How to Really Improve Your Cycling Performance and Ride Pain-Free
taking scenery. Or does the thought of that send chills down your spine because every time you ride longer than a couple of hours you’re in pain?
E If so, can you remember a time you felt pain and discomfort
free on your bicycle? Does your seat feel like a torture device? Do your hands go numb? Does your back feel stiff? Is your neck tight? Do your feet get tingly? Are you unable to reach and comfortably ride in the drops on your road bike? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you might want to consider a professional bike fi t- ting.
I never really had any excessive pain riding my road bike, but after about 20-30 miles I would notice some numbness in my feet, tension in my lower back and shoulders and my butt would be slightly sore. Each time I chalked it up to not riding enough and not being in good cycling shape. Guess again! Turns out your body is extremely adaptable and these slight annoyances are actually warning signs that you are not fi tted correctly to your bike because cycling shouldn’t be painful even going long distances. Even if you’re not in pain, a proper bike fi tting will increase your effi ciency and performance as a cyclist.
The way that your bicycle fi ts you is very important for every
rider, whether you’re out on the bike path, doing your next char- ity road ride, trying to set a new PR at your next triathlon or even spending the day out on your local mountain bike trails. Bicycles are not a “one-size-fi ts-all” proposition as there are far too many varia- tions in rider’s body types for a bicycle to fi t perfectly “off-the-rack”. But that’s exactly what I had been riding on for almost 6 years – an off the rack fi t!
A properly fi tted bicycle will yield a position for your body that is safe, stable, comfortable, effi cient, and powerful. I never realized how critical this was until I had the exciting opportunity to experi- ence the fi tting services at Pedal Power right here in Middletown, Vernon and Essex, CT. Pedal Power offers several fi tting services that will create a seamless marriage between your bicycle and your body.
While I knew that I wasn’t fi t correctly to my bike, I was
shocked to learn that all of the following were incorrect: size of saddle, fi rmness of saddle, height of saddle, length of handlebar reach, position of handlebars, and stance angle of my cletes!
18 Natural Nutmeg - July/August 2016
ver dreamed of doing a Century Ride or even a 50-miler on your road bike? Imagine the wind rushing by you as you streak down country roads and over rolling hills enjoying the breath-
Within minutes of some simple adjustments, I could already see and feel the difference in how comfortable I was atop my ride!
What sets Pedal Power’s fi tting services apart? All of Pedal Power’s bike fi tters are certifi ed by organizations that are leaders in bike fi tting in the cycling industry. But what’s really cool is the current, cutting-edge technology and fi tting tools (like Saddle Pressure Analysis and Video Motion Capture) they use to help better understand the dynamics of your body, and bike-to-body interface while you are pedaling. This helps them to enable you to achieve your personal on-the-bike potential. I was also amazed at the amount of analysis that goes into determining the best fi t in addi- tion to my techs, Gary and Matt’s critical thinking skills, willingness to listen to my wants and needs, and applied fi tting knowledge.
Types of Bike Fitting Services Pedal Power offers several different fi tting services in order to benefi t every type and skill level of bicycle rider.
1. Existing Bike Fit – Talk about all-inclusive – in my pre-fi tting interview, Matt asked me about my entire life history of exercise, injuries, surgeries, cycling history and pretty much everything in between except my sex life! Next came a standard body analy- sis to gauge your fl exibility, core strength, and range-of-motion – I had to do a timed plank! He measured everything from my sacrum angle to shoulder width to inseam height and shoulder and hip rotation. Then there was a foot analysis, motion-video capture during the fi tting, and a saddle pressure mapping during the baseline assessment. All of this was on my current bicycle and my pre-fi t and post-fi t bike dimensions were recorded and documented.
2. Size Cycle Fit - You get the same interview, standard body and foot analysis, motion-video capture, and a single, baseline saddle pressure map as the Existing Fit. They perform the fi tting on their fully adjustable Size Cycle, where they determine your ideal position outside of the constraints of a pre-existing bicycle. This fi tting is perfect if you have more than one bike that you would like to fi t the same and is part of their custom-made bicycle pro- cess. A full saddle pressure analysis upgrade is available with this fi tting as well.
3. Expanded Analysis Fit - Includes the same items as the Size Cycle Fit, and adds: an expanded body analysis (for a more thorough understanding of your body’s range of motion, fl exibil- ity and physical limiters), full saddle pressure mapping analysis and can be performed with any style of handlebar, no upgrade required. This is the most comprehensive fi t service.
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