Before I begin, here is my normal disclaimer:

• These are static images taken at a single moment during the race.
• Camera angles can distort positions.
• I’ve also started viewing multiple sources other than the images below to make my recommendations.

I’m also assuming that athletes have arrived at these positions through a deliberate process, supported by trial and error, bike fit professionals, and some form of aerodynamic testing.

Photos by Kevin Mackinnon

1. Hayden Wilde – 1:58:51

The Olympic Silver Medalist seems to have adapted nicely to the time trial position. In my experience, most World Triathlon-focused athletes can either go full-blown TT position or something in between, as you’ll see further down the list. Hayden rides a pretty standard position that is a bit more reminiscent of the positions used just before we started seeing the trend of taller and longer setups. He rides taller in the front, but doesn’t ride as long. What I like about his position is that his bar drop is in just the right spot, allowing him to relax onto the front end and keep his head low.

2. Rico Bogen – 1:59:02

Rico rides the most aggressive position of the top 10 bike splits. He looks like what a ProTour rider would look like if they didn’t have to abide by the UCI rules. He is very low and long, with the front end so low that he forces his head into a very nice position. I’m not sure how comfortable he is, but if he hasn’t already, I’d experiment with coming up in the front to see what that would do to his CDA.

3. Justus Nieschlag – 1:59:07

It’s hard to get a great look at Justus’s position in these photos, but he has a solid setup. His front end isn’t that low, but he does a really nice job of hiding behind his hands in a very relaxed position. He rides what I’d call a moderate reach—not tight, but not overly stretched out, either.

4. Jelle Geens – 1:59:08

I struggle to write this because I’m biased by his result. He won the race! This doesn’t mean that he can’t improve. I’ve worked with world champions that didn’t want to change a thing until it stopped working. I’d always say that “failure forces change.”

If Jelle hadn’t performed so well during the back half of the year, I’d rip his position apart! Jelle doesn’t ride as steep as some of the other top riders, and this is exacerbated by not having great anterior pelvic tilt. Some of this pelvic position can be attributed to his front end being overly tall and the reach being short.

If I were working with Jelle, I don’t think I’d do anything drastic in 2025, as you don’t want to make big changes to a formula that seems to be working. The changes I’d make would focus on getting him more familiar with the mechanics and posture of a good TT position. I would extend his reach and work on his pelvic position, which could result in moving the saddle forward, or by him adjusting to a more forward position on the saddle. I’d keep the bar height where it is if adding length achieved the desired result.

5. Kyle Smith – 1:59:09

Kyle is another athlete who rides a very aggressive position—steep, low, and long. A few things I’d do here: 1. Lower his saddle, 2. Raise the front end, and 3. Add more angulation to the bars using the Canyon fairing to shield the head and body, similar to what you see Sam Laidlow and Patrick Lange doing.

6. Leo Bergere – 1:59:29

Leo is another ITU athlete who, like Wilde, looks really great on a TT bike. I don’t think I’d change anything with his position at this time. He rides forward with good pelvic tilt, a great front-end position that elongates his torso while keeping his head nice and low.

7. Henri Schoeman – 2:00:07

I went to Henri’s Instagram account to see if I could find more images/videos of him on his TT bike. It seems like he looks a bit different in all of them. This suggests he either does a lot of experimenting or his position is primarily driven by his posture at the time. Henri is somewhat limited by the geometry of his bike. He rides more rearward of the bottom bracket with a relatively tall front end. When you don’t ride as far forward, in order to maintain an open hip angle, you will typically need to raise the front end. Henri does a great job of working around this by manipulating his posture on the bike, sinking low onto the bike and keeping his head low.

8. Ruben Zepuntke – 2:01:17

Ruben rides one of the longest positions in the top 10. To classify this position, I’d go with steep, long, tall and narrow. I have seen images of Ruben racing where it looks like he could do a better job of keeping his head down, but that is just from observing a few pics from his Instagram account.

9. Harry Palmer – 2:01:29

It looks like Harry visited the Silverstone wind tunnel in November of 2024 with his bike sponsor Argon 18. Having participated in many of these sessions, I’d be curious to know how much time the athletes actually had in the tunnel and if they were also working with a bike fit professional. I will write more about this in my “Pillars of Speed” series, but I’m always happy to see an athlete exit the tunnel without having their chins on the front wheel, having thrown all bike fit principles out the window as they chase the lowest unsustainable CDA.

