Low sprinting position

[weisan]

you think you can go low...I can go EVEN lower. :D

Carpediem pal racing rig

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c0lZp-NXLJU/WHcSAdpE2dI/AAAAAAAAJeo/-TbsI463Nk4te7SgM_aQFEpFM2hBRIN_gCLcB/s800/0607161858a.jpg

[exapkib]

As soon as I saw the title of this thread I thought to myself, "Yes, but what about CDR?"

His racing videos were my first and best introduction to the tactical side of what happens in crit racing.

[Dr Luxurious]

what's CDR?

[Lewis Moon]

what's CDR?

Carpe Diem Racing.

[earlfoss]

That position is going to work for Ewan until the sprint gets aggressive AF and a slight bump of elbows puts him on the ground.

I think his rivals should to recognize that his sprinting style depends on a pretty open, clear line to the finish. If his line to the finish isn't mostly straight, and he has to deviate significantly to get around riders, I can see Kittel, G, and Cav schooling this guy relatively easily.

[velofinds]

I can see Kittel, G, and Cav schooling this guy relatively easily.

Those are pro riders; the owner of the bike in question is a forum member.

[sandyrs]

Those are pro riders; the owner of the bike in question is a forum member.

He's talking about Caleb Ewan...

[MattTuck]

No expert here, but could you just be seeing differences in height? In other words, how much of the perceived difference in position/sprinting style is accounted for in the heights of the riders?

Ewan 5' 5
Cavendish 5' 9
Greipel 6' 0
Kittel 6' 2

[velofinds]

.

[nooneline]

No expert here, but could you just be seeing differences in height? In other words, how much of the perceived difference in position/sprinting style is accounted for in the heights of the riders?

Ewan 5' 5
Cavendish 5' 9
Greipel 6' 0
Kittel 6' 2

Ewan has a fairly unique style. The first video I saw of him sprinting was his own handlebar cam, and you could see his head in the frame, well out over his front wheel.

http://img11.hostingpics.net/pics/360627ewancaleb.jpg

Cav was renowned for his low style, but it doesn't come anywhere close to Ewan's.

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/V2LoiWapQ-o/hqdefault.jpg

[shovelhd]

I've raced with CDR countless times. While his bike appears unusual, when you see him on it, it looks very normal. This setup is what works for his body build. He does sprint low, as most do, but not crazy low.

[beeatnik]

In a GCN video, Ewan reveals that his team used a wind tunnel to test various positions. The strangest (lowest) position turned out to be the most aerodynamic (by a significant margin, IIRC).

[MattTuck]

That position is going to work for Ewan until the sprint gets aggressive AF and a slight bump of elbows puts him on the ground.

I think his rivals should to recognize that his sprinting style depends on a pretty open, clear line to the finish. If his line to the finish isn't mostly straight, and he has to deviate significantly to get around riders, I can see Kittel, G, and Cav schooling this guy relatively easily.

Ewan has a fairly unique style. The first video I saw of him sprinting was his own handlebar cam, and you could see his head in the frame, well out over his front wheel.

Cav was renowned for his low style, but it doesn't come anywhere close to Ewan's.



In a GCN video, Ewan reveals that his team used a wind tunnel to test various positions. The strangest (lowest) position turned out to be the most aerodynamic (by a significant margin, IIRC).

Got it. Ok, I agree, it doesn't look the best for handling. Unless your comparison is trying to sprint on a penny farthing.

[carpediemracing]

Ewan readily admits that his far forward position is not stable and only applicable when he has a straight shot to the line.

It's very much like Patrick Sercu's position, a track sprinter from the Eddy Merckx days. I think Sercu has some record, like most 6 days won (88?) or something. I believe his nickname was the Flemish Arrow. He was a tall racer but sprinted basically like Ewan over the front wheel. On a track bike. When I saw the pictures and article about him (Winning magazine?) I tried it on my bike. No way I could do it.

I sprinted very low (naturally/inadvertently) on the bike when I first started and got heavily criticized for it. Since I was all of 16 I took the criticism to heart and tried to sprint higher for many years.

Me at 16, winning a field sprint. You can see where the field is by looking at where the guy in the background is looking. This is the sprint that someone criticized.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TbmplkIYLx8/S4HjG36YO5I/AAAAAAAACuA/uId7cke6UlA/s800/IMG_0001.jpg

As Shovel said I'm not that high on the bike. In this clip you can see me in 3rd person from about 13:00. I have such short legs that getting out of the saddle doesn't do much. From 2015 so 31 seasons later, and with the stem/bars pictured in the first post of this thread.
https://youtu.be/kbg4YluM6HE?t=12m55s

[carpediemracing]

Also Ewan is limited by UCI regs. Notice his drops are at or above his front tire height. I'm not sure how to interpret the rules exactly but the bars can't be lower than the front wheel or something. Mine are even with them. I don't race UCI races so I have some non-UCI things on my bike, like I was racing with essentially zero setback, 4mm. I think UCI requires 4cm. Also my drops are a bit low. And on my black from the rear tire is too close to the seat tube (no clearance for a credit card if I'm using a 23c clincher.

If I put the Scott aero bars (Drop Ins) on the bike my thumbs would go into the spokes because the drops are a good 3 cm lower than the bar drops. With the Cane Creek Speed bars my hands are at tire level but a bit away from the tire. I can rest my thumbs on the tire just by reaching out with said thumbs.

[weisan]

carpediem pal, thanks for chiming in...

http://cdn.velonews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Orica_bike.jpg

[weisan]

http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/98c28fce61e59418e9e9686b1ead5c52?width=1024

[weisan]

http://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/WATSON_00004817-014-e1484650765964.jpg