BikePRO
Fit
It is not about how to fit a
bicycle
Position is a compromise, Technique is
everything
Almost everyone makes small adjustments such as saddle height,
handlebar height and angle, when they first get a bike. These
adjustments are easy to make, however, more technical adjustments
may still not be specific to the rider. Making these adjustments
requires a lot of knowledge on the biomechanics of the body as well
as of the bike. Our fitters are certified cycling coaches
(ex-Olympian) and personal trainers. You can be assured that you're
being fitted by someone with over 25 years of experience in mind,
to best maximize your efficiency and comfort.
BikePro's comprehensive bike fit service will attend to all
details in the set up of your bike. This will be done to your
comfort, type of riding, and to accommodate almost any concern that
you may have on the bike.
Q, It seem you don't stick with any rules, charts and graphs,
formulas, computer software, tables & philosophy, cutting edge
technology.You don't even measure my body.
A. No, I don't measure your body. I don't have a CT scanner. Our
fit is 100% base on your needs. We don't prescribe the position to
you. We work togeather with you to find it out. Your feedback is
crucial. This is bike fitting @ the highest level.
The whole fitting process should take approximately 1 to 2
hour. It depend how quick you could leran a new skill.
What will be
done:
Cleat
Adjustment ( angular, back / fore & Q-factor
)
The position of the cleats are very important as it is what
locks the foot onto the pedal. We will set the cleats up so that
they are suit your specific type of riding.
Saddle
Adjustments ( height, back / fore & angular
)
Position of the saddle can also be adjusted to suit a specific
type of riding. There is more or less a guideline as to what
position the saddle should be in for different types of riding
which we will recommend.
Handlebar height /
angular, hood position & stem length ( reach )
Adjustment
The handlebar/stem combination is basically the cockpit of the
bike. Therefore, we believe that instead of prescribing guidelines,
that it must be in a position that is most comfortable for you. Of
course we will make suggestions and recommendations, but this is
much a 'trial and error' process until you feel most comfortable.
It is a trade off between comfort & aerodynamic.
Determine
Handlebar Width & shape
Again, this is entirely up to you. We'll put different widths
& shape on the bike for you to try, until it feels right for
you. We will make suggestions and recommendations, Again, It is a
trade off between comfort & aerodynamic.
We have to charge extra to do the handlebar replacement, because
it is labour intensive.
Pedaling Technique & Riding
Skills
During the fit, we will also explain and demonstrate the correct
pedaling technique which best maximizes power output and
efficiency. A correct pedaling style will increase your efficient
by as much as 30%. We'll also give advice on your riding
skills, which will be specific to how you want to ride. As such, we
cater for every type of rider, from commuters to professional
racers.
Are pedaling technique &
riding skills that important ?
Without understanding pedalling technique. Someone would
generalize the pedaling technique into 3 category.
1. Toe Dipper : Classic example: Anquetil
2. Heel dropper : Classic example: Merckx
3. Average : Classic example: Hinault
They all won Tour de France 5 times, one may conclude that
pedalling technique is not a defining characteristic of cycling
excellence. Nothing could be further from the truth!
Their reasons for them to pedal differently:
1. Anquetil
Cycling shoes' soles were made from thin leather in the 50's.
They are not stiffer than the Crocs shoes, so he had to pedal toe
down to get more power transfer to the toe clips/pedals system.
The great Fusto Coppi had the same pedalling style in the 40's. However, the
general pedalling technique gradually evolved to "average" due to
the changing of shoes technology. The Italians later invented
double leather sole shoes & sandwich it with fibre
glass.
Anquetil invented the "Anquentil cleat" towards the end of his
career in the early 60's. (A cleat with long metal reinforcement).
He has changed his pedaling technique to "Average" since.
"Average" Anquetil in his
famous DOUBLE win at the 1965 Critérium du Dauphiné
Libéré followed by the 560km Bordeaux-Paris.
TA Anquetil cleat from Andy's
collection
The majority of recreational riders
who rides with a toe dip is the result of the saddle being too high
up, ( the body natural compensates by extending the ankle as to not
cause pain/damage to the knees, hip, and back) as opposed to be by
choice. Over a period of time, the body adapts to this position,
and becomes "unconsciously competent" with this pedalling style.
