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Don’t Blame The Bike!

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We check out a bike fitting to increase pedal power.

Faster riders are always on the better bikes right? If you’re tempted, like I was, to splash out on an expensive upgrade of your two-wheeled friend, you could get just the benefits from a professional bike fitting.
 
A proper session will see a trained professional assess your flexibility, identify muscle weaknesses, analyse your pedal motion and adjust the positioning of your cleats.
 
I tried a Retul fitting with Swift Cycles in Shoreditch, where the staff are all keen triathletes. Here’s what’s involved and an overview of other fitting systems offered across London.
 

Assessment Time

In a tiny studio at the back of the shop, I stand barefoot lifting separate legs and touching my toes so my technician, Jorrit Van Der Plaats, can assess my core stability and symmetry. Then I’m led to a couch where my legs are bent in various directions to test joint flexibility and identity any muscle weaknesses. I nervously await the verdict, but all is well, except for a weak left hip. I’ve been told the same thing by a physio so I’m impressed.
 

On Your Bike

Next is the bit where you can pretend to be an elite triathlete taking part in a sophisticated lab test. My bike is mounted onto a turbo and I’m wired up with electrodes on all of my bendy bits (shoulders, hips, ankles, knees). The Retul fitting system involves a 3D motion capture system which tracks infrared light, emitted by eight electrodes fixed to the main joints via a body harness. 
 
I pedal. And pedal. And pedal and try to stay at 85rpm, which is the speed at which the computer gets the best reading. Then a screen is revealed with a full break-down of my pedalling biometrics. The numbers don’t mean much to me. My ankle angle’s between 76 and 88 degrees, my back is tilted at 54 degrees, my legs extend at….You get the picture. I trusted Jorrit to work his magic based on the list of meaningless digits in front of me. His verdict: I wasn’t very aero and my hips were too restricted. My seat needed to come up, and back. The handlebars down. The cranks of my pedals shortened and my cleats moved (well actually I used the fitting as an excuse for some shiny new ones and have them fitted correctly).
 

Results Time

Did it actually make any difference to my performance? Despite Jorrit advising that I build up miles ‘slowly’ to introduce muscles to the new position, I disobeyed and did a gruelling 110k sportive the following weekend (see our fellow member, Chris’s race report on that HERE. Well, I was still slow. But I did feel more stable and had less discomfort in my lower back. My cleats looked straighter. With my previous ones I used to look down and notice my right toe sticking out, which would probably explain previous knee pain.
 
As well as a print out of my ample bike measurements so I can apply to any bike, he also sent me a list of tailored exercises and stretches to strengthen any weaknesses he identified. 
 
Well worth the £99 and a bargain compared to a new bike (or £255 for a Pro Fit Plus which involves a saddle and seating analysis).
 

Other popular bike fit systems

BG Fit
Stands for Body Geometry. Also involves a physical examination of flexibility, strength, and any misalignments. A technician takes a number of manual measurements to establish the best sizing for contact points such as bar width and stem length.
 
Pro F.I.S.T Fit
Predominantly for time trial bikes or triathlon bikes for aero positioning and power rather than for comfort and efficiency.
 
Guru Fit
Instead of setting up your own bike, you sit on a special machine and a technician makes position changes while you ride. Using a built-in power meter it saves the optimal position and then your own bike can be set up according to the dimensions. 
 
Apex
Another static bike system with the ability to change geometry as the rider pedals. Reads power, heart rate and torque effectiveness to give a reading of the athlete’s position and gains after fitting.
 
Report written by Helen Croydon (@helen_croydon) from London Fields TC and a member of the London Region social media team. 
 
If you've got a story to tell please get in touch with us, email jontrain@triathlonengland.org

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