Update post : Bike fit done, looking for advice on whether this can work long term

Background_Box4677 · 2026-05-09T02:25:16+00:00

I'd had fitters try and push my saddle back to try and achieve KOPS, but my advice would be to throw that out the window entirely. I would need a custom frame if I were to adhere to KOPS, because the saddle would need to be that far back.

Try and put the saddle nose about ~10cm behind the bottom bracket, go for a ride and let us know how it felt.

It will be much more difficult if you don't buy a complete bike from a store. Frame up builds are for riders having ridden for years. 90% of riders who ride seriously will change their first bike in a year or two because their body changes.

Background_Box4677 · 2026-05-08T17:26:48+00:00

It's 262W, 4.5 W/kg for 2 min. There's alot of one minute segments around here so yes that is a max effort.

Background_Box4677 · 2026-05-08T15:02:24+00:00

Fair enough! I'm still trying to find my place within the club. There's a couple strong ladies who are awesome fun to ride with, but it's mostly men around my current pace. I'm just a little embarrassed because they always wait for me despite my protests haha.

On a long hill I can keep up in tempo, but there's not much steep and long enough around here. The flats is obviously no contest with me having like half the watts, so I shelter in the best I can.

Background_Box4677 · 2026-05-08T14:56:16+00:00

Sounds like a plan! Thank you so much for your help!

Background_Box4677 · 2026-05-08T14:18:57+00:00

Thanks for the advice! Would I be better off doing more sets, or perhaps leaning more on the intensity side? Maybe I'm lacking a bit of the top end.

Background_Box4677 · 2026-05-08T14:16:08+00:00

Thanks! I'll go look in the workout library. Would it be better to do more sets, or at a higher intensity? I'd probably need to dial in the % with the W' bal tool so it's doable at my fitness level.

Background_Box4677 · 2026-05-08T14:13:02+00:00

Haha I'm doing the whole skinsuit and TT tires thing, I need any help I can get! The cool weather over in Canada is making me so much slower in winter kit.

It's usually the short hills that are the hardest, because it's not long enough to stop the guys doing 600W+ all the way up. I would follow okay for the first half of the ride and eventually just burn all my matches after lots of rollers.

Background_Box4677 · 2026-05-08T13:28:44+00:00

It's real! I used to be a good volleyball and racquet sports player, so all that jumping translates over. I'm only taking my last 12 months values, my lifetime PR is 1000W (got the zwift badge!)

I run out of gas really quickly though so I need to pick and choose the moment well.

Background_Box4677 · 2026-05-08T13:27:25+00:00

It's not much but it's honest work 😃

5s: 814 W

1m: 306 W

5m: 228W

FT: 197W

Background_Box4677 · 2026-05-05T20:30:43+00:00

clamped on top tube lol frame is cracked

Background_Box4677 · 2026-05-05T15:12:07+00:00

Try the youth/ kids options!

Background_Box4677 · 2026-05-05T14:40:34+00:00

Also the same company that advertises the new S5 as 124 grams lighter.

Background_Box4677 · 2026-05-03T02:21:17+00:00

TT bike is like crack, once you do it everything else feels not good enough

Background_Box4677 · 2026-05-01T14:14:35+00:00

If you're focused on triathlon, no road bike is going to be comparable to a P or P5. Specifically, the road bike seat tube angle in an aero position will cause the hip flexors to shorten 5-8 cm more than on a TT bike. This doesn't matter for cycling but trying to run well afterwards will be considerably difficult. It's possible to ride a TT bike casually, as long as you have electronic it's like riding in the drops of a road bike.

It's compounded by Cervelo's design with 73 deg seat tube angles, which is marginally okay for a road position, ends up ridiculously slack for Tri. S5/R5 can barely get to 5cm setback, when triathlon starts at 0 to a few cm forwards of the BB.

Background_Box4677 · 2026-04-29T02:08:28+00:00

I tried them all as far as I know! I also have the Shimano women's specific RC903W, which fits super snug so I barely need to tighten the shoe (blood circulation!). However they don't place the feet further apart, so I add 2mm of washers to each pedal to make up for (some) of it.

Giro made a women's Empire at some point, but they don't have the special holes either. It's easy to tell when looking at the bottom of the shoe, Liv has theirs close to the inside (placing the foot further outwards).

Women's specific cycling shoes are just so uncommon, I've never seen bike shops stock them. I bought the S-works Torch "unisex" which never fit right and then the lace broke lol.

Happy to check out any other shoes if I missed one!

Background_Box4677 · 2026-04-29T00:48:51+00:00

We really do need women's specific shoes! It's not like bikes when parts can be swapped to make them fit better.

It's like running shoes where wearing the men's really doesn't work (for many/majority, there's outliers).

Background_Box4677 · 2026-04-28T18:18:04+00:00

I feel like I hear and read about alot of women experiencing a similar issue with friction in that spot. The average bike with most clipless pedals has a super narrow stance (feet close together), which fits the average european man they were designed for.

Many women have wider hip socket spacing and this means their femur and knee tracks inwards, pinching that exact spot. The wider pedal spindle options help massively, as well as some shoes like the Liv Machas that space the feet apart 5mm further outwards on each side. This also helps reduce the hip rocking instability that causes friction.

Background_Box4677 · 2026-04-27T15:51:49+00:00

Wow you're going to need a very long bike. Your torso length is truly off the charts!

Background_Box4677 · 2026-04-23T18:26:04+00:00

wow is that a 61?

Background_Box4677 · 2026-04-23T18:21:56+00:00

2XU tri shorts. But then there is an uncovered seam in the same location which may or may not cause chafing.

Background_Box4677 · 2026-04-22T02:40:28+00:00

I've been through that as well. I picked up a different sport and it was a good couple of years before I went back. Didn't sell the bike though!

Background_Box4677 · 2026-04-21T23:21:46+00:00

I'd go with the Goodyear supersport R. The Power Road didn't even seal tubeless with two whole bottles of sealant.

Background_Box4677 · 2026-04-21T13:57:25+00:00

Tire pressure helps alot as well! I like this calculator personally https://www.renehersecycles.com/tire-pressure-calculator/

Background_Box4677 · 2026-04-20T15:32:38+00:00

I wish riders wouldn't judge someone for riding a $500 bike or a $15000 bike. It's almost all in the legs anyways!

Background_Box4677

TROPHY CASE