That is, you are competent with this technique, without it being a
voluntary change that you thought was beneficial. To gain the
"average" pedalling technique, the body won't just simply adapt to
a change in the saddle height/position, it also requires training
and learning to change pedalling technique.
2. Merckx
In 1969, he crashed in a derny-paced exhibition race. A
motorcycle pacer and a cyclist fell in front of Merckx, causing
Merckx and his pacer to fall. His pacer, Fernand Wambst, was killed
instantly. Merckx was knocked unconscious and was bleeding heavily
from a head wound. From this accident Merckx cracked one of his
vertebrae and twisted his pelvis. He admitted in interviews that
his riding was never the same after. Because of his injuries,
climbing was painful and it may even have limited his winning to
some extent. He had to compromise his pedaling technique, &
changed from "average" to heel drop on the bad leg since the
horrific accident. Subsequently, Adidas developed shoes with Nylon
sole for him. The first modern cycling shoes, the "Adidas Super
Eddy Merckx" with rigid sole was born.
"Average" Merckx in
1968- Paris Roubaix
In contrast, the heel drop technique is a result of the saddle
being too low. This is a result of the body wanting to extend the
legs more and hence 'lifting' the ankle up or dropping the heel.The
majority of the recreational rider population usually adopts this
style due to a few reasons. Again, the become "unconsciously
competent" with their bad technique, and therefore both an
adjustment of position and training of pedalling technique is
required to alter this.
Andy visited Merckx 1984
3. Hinault
Hinault's position & technique was developed by Renault ELF
Formula One racing team in the early 80's (his sponsor at
the time). They were the first team to use the dyno (power
meter) & wind tunnel for bike fitting & pedalling
technique. which was very well documented in the French cycling
magazine "Miroir Du Cyclisme". Hinault used "Le Coq Sportif"
cycling shoes, which is a re-brand of the "Adidas Super Eddy
Merckx" shoes.
His F1 aerodynamic seat position was more than 2 inches higher
than the average 80's saddle height. His torso was dead flat. This
was the main cause of his knee injury, which was also very well
documented. Without applying sport physiology into the bike
fitting, a pure mechanical manipulation of riding position will
never work. Hinault's position was phased out by the mid 80's,
though it did phase in and out a few times after. Without proper
sport science, saddle position manipulation was like women's
fashion, they come & they go.
However, the Renault ELF/Hinault's F1 pedalling technique is
here to stay, since it generated the highest power output. From the
top dead center to lower dead center/ push phase, it looks
like it is the "average" technique, as the feet is dead flat. If
you look
carefully, the pull phase is not "average" at all! Hinault
pulled very hard indeed!
The technique was way ahead of its time. It take almost 30 years
for the PRO cycling world to fully adopt it. If you look at the
older cycling footage from youtube, every rider had their own style
(best version
of themselves), it was almost like a signature. One could
identify a particular rider from the distance. With the advancement
of modern sport science, all the professional teams use almost the
same method & technique to train. It levelled the playing
field. The performance gap between domestic and top riders is a lot
narrower these days. It's no longer a well kept secret how those
cycling talents developed. Teams can buy it from ex sport
institution personnel.
If youl look at the
latest classic & tour carefully, all the tour riders pedal the
same 'not so average' way even under extreme load! Sorry no Toe
Dipper, Heel Dropper & set back position.
Video : Pro team warm up
before a team time trial with 78 degree seat angle TT bike. They
change their technique accordingly, down stroke with 5 degree toe
dip. Where the 5 degree come from ? It is the seat angle different
between a TT bike & road bike ( 78-73=5 )
Andy leading the
late British Road Champion Peter Longbottom (Captain of Chris
Boardman, Manchester Wheelers) with Hinault Style technique (but
not the position) 1981.Australia cycling supremo Shayne Bannan was
somewhere behind.
What is pedaling
technique?
What we are talking about here is adapting your technique to a
certain situation. There is not one singular style or technique
that is best for all aspects of a ride. In some ways, it is much
like the advanced electronic systems controlling car engines today
in that the gear selection, valve timing, ignition timing and feul
pluse, or your technique on a bike, is controlled such that it best
suits the situation. Constant real time changes are required, and
of course there is a guide as to which 'technique' is best for
different situations.
Can pedaling technique be
learnt?
Yes. Just like walking, cycling, swimming or playing an music
instrument It can be learnt by any person.
Do I need to consciously
perform the technique?
