Are you looking at this in your bike fits?

It is easy to make the side view look good but does it have a solid foundation? Here is typical photo of a BikeFit Pro student working on the foundation. The face belongs to Bill Elkins from the Florida Keys.

Average number of wedges per bikefit this weekend was over 2.5 per per foot. 

Photo taken at Delta Athletics in Covington Louisiana. Special thanks to Ashley Lange for the awesome place to host a BikeFit Pro class.

Keep LOOKing even at other pedals like Shimano and Speedplay

More marks on the inside - but is this exclusive to LOOK. Nope, you will find this on others as well.

Shimano road is made from tougher material and may not show it as easily but you will find this. Speedplay may show it on the sping in an X series pedal and inside the circle of the cleat on the base plate. Just as with LOOK the wear marks will be more often near the outer edge.

Remember to check out George Hood who is still pedaling. World Record in progress for Gunnar Hotchkin Memorial Fund http://www.ustream.tv/channel/hood-s-guinness-world-record-attempt  Don’t forget to send him a note – info on the link above.    Host facility – http://www.urbantrigear.com/

Going to Interbike?


Receive a FREE Foot/Pedal Interface Assessment by one of our BikeFit Pros at Interbike.
You MUST reserve your spot in advance -
Select one of the times below

Wednesday 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM
Thursday 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM
Friday 11:00 AM (this session is booked) and 3:00 PM

Where - Booth # 406
Bring your SHOES, PEDALS and CYCLING SHORTS.
Please call us to reserve your spot...425-821-7234 or e-mail Brian@BikeFit.com
- credit card is required only to hold your reservation, $100 charge if you do not show

Average number of wedges

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/cyclingnews-fitness-q-and-a-may-4-2010

Hit the link above and scroll down - notice the number of wedges Hogg mentions he uses.......are you anywhere close to this?

We fall a bit short but our average is increasing. We used to be around 4 wedges per fit. Today we are closer to 4.6 or 4.7 wedges per fit.

What is your average number of wedge per fit?

Bike Fit Education - UK

Learn real bike fitting at CycleFit - one of our oldest and best customers. I have worked personally with Phil and Julian. These guys know bike fit. Recently I had the privilege to work with a former apprentice and employee of CycleFit. I was pleasantly surprised with his knowledge and skills.

These guys are beyond Serotta or Trek or any other so called bike fitting schools - combined!

http://www.bikefittingtools.com/index.php?page=cyclefit-bike-fitting-course

Famous Shoes Belong to........

His name?????

ITS vs Cleat Wedge

First of all this is not one wedge against another – as long as you are talking about BikeFit branded wedges. Both of the Wedges offered from BikeFit.com work very well. Each wedge however has its place.

In most cases it is my preference to use the Cleat Wedge. In fact this is what most bike fitters should also find when they approach this issue at the foot. Bike fitters more and more should be able to assess this area and find the preferred product to be the Cleat Wedge.

So when should the ITS be used?

The ITS often is a “fill in” product for types of cleats that are not compatible with cleat wedges like Crank Brothers – however Cleat Wedges under the Crank Brothers shoe shield is often a good cleat wedge solution.

Perhaps more of a hyper mobile foot would be a good place to use an ITS in combination with the Cleat Wedge. This type of foot needs more support. A stiff or rather a more rigid foot tends to be more responsive with less wedging and the Cleat Wedge is really a better solution for most rigid feet (this is important to know so please keep this information in mind when you are doing bike fits)

ITS wedges are also great for diagnostics. Throw it in and see how it affects the cycling mechanics.

When you are short on time you can quickly get some needed wedging in place (probably only a temporary solution) for the foot.

ITS wedges are also good to have in your arsenal for situations when a cyclist is “in-between” or it is tough to tell if 2 cleat wedges or 3 cleat wedges is the better solution. In other words the cyclist looks good with 2 or 3 cleat wedges. Let the cyclist go with 2 cleat wedges installed and give them an ITS as the 3rd wedge. Instruct them to spend some time with the ITS in the shoe and some time with it in their back pocket. Over a period of time you will usually find the preferred amount of Cleat Wedging to settle on for the cyclist.

Bike Fits recent growth in the industry is a good thing. However with growth we must also be careful to grow properly. There is a huge amount of misinformation that is floating within the bike fitting world. Be aware of this and learn the difference. Many people have been mislead on this issue.

Just like pedal platforms got wider with world leading companies does not mean their approach was the correct one. Perhaps it was needed but it was done so with complete disregard to the reason “why” outer pedal wear was occurring. Think about this when you look at other leading companies with other products….are they really steering us in the right direction?

Happy Cleat Wedge Pedaling

Swifty

Can you think of some well known names in the bike fitting world that are a big fans of the Cleat Wedges?? An example of one is John Cobb

F. I. S. T. - a Rare View

Earlier this month I had the privilege of teaching again in Valeyermo, CA at the FIST Certification course. If you do not know where this is do not feel like the Lone Ranger. If you ask 20 people in the Los Angeles area ( even cyclists and triathletes) where it is, at best one might have an idea. NO ONE knows where this place is. However once you get there it is a getaway worth the visit.

Dan Empfield has invited me to teach foot/pedal interface several times at his F.I.S.T. Bike Fitting classes. Interesting that the most important part of the education he leaves for the last day ... . Dan Empfield was the founder of Quintana Roo bicycles, the first triathlon specific bicycle on the market! He knows a thing or 2 about bicycle design and fitting, so being able to teach part of his TT/bikefit curriculum focusing on foot/pedal interface is an indication of the importance that Dan "Slowman" Empfield bestows upon his fitters.

Here is a rare glimpse at where the teaching is done at the compound. Check out the gang all looking at the front view; a laser resting on a Speedplay case ... need I say more?