These past 2 days Kit and myself had the opportunity to fit a few riders/testers/editors for Rodale Publications. Since it is good to know the history of a rider's injuries we customarily ask about previous injuries, when they occurred and any effects of such injuries. What I find that is most amazing is that often people will remember some pretty bad/serious injuries during the fit or even at the end. This was the case just yesterday ... Half the way into the fit when Kit and I commented on some of the rider's scars he was quick to point out that we had not seen his best scar yet which was about a 20 inch long scar from his pelvic area to his rib cage.
"Wow, what happened there?"
"Well, I t-boned a car about 15 years ago"
"And what type of injuries did you sustain?"
"Well, I was in ICU for 5 days and a kidney and a few organs were repositioned or removed!"
... While we know that Steve Hogg will say that this will have a huge impact on a rider's position on the bike, we want to know what is the medical term about the brain's ability to block out the traumatic events of the past? Win a pair of BikeFit socks is you are the first person to submit the correct answer.
Andrew
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile
Friday, May 28, 2010
East Coast vs West Coast Fit
While on the East Coast for the past 2 days often in conversation the terms East Coast and West Coast style riding (mtb) and bike fit came up in conversation several times.
For the person that can best describe the difference between these two styles will win a pair of BikeFit socks. All entries must be received by Monday May 31st, 2010.
Those riders who we just fitted in the past two days need not to reply, and thank you for the great insight!
For the person that can best describe the difference between these two styles will win a pair of BikeFit socks. All entries must be received by Monday May 31st, 2010.
Those riders who we just fitted in the past two days need not to reply, and thank you for the great insight!
Happy Holiday week-end and happy riding!
Andrew
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Congratulations to our most recent BikeFit Pros - Coast to Coast (NY-CA)
May 12th and 13nth Carlos and Brian went thru the intense BikeFit Pro Education course hosted by Woodinville Bike Shop in Woodinville. WA. http://www.woodinvillebicycle.com/
Tony Corke (Far Left) originally from the UK was the instructor. You can now find Tony regularly at Tacoma Bike Shop. http://www.tacomabike.com/
Paul - far right http://www.bikefit.com/
Carlos Raldirez (2nd from left) of Mr C’s Cycles – New York http://www.mrccycles.com/
And
Brian Tucker (2nd from right) of Bicycle Service Center – Hemet, CA http://www.bicycleservicecenter.com/
Tony Corke (Far Left) originally from the UK was the instructor. You can now find Tony regularly at Tacoma Bike Shop. http://www.tacomabike.com/
Paul - far right http://www.bikefit.com/
Carlos Raldirez (2nd from left) of Mr C’s Cycles – New York http://www.mrccycles.com/
And
Brian Tucker (2nd from right) of Bicycle Service Center – Hemet, CA http://www.bicycleservicecenter.com/
Keeping up with another BikeFit Pro
http://www.northsoundbikefit.com/
Aaron Mickels who became a BikeFit Pro in 2009 has a new web site.
Aaron Mickels who became a BikeFit Pro in 2009 has a new web site.
Monday, May 17, 2010
a cool story - hope you get the same
Read about Andrew and his fitting in Nor Cal
http://community.active.com/message/754415#754415
http://community.active.com/message/754415#754415
Friday, May 14, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
If a picture says 1000 words ...
There are many works to describe the knee tracking of the Giro d'Italia riders in this article?
I would like to just get their shoes and do a few fast adjustments ...
Viva il Giro!
I would like to just get their shoes and do a few fast adjustments ...
Viva il Giro!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
In the world of Bike Fit
Here is a link about one of our favorite customers. You may remember their name as our top international dealer last quarter - La Bicicletta
Enjoy - http://www.norco.com/whats-happening/news/968/
Enjoy - http://www.norco.com/whats-happening/news/968/
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Different approaches to 1 Problem
Paul got a call form a customer local to me and asked me to go and help him as he was experiencing lateral knee pain on his right side and some pain on and off on his left leg.
Once I arrived at the customer's residence I asked the usual questions, measured his feet for varus/valgus tilt and this is what the FFMD gave me: 0 degrees left and 5 degrees valgus right.
What the customer had placed under his shoes/cleats because he felt that his feet were "sliding off the pedals" were 2 wedges for valgus on the left foot and 3 on the right resulting in the knees to track incorrectly.
This is the orthodic that his orthopaedic doctor made him as a result of being filmed walking however his varus/valgus tilt was never measured. The left orthodic also had some degree of correction for a valgus tilt but not as extreme as the right.
The issue in this particular case is that the stance was not properly addressed at the time the cleats were mounted. I finished the fit by moving the cleats as far inward as I could in order to get more "support" under the client's feet so he would not experience the "sliding of the pedals" sensation. The best solution in this case is to go for Speedplay Zero's with a longer spindle to get the foot to be properly connected over the pedal. Since this has been his position for 3 years any changes towards a normal foot position may result in the nervous system and muscular system reacting to this as being a weird feeling.
While the philosophy at Bike Fit Systems is to "fill in the gap" and provide support under the foot by use of the cleat wedge or ITS wedge, I have heard of "specialist" in podiatry compensating the other way: so if they had a patient with 10 degrees of varus and orthodic with 10 degrees of valgus would be made in order to have the ball of the foot flat. Coincidentally enough over the week-end I was speaking to Dr Morelli of the Mapei Sport Service Center in Castellanza, VA, Italy about this same issue. He was seeing at their lab many riders "suffering" from knee pain that were fitted with orthodics that were made to change the structure of the foot instead of supporting it.