The process of obtaining a new skill incorporates several levels
of learning and awareness.
Level 1 - Unconsciously Incompetent (most
recreational riders & some bike fitters belong to this
category) At this level, the person is unaware of his/her lack of
knowledge or skill in a given subject or task. A person who is
unconsciously incompetent is either not aware of the
existence/relevance of the skill or they do not realize they are
deficient in that skill.
Level 2 - Consciously Incompetent
At this level, the person recognizes there are skills he/she
needs to learn, but has not yet addressed the skill
deficit.
Level 3 - Consciously Competent
When consciously competent, people can reliably perform a skill
without assistance, but it requires a certain amount of
concentration and focus on their part. As they use their newly
acquired skill, it will become increasingly automatic.
Level 4 - Unconsciously Competent
At this level people can perform a specific task without
conscious effort. The person has had so much practice that the
skill has become automatic or second nature. Some common examples
of tasks that often become automatic with practice are driving,
knitting, typing, riding a bike, repetitive assembly tasks,
etc.
For example, Pilates as an exercise involves conscious control
of the movement of each body part, and the proprioceptive feedback
to execute a few precise, controlled repetitions. Unlike Pilates,
cycling is high repetition dynamic sport. Proprioceptive feedback
mechanism may work under 60rpm in a staitonary trainer, It won't
work on the road ! The brain cannot process so much information
When a rider reaches level 4 (unconsciously competent) in
regards to their pedalling technique, they do not rely on
proprioceptive feedback. Their central pattern generator can
produce meaningful functional output in the absence of sensory
inputs (i.e. pedalling has become so much of a pattern that the
brain does not have to think/to tell what the leg has to do). It is
quite difficult, once a rider has reached level 4, to pedal with
the wrong technique at any load, unless they consciously force
themselves to! High performance pedaling technique is not
something that comes naturally to everyone. I stress again that
pedalling is not necessarily a natural motion, unlike breathing! It
is a skill that needs to be learnt and mastered.
We are more than competent to help you to achive this.
Level 5 - Unconsciously perfectly Competent
Though reaching this level may be the ultimate goal, achieving
this will take many years of dedication & hard work. This
level, is basically the level World Champions are at.
People avoid complacency and stay abreast of new developments
and competency standards. If the "world" changes, unconsciously
competent people can quickly become unconsciously
incompetent!
How long does it take to
learn?
It takes a few hours to a few days to become "Consciously
Competent";
A few weeks to a few months to become "Unconsciously
Competent";
and Many years of hard work to become "Unconsciously Perfectly
Competent"
Will good pedaling technique
stablized my pelvis ?
No it will NOT, we
are not in pursuit of the Pilates style static lumbo-pelvic
stability. It will create a kind of robotic ridiing style, and
will do more harm than good. One will look as though they are
riding like a zombie (Stiff and unnatural).
Cycling is a dynamic sport with changing situational conditions.
Pelvic rotation is the key to a gain in efficiency, injury
reduction, speed, and I’ll use the word – power. Its effects on
power is truly amazing. It is the kind of power that does not come
from force, but rather from self alignment and relaxation. It is a
power that comes from allowing your body to do what it is meant to
do. This is exactly the same in other sports such as swimming,
tennis, football, running, and many more. Swimming, for example.
Coaches stress on getting the technique of a particular stroke
right first, before placing importance on using as much power as
possible.
THE RIGHT SIDE BIAS ?
We train with your left side first, the right side will follow
!
THE LEFT SIDE BIAS ?
We train with your right side first, the left side will follow
!
Will you do Mid foot cleat
placement?
Believe it or not, mid foot
placement is the most popular pedaling style in the world.
Hundred's of millions of cyclist around the world pedal like this
everyday. It is the most effective way to simply push a pedal with
heel drop & a set back position @ low rpm. Ideal for 'pedal
pushers'. For actual bike riders, the aim should not be to simply
push the pedal, but rather to keep a continuous rotation-type
action on the cranks.
A
gentleman riding his bike with mid foot Placment (MFP) with heel
drop & setback position @ 30 rpm
It
all come very nautral, ideal position for low impact
riding
In high performance bicycleland.
Pedaling is a multi-phase complex motion. That is why toe
clips/straps or clipless pedals apparatus are deployed. With
MFP, other phases are not able to executed effectively.
