April 19, 2006 -- In the past few years the business of professional bike fitting has grown tremendously. It seems like only yesterday when the best you could hope for was a general adjustment of your cleats and saddle from the shop where you bought your bike. After that, the fine-tuning was up to you. Now, most places boast numerous shops and individuals offering “professional fitting” for anywhere from $50 to 500.
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Coach and pro triathlete Jimmy Archer.
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But what is a “professional bike fit”? It seems to me the defining trait is simply that what used to be free is now rather expensive (hence the term “professional”). Every week I receive e-mails from individuals asking about bike fit and, usually, questioning what was done. Here are a few tips for seeking out a good fitter and the foundations of proper fit.
Finding a perfect fitter
The challenge of bike fitting is that it takes a rare mix of talents: physiological knowledge, cycling experience and intuition. There is no cookie-cutter formula that will work for everyone. This is where most fitters fall short: trying to apply what might have worked for one person to all their clients. When shopping for a bike fitter look for the following:
· The fitter should be able to explain what they are doing, why they are doing it and how it will benefit you
· The fitter should be open to suggestions from you if something doesn’t feel right. Or at least be able to explain why they feel what they have applied is correct
· The fitter should have some practical experience in the cycling industry. We don’t have any certification process, so experience is your best bet. You might even consider asking for references
· Don’t be blinded by affiliations. Just because someone works for a major coaching firm or has attended so-and-so fitting class doesn’t always mean they actually know what their doing. Again, experience is important and references are good
Foundations of good fit
Keep in mind that changing your position, even if it is only .5 cm here or there, can have a significant effect on your overall comfort and efficiency on the bike. Big changes are never good. Always make small adjustments. Here are some basic guidelines:
· You always want to start at the bottom and work up, meaning, start with your cleat position on your shoe in relation to your foot and knee. Then make adjustments as you move toward your upper body. Generally, you will want the ball of your forward foot directly over the pedal axle when the cranks are in the 3 and 9 o’clock position. Then you usually want the tibial tuberosity (the bump on your shin where your patellar tendon connects) directly above the ball of your foot and the pedal axle. However, as I said before this could vary depending on foot length etc. but generally this is a good place to start
· Keep in mind your hip flexibility through your hamstrings, glutes and lower back. Generally you want your saddle height to give you a 25- to 35-degree bend in your knee when you foot is at the bottom of your pedal stroke. However, your personal range of motion will play a significant role in where you put your saddle. Also, there will be slight differences from bike to bike: mountain bikes will take a slightly lower saddle height, whereas TT bikes could allow you to go a bit higher. Your fitter should be able to help significantly here
· When considering the upper body, be conservative and don’t go to extremes. Just because something might look fast, or someone else does it, doesn’t mean it will work for you. Comfort will help you be more powerful and efficient. There is no sense in adopting an extreme position only to have to drop out of the run after your back seizes up
· Again, small changes are best. To put it in perspective, 2 cm is a huge adjustment. Even if you do need an aggressive change, it is best to adjust to the new position in stages by only implementing a half to a third of the change at a time and riding with that for a couple of weeks before implementing the rest
These tips should help get you pointed in the right direction and find the fit and position you need. Remember, you deserve the best fit you can find, so shop around a bit and find someone you trust and a position you love. Cycling should never be painful -- unless it’s you pushing the pace and bringing the pain to your competition. Good luck and enjoy your riding.
If you have a triathlon-training question for Jimmy Archer, please e-mail Triathlete Magazine Interactive.
Jimmy Archer is a six-year professional triathlete and coach with a degree in exercise physiology and 10 years coaching experience. Jimmy coaches through AZcoaching and can be reached at jimmy@jimmyarcher.com.