Now that we are into the spring season, my mind automatically turns to my favorite outdoor activity: bicycling. The warmer weather and longer days is wonderful for long distance cycling. However, cycling does have its risks with crashes and repetitive use injuries from poor bicycle fit. I have invited my good friend and Master Fitter, Mark Bedel, to write an article on bike fit.
Bicycle Fitting: What is it and why should I Have One Done?
As we all know, the human body is an amazing machine. It is able to perform surprisingly complex
while at the same time precise movements.
And with sport specific training, is able to perform these complex and
precise movements with a great deal of power, speed and endurance.
There are a few sports however that require the athlete to
become one with a machine to perform.
For all the wonderful attributes that the human body has on offer,
symmetry, especially bi-lateral symmetry is not one of them. These imbalances manifest themselves to a
greater or lesser degree depending upon the activity, (cycling and rowing), and
the degree to which that activity is performed.
Locking an asymmetrical body into a symmetrical machine
often time will present issues as minor as performance loss and discomfort to
as major as injury. Modern bicycle
fitting is the result of many years of examination and collaboration by experts
in kinesiology, bio-mechanics and orthopedics, resulting in protocols for
examination and assessment as well as evaluation and adjustment.
A qualified, certified and experienced professional bicycle
fitter will be able to perform these protocols and assess each cyclist based
upon their unique physical presentations and provide appropriate adjustments
combined with when necessary, individualized equipment selection to achieve
that “oneness” with our bicycles we all strive for.
The fit process should start with making sure that the
cyclist is matched to the appropriate sized bicycle. Next, a pre-fit question and answer session
is performed to determine what the current style and level of the cyclist is
and also what type of cyclist they want to become. Once status and goals are determined, and
brief accounting of any previous injuries and concerns is reviewed. This then leads to a 20 step physical
assessment in which measurements are taken, many are performed on both sides of
the body to determine and compare flexibility, movement and position of joints
and potential bone length discrepancies.
There are of course what are considered “normal” ranges for
all physical and structural assessments and these are taken into account as the
cyclist is moved to the final “on bike” fitting process which in the case of
Specialized Body Geometry protocol is 15
steps. Much of what was observed during
the Physical and Structural Assessment process will provide clues for the
fitter on what to anticipate and adjust for during the “on bike” fitting
process.
Some cyclists will note an immediate improvement in many
areas while other adjustments may take a few weeks of riding to adjust to. This is why a scheduled follow up with the
freshly fitted cyclist is a must! In
some instances, a mild refitting of certain areas may be required as the body
adjusts to the new measurements and an additional follow up. It is suggested depending upon frequency and
level of the cyclist that a “fit check” or refit be performed every couple to
few years later anticipating continuing adaptations.
While attending a recent Body Geometry Master Fit class at
Specialized, Dr. Andrew Pruitt was asked what statistics were available to the
performance oriented cyclist as to what they can potentially expect in gains
from a professionally performed fitting.
He said that the long term data indicates on average, a 10% increase in
performance over a cyclist that has never had professional fit. He personally conducted a study to back this
up while he was head of the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine in
Colorado.
Comfort and injury reduction potential are also two
important results to be expected from a thoroughly performed fitting. After all, who doesn’t want to feel less
fatigue when out enjoying a ride!
Mark Bedel
Specialized Body Geometry Certified Master Fitter
USA Cycling Level 2 Coach
