Make sure your bike is the right fit
So you just bought a new bike, perhaps motivated by September sales as Okanagan retailers try to sell the last of their 2018 models. Of course, you took several bikes for a test ride as is and decided which is the most comfortable for your body size and ability.
For many, that is it: time to go riding while the weather is nice. But there is one more crucial step that can make or break your future years of recreational riding: proper bike fit.
At Fresh Air Concept, 555 Groves Ave. in Kelowna, manager Marty Tymm and his staff use a Retul Body Geometry dynamic fit bike. Its saddle moves up and down, back and forth, and so does its handlebar with numbered scales telling staff how to adjust the saddle and bars on your new bike.
An angle measuring tool shows the angle of lower and upper legs, and a plumb bob shows whether your lower leg is vertical on the pedals in a certain foot position.
Bike sizing only takes 10 to 15 minutes, but many don’t go through a brief fitting procedure, says Tymm.
“You really wind up with four to five very important critical numbers — like your saddle height, measuring off the nose of the saddle to figure out your fore and aft, saddle tilt from pressure placement on the saddle to bar centre, your reach and bar height. Then you can go into more detail like bar tilt, bar shape. There are lots of different shapes of handlebars; most people don’t think about that.”
For a proper bike fit, you start at the feet and work your way up, he explains. “If you are using cycling shoes, make sure the cleats are aligned properly on the bottoms of your shoes. Once your feet are clipped in the pedals, then you have a reference point to start measuring things from. You work from there up to your waistline. That encompasses the part of the body that you generate power from. We want to make sure that everything is firing right,” he says.
“The knees are one of the more poorlydesigned joints in the body; they easily fail. We want to make sure they aren’t easily aggravated by the motion of cycling. A 30-degree bend in the knee represents a safe measurement for where your pelvis is and where your foot is. It’s your maximum leg extension.
The three points of contact that a human has on a bike are hands, pelvis and feet, he says.
“Starting at the feet, make sure they are comfortable; make sure your pelvis is comfortable; and then we work on the upper body, measuring reach (to the handlebars) and angles. Some people are super-duper flexible while a lot of us are not. The rider is the dynamic part; bikes are inanimate. Make this thing fit the rider, not the rider fit the bike.”
Saddles have two parallel bars on the bottom so you can slide them back and forth, fore and aft. “It’s a huge benefit to your knees if that is adjusted correctly.”
“Small adjustments make big differences. Sometimes, you get people who have a bike that is so out-of-whack you end up making big, big adjustments. It’s a little bit like ‘out of the frying pan and into the fire.’
“If a rider has pressure problems in one part of the body, it’s important to also look at everything up to that point, such as checking the cycling shoes, and fore and aft of the saddle, “rather than blindly trying just to treat the symptoms,” said Tymm.
“You can start slapping on different saddles and put a gel cover on it, but that’s just an easy band-aid on a problem that’s still there.”
Handlebar adjustment is the last step, when “you examine the rider’s flexibility and reach, how they are fighting leaning that far out,” says Tymm.
“A lot of people raced their bikes or rode their bikes a certain way when they were younger. But then, there’s time and lives and careers. We get busy and spend too much time sitting at a computer typing away. And suddenly you realize your upper back doesn’t move at all any more. And you need to raise the bars up a little bit. Some bikes address that better than others.
“There are adaptors to bring the bars up for a more upright position so it’s far more comfortable and relaxing for your upper back. It’s a smart way to go for most people. The intention is to make it comfortable so you’ll ride your bike.” A $3-million project to improve Pelmewash Parkway in Lake Country, an old stretch of Highway 97, includes a new cycle and pedestrian path separate from the new paved roadway.The flat bike ride provides great views ofWood Lake and can be combined with the Okanagan Rail Trail for a recreational cycle loop.
Having a physiology background helps. Understanding the skeleton, weightload, important muscle groups and how muscles are supposed to work is definitely a huge benefit, says Tymm. “But you don’t need a special school. I have a little bit of background in that. Most of our staff are quite knowledgeable in that, kinesiology undergrads, that kind of thing. We’re fortunate to have a well-educated group that do this.”
There are easy-to-follow You Tube videos and courses online, but Tymm has taken six different bike fit courses, each with its own system.
“If your focus is still the rider and not so much their ‘system’, they all have good processes. But they all kind of do the same thing at the end of the day: follow the rider; don’t follow the bike.”
***** Now that the Sheriff is ready to ride his new bike, he joined his mid-week cycling group, and discovered a new bike loop in Lake Country. It’s not that long, it’s flat and it is highly recommended for families with one cautionary note.
We parked our vehicles at Beasley Park on Woodsdale Road in Winfield. Heading north on Highway 97, turn right as if you are going to Turtle Bay Pub but continue down Woodsdale Road to the park.
Caution: the last leg of the cycle loop involves this narrow curved road with no bike lane right after you turn off the highway.
Mounting your bike, continue east on Woodsdale Road to the Okanagan Rail Trail and head north to Oyama.