Harry does a great job with his front end, keeping his head low and hiding behind his hands. I think when you’ve had the chance to do some aero testing, you’ll see how big of a difference this makes, and it will incentivize you to focus on it throughout the race.

Harry doesn’t ride very far forward on the bike, which could limit how much he can lower his front end without impacting his biomechanics via a closed hip angle. With how well he postures on the front end, I’m not as bothered by his saddle position.

10. Gregory Barnaby – 2:01:45

Greg has a nice position. As I mentioned in the Kona bike article, he rides steep, long, low and keeps his head in a nice position. I do think, if he has any stability issues or feels like he is falling off the front of the bike, he could experiment with more bar tilt for extra support.

-Mat

The post Taupō Rides: The Positions of the Men’s Top 10 Bike Splits from 70.3 Worlds first appeared on Slowtwitch News.

It certainly worked for Taylor Knibb on her way to the IRONMAN 70.3 World title. But it’s worth noting that the next two fastest splits finished second and fourth in the race, respectively. Here’s a look at the rides, along with my quick take on the bike positions of the women who had the 10 fastest bike splits in New Zealand.

Before I dive into this piece, I want to acknowledge a few things:

• These are static images taken at a single moment during the race.
• Camera angles can distort positions.

I’m also assuming that athletes have arrived at these positions through a deliberate process, supported by trial and error, bike fit professionals, and some form of aerodynamic testing.

Taylor Knibb – 2:10:09

Taylor just flat out looks good on a bike. She does everything right; she has great posture on the bike, solid anterior pelvic tilt, stretches out, relaxes her head and keeps it low. I can just tell she is very conscious of these “aero cues” will riding. She does at times, appear to run out of the length she is looking for on the bike, but most athletes will assume a few different positions on the bike based on effort. For example, you might tighten up a bit if you’re powering over a roller and then stretch out at high speed and lower power.

I don’t have much feedback here. I would potentially experiment with more bar tilt which could provide more stability on the front end.

Imogen Simmonds – 2:14:34

Imogen’s position checks most of the boxes. However, she doesn’t ride as long or low as Taylor, nor does she achieve the same anterior pelvic tilt. This could be due to soft tissue pressure from the rotation, potentially limiting her ability to achieve a lower or longer position. Another small tweak I’d suggest is extending her arms to place her hands on top of the shifters. While this likely wouldn’t affect her speed significantly, it’s a minor detail that I noticed while watching the race coverage.

Kat Matthews – 2:14:41

It’s hard not to be drawn towards Kat’s spirited attitude on the race course. Kat does a great job of staying relaxed and keeping her head low on the bike. I made a note to myself while watching the coverage that if I was working with her, I’d experiment with moving her saddle forward and her bars slightly out and down while preserving the overall characteristics of her position.

Laura Madsen – 2:16:05

Laura’s performance was impressive, so it’s hard to argue with her setup. However, her position seems a bit too conservative to me. If she hasn’t validated this through aerodynamic testing, I’d recommend lowering the front end by 20-30mm for potential aero gains.

Lisa Becharas – 2:16:10

Lisa’s position looks great and checks all the boxes. If she’s experiencing any discomfort—like feeling as though she’s falling off the saddle or the front of the bike—I’d consider experimenting with more bar tilt for added stability.

Nikki Bartlett – 2:16:41

Nikki’s position looks strong. If she were open to experimenting, I’d suggest moving her saddle forward by 10-20mm to ride steeper.

Paula Findlay – 2:17:37

The 3x Canadian Road Time Trial Champion is a great cyclist with undeniable power on the bike. Paula’s riding style reminds me old-school TT positions—she sits further behind the bottom bracket and drops her heel significantly during the pedal stroke. Paula is very experienced and her riding style seems to work well for her—but since I’m armchair quarterbacking here, I’d recommend moving the saddle forward to enable a steeper position and a more open hip angle. Specialized offers a seat post that can extend forward by 20-25mm, but it might not be enough for the range I had in mind.

Ashleigh Gentle – 2:18:03

Ashleigh’s position is reminiscent of some top male pros, including Magnus Ditlev, a fellow Scott athlete. Whether they’ve used the same resources or not, her position looks fantastic.

Hannah Berry – 2:18:10

Hannah rides a long and low position, one of the best in the female field. Without feedback from her on comfort, there’s little to critique.

Julie Derron – 2:18:15

Julie’s position has room for improvement from a comfort and aerodynamic perspective. I would move Julie’s front end both up and out. These adjustments would allow Julie to relax more on the bike and close the gap between her head and hands. With these changes, I believe her cycling performance would improve substantially.

