Positioning

[peanut]

Just worried a bit now with the comments saying earlier saying I looked a bit upright. Do you think I should have got the 58 instead of the 56?

Nothing wrong with your position as far as I can see given that you are obviously pootling along at a leisuely pace.
The reason you look and feel a bit upright is because your arms are very straight.

I am sure if you were bombing along at 17-20mph and on the hoods you would bend your arms and be down in a more aero position The picture isn't really a fair representation of how you would be positioned on the bike for 75% of your ride

Take a look at some old TdF pictures in CW your position looks pretty pro like to me

 

[roadiewill]

yeh thats a good point, Im doing aboout 5mph is those shots to give my mum chance to take a picture

 

[roadiewill]

yeah look at this pic of tom boonen, looks pretty upright to me but thats because he's not going flat out. What size stem dya reckon that is? looks fairly long to me...

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2007/mar07/dwars07/Tom_Boonen_on_his_new_Specialized_bike.jpg

 

[roadiewill]

grr keep on getting an ache in he back everytime I go out... why is this? is it just the new, more agressive position?

 

[Radius]

yeah look at this pic of tom boonen, looks pretty upright to me but thats because he's not going flat out. What size stem dya reckon that is? looks fairly long to me...

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2007/mar07/dwars07/Tom_Boonen_on_his_new_Specialized_bike.jpg

Well he has only got one hand on the bars...if he put both on I reckon he'd be rather low. That stem looks like a 130 doesn't it?

 

[roadiewill]

I think a lot of this is down to the whole racey style of the bike.
I measured both my scr3 and the tarmac today, which are both large sizes, and they were pretty much the same measurements.
Only difference is that my scr3 has a 120mm stem and the tarmac has a 110mm.
I can see the difference in geomentry quite clearly. The tarmacs handlebars are about 1cm lower with all the spacers in than the scr's handlbars are with all the spacers out.
Perhaps this is whats giving me back ache....

 

[bonj2]

your back ache might not be due to anything actually wrong with the position, just more due to the fact it's simply a change from what your body's used to.

 

[roadiewill]

yeh thats what I was thinking, but its just annoying after 15 minutes into a ride I begin to feel uncomfortable

 

[youngoldbloke]

Can you flip the stem to gain some height for the bars?