Bike fitting, like cycling in general, is constantly evolving with the creation of new technology. But whether you decide to get a fit done at a high-tech shop or an old-school expert, the result should ultimately be the same. The tools used by a fitter should not determine the quality of your bike fit.
It's well documented that a good bike fit can improve comfort, speed and efficiency, and in some instances, prevent injury on the bike. Whatever your reason for seeking a bike fit, let's take a look at what it is that you should expect during the fitting process and what a successful bike fit will look like in the end.
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Cyclists have different goals. Some train to win the next Gran Fondo while others aim to simply improve overall fitness. It doesn't matter why you ride; the goals of a good bike fit should be the same for all cyclists, no matter what your goals are. At minimum, your bike fit must achieve these three objectives:
At the end of a bike fit, improvements should be verified by output reports on speed, power and efficiency.
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Along with what our scientific tools tell us, the subjective response of the cyclist is just as important. "My neck doesn't hurt now," "I feel more neutral on the bike" or "I hate it, put me back where I was" are a few common responses that a fitter should look for.
The "How does it feel" question should be applied before the fit, directly after the fit and a week following the fit for a follow up evaluation.
In over 35 years of bike fitting, I've learned to classify my clients into two categories:
New bike buyers: This is more of a sizing exercise. Body measurements are taken to find the top tube length, seat tube length, stem length, crank arm length, etc. that's best suited for an individual client before they purchase a bike.
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Comfort and advancing performance: Cyclists who want to become more comfortable on their existing bike or seek to improve performance provide a more challenging task. Step one of this process involves analyzing each point of contact an individual has with the bicycle.
1. Feet First: It's recommended that the fitter address the body in the order of the bio-kinetic chain—from the bottom up. Once in the pedals, the feet should be as flat as possible with no supination or pronation (inward or outward rotation of the foot). From a performance perspective, more force is produced from a flat foot pointed straight forward. This means minimizing the free float of the pedal or locking the cleats in a forward plane. Although this subject is controversial, I recommend eliminating free float because it wastes valuable energy during the pedal stroke, and, despite what you've heard, it has no adverse effect on the knees if your cleat alignment is set up properly.
2. Saddle Up: It's surprising how many cyclists are uncomfortable on their saddles. This means that more saddle choices should be offered to the client for objective evaluation. There is no one saddle that will suit every individual's needs, and the decision should be left to the client based on individual comfort.
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3. Arm Yourself: Hand and elbow length is directly related to pressure and comfort on the saddle. The nose tilt, the fore/aft placement of the saddle and the stem length should be adjusted based on the length of a client's arms, hands and elbows. Blending comfort and power is essential to a good bike fit.
Unfortunately, this is the point where most bike fits end. Once the contact points are addressed and your pedal stroke is analyzed, many fitters will declare victory and send you on your way. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Let's dig deeper.
The majority of cyclists that come to me suffer from problems with their bike set up or a physical problem that affects their ability to ride. The most common complaint of pain from cycling is the knees and lower back.
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Sometimes the fit isn't the issue—the problem instead is muscular weakness. This scenario is common, particularly as the average age of my clients increases. But this doesn't mean that younger athletes are immune from weakness in specific muscle groups.
When pain is left unchecked for years, minor problems can turn into bigger ones. Without an assessment of the joints, joint movements and range of motion (ROM) as it relates to the pedal stroke, a bike fitter who only makes mechanical adjustments will quickly run out of options.
A professional assessment is needed to determine the ROM of specific muscles and weakness in corresponding muscle groups.
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Mobilization of soft tissue is needed to eliminate muscle impingement or scar tissue that affects the cyclist's ability to pedal. In order for a cyclist to perform to the maximum level of his or her ability, a professional treatment protocol is recommended. By releasing tension in areas such as the external hip rotators and psoas muscles, a cyclist will gain the ability to produce more power with less opposing friction in the joints.
The experience of a bike fitter will benefit you most when analyzing fit to improve performance. Assuming that the bike is sized correctly and issues with comfort have been addressed, a fitter's next step is to test performance. This phase of testing includes assessing the rider's speed (MPH), power (Watts), pedaling efficiency (torque, left/right power balance, torque angles) and energy (heart rate).
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When using a CompuTrainer SpinScan, assessments should be taken before and after the fit to gauge progress and to track averages. And assessment of a rider's functional movement on and off the bike is also important. This information will tell the fitter how quickly an athlete can adapt to the mechanical changes that were applied.
At this point in the testing, a therapeutic consultant is needed to make an anatomical evaluation and recommend specific exercises for areas of weakness. These exercises should become part of the clients personalized flexibility or strength-training program. Together with the fit, this personalized program will inch the cyclist closer to the three goals of a good bike fit.
Secret #1: Did it work? Feedback from the client is critical to success and satisfaction. The fit isn't complete until success is mutual, no matter how long that may take.
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Secret #2: Mechanical adjustments made during a fit will help a cyclist to release tension in muscles and open up joints to improve power and comfort. But in order for the mechanical adjustments to be effective and long lasting, weakness and flexibility in the body must be addressed.
Aging bodies don't always respond to tightening bolts. Adjustments to the bike cannot be successful if the body is not receptive to the changes made.
It's no secret that a lack of mobility can eventually lead to injury. For this reason, I use Dynamic Motion Therapy as a component of my work as a fitter. DMT allows me to conduct non-invasive soft tissue management of the body connected with lower and upper extremities.
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If you can't find a local DMT practitioner, similar treatment can be done with physical therapists, sports chiropractors or deep-tissue massage therapists.
This combination of mechanical adjustment, biomechanical assessment and mobilization allows for immediate positive results, an improvement in sustainable power and long-lasting comfort.
In the end if the fit is a success, the client will have a decreased chance of repetitive injury and improve power, efficiency and comfort on the bike.
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