Hanne De Vet – 2:18:15

Hanne’s setup demonstrates attention to detail, and her position looks solid. Adding a bit more length to the front end could further refine her position by lowering her back angle slightly and encouraging greater forward hip rotation.

Photos by Kevin Mackinnon

The post Taupō Rides: The Positions of the Women’s Top 10 Bike Splits from 70.3 Worlds first appeared on Slowtwitch News.

This is part two of my Pillars of SPEED series. Click here to read Part One: Unlocking Speed on the Bike

I’m defining COMFORT as:

The ability to sustain your position for the duration of your event.

Notice I use the word “sustain“. I could also use the word “tolerate“. Regardless of whether you’re riding in the World Tour, an Ironman Champion, or a recreational cyclist, if you can’t hold your position because of discomfort, nothing else matters.

When you purchase a TT/Tri bike, you’re investing in speed via a bike that promotes a position that minimizes aerodynamic drag. However, achieving that speed depends on your ability as an athlete to stay in that position. While it won’t feel like lounging in a La-Z-Boy, it shouldn’t be so uncomfortable that it compromises your race execution—whether staying aero or running off the bike.

Comfort: Adaptability vs. Incompatibility

If you’re struggling to find comfort in the TT/Tri position, remember: it’s not a natural posture on the bike and requires time to adapt.

This article focuses on distinguishing between discomfort that requires adaptation and discomfort caused by incompatibility.

Here are a few common scenarios that most athletes will find themselves in during their time trial/triathlon journey:

• Purchasing your first TT/Tri bike.
• Making significant changes to your position or contact points.
• Returning to the TT/Tri position after a long break.

When working with athletes, I emphasize the importance of the adaptation phase. Overlooking this step leads to unhappy riders and poor fits. By setting clear expectations, I foster trust between the rider and fitter, ensuring the rider knows to reach out for guidance rather than abandoning the process when discomfort arises.

Why Comfort Matters

The human body is amazing—it can adapt to most stressors over time. This is why you’ll often see successful athletes achieve results despite suboptimal positions or techniques; their bodies have compensated and adapted. However, to save ourselves and our clients unnecessary headaches, it’s best to start with a solid foundation—bike position or technique—and make adjustments from there.

When it comes to the adaptation phase, it’s imperative to understand its importance—both for your own position and for the clients you work with. Failure to do so can result in several negative outcomes:

• The client may lose trust in the fitter, assuming incompetence after experiencing discomfort within the first 30 minutes of riding.
• They might lose faith in bike fitting altogether, attempting ill-informed adjustments to fix discomfort that would have resolved with time.
• The client could seek another fitter who simply explains the adaptation phase or makes unnecessary changes.
• Frustration might lead them to unfairly blame the bike brand for their discomfort.
• Ultimately, they may fall out of love with cycling, discouraged by persistent discomfort.

When riders know what to expect, they’re more likely to think: “This is normal—I just need to give it time.”

Common Areas of Discomfort

Saddle Discomfort

The saddle is the cornerstone of the TT/Tri position. Achieving an effective position requires anterior pelvic rotation, which pivots the rider forward and places pressure on sensitive soft tissue areas. To address this, manufacturers have designed TT/Tri-specific saddles that redirect pressure onto bony landmarks, such as the ischium or pubic rami. However, this shift often requires an adjustment period, as we’re not accustomed to bearing weight in these areas.

While a saddle may feel comfortable during a fitting session, discomfort can emerge on the road. I always inform clients that this is normal and advise allowing 1–3 weeks for bone and soft tissue to adapt.

If the saddle becomes intolerable or remains uncomfortable after this adaptation period, exploring alternative options is essential.

Saddle demo and return programs offered by most manufacturers or shops are invaluable in this process. While fitting tools and experience help narrow down choices, finding the ideal saddle ultimately relies on client feedback and trial-and-error once the rider takes to the road.

Shoulder Discomfort

The forward rotation of the TT/Tri position will place more weight on the front end of the bike than you’re used to. The lower the front end, the more weight you’ll need to support. The key here is supporting your weight skeletally, which is achieved through proper placement of your elbow on the arm cup, bar angulation, and fore/aft bar positioning. Even with a proper fit, we may experience shoulder discomfort during the initial adaptation phase.

