Do I really need to have a bike fit?
ROB WAKEFIELD, LEVEL 3 COACH, PROPELLO.BIKE
“Would you buy a £1,000+ suit without making sure it fitted properly? Getting a professional bike fit from an experienced fitter is one of the most important steps when buying a new bike, or when making sure an existing bike is set up perfectly for you. A good bike fit will improve your overall comfort, prevent injuries, reduce riding fatigue and make you more efficient. If you suffer from pain, numbness or sores when riding, it is highly likely that a bike fit will improve irritations that are often avoidable. As a cyclist, you will spend many hours riding your bike, sitting in a static position, repeating movements over and over again. A fourhour ride at 90rpm equals 21,600 turns of the pedals. If you do this week in week out in a position that doesn’t suit you, you’re asking for trouble. But don’t just go for the first fitter that you find in your local area. You need to find someone with experience who can look at you as an individual, and not rely 100 per cent on some bike-fit technology to sell you unnecessary upgrades. Also, once you’ve had a bike fit, don’t assume that that’s it forever. You change as you become a more experienced rider, or grow older, so naturally your position on the bike should change too.”
MATT BOTTRILL, NATIONAL TT, CHAMPION AND COACH, MATTBOTTRILL, PERFORMANCECOACHING.COM
“The benefits of a professional bike fit are plentiful and include better pedal efficiency through correct cleat alignment and saddle height; improved glute activation and back comfort, saddle set back and angle; and enhanced lower back and shoulder comfort, with stem length and bar height. All of these things will improve your efficiency on the bike and reduce the accompanying risk of injury. Master fitters will also be able to improve your aerodynamics for ‘free speed’. Whether you ride a road or a TT bike, the body produces approximately 80 per cent drag, so a better body position and the right biomechanical changes will relate to more speed. Other positive results of a good bike fit include the takeaways of specific drills, strength and conditioning exercises, and stretching to improve mobility and flexibility. Your body and bike position is always worth re-evaluating, so I would always recommend getting your set-up checked each season just to see if there are any key areas you can make improvements on.”
“Once you have had a bike fit, don’t assume that’s it forever. You change as you become more experienced”