If I was offered a proper bike fit when I
particular bike. The fit was appalling.
down the road. I didn't know any better
at the time. It felt like a race bike and
Yeah, naive as hell.
Fast forward six years - I've had a few bikes, had a few epic stacks,
and still never been properly fitted to a bike. When Paul from
Bike'n'Bean offered me a Specialized BG (Body Geometry) Fit I hesitated at first, it
was only a week out from the Tour of Bright, but last week after Bright
was done and dusted, I was onto it.
I do about 15,000kms a year with no niggles so I wasn't expecting any
wholesale changes to my setup. I also didn't want the front end changed
based on any 'comfort template' as I run a low front end to make it similar
to being on the TT bike.
I was really surprised at how extensive the process was. Initial questions
covering my riding (TT, road, crit, bank robbery getaways on BMX),
injury history (collarbone snaps x3, busted hip), then I was measured up,
laid flat, stretched, poked, and offered a cigarette afterwards.
(ok, the last one didn't happen).
Of the things I can remember, the list and my results were:
Booty size - Sit on a squishy thing and measure the width of sit bones. 118mm.
Foot size / Arch support. 43. Medium arch (whatever that is?).
Touch your toes / Hip angle flex. Had good hip flexies, thanks TT bike!
One leg squats. Foot/ankle rolls in. Normal.
Leg stretch straight/knee bent. No ballerina but it was ok.
Arms up test (shoulders/back). Handy post collarbone snappages. All good there.
On the bike - cranks at bottom-top-forward angle. Measurements taken.
Pedal motion review. Circles, not squares. All good.
 |
| The bag of tricks |
The funky BG Fit stem was left in the tool box as front end was skipped.
The handlebar drop was noted and the angle of the hoods/bar was given
the nod anyway. What we ended up with was a few minor changes to my
cleats, moving the saddle back a little, and some comfy inserts in my shoes.
Nothing major to report on, and as it is my 'off season' I can't report on any
power numbers to see if the changes have made any noticeable difference.
After a few 100km the shoes are comfy and it feels like the cleat is more
centered on the pedal spindle - as for this resulting in more power, I'll know
when I start cranking into intervals and TTs in 2012.
 |
| The bike looking like a young Forrest Gump with his leg braces on. |
It was good to confirm what I had was pretty close to the recommendations.
The ultimate combination would be a BG Fit in a wind tunnel, you'd get the best
of both worlds then - the art of comfort and the science to help you win races.
Who would I recommend a BG FIt to?
- Someone getting their first road bike. No question. It would be a valuable addition, and exactly why a bike company offer it.
- Someone getting a new road bike that is different to their current setup. ie. Punter road bike upgrading to a race bike.
- Half of Beach Rd. Including those odd riders who swing a leg wildly through each pedal stroke that takes out children on the adjacent walking path. (we've all seen Kneesy McSideways, admit it).
 |
| See, wild-stroke Kneesy needs a BG Fit! |
I've no doubt we'll be seeing other market dominating major players (Giant,
Trek, Huffy) offer something similar in their stores as a value add.
That was my take on things. Don't take my unbiased word for it though, head on
over to Specialized for their fully biased marketing of their own service - Movie
overview
HERE in which they use a model representing the demographic they're
targeting. A dude (sorry ladies). White as a ghost (doesn't ride much). Banged up
arm (falls off when he does). The
PDF on their site explains a little more.
If Andy Schleck is giving it a really cheesy thumbs up with a creepy guy looking
on, it must be good!
