A few reasons for a bike fit.

A few reasons for a bike fit 1 to 7.

A lot of people put up with below because I think 'well it's a bike so there must be some discomfort'. Riders put up with bad because they have never experienced what good feels like.

There is lot more issues than this, but this is some of my observations and opinions on some of the things people have problems with and just put up with.

1. Hand pain/numbness - too much weight on the bars, causing you to lock your arms out due to supporting a lot of your body weight, normally due to one or all of these, saddle too far forward, nose pointing down especially if nose is lower than the middle of the saddle and/or saddle too high causing you to ride on the nose of the saddle as your body tries to maintain a shorter leg extension. Also if the angle of handlebars and brake levers are setup wrong this can cause the same issues, if levers are to far forward this will cause you to over reach and cause you to over extend your arms, again putting your weight on your bars.

2. Shoulder pain - due to all of the above, i e supporting most of your body weight on your shoulders with arms locked out.

3. Neck pain - due to the above if you are to far forward you have to pull your head back more, causing you to fight locked out arms and shoulders.

4. Tried 'dozens' of saddles - saddle discomfort often has nothing to do with the saddle, as well as the above if the angle of the handlebars is wrong this can cause your pelvis to tilt forward putting pressure on the pubic area. I had one person who came for a fit who had bought a dozen saddles, not from me by the way as I wouldn't of let them buy/try that many, as I know there is more to a saddle than how it looks or feels with your fingers, in the end I fitted him to the second saddle he had bought, but because the angle of his drops and hoods were wrong no saddle was going to feel good, but once I'd adjusted bars and levers that saddle felt great. I can change the way a good saddle feels just by changing the angle of bars and break levers, but most people would blame saddle discomfort on the saddle not on the handlebars.

5. Can't ride on the drops - a lot to do with above 1, 2 and 3. People think it is a lot to do with flexibility, height and reach of bars and stem, but if the angle of the drops points down towards the back wheel even with good flexibility you will struggle. Compact bars are by the best to fit.

6. Bike handles badly - too much weight on the front wheel due a lot to 1, 2 and 3. Riders will blame the bike, but you can be the biggest influence on how a bike handles for good and bad, geometry between a similar size frames across brands is not that different, the way the contact points are set up, i e saddle height/layback/angle, handlebar/lever height/reach/angle can have more of an influence on handling. You might read a great review about a bike that has been perfectly set up by the tester, but if you get the same bike and it's not properly set up to you it may handle like a bag of 'spanners', and you'll think what was the reviewer on about.

7. Trouble feeding on the bike - this is something people don't think about when it comes to a good fit, they think it's about pedalling performance, but if you can't feed your pedalling performance will be reduced. Again back to 1, 2, 3 as well as 6, due to you having too much weight on the front you are unable to flex your elbows allowing them to rise and fall freely, if you can't do that most people are fearful of taking their hands of the bars because the bike feels so twitchy. I've had the some people that before being fitted they have had to stop to feed because the bike handles so badly.

A Tour finisher

This is the day after Alpe d'Huez, the stage started in Bourg d'Oisans, with 50km of climbing straight from the gun, Col du Lautaret onto Col du Galibier, with Roche's team attacking from km zero. We then climbed Col de la Madeleine, with the finish at La Plagne. This image defines who I am, it is the only day I thought I might not make it to Paris, i sat up within km's of the start on the Lautaret, but Paul Kimmage shouted at me that it was too early to sit up because of the time limit, somehow i managed to get back in the line and wait for the autobus to form. The autobus did form, but because it was so early in the stage and the pace was so high at the front of the race we couldn't ease off on the climbs or valley roads because of making the time limit. Looking back this is the day I became a Tour finisher because it was the day I had to dig deep both physically and mentally just to get to the finish in La Plagne.

I'm 2nd from the left, this was taken a few bends from the top of the Galibier.

Sports science, advantages?

Hearing a lot about doping & who maybe on what & advantages it may give to achieve 'super human' performances, serious question to sports scientists out there, we are not hearing much about what advantages can be made with current research based training methods, nutrition, biomechanics, equipment, recovery etc and what these are and would it be possible to achieve 'better' performance even if it meant living like a monk to achieve them.

Bike fitting no aches or strains

Hi Adrian

You did my fit yesterday for both of my road bikes.

Just wanted to say thanks so much!

Did an hour and half this morning on my turbo trainer.

The difference on and after was significant to previous.No aches or strains at all.

Can't wait to get out on road.

Just great !!!!

Thanks again

Best regards

Kevin

Bike fitting grin :)

Hi Adrian,

 

Thank you for the video and apologies for not getting back to you sooner. The weather had not been very conducive for riding my new bike and trying the new adjusted fit. Until a couple of weeks ago when I took the bike out for the first time - and I have been out on it twice since then (it is my nice weather Sunday bike...).

 

The difference I feel on that bike is amazing and it feels that it fits like a  glove. I always enjoyed cycling since I bought my first bike - but now I am really, really loving it. Thank you for your time and input.

 

People have also commented how good and comfortable I look on the bike and even on the drops. And it feels extremely comfortable and that I can exert more energy through the bike. No niggles and no pains in any ligaments or joints. My legs initially felt a little more tired after the rides (more so than on my old bike) - that is probably because I (a) use them differently and (b) I feel more confident in riding the bike as it feels right. And it is getting better.

 

The difference between the factory settings and my settings are very marked and I have adjusted my old bike as much as I can to make it fit more to the settins you have given me.

 

If I wanted a new saddle for my Ridley bike would it be ok to get it fitted by yourself?

 

Thank you again for your help and for making me now  a cyclist who cannot stop grinning from ear to ear when she is out riding her bike and who overall feels more confident and settled on a bike than she ever thought imaginable.

 

Have a great time in Italy!

 

A presto,

Jessica

Frame detail

Still a bit of finishing off before I get it sprayed, but fairly happy with my first ever attempt at brazing and hand mitring anything let alone a bike frame.

Day 5, the end! of frame building

Big thank you to Dave Yates for the course this week. Bit more finishing off at home,, then get it sprayed and built up. I'm going to build my own wheels, not sure what hubs yet but going to put them on Mavic Open Pro CD rims. Groupset is going to be Campag Chorus, Ritchey Classic bars, stem and seatpost. I'll post more pictures once i've built it up

Day 4 of frame building

All braze ons added today, then a lot of filing and now could do with a back massage! Tomorrow will be tidying the frame up then homeward bound.

Day 3 of frame building

The main parts made today, tomorrow the cleaning up and braze on's added

Day 2 of frame building course with Dave Yates

Day 2 and things are starting to resemble a bike frame.

I've never done anything like this before, first time i've brazed and all the joints i've hand cut, filed and mitered, which i've never done before, things need cleaning up but really happy with how things a looking.