Many people spend thousands of dollars in the world of cycling. Everything from $150 bottle cages to $18,000 bikes. If you've got money to burn, cycling is a great fire. However, many riders, both serious and casual, miss a crucial step while they continually advance their cycling experience, the bike fit.
It is a challenge for people to see the importance of a good bike fit. After all, it doesn't make the bike lighter, it's not made of carbon and it cuts into your time during the day. Although understated, how the bike holds your body and allows you to communicate your force to the road are the most important aspects of cycling.
Like a couple, if there is poor communication between the rider and the bike, the relationship will not work. Not only will the rider be uncomfortable and lose available power but staying in the wrong position for extended periods of time can cause serious damage to the human body. Much like running, if you feel certain pains while riding, you should not stop then, you should have stopped weeks before hand. Any aerobic-based sport is based on repetition. While the rider may be causing pain to a joint, it is too little to notice each pedal rotation until it gets so bad the body cannot compensate for it. The only way to make sure you are not creating these possible lifetime problems is to get a bike fit that takes into consideration your strength and flexibility.
Comfort is Key
Everything I've been saying up to this point can be seen written by many other people. This is where I diverge:
The right position for you will be comfortable.
I know, it seems so simple but for many people this is a mind-blowing concept! Your body tells you how it is doing by your level of comfort and pain. Everybody's anatomy and muscle movement is different and you have to adapt the bike to flow in a comfortable position based on those movements. If you are forcing your
body into a position it does not want to be, entire sections of muscle are being taken away from pedaling and redirected to hold your body down to the "desired" position. Find a place your body is happy and there is just one thing it wants to do, move the pedals.
Body Geometry Fit
Our entire shop is a very big proponent of the Body Geometry Fit method. Within this system, there are three parts, the pre-fit assessment, the actual fit and a follow up appointment. All three points are directed towards understanding your body and changing components to match it. The fit technicians must be taught the process from the Specialized Bicycle Component University (SBCU), an educational program teaching fit techs about the functional anatomy of riding a bike and how to adapt to it.
I could keep talking about it but I would much rather watch Specialized-Lululemon cycling phenomenon, Evelyn Stevens get a Body Geometry Fit.
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| Barry Bonds knows how important a fit can be |
Comfort is Key
Everything I've been saying up to this point can be seen written by many other people. This is where I diverge:
The right position for you will be comfortable.
I know, it seems so simple but for many people this is a mind-blowing concept! Your body tells you how it is doing by your level of comfort and pain. Everybody's anatomy and muscle movement is different and you have to adapt the bike to flow in a comfortable position based on those movements. If you are forcing your
body into a position it does not want to be, entire sections of muscle are being taken away from pedaling and redirected to hold your body down to the "desired" position. Find a place your body is happy and there is just one thing it wants to do, move the pedals.
Body Geometry Fit
Our entire shop is a very big proponent of the Body Geometry Fit method. Within this system, there are three parts, the pre-fit assessment, the actual fit and a follow up appointment. All three points are directed towards understanding your body and changing components to match it. The fit technicians must be taught the process from the Specialized Bicycle Component University (SBCU), an educational program teaching fit techs about the functional anatomy of riding a bike and how to adapt to it.
I could keep talking about it but I would much rather watch Specialized-Lululemon cycling phenomenon, Evelyn Stevens get a Body Geometry Fit.
If you have more questions about what is going on when you ride your bike. Or think you could be more comfortable (and effective), give one of our fit technicians a call here at the shop! (407) 422-5552
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