Bike Fits – are they that important?

Bike Fits – what you need to know

Written by: Tom

Some would call me a bit of dinosaur when it comes to modern cycling technology, so when a friend recommended I go for a professional bike fit following a recent knee injury sustained whilst cycling, I initially resisted. What was I going to learn about my riding position anyway – surely you get on the bike, put the crank in the lowest position, and adjust the saddle height with your leg slightly bent so the pedal is touching the midpoint of the underside of your shoe – everyone knows this!

A Quick Google Search?

A quick search online found a number of bike fit providers in various locations throughout the country. They all claimed they were using the latest technology and used more superlatives than you could shake a spoke at about the merits of their particular service. It was a minefield.

Luckily, I had a recommendation from a friend about Cadence Sport in Barton-under-Needwood, Staffordshire. The shop is run by Adrian Timmis (@AdrianTimmis), an ex-professional road racer and Tour de France rider. Surely if I was going to invest in getting a bike fit done properly, it was best done with someone that has cycled all of their life and has competed in the most prestigious cycling race of all time!

According the his website, a bike fit takes 2-3 hours and includes a physical assessment, custom SIDAS footbeds, video comparison, dynamic fit of saddle and stem, hip, knee and foot alignment and cleat/shoe adjustment.

I did look at some other providers but a recommendation goes a long way. Adrian’s reputation, experience and the fact that his shop is an independent bike shop were definitely the deciding factors. So, I booked online and popped down with my bike to see what was in store.

The shop is full of cycling gems, both old and new. In pride of place is one of Adrian’s personal bikes, a beautiful Peugeot that has probably seen more alpine climbs than most road bikes has seen in a lifetime.

In stark contrast on the other end of the sofa were some sleek top-end Pinarellos. There I was, sat in the middle of these magnificent machines from two eras of cycling, and they truly couldn’t have been more different.

Adrian handed me a form to fill in with my personal details as well as cycling history and habits. We discussed what I’d written, giving him a better idea of my cycling practice and my intentions for the future. I had written that I’d been getting some knee pain, so we chatted about this in further detail and it was highlighted as something we would explore further throughout the fit.

I was then asked to stand on this strange looking thing.

As part of the Cadence Sport fit, Adrian makes custom footbeds for cycling shoes. He explained that the technology behind the soles originated from the world of skiing in France, which made a lot of sense to me. The floppy piece of foam found in a new pair of ski boots offers very little support to the arches of your feet, so this was a good starting point. The French also know a thing or two about cycling, so I didn’t take too much convincing.

I stood on the grey rubberised surface as Adrian said, “This might feel a little bit weird”. He wasn’t wrong, he flicked a switch and it suddenly felt like my feet were being sucked into a rubbery void. I imagine that this was what rubber quicksand would feel like if it existed. As I sunk deeper into the wobbly mess, he heated up some blank soles to mould as we chatted about business and the online world taking over the real world.

I was soon the proud owner of some custom footbeds, so we made our way upstairs to the studio area where my bike had been set up on a turbo trainer, ready to ride.

I got changed, clipped in and began to pedal whilst Adrian filmed from the side. I could tell he knew straight away that my bike was poorly set up and set about making adjustments.

We started with the saddle. Apparently it was too far back which meant I was overstretching to the handlebars and was not converting my energy into power efficiently, “You need to use gravity to your advantage” commented Adrian. This was certainly something I’d never heard before (certainly not from a cyclist) but after his adjustments the difference was obvious and I could feel how more efficient my pedal strokes were.

He also quickly figured out why my seat had been squeaking after all these years, it was down to a washer being the wrong way round (Official Apology: I am truly sorry to all those that have ridden with me and suffered the brunt of the infuriating assault of the eardrums my saddle has caused).

Next, we looked at the handlebars. This began with a dynamic assessment of the handlebars themselves. As I pedalled, Adrian loosened the bolts at the front of the headset and adjusted the height, concluding that the shifters themselves would need moving. Apparently, this is a common problem with Giant bikes as they are attached at a certain position on the handlebars in the factory, which is invariably wrong.

By making some pretty significant adjustments with the handlebars, my riding position was completely altered. I was no longer stretching forward, my shoulders were now in line with my hands whilst using the drops and the hoods, and I was beginning to feel a lot more comfortable.

Adrian then used the following tool to measure the angle at which my legs bend whilst pedalling then made some minor adjustments to the height of my saddle.

Finally, we looked at my cleats. I had recently bought some new shoes (I’d kept my old ones for so long out of fear that I wouldn’t get them right again!), and had no clue where they were supposed to be (regardless of how many YouTube videos I’d watched). Adrian made some measurements, adjusted my cleats accordingly and, once again, I was amazed at the difference it made. My legs were in line but it also had an impact on the power I was pushing. Such a small thing, but so important.

Throughout the assessment, Adrian had been filming me cycling. Once we’d finished, I was truly amazed at the difference in the two videos. Before the bike fit, I had been sat too far back, my back had been horribly arched, my hips moved too much to compensate and I just looked completely uncomfortable (which made me wonder why no-one has ever mentioned this!). The post-fit video told a completely different story – I looked far more comfortable, my knees were no longer being over-stretched and my riding style was far more relaxed. More than this however, was how it now felt on the bike, I was feeling more efficient, more in control and more powerful. What a astounding success.

Back downstairs I peered into the glass counter filled with memorabilia from Adrian’s career as a pro cyclist, including a rider profile pullout from Cycling Weekly, various medals and newspaper cutouts. On the wall was a certificate from a ride in California in 1984 and a jersey he had worn.

I have to admit, I was a little awe-struck so I shamefully asked for a selfie.

I bought this particular bike a few years ago and subsequently watched a few YouTube videos on how to set it up. Since then, I haven’t changed a thing and have ridden thousands of miles all over the world. To be quite honest, I can’t believe how wrong I got it, and am astounded that I haven’t had problems with my knees, back, neck (any body part really) before. This is aside from the amount of energy I’ve wasted not understanding where my body needs to be on the bike to make it as efficient as possible and, as Adrian put it, using gravity to my advantage.

It had been a real learning curve and I had picked up a great deal from my time at Cadence Sport. I decided that any new bike purchase would from now on have the cost of a bike fit worked into the total cost, because, as a result of the fantastic service that Adrian offers, that’s now how important I believe it to be. Certainly, knowing what I know now, I would have visited a long time ago.

As I left the shop, Adrian remarked “You’ve become one with the bike now Tom”. He was absolutely right, the bike felt completely different, it felt like his adjustments all over the bike had increased my power and efficiency, and I was excited to get out and ride.