Neck Discomfort

During our normal everyday lives, we walk around with what can be described as a neutral spine. To maintain a neutral spine when lowered into the TT/Tri position, we’d be looking straight down at the front wheel. To see where we are going, we must extend our necks in a very unfamiliar way to see up the road. By giving postural cues — setting a neutral spine then lifting the chin, versus lifting the entire head (a.k.a periscope head) — we can minimize the impact, but we must still adapt to this unnatural head and neck posture.

The Key Takeaway

The TT/Tri position is inherently unnatural, and some initial discomfort is expected. However, with persistence and time, the body adapts, and discomfort subsides.

Understanding this concept equips riders and fitters to navigate the adaptation phase confidently, knowing when to wait versus when to make adjustments. The result? Greater satisfaction, better TT positions, and increased confidence in the bike fit process.

-Mat

The post Pillars of Speed, Part 2: Comfort, The Foundation first appeared on Slowtwitch News.

“If I gave you a hat or visor to run in that would save you 45 seconds per mile, would you wear it?”

The answer, obviously, is YES!

While gaining “free speed” in running is rare (super shoes)—this is not the case for cycling. And, by “free” I don’t mean monetarily free, but free in a sense that by optimizing your bike position, equipment, and nutrition setup, you can ride faster without an increase in form or fitness.

Why Free Speed Matters

In a triathlon, over half of the event duration is spent on the bike. During this time, roughly 80% of our energy is used to overcome fast-moving air, road friction, and other resistive forces. Most of this resistance comes from the rider’s body and the reason we fold ourselves over into the time trial (TT) position—to reduce aerodynamic drag, achieving the most speed for a given effort.

Understanding this concept has shifted the conversation away from the once-polarizing debate of training more vs. buying fancy aero equipment. Today, serious athletes know they need to check all the boxes: proper training, race execution, bike position, and equipment.

Buying a set of fast tires doesn’t mean you can take the week off from training. However, by optimizing your bike position and setup, you can significantly boost your performance—without additional fitness gains.

The Three Pillars of Speed

Achieving free speed rests on three foundational pillars:

SPEED = Comfort + Power + Aerodynamics

If these pillars sound familiar, that’s a good thing. Over 15 years ago, Todd Carver (Retul Co-founder and current Head of Performance at Specialized Bikes) and I introduced these principles during our first time-trial-specific bike fit course for Retul University. While reasonably apparent, we identified that the foundation—and ultimate goal—of the time trial position is SPEED, built on three key pillars.

Since then, these pillars have caught on, influencing the marketing and positioning of numerous products across the cycling industry. I’ve applied them with athletes ranging from recreational riders to pro tour cyclists, age-group triathletes, and world champions. Let’s break them down:

1. Comfort

The ability to sustain your position for the duration of your event.

A good TT position starts with comfort. Comfort is relative to the individual, and those new to the position may find it unnatural at first. However, the unique thing about the TT position is that it is highly adaptable.

2. Power

The ability to apply force to the pedals without restriction.

The goal is to position the rider and their contact points (saddle, bars, and pedal/shoe interface) within a range of accepted biomechanical norms to allow freedom of movement and optimize muscle function, maximizing pedaling efficiency.

While it’s difficult to objectively measure power changes during a bike fit, the goal is to give the athlete every chance at success—i.e., to apply force to the pedals.

3. Aerodynamics

Optimization of frontal surface area and shape to reduce aerodynamic drag.

Reducing aerodynamic drag is the final goal of the fit. I’ve spent hours testing athletes in wind tunnels and velodromes, and making major changes to their position to chase a lower drag number requires a delicate balance. I carefully assess the trade-offs, knowing their position is already optimized for comfort within their biomechanical limits. I ask myself, Can the athlete adapt to this change?

Often, small tweaks—like adjusting head and arm position, elbow width, or hand height—can yield significant aerodynamic gains without compromising comfort or power. Additional factors, such as helmet selection and bottle placement, also play critical roles.

Bringing It All Together

Optimizing these three pillars—Comfort, Power, and Aerodynamics—unlocks your potential for free speed. Each pillar supports the others, ensuring that your bike position and setup maximizes your performance.

In the next article, I’ll dive deeper into the first pillar of speed: Comfort.

Stay tuned!

—Mat

The post Part One: Unlocking Speed on the Bike first appeared on Slowtwitch News.

Before I dive into this piece, I want to acknowledge a few things:

• These are static images taken at a single moment in time during a 180k race segment.
• Camera angles can distort positions, and athletes may not be at the same point in the pedal stroke, so these comparisons are made at a high level.

