The adaptable road position

Could we benefit from different bike fits for different days? If we are riding mountains one day, flats the next, and in a breakaway the day after, does having one position for all road stages leave some performance on the table? In this episode I’m joined by Ken Ballhause, Head of Biomechanics at Pinarello-Q36.5, to unpack if there's any merit in my thinking that we could benefit to tailoring our positions to the specific demands of each day, stage, or terrain. We dig into what actually drives adaptable performance, why the real unlock is usually equipment and ergonomics rather than multiple fits, before touching on saddle design, pelvic support, crank length, and cockpit setup for the modern “aero road” posture as Ken talks us through his fit process for pros in 2026, before finally looping back to the idea there may be something in adaptable positions. We also challenge a few common bike-fit habits, including sit-bone width measuring, pressure mapping as a decision-maker, and how useful knee-over-pedal-spindle really is. The result is a systems-level look at how performance focused fitters are now thinking about position, comfort, aerodynamics, and sustainability over long races.