. But it is not the answer 100% of the time.

I have recently found that the issue for me is reach- If I keep reach from getting too long, I can sustain a lower front end position than I had imagined.

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TobinHatesYou
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by TobinHatesYou

Yes, increasing flexibility definitely makes your legs longer, allowing a higher saddle position.

No, not really.

In reality the more aggressive your position gets, the more your hips rotate forward. That means you sit on the narrower pubic rami instead of your ischial tuberosities. If that happens you would actually have to lower your saddle by about ~5mm. Stop worrying about aesthetics and ride.

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mpulsiv
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by mpulsiv

Per Steve Hog https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/bi ... -can-it-be recommendation, you’d adjust your saddle height a bit lower than usual. Rocking your hips is the most common problem.

For me, longer longer reach and lower saddle height does the trick.


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mpulsiv
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by mpulsiv

Per Steve Hog https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/bi ... -can-it-be recommendation, you’d adjust your saddle height a bit lower than usual. Rocking your hips is the most common problem.

For me, longer longer reach and lower saddle height does the trick.


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Racing is a three-dimensional high-speed chess game, involving hundreds of pieces on the board.

:arrow: CBA = Chronic Bike Addiction
:arrow: OCD = Obsessive Cycling Disorder

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mpulsiv
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by mpulsiv

Per Steve Hog https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/bi ... -can-it-be recommendation, you’d adjust your saddle height a bit lower than usual. Rocking your hips is the most common problem.

For me, longer longer reach and lower saddle height does the trick.
Racing is a three-dimensional high-speed chess game, involving hundreds of pieces on the board.

:arrow: CBA = Chronic Bike Addiction
:arrow: OCD = Obsessive Cycling Disorder

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mpulsiv
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by mpulsiv

Per Steve Hog https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/bi ... -can-it-be recommendation, you’d adjust your saddle height a bit lower than usual. Rocking your hips is the most common problem.

For me, longer longer reach and lower saddle height does the trick.
Racing is a three-dimensional high-speed chess game, involving hundreds of pieces on the board.

:arrow: CBA = Chronic Bike Addiction
:arrow: OCD = Obsessive Cycling Disorder

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mpulsiv
Posts: 1384
Joined: Mon Mar 24, 2014 9:17 pm

by mpulsiv

Per Steve Hog https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/bi ... -can-it-be recommendation, you’d adjust your saddle height a bit lower than usual. Rocking your hips is the most common problem.

For me, longer longer reach and lower saddle height does the trick.
Racing is a three-dimensional high-speed chess game, involving hundreds of pieces on the board.

:arrow: CBA = Chronic Bike Addiction
:arrow: OCD = Obsessive Cycling Disorder

User avatar
mpulsiv
Posts: 1384
Joined: Mon Mar 24, 2014 9:17 pm

by mpulsiv

Per Steve Hog https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/bi ... -can-it-be recommendation, you’d adjust your saddle height a bit lower than usual. Rocking your hips is the most common problem.

For me, longer longer reach and lower saddle height does the trick.
Racing is a three-dimensional high-speed chess game, involving hundreds of pieces on the board.

:arrow: CBA = Chronic Bike Addiction
:arrow: OCD = Obsessive Cycling Disorder

rossjm11
Posts: 162
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2015 8:09 pm

by rossjm11

TobinHatesYou wrote:Yes, increasing flexibility definitely makes your legs longer, allowing a higher saddle position.

No, not really.

In reality the more aggressive your position gets, the more your hips rotate forward. That means you sit on the narrower pubic rami instead of your ischial tuberosities. If that happens you would actually have to lower your saddle by about ~5mm. Stop worrying about aesthetics and ride.


Yeah, I am trying to avoid rotating my hips forward too much. Would a better solution be pulling my stem back a centimeter If I did want a bigger drop?
BMC SLR01 2015
Redline Conquest Team

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IrrelevantD
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by IrrelevantD

rossjm11 wrote:
TobinHatesYou wrote:Yes, increasing flexibility definitely makes your legs longer, allowing a higher saddle position.

No, not really.

In reality the more aggressive your position gets, the more your hips rotate forward. That means you sit on the narrower pubic rami instead of your ischial tuberosities. If that happens you would actually have to lower your saddle by about ~5mm. Stop worrying about aesthetics and ride.


Yeah, I am trying to avoid rotating my hips forward too much. Would a better solution be pulling my stem back a centimeter If I did want a bigger drop?


Shortening your stem might help, but you might also try adding a spacer under your stem. If you are perfectly comfortable on the hoods, maybe your bars have too much drop? Personally, I found shortening my reach made it easier to stay in the drops longer. I did this by switching to bars with a shorter reach as I was perfectly fine with my position on the tops and hoods. I had my position dialed in well enough that I don't think it really affected the rotation of my hips. I just felt like I was stretching out too much in the drops and was having to use my lower back to support my upper torso.

Keep in mind that shortening the length of your steering lever (stem length/bar reach) will also affect the feel of the steering. Shorter stem/bars will feel more twitchy. My current bars have about 12-15mm shorter reach than my previous ones. I don't notice it on the tops or hoods, but I can really start to tell when descending or going over 30mph.
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Fiery
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Joined: Sat Mar 16, 2013 9:21 am

by Fiery

My first question would be what are you trying to achieve by increasing saddle to bar drop. If you just trade reach for drop for example, you may end up with slightly different arm angle, but identical back angle as before. So what is the goal? More aerodynamics, more comfort, or just have the bike look more to your liking while still being able to ride it?

Fiery
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Joined: Sat Mar 16, 2013 9:21 am

by Fiery

My first question would be what are you trying to achieve by increasing saddle to bar drop. If you just trade reach for drop for example, you may end up with slightly different arm angle, but identical back angle as before. So what is the goal? More aerodynamics, more comfort, or just have the bike look more to your liking while still being able to ride it?

TobinHatesYou
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by TobinHatesYou

Keep in mind that rotating the hips and keeping a straight back is much preferred over, say, Lance Armstrong’s posture with an insanely arched back. It’s one of the reasons I swapped to an ISM PN 3.0. Despite being 5’10”/178cm with a 32”/82cm inseam, I ride with a saddle height of 71.4cm. (170mm cranks, EU45 shoes, rearward cleat placement)

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silvalis
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by silvalis

+1 rotate the pelvis and straighten your back. Better in the long run for your posture and back, for all activities too.
Funny, on your measurements Tobin. I’m pretty much the same, 178/83cm and 72.5cm saddle height except on a smp

Was there any reason you were trying not to rotate the pelvis?
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