I’m also going to assume that athletes have arrived at their positions through a deliberate process, supported by trial and error, bike fit professionals, and some form of aerodynamic testing—whether in the wind tunnel, velodrome, or using modern field-testing devices.

Observations and Trends

Steep vs Slack’ish

Most athletes are riding steep, with saddles pushed forward or their bodies positioned so they sit forward relative to the bottom bracket. In my fit studio, I use a motion capture system to obtain a measurement similar to KOPS (knee over pedal spindle) to gauge how steeply an athlete is riding. While there is no definitive number, I use a range or established norms to ensure an athlete is in the ballpark. This measurement serves as a key variable I can adjust to optimize their fit.

For this article, another way to assess steepness is by comparing hip position relative to the bottom bracket. In the image above, you can see that Lionel Sanders is positioned further back on the bike compared to Patrick Lange.

A few other riders, like Matthew Marquardt and Cameron Wurf, adopt “slacker” positions. Cameron, racing in the pro tour, adheres to UCI regulations requiring the saddle to be at least 50mm behind the bottom bracket. I’m not sure whether he adjusts his position for triathlon or maintains the same setup, but he does a solid job of rotating his pelvis forward to maintain an open hip angle, mitigating any potential impact on biomechanics.

Hip Angle

When athletes report power loss due to bike position, I typically start by evaluating their hip angle. A closed hip angle can create restriction over the top of the pedal stroke. This closure can result from several factors: bars set too low, excessive reach, a saddle positioned too far back, or a poorly suited saddle that limits anterior pelvic tilt.

For some athletes, a closed hip angle doesn’t pose a significant problem- I can give you numerous examples of triathletes and pro cyclists who have performed exceptionally well with closed hip angles. For others, a closed hip angle can be the root of the power loss issue.

The image above illustrates the contrast between hip angles of Lionel Sanders and Magnus Ditlev. Although their pedal positions aren’t identical, it’s evident that Lionel rides with a more closed hip angle.

Matthew Marquardt is another athlete to ride with more closed hip angles. While this may or may not affect cycling power, the key question is whether this impacts their performance during the marathon. If I were working with these athletes, this would be an area for further investigation.

Back Angle & Reach

Back angle and reach are interdependent. While back angles haven’t changed significantly over the years, athletes have shifted away from the “how low can you go” mindset. Instead, the bars have gone up and out, with athletes raising their front ends an estimated ~40-60mm and extending their reach ~60-100mm compared to positions of the past.

Athletes are also adding 10-20 degrees of bar tilt, which helps support the upper body, relax the shoulders, and create a “pocket” for the athlete to hide their head behind their hands. This configuration results in what I call a solid, “all-day” aero position, allowing athletes to settle comfortably and keep their heads low without reaching for their bar drop.

To illustrate the change in positioning, I’ll use Sam Appleton as an example since I have his fit coordinates from the past several years. Sam’s position looks great in either setup, but you can see how much modern positions have evolved.

These are significant changes. If this trend continues—and I believe it will—bike manufacturers will need to account for the extra length and height in future designs.

I understand this is a challenging task, as creating a bike that fits everyone isn’t easy. Manufacturers have done an excellent job expanding the fit window of their bikes over the years. However, could we see a return to the days when bikes or brands offered distinct fit characteristics—like long and low, short and shallow, or now, long and tall?

With athletes positioned so far over the front end, we need to find ways to incorporate more frame into the design rather than relying on spacers, bolts, and extenders to achieve these new positions. Currently, it’s concerning to see athletes resorting to DIY or third-party solutions to extend and raise their front ends, placing significant trust in these “Lego-like” constructs to support the weight of their upper bodies.

Outliers

Kristian Blummenfelt and Gustav Iden have the most unorthodox positions. Gustav has maintained a more consistent position over the years, whereas Kristian’s approach has been more variable. Their setups have shifted from highly aero-driven to comfort-focused and back again.

Not a fan of KB’s position here. I have no doubt that the position tests fast and helps narrow and elongate his frontal aero profile. However, I think this can be done with a position that might be more comfortable and robust.

When Gustav is on the nose of the saddle throwing down power, this position is not quite as “superman” as was expected. Still, I think bringing the front end back ~20-30mm and lowering it ~20mm would be a more orthodox position by today’s standards.

While these positions may test well aerodynamically, a truly effective position must be holistic. I’ll elaborate on the fitting pillars I use when working with athletes in future articles, but I’ll leave you with this:

The primary goal of the time trial position is to reduce aerodynamic drag in the quest for speed, but the fastest positions are rarely purely aero-driven.

