Set Ups for Different Cycling Disciplines? What have you done?

[cageybee]

I have a question for those of you who have road, x-cross and/or gravel bikes. How, if at all, do the cockpits of your respective bikes differ: Bars higher, lower, different reach? Stem lengths? Seat height and set back? I’m curious whether and how your position on the bike changes from one discipline to another, and if so, what caused you to set the bikes up differently?

[wallymann]

i have the *exact* same position on all bikes -- road, gravel, mtb.

that said, i havent raced offroad in 20 years and most of my non-road riding is still very road-biased so i can get away with this approach.

[bigbill]

I use the same saddles on all my bikes (SSM Regal) so I use the same height and setback. I ignore the pedal height because the difference between a MTB SPD and road SPD-R is miniscule. My gravel bike is based on my Serotta Fierte Ti which was seeing all the miles at the time I ordered the Coconino Dirt Roadster. The reach is the same between the bikes but proportionally the stem is a little longer on the gravel bike, basically because a gravel bike needs to be stable in a straight line more than anything else. Like a fine Belgian bike, "goes well in a straight line".

Everything else between the bikes other than contact points will vary. The Serotta road bike has a 210mm headtube while the Coconino has a 160mm. The fork on the Coconino has a axle to crown that is 50mm taller for tire clearance, 160+50=210.

[papa bless]

I like to be in a much less aggressive position on my gravel bike. My gravel bike bars are wider, and I have more spacers under the stem to get me more upright.

Gravel beats me up, so I do anything I can to get comfortable.

[puncheur]

I like to keep my fit pretty close across the board with a few tweaks to bar position based on discipline. My 'cross bike is set up slightly shorter in the reach and with slightly less drop than my road bike. I find the slightly more upright position helps with handling on technical terrain and you're rarely going fast enough in a 'cross race for an "aero" position to make much of a difference. I don't have a dedicated "gravel bike" so I just ride my 'cross bike in it's 'cross position for gravel events. My mountain bike is set up even shorter and higher, again for better control on technical stuff(and because I can't get the front end low enough. #tinybikeproblems)

Seat height and setback I try to keep as consistent as possible across all bikes. Measured seat height(BB to top of saddle) is slightly different on road vs CX/Gravel/MTB since the stack height of my road shoes/pedals is different than that of my MTB shoes/pedals, but the effective seat height is the same.

[jpritchet74]

All of my bikes have the same saddle and same saddle position. Reach on my cross bike is 2 cm shorter than the road bikes.

[cageybee]

Thanks to all.

I will experiment with a shorter stem (120 from 135) with higher rise (-2 to +6, and drop a 5 or 10 mm spacer) to deal with more technical/rougher terrain.

[Mzilliox]

all of my bikes are different. saddles are always in the same spot, cockpit varies in both reach and stack. I dont like to be as low on the gravel or touring bike as the roadie. 9-10cm drop on a gravel bike makes no sense

[Gummee]

My body only seems to be happy in a very narrow range of positions, so I try to get everything very similar across the bikes

M

[chiasticon]

summer road bike: more drop, more reach. road rides with fast groups in the summer are more aggressive, I ride more, and I'm more flexible.

CX race bikes: about 2cm less reach, less drop, lower saddle, hoods tilted back further. feels more "locked in" with the hoods that way. easier to "hover" over the saddle riding on uneven ground. steering is more agile.

winter road bike: similar to CX setup, but a bit more drop/reach. saddle position same as summer road bike. winter riding is more relaxed and I'm OK being more upright. I'm barely ever in the drops.

fwiw, all share the same saddle/bar models. shifting is Campy on summer road, Shimano on winter, Sram on CX.

[NHAero]

I take my hat off to you, sir, as I try to integrate my new Campy bike into the stable. That lever behind the brake lever shifts up the cassette on Campy and down the cassette on Shimano.

Old dog and new tricks!

shifting is Campy on summer road, Shimano on winter, Sram on CX.

[nooneline]

For me, different riding means different fits.

My different setup for different disciplines usually starts with how I pedal. For cyclocross, I'm pedaling more low-RPM, glute-heavy style. That means saddle goes lower and further back. For track, I'm doing explosive, full-extension, on-the-rivet stuff: saddle is higher and further forward. Road is in between the two, and it's usually a little lower and further back in the winter when I'm not fit, pedaling more like I did in CX, and less flexible; as I improve, it comes up and forward because how I ride on the road mimics my style on the track.

From there, I start with a generally comfortable reach and drop but I change it to the demands of the discipline. I ride longer and lower on my track bike than I do on any other bike, for example.