What should you expect from a bike fit?

October 06, 2020

Important note: This article and video were produced before COVID-19. We adhere to health and safety guidelines and social distancing measures for positioning.

Expectations for a bike fitting can vary depending on your needs, your experience as a cyclist, and your goals. In this article, we'll break down the definition of bike positioning and some realistic expectations for a quality fit.

First, where are you able to find a positioning service?  Although the practice is becoming increasingly common in Canada, it's not that simple. Some bike shops offer the service, as do some physiotherapy clinics, kinesiologists, and trainers.  In short, several individuals with different experiences and training, who will use different tools and processes and who will very rarely achieve the same result.  Therefore, what you should expect will vary from place to place.  to the other.  In the following lines we will try to help you see things more clearly.

What is bicycle positioning?

The act of adjusting the bicycle to the cyclist's needs according to their morphology, experience and objectives in order to reduce the risk of injury, improve their comfort and performance.

Let's start with you. The adjustment concerns only you; the individual and your body is unique (height, weight, flexibility, physical activity, injury(ies), asymmetry… etc).

Next, what are your objectives following the positioning?  Here are a few examples:

• Solve my problem of recurring pain in the back of my knees after every outing.
• Reduce the numbness in the hands that occurs after a few kilometers.
• Improving the aerodynamics of my position before my next triathlon.
• Optimize my position to improve my energy expenditure during races.

Finally, what will my cycling look like in the future? This is where the individual's "need" or goal plays an important role in the adjustment process. To understand what we mean by "need," think about the results or goals you want to achieve, and combine that with your type of cycling.

Here are some examples:

• Finishing my first Gran Fondo
• Participating in an Ironman
• Traveling 20km every day to get to work
• Participate in Lachine Tuesdays
• Crossing Canada by bike

In these examples, there may be some variability in your needs depending on the distance you will be covering, the frequency of your outings, and your expectations regarding competition.  As pain is intensified by duration, it is also worth mentioning that the more time you spend on the bike will dictate how much a full quality fitting will help you.

That being said, what are the essential components of a complete and satisfying positioning experience?

1. The interview: Your positioning expert needs to know your background as a cyclist, what your goals and expectations are for your consultation.  What will your practice look like? What other sports do you participate in? What type of work do you do? What is your injury history, including current problems, medical conditions, and areas of discomfort? Have you consulted a positioning expert for similar pain?  All these questions are important and will influence the approach taken by your positioning expert.
2. The evaluation: This step varies considerably across the spectrum from one expert to another.  This assessment can be done by observing your pedaling pattern as well as your body movements during the warm-up phase, which takes on average 10 to 15 minutes.  In some cases, a postural analysis focusing on stability and flexibility is highly recommended to achieve precise adjustments and better tailor the necessary corrections. Unfortunately, many bike fitters are not qualified to assess your flexibility by grasping your leg and checking its range of motion. If a bike fitter incorporates off-bike assessments, they should explain the purpose and how they affect the fitting. If you are not entirely comfortable with the process, mention it immediately.
3. The fitting: It should focus on the 3 contact points. Whatever your objective, riding style or reason for getting fitted, you can expect a competent fitter to examine and possibly adjust the 3 contact points which are: The saddle, the pedal and shoe interface as well as the cockpit (stem, handlebars, grips and brake/gear levers).  If your technician does not spend enough time on each of the contact points, you have not benefited from a complete positioning.
4. Reporting or sharing measurements: Throughout the fitting process, bike fitting experts use various note-taking methods to document changes in bike and posture. This is a crucial part of the fitting and information that, in our opinion, should be provided to the cyclist at the end of the session.

Here is an approximation of the relative durations of a complete positioning session including the 4 steps mentioned above and provided by a positioning expert with more than 200 sessions to his credit.

• Complete positioning with dynamic assessment of posture and pedaling pattern: 1:30 to 2:00
• Complete positioning with postural analysis for stability and flexibility: 3:00 to 3:30

All that's left for you to do is pedal. While the goal of a fitting is to provide the cyclist with the desired results, this isn't always the case. If, for any reason, your fitting isn't helping you achieve your initial goals, we always recommend returning to your fitter to inform them of the issue. As with any other product or service, you would return if the results weren't what you expected, so why should it be any different here?  The only way to learn how to solve the problem is to know that there is one.  Since every individual is different and their body may react differently, at Studio Cycle Maglia Rosa , the positioning service is guaranteed and we are always willing to go the extra mile to solve your discomfort problems.

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