“Ribbleworth Falls, just 2.5 kilometres north of Woodsdale Road, is such a nice surprise for anyone cycling or walking the trail for the first time,” says Karen Miller, communications officer for the District of Lake Country.
At the isthmus, you can decide whether to extend your outing by continuing up the rail trail toward Oyama or continue the loop by heading west on Oyama Road to Pelmewash Parkway.
When our group headed south on Pelmewash Parkway, we were all amazed to discover a new off-road bike path all the way back to Winfield.
The new lakeside multi-use path provides a continuous route from the end of Pretty Road at the south end to the Okanagan Rail Trail at the north end.
The $3-million project — $2 million from Lake Country taxpayers and $1 from the province — includes new asphalt road paving, traffic-calming measures including road narrowing and re-alignment to reduce vehicle speed and discourage commercial trucks from using the route to bypass Highway 97, new parking areas, picnic tables, trash receptacles, bike racks, bike fixit stations, an off-leash dog area, canoe/ kayak launch sites and a new motorized boat launch with parking for boat trailers.
Trees, shrubs and grass will be planted by the end of October.
“The circle route around Wood Lake is going to be amazing once all the work along Pelmewash Parkway is done,” said Miller.
The grand opening of the Okanagan Rail Trail is 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Sept. 27 at the Oyama boat launch on Wood Lake, 15455 Oyama Rd. The celebration will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by refreshments including a barbecue hotdog lunch and opportunity to try out the scenic trail from Oyama to Woodsdale Road (approximately 6.5 kilometres).
***** A reminder that a community celebration for the province’s acquisition of the 16hectare Myra Wetlands for Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park is 9 a.m.-2 p.m. today at the Stewart Road East trailhead in Kelowna.
Friends of the South Slopes board members and volunteers will greet everyone at 9 a.m. with a guided hike 9:15-10:30 a.m., and formal acknowledgement and thank you to BC Parks and other government dignitaries at 11 a.m.
Wear appropriate footwear (no flipflops) and dogs on-leash only for the hike.
From 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m, the South East Kelowna Fire Department will man a barbecue with funds raised going to families that the department sponsors at Christmas. More details are posted at foss-kelowna.org.
***** The ban on campfires since July 26 has now been lifted in most Okanagan areas. However, campfires are not permitted at any time in the city of Kelowna.
With appropriate precautions to prevent the spread of fire, campfires are again allowed within the Regional District of Central Okanagan (Ellison, Joe Rich, North Westside, Wilson’s Landing), West Kelowna, Lake Country and Peachland. Summerland lifted its fire ban on Friday.
***** The Central Okanagan Naturalists Club will be involved in the Kikinee Salmon Festival on Sept. 23, naturally.
Members speak with visitors about CONC and its activities so the club is looking for volunteers to man the booth from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Mission Creek Regional Park, Springfield and Durnin roads in Kelowna.
Regional parks staff are promising fun for children and adults alike at this free, family event which will include lively performances from local entertainment such as The Ta Daa Lady & Nylon Zoo, Trixie the Clown and Mr. Brown Knows, ‘fishy’ displays, fishy cupcakes and other activities.
Afterward, you can learn more about kokanee at the Fins and Fur exhibit at the Environmental Education Centre for the Okanagan in the park.
For more information, go to the regional district website: regionaldistrict.com/parksevents or contact the EECO at 250-469-6140.
***** Forest Therapy Sessions in June were so successful that regional parks staff are offering them again this fall. This program is a great way to experience the natural beauty of several regional parks.
A facilitator will guide participants in each session using concepts of forest bathing or shinrin-yoku, a cornerstone of preventative health care and healing in Japan.
These walks in three different parks run on three Saturdays mornings between 10 a.m. and noon, and require pre-registration at a cost of $30 for all three sessions or $15 for individual walks: Sept. 22 at Gellatly Nut Farm Regional Park, Sept. 29 at KLO Creek Regional Park and Oct. 6 at Mission Creek Regional Park.
To register, drop in to the Environmental Education Centre for the Okanagan in Mission Creek Regional Park at Springfield and Durnin roads in Kelowna or email eeco@cord.bc.ca or phone 250-469-6140.
***** Moms and caregivers with babies and little ones are welcome to join a free weekly walking club.
Roll and Stroll is an opportunity to meet other parents and spend time casually exploring Mission Creek Regional Park.
Each Thursday at 9:30 a.m. from Oct. 4 to Nov. 29, participants will meet at the Environmental Education Centre for the Okanagan for a leisurely 45-minute walk through the park before returning for refreshments and some baby basics. Participants are encouraged to use strollers and baby carriers that are suitable for rough terrain.
Registration is required by calling the EECO at 250-469-6140 or email ingeeco@cord.bc.ca.
J.P. Squire, aka the Hiking, Biking, Kayaking and Horseback Riding Sheriff, is a retired Okanagan Weekend reporter. Email: jp.squire@telus.net.