Once you’ve found the right bike for your body and riding style, it’s time to get in depth. An anatomical bike fitting with a specialist goes beyond simple measurements, by taking a closer look at how you move and feel with the bike. The end goal of a fitting process is to make the bike feel like an extension of your body; that means making adjustments to your technique and your bike.
Fitting can be done in conjunction with sizing at the time of purchasing a new bike; in fact, the line between the two processes gets a little blurry. But they should be thought of as two separate steps in getting comfortable with your bike.
Consider how much stress your body endures on a long ride with a road bike – your neck, shoulders, hands, back, butt, hips, thighs and knees can all feel the pain. Even a few minor adjustments could be enough to make those hours in the saddle much better spent. A fitting specialist will examine a long list of factors affecting comfort and performance, including problems that might lead to injury in the long term.
Before you even get on the bike to demonstrate technique, the specialist will ask about things like past injuries, flexibility and sources of soreness or numbness after a long ride. They’ll also take measurements and assess strength in key parts of the body, keeping in mind any imbalances or weaknesses that might be causing discomfort.
With you on the bike and the bike on a stationary trainer, adjustments are made. Everything from saddle shape, angle and height to handlebar shape and angle to cleat alignment and shimming to crank length is taken into consideration. The specialist will also examine knee and foot alignment with a laser and make suggestions on pedalling more efficiently.
The specialists at Braun’s…is Bicycles use the Speed FACTory bike fitting system to improve riders’ experiences. To learn how you can achieve better performance and comfort instantly, visit www.brauns.com or www.customerfirst.brauns.com/speedfactory/fitting.