Whether you’re commuting to work or training for an Ironman, an ill-fitting bike can not only hamper your enjoyment of cycling through pain and discomfort, but it can also increase the risk of injury.
Pound for pound, a high quality bike fit is one of the best investments you can make for your cycling.
Here´s 5 reasons why....
1 - Knowledge
Learning about how you are interacting with the bike is the first step to making improvements. An experienced fitter can help guide you objectively through the fit process, highlighting areas of your riding and movement that may need to be addressed. This way you are better able to manage your bike position as your body changes over time.
2 - Injury prevention
Cycling, although low impact, is a very repetitive sport. You are essentially locked into a relatively static position, performing the same movements over and over again, often for hours on end. A poor bike position can often lead to a rider having to make unnecessary biomechanical compensations in order to perform the task. Overuse, or perhaps, misuse of certain muscle groups can lead to pain & discomfort on the bike. By making sure the bike environment is as good as it can be, you can mitigate this risk and promote good movement habits.
3 - Performance
By prioritising and maximising your comfort and stability on the bike, you will not only be able to sustain your position for longer periods of time, but also generate more force in that position. Other big performance benefits include; being able to train more consistently over time, opportunity to increase overall training volume and less postural stress on the body - i.e. more energy available to apply force through the pedals, rather than trying to maintain an unsustainable position.
4 - Fit before you buy - IMPORTANT!
With most “mid range” road and “entry level” tri bikes costing upwards of £4-5k these days, investing 10-12% of that cost into a high quality bike fit to find out what bike is going to work best for you is a no brainer. By testing all of the variables beforehand on an adjustable fitting rig, a good bike fitter can help guide you through the potential minefield of purchasing a new bike, giving you the knowledge to purchase with confidence.
5 - It’s not just for the pros
By learning more about how your body interacts with the bike and creating an environment that promotes good, sustainable movement patterns, you’re not only mitigating the risk of injury but you’ll also increase your confidence on the bike and give yourself the best chance at maintaining health and longevity in the sport. Above all else, you’ll also likely enjoy riding your bike more!
If you are looking for a recommendation, Wei-Ho Ng & Mat at Foundation Fit at Lee Valley Velodrome are excellent!
Col 🤜
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