Quick Takes on Individual Rider Positions

For this section, I’m going to give you my quick high-level thoughts on the bike positions of the athletes below. I’d love to get your thoughts as well in the comments section.

Sam Laidlow has a great holistic looking bike position. He does seem to put a bit more weight on the front end compared to someone like Magnus, but this is a great “all day” aero position that is achievable by most triathletes.

I really like Magnus Ditlev’s position—it checks all the boxes and looks incredibly comfortable. I don’t see anything I would change, especially knowing the thought and effort that went into the position you see above.

Robert Kallin could be Magnus’s twin on a bike and that’s not a bad thing.

Patrick Lange rides in a steep, compact position. Riders often fall into one of two categories: bar chasers or saddle chasers. A bar chaser, like Patrick, tends to preserve their shoulder angle and may pull themselves off the front of the saddle if the bars are extended too far. In contrast, saddle chasers stay firmly seated and extend their arm and shoulder angles as the bars are pushed forward—think “superman” position.

Leon Chevalier is another athlete with a textbook position. He rides forward with a relaxed upper body and his helmet mates nicely to his back.

I’ve worked with Rudy Von Berg for a number of years and I think his position has progressed nicely. He rides a position that is both long and low while maintaining a relaxed posture and a great head position.

I’ve used Lionel Sanders as an example of a rider sitting further back on the bike with a more closed-off hip angle compared to his competitors. This might be the most aerodynamic I’ve ever seen him, but his upper and lower body appear incongruent. I’d be curious to see the impact of moving him forward 40-50mm to open his hip angle, and slightly adjusting the bars forward to maintain reach. The goal would be to retain the aerodynamic profile of his current position while improving biomechanics for better power production. But, who knows—maybe he can crush it in the position above?

Daniel Baekkegard doesn’t ride quite as long as others, but I don’t have much to critique here. Based on this image, maybe he could work on rolling his pelvis more forward?

Ben Kanute’s arrival at his position was well documented in a recent Slowtwitch article where he visited the Zipp wind tunnel. Ben’s position looks great and I’m glad he decided that going lower in the front end was not going to improve his aerodynamics.

Braden Currie rides in a more traditional, textbook throwback position. He seems to have some room to stretch out if needed, but currently rides with a more vertical upper arm and a larger drop. The newer, higher, and longer positions might offer more comfort and could be worth considering here.

I think the camera angle is distorting Mathias Petersen‘s position. I’ve seen other images of his position and they look much better than what we are seeing above.

Bradley Weiss had a great ride in Kona. My quick take: he looks a bit too comfortable and might benefit from lowering and extending the front end more.

Mike Phillips has a really nice position. If Mike asked for my advice, I’d look to bring his front end up and see if it has any impact on drag. As long as he could keep his head low, I think there would be minimal impact on aerodynamics and he could potentially be more relaxed on the front end.

If I were working with Arnaud Guilloux, I’d add more tilt to the bars. After doing so, I’d probably want to raise his front end 10-20mm.

Matt Hanson has a good position. Something I might try, would be to add more upward angulation to his bars and then raise the front end around 10mm.

Igor Amorelli is riding really steep and basically coming off the front of his arm cups. Looks like he might be doing something with his hands here…like opening nutrition?

Not the best angle of Tristan Olij, but from sitting here at my computer, this position passes the eyeball test.

Reinaldo Colucci is one of the few athletes riding with flat arms—a setup that worked well for Jan Frodeno. As long as he feels locked in on the front end, his position looks solid, and his head position is on point.

Gregory Barnaby rides a long and low position that flattens out his back and does a great job of keeping his head low.

Trevor Foley was having a great ride until an unfortunate crash near the end of the bike leg ruined his day. His position is textbook—he rides steep, maintaining a relaxed posture over the front end, which allows him to keep his head low. In terms of reach, he doesn’t stretch out as much as some athletes, but he doesn’t ride compact either; he sits comfortably in the middle.

The evolution of bike positions and technology at Kona reflects the relentless pursuit of speed by reducing resistive forces—wind, road, and drivetrain. While trends point toward steeper angles, higher front ends, and extended reaches, the goal remains the same: maximizing speed while balancing personalized comfort, biomechanical efficiency, and power output.

It’s exciting to consider where we go from here. From a bike fit perspective, these modern positions appear to not only be faster, but also significantly more comfortable.