Overall performance will decrease dramatically. That is why you
would never find MFP in the pro peloton
Having said that, we do not 100% rule
out MFP. We have done a few mid foot cleat placments for
customers who have a limited range of movement due to ankle issues.
We re-drilled Bont shoes for them, and your local bike shop
should able to do it for you. It shouldn't cost you much.
Will the pull action cause lower back pain
?
No, a correct up-stroke technique will
not cause lower back pain. It is a hamstring recruitment exercise,
not psoas (hip flexors) exercise that some may
suggest.
Will change of equipment &
position affect the technique ?
No, for example, A 178cm rider may use 170mm cranks with higher
saddle set up in the track. 172.5mm crank with neutral K.O.P.S
position in a road race. 175mm crank with setback position in a
mountain bike race. 177.5mm with up front position in a Time trial.
If he has reached level 4, he could adapt the different bike
settings with different pedaling styles without futher training. He
could even ride a bike without a
saddle effectively!
Will you recommend a pedals system to me
?
I use Coombe pedals myseif, they are the best pedals I ever come
across. But they already out of business, It have full metal boby
& full metal cleat. But I won't recommand this sort of pedals
to cyclist with certain setup & condition. For example if
you have a very stiff carbon frame, very stiff crank & very
stiff carbon shoes, the system has very little flex for energy to
dissipate, pressure on the foot increases considerably. If you
riding with incorrect technique. Your bike will oscillate, &
the pedals will causing your foot to collapse inwardly ( artificial
ponation ) Install wedges will worsen this suituation, since the
artificial ponation angle change according to the amount of
oscillation ( load applied ). And their is no ponation in the up
stroke ! A fixed angle canting will do more damage than goodl !
Pedals with plastic cleats would be more appropriate in this
suituation. If you have good pedaling technique, than you could use
whatever pedals without causing any problems.
Will you recommend leg length discrepancy
shims ?
No, If you know how to pedal with correct technique. The
pelvic rotation & plantar flexion will auto compensate small
discrepancy, If the discrepancy is more than certain level,
diffrential crank length depolyment would be more appropriate.
Pedaling with shims is like riding a bike with high heel shoes,
efficiency will be drop dramatically. absolute power output will
drop as well. It also cause imbalance output of the 2 feet. It will
cause asymmetric pelvic movement. The loss will be a lot more than
the gain.
Will you recommend a shoe wedge
?
No, usually out-of-alignment pedaling is caused by incorrect
technique or poor biomechanics
If you have bow legs ( genu varum ) , knock knees ( genu Valgum
), forefoot pronation or forefoot varus. you should consult a
podiatry or have Physiotherapy Intervention.
Brian, who is in his early
60's, has been riding bikes all his life. He has been profesional
fitted a couple of times by other bike fitters. 2 shims have been
installed on the left side before a BikePRO fit.
Video :
Pre BikePRO
Bike fit
We removed the 2 shims and taught him how to pedal in the
correct manner. His left foot was back in alignment straight away!
2 weeks later, he dropped his mates during a hill climb (first time
in his life!), and they were unpleasantly surprised at this!
After
BikePRO Bike fit
Will you do foot aligment
?
No, we are not qualified for it, but
Caleb McInnes and elite
triathlete and a Sports Podaitrist from Rowville Sports Medicine
Centre can assess your foot
alignment and biomechanics.
Many people think Podiatry is cutting nails and
removing corns and callouses. Caleb as a Sports Podiatrist deals
solely with sports injuries, injury prevention on a daily basis
works with athletes from ametuer to those competing on the world
stage to help to improve your performance or exercise goals. His
background as an athlete allows him to better understand an the
stress exercise places on the body.
Caleb says:
Your lower limb works as a whole. If your foot
roles in (overprontes - about 75-80% of the population will
overpronate to some degree) then this will change the position of
the hip, knee and lower back.
Overpronation (rolling in) when cycling
increases your risk of injury particularly to the knee and
hip.
When you overpronate your knees come closer to
the frame which in turn pushes the patella (knee cap) to the
outside of the leg. It then doesn't track in the groove it is
supposed to track in. This then means that there is a muscle
imbalance/weakness and potential for
injury.
Correct alignement will not only reduce your
risk of injury, it can make you more comfortable, increase your
power output and reduce fatigue.
