King BikeFit

This year Team Movistar have employed a biomechanic (Jon Irriberri) to screen all their cyclists for – issues. Team HTC Columbia also have a similar method of pre-empting injury by forseeing problems and correcting them with bike fit and physio. But this is still rare within the racing community. The attitude, íf it ain´t broke don´t fix it´ is all too prevalent. But happens if it does break, or if you are wasting valuable power?

Many riders’ initial reaction when introduced to wedges is that they might reduce power. Won’t my foot slide off the pedal? Surely a flat interface is a more direct transmission of power? Well actually, no. For riders with a large amount of varus (forefoot angle), the wedges willl improve the transmission of power and create a more stable platform. Here is some more interesting evidence to back up thousands of positive anecdotal experiences.

Here is a selection of the best fitting products from 2010. Although there is always an element of finding what works for you, some products seem to stand out from the rest. This list applies to all types of serious cyclist. It just so happens Carlos Sastre seems to have all of these products. He obviously has superb taste. Do you think any other items deserve a place on this list?

Saddle fore and aft position is something covered in the most basic of bike fitting courses or books. Its easy, you just measure knee over pedal axle, right? Well not quite. This seemingly simple measurement becomes far more mind boggling the more you learn about it. A whole host of different factors and compromises come in to play; femur length, weight distribution, handling, aerodynamics, flexibility, UCI rules, and handlebar position to name a few.

All bike fitters add their own personal touches to a fit, whether they mean to or not. Even within Cyclefit we have small differences. But as with most things in life, there are a few routes to the ultimate goal (in this case, comfort and efficiency).

This is relevant because I occasionally read the bikefitpro blog written by bikefit founder, Paul Swift. He often posts details of his fits showing how many cleat wedges, ITS Wedges, and speedplay extra length spindles he uses. What jumped out at me was how many longer spindles were used on his fits. I very rarely see the need for a longer spindle, but Paul Swift used them quite regularly.

Cycling has changed quite dramatically since the 1990 tour. Doping is apparently eradicated, wages have increased, and technology has advanced rapidly. That includes biomechanical research and of course, the bikes themselves. Here is a look at a selection of the most famous contenders for yellow jersey at the 1990 Tour.