-Mat

The post Aero Evolution: Kona Pro Bike Positions first appeared on Slowtwitch News.

Frame: Giant Trinity Disc

Fit Coordinates:
• Pad Stack: 600mm
• Pad Reach (back of pad): 495mm
• Bar Angulation: 20 deg
• Saddle Height: 690mm
• Saddle Offset: +20mm

Aerobars: Bradley has replaced the stock Giant bars with a setup from Fast TT set at a 20 deg upward angle. The bars include a mounting plate that can be drilled to accommodate various bolt sizes and spacing options found on today’s bikes.

Sram Red Groupset: 56 1x front chainring, 10-33 rear cassette, 165 crank arms, Quarq power meter, Wahoo Speedplay Aero pedals.

Hydration/Nutrition: Bradley weighs 135 lbs and will aim to consume 110-120 grams of CHO per hour on the bike using both the Powerbar drink mix and gels. He will use an XLAB Torpedo hydration system on his elevated BTA bottle setup.

I mentioned that the new Trinity has a quasi internal hydration system, but Bradley has opted to use the aero bottle from the old rim brake version of the bike.

Saddle: Bradley uses the Giant saddle where he’ll attach a rear bottle cage before the race.

Wheels & Tires: Cadex Aero 4-Spoke wheels with Continental Grand Prix 5000S TR tires in a 28mm width setup tubeless with Stans. Bradley will run his tires at 75psi on race day.

The post Bikes of Kona 2024: Bradley Weiss’s Giant Trinity Disc first appeared on Slowtwitch News.

Frame: Giant Trinity Disc

Fit Coordinates:
• Pad Stack: 665mm
• Pad Reach (back of pad): 572mm
• Bar Angulation: 15 deg
• Saddle Height: 718mm
• Saddle Offset: 0mm

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A post shared by Gustav Iden (@gustav_iden)

It’s been a hot topic and I’ve received several text messages from people asking for my thoughts on Gustav’s position when he first posted on Instagram.

Gustav is definitely in a “Superman” like position, but my gut tells me he can handle it. In his initial post, you’ll notice that he’s sitting on the back of the saddle, which greatly exaggerates the length of his position. It’s long, but that won’t be his “all-day” position on race day. He will mostly ride on the nose of the saddle, getting his hips over the bottom bracket where he’s most powerful, which will shorten the reach a bit. I do think you’ll see him use that extra-long, back-of-the-saddle position when speed is high and power output is low.

Gustav supports his body up front on a Drag2Zero .66 cockpit, which has been modified and extended well over the front wheel. He’s also using 1.25 Sync arm pads on each side that have been cut asymmetrically for the right and left arms.

Shimano Dura-Ace Groupset: 56/44 front chainring, 11-30 rear cassette, 170 crank arms, CeramicSpeed optimized chain, Shimano power meter and pedals.

Hydration: The new Giant Trinity has a quasi internal hydration system. It uses and aero bottle that is refillable with a straw that runs through the frame that Gustav has neatly attached to the bars.

I think the most interesting detail here is that it appears Gustav plans to ride with two round bottles tucked behind his arms and close to his chest. You’ll see the 3D-printed mounts bolted and glued to the bars just behind his arm cups.

Saddle: Gustav rides the Giant saddle with an XLAB Gorilla cage mounted in the rear.

Wheels & Tires: Cadex Aero 4-Spoke wheels and Continental Grand Prix 5000 TT TR tire in a 25mm width setup tubeless.

The post Bikes of Kona 2024: Gustav Iden’s Giant Trinity Disc first appeared on Slowtwitch News.

FRAME – CADEX Tri

Fit Coordinates:
• Pad Stack: 650mm
• Pad Reach (back of pad): 560mm
• Bar Angulation: ~3 deg
• Saddle Height: 727mm
• Saddle Offset: +40mm

Let’s start with the most interesting part of this bike—the front-end modifications, which have become more common. Athletes are adopting longer positions, achieving similar back angles but using reach instead of drop. To accomplish this, they’re taking matters into their own hands and creating various contraptions to extend their bars, which is exactly what Kristian has done with his Drag2Zero .66 cockpit.

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Sram Red Groupset: 54/41 front chainring, 10-30 rear cassette, 165 crank arms, Quarq power meter, CeramicSpeed optimized chain and bottom bracket, Shimano pedals.