Your foot function and position on the bike is
very important
Custom orthotics can be built to suit your
individual needs and keep you better aligned. They can be made out
of a number of materials but for cycling stiffness in the shoe will
increase power. For this reason Carbon is the best material.
For further assessment of your foot and lower
limb function contact Caleb
at:
ROWVILLE SPORTS MEDICINE
CENTRE
Building A 96, Kelletts Rd Rowville VIC,
3178
Ph: (03) 9763 3944 or Email:
calebmcinnes@rsmc.com.au
Will I need to change
equipemnt to achive a good position ?
In short, no. We are not trying to sell you wedges, shims,
different length stems, setback seatposts, weirdly-shaped saddles,
weird cleat placment shoes nor a custom geomtry frame with
unroadworthy geometry. We try to keep your existing equipment as
much as possible. Having said that, if some parts need to be
changed, we will recommend it to you, with the final decision
ultimately being yours.
Mr X, who is in his mid 50's,
had had his driver's license been suspended for a few years. During
which time he had been riding to work most days and become very
fit. However, saddle adjustments were his daily ritual, as he was
not able to find the sweetspot he had yearned for.
Video :
Pre BikePRO
Bike fit # 2
Without changing any equipment, he was all smiles 2 hours later
post BikePRO fit.
After BikePRO
Bikefit # 2
Will the fitting help reduce my back & upper
body pain ?
Evan, who is in
his late 40's, had been racing for more than 10 years. He often
gets upper body & back pain after long rides. Defying
conventional wisdom, we lowered his corkpit without selling him
anything & taught him how to use his handlebar in the
correct manner.
This what he had to say
after the BikePRO fit :
" The Sat. ride was long (160 km/ the bay) ride... was
interested to see how my upper body recovered today (Sunday) and
actually have no soreness from the lower position "
Will the fit waste my $ ?
Paul quoted
" Hi Andy,
I wanted to say thanks also for your help. Initially, I
had reservations about the fit and friends told me I was wasting my
money. However, I am glad I did because the bike fits like a
glove. My new position is much better, however, I was
ill-fitted before on a frame that was too big. "
How much could I gain with
proper pedaling & riding technique ?
Without improving any of your physical abilities (ie strength in
quads etc), it could increase the power output by more than 30% at
the same heart rate. (ie same effort, your body is not working any
harder for this increase in power output . Or, alternatively for
the same effort/power output, a resultant heart rate drop by
10%.
Avergae " Dave " Power Fit Video &
data
This is the most intresting bike fit I ever done. Their is no
change of position & equipment at all. Just 100% focus on
technique.
Dave won Athletic Soft Tissue Handicap within one month
after the Power FIT, his best ever result .
Unfortunately or fortunately, he have the privilege to be able
to ride with the Scratch group now. He came 4th in the Eagle
Handicap @ Broadford. 6 week after the Power fit. ( 3rd fastest
time )
Dave's blog
17% power increase in 2 week after the power test
Mag ( the World Champione
) Video & data
15% more power output ( 23 extra w) after the Power Fit
She quoted
" Hi Andy
" You're a star! Thanks for the Power fit.This really helps
to keep me on track working on the technique and knowing that the
focus is paying off."
COST
* Anatomic Fit $160 (
1 hour ) wihout Pedaling Technique & Riding
Skills
* BikePRO Fit
$320 ( 2 hour
)
* BikePRO Power fit $0 or $480 ( 3 hours
)
Basically there is no different between Bikepro
Fit & Power fit, but we spend extra time to quantify the power
gain. Guarantee mean power output will increase by 5% to 15%
between 75% to 85% max herat rate ( aerobic endurance zone )
Instantly, otherwise you not oblige to pay us.
Conditions apply
by Appointment Only, parts extra
.
We know time is very valuable to you, instead of drag it
out for many hour & charge you more. We decided to save your
precious time.
BikePRO Fit testimonial
I just wanted to say thank you for
your BikePRO Fit. I
really appreciate the time you took with me when i was over
melbourne, your technique explanation on my pedalling has helped so
much on so many aspects of my riding. I have been trying to focus
on having a three year plan to get somewhere with cycling as i know
i still have alot to learn. When i can get hold of a video camera i
will get someone to film some footage and send over to you to get
some input on how i could improve if that would be ok.
Thank you very much
Richard Hope
( 2012 Australia road
championship dual bronze medalist )
Tasmania
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