Of the last 4 fits, 3 of them had 1 foot with considerable amount of valgus! Two of them were almost identical in that they had 8 degrees of valgus on the left foot, 8 degrees of varus on the right and both riders required a Leg Length Shim to compensate for a shorter left leg.
More later ...
Once I arrived at the customer's residence I asked the usual questions, measured his feet for varus/valgus tilt and this is what the FFMD gave me: 0 degrees left and 5 degrees valgus right.
What the customer had placed under his shoes/cleats because he felt that his feet were "sliding off the pedals" were 2 wedges for valgus on the left foot and 3 on the right resulting in the knees to track incorrectly.
This is the orthodic that his orthopaedic doctor made him as a result of being filmed walking however his varus/valgus tilt was never measured. The left orthodic also had some degree of correction for a valgus tilt but not as extreme as the right.
Rear View of Right Orthodic
Side View of Right Orthodic
The issue in this particular case is that the stance was not properly addressed at the time the cleats were mounted. I finished the fit by moving the cleats as far inward as I could in order to get more "support" under the client's feet so he would not experience the "sliding of the pedals" sensation. The best solution in this case is to go for Speedplay Zero's with a longer spindle to get the foot to be properly connected over the pedal. Since this has been his position for 3 years any changes towards a normal foot position may result in the nervous system and muscular system reacting to this as being a weird feeling.
While the philosophy at Bike Fit Systems is to "fill in the gap" and provide support under the foot by use of the cleat wedge or ITS wedge, I have heard of "specialist" in podiatry compensating the other way: so if they had a patient with 10 degrees of varus and orthodic with 10 degrees of valgus would be made in order to have the ball of the foot flat. Coincidentally enough over the week-end I was speaking to Dr Morelli of the Mapei Sport Service Center in Castellanza, VA, Italy about this same issue. He was seeing at their lab many riders "suffering" from knee pain that were fitted with orthodics that were made to change the structure of the foot instead of supporting it.
Of the last 4 fits, 3 of them had 1 foot with considerable amount of valgus! Two of them were almost identical in that they had 8 degrees of valgus on the left foot, 8 degrees of varus on the right and both riders required a Leg Length Shim to compensate for a shorter left leg.
More later ...
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Bike Fit - SPD cleats and pedals.
I think I echo the sentiment of others by saying that I prefer to work with almost any other cleat and pedal when it comes to bike fit. But I think when it comes to really trying to improve what we do - we must learn to embrace our weakness or area we like the least.
I personally took this challenge and one of the results was the new V V 1 cleat, perhaps the most advance cycling cleat in the world. Here are some of the considerations for taking this challenge.
Market size and share - The SPD market is the largest market of pedals in the world. I will restate that as there are more people (A LOT MORE) riding some sort of SPD or SPD knock off than any other cleat and pedal. This is a huge and relatively untapped market. It really is ours for the taking.
Mtn bike fits and control - When it comes to so called mtn bike fits I often hear people say bike fit is not as important as a road bike. This could not be further from the truth. What controls a mtn bike more, than lets say seat height or position, is the foot/pedal interface. Your feet control the bike and are far more important for control of the bike than they are on a road bike.
The kicker – in spite of the fact that the connection is more important the platform size is small and not as stable. – The relative contact surface of an SPD cleat to the bottom of the shoe is so minimal. Often efforts we put into working with this cleat have been tough. Even when we get a desired adjustment it can be difficult to make sure everything maintains its setting. One less variable (incorporating a wedge into the cleat) eliminates one of the adjustments we need to control when working with SPD cleats. In other words it should be easier to address by eliminating one of the reasons we may tend to shy away from SPD type fits.
Here is a link to some early success with the V V 1 cleats. I hope you too will enjoy this type of success soon. http://hypercatcycling.wordpress.com/
I personally took this challenge and one of the results was the new V V 1 cleat, perhaps the most advance cycling cleat in the world. Here are some of the considerations for taking this challenge.
Market size and share - The SPD market is the largest market of pedals in the world. I will restate that as there are more people (A LOT MORE) riding some sort of SPD or SPD knock off than any other cleat and pedal. This is a huge and relatively untapped market. It really is ours for the taking.
Mtn bike fits and control - When it comes to so called mtn bike fits I often hear people say bike fit is not as important as a road bike. This could not be further from the truth. What controls a mtn bike more, than lets say seat height or position, is the foot/pedal interface. Your feet control the bike and are far more important for control of the bike than they are on a road bike.
The kicker – in spite of the fact that the connection is more important the platform size is small and not as stable. – The relative contact surface of an SPD cleat to the bottom of the shoe is so minimal. Often efforts we put into working with this cleat have been tough. Even when we get a desired adjustment it can be difficult to make sure everything maintains its setting. One less variable (incorporating a wedge into the cleat) eliminates one of the adjustments we need to control when working with SPD cleats. In other words it should be easier to address by eliminating one of the reasons we may tend to shy away from SPD type fits.
Here is a link to some early success with the V V 1 cleats. I hope you too will enjoy this type of success soon. http://hypercatcycling.wordpress.com/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