Hydration/Nutrition: Kristian uses a 3D printed BTA bottle holder by Drag2Zero with an XLab Gorilla cage while also taking full advantage of the Cadex internal fluid storage located inside the frame.

Saddle: Wove V8 with an XLAB Gorilla cage attached to the integrated bottle holder where he uses the bottle retention loop to ensure there are no accidental bottle launches. There is also hole that was drilled into the top of the saddle that might be for bolt access or maybe even a drain? Kristian wasn’t on hand for comment.

 Wheels & Tires: Cadex Aero 4-Spoke wheels and Continental Grand Prix 5000 TT TR tire in a 25mm width setup tubeless

The post Bikes of Kona 2024: Kristian Blummenfelt’s Cadex first appeared on Slowtwitch News.

FRAME – CADEX Tri

Fit Coordinates:
• Pad Stack: 650mm
• Pad Reach (back of pad): 530mm
• Bar Angulation: 20 deg
• Saddle Height: 740mm
• Saddle Offset: -28mm

Cockpit: Sam supports himself aboard the Sync Aerobar Three system. He uses proprietary hardware to attach the bars to the basebar in order to give him extra length on the front end which is becoming more and more common to accommodate the new trend in longer reach positions.

Hydration: Sam worked with Jim Manton where he did some aerodynamic field testing where he discovered placing a water bottle right behind his chin and up against his chest (a more managable version of shoving a water bottle down the front of the jersey). Based on the data, Sam had a buddy fire up his 3D printer and create a custom solution where he attaches a trusty Xlab Gorilla XT cage, which he also uses behind his ISM PN 3.0 saddle.

Sam is targeting 110 grams of carbohydrates and 760 mg of sodium per hour from Precision Hydration.

The Sync Aerobar Three front end is very clean where everything is nicely integrated and has it’s place.

Full Shimano Drivetrain: Front chainring 56/48, 11/28 rear cassette, 165 crank arms, Shimano power meter, shifting, and pedals (yellow cleats). CermaicSpeed pulley wheels and bottom bracket.

Wheels & Tires: Sam rolls on the Continental Grand Prix 5000 TT TR tire in a 25mm width, which he said is optimized for the Cadex Aero 4-Spoke wheels.

Sam mentioned that while there are faster tires out there from a rolling resistance perspective, he likes the GP 5000 for it’s balance of aero, rolling resistance, and durability. He will run these tires at 70 psi using Silca’s Ultimate sealant, commenting that most punctures in Kona are from small wires best suited for tubeless.

The post Bikes of Kona 2024: Sam Appleton’s CADEX first appeared on Slowtwitch News.

Frame: Ten years after the release of the original Ventum One, Ventum is back with the all-new Ventum Tempus, expected to launch in early spring 2025. Ventum has opted for a more traditional double-diamond design, which is now UCI-compliant. In addition to the liberal use of 6:1 airfoil sections, the extra-wide fork and seat stays will catch your attention. We’ve seen more of this trend in recent years as manufacturers work to direct airflow around the wheels.

Weight was also a key design input for the Tempus, which is expected to come in at a fighting weight of less than 20 lbs.

Saddle: Jackson is perched upon a BiSaddle Hurricane Pro 3D set at a very unusual -17 deg angle.

Cockpit: Ventum partnered with Profile Design to create the yet-to-be-released, non-proprietary Wing Ultimate front end for the new Tempus. However, Jackson replaced the Profile extensions and cups with a FastTT cockpit. He also applied some homegrown engineering to elevate and brace the front end, ensuring it met his desired fit coordinates.

Jackson uses skateboard tape for a bit of extra grip on the extensions without adding bulk. And, this Garmin Edge 130 Plus takes up minimal space and tucks nicely between the extensions.

Hydration: We are seeing more and more use of 3D printing to create customized solutions in order to store nutrition in the most aerodynamic efficient way. Jackson has cobbled together a system that holds 3 different bottles using the tried-and-true Xlab hydration products.

Drivetrain: SRAM Red with a 56/43 front chainring and a 10-33 rear cassette. Jackson uses a Quarq power meter with 160mm crank arms and clips into Shimano pedals.

Frame: Here, you can see the Tempus’s 6:1 airfoil aspect ratio, along with the extra wide fork and seat stays.

Wheels & Tires: Jackson rolls on a set of Enve SES 6.7 wheels along with the fast and reliable Continental Grand Prix 5000 TT TR in a 28mm width.

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The post Bikes of Kona 2024: Jackson Laundry’s Ventum Tempus first appeared on Slowtwitch News.