How can a fit help you perform?
Every element of a fit is to settle you into the best position on the bike for you and the style of riding you do. At Bike Align every fit is individual because no two people are the same. What works for one will not work for another.
Power.
We all have an amount of power we can put out. We can improve this with training and depending on the day we may put out more or less. So where does your fit come in? Making every watt count is the simple answer. If you are set on the bike in the best position for you, you will be able to use your muscles in the most efficient way. We want to recruit the big powerful muscles to every pedal stroke. One of the most common mistakes we see, and are guilty of ourselves in the early days, is sitting too high on the saddle. It gives you fantastic looking calves but leaves you missing some power from your larger muscles.
Aerodynamics
It is now known that the biggest resistance that acts on any of us when we ride is the drag we produce. So why not just slam your stem, get a long way out front and raise your seat to get a lower body position? Simply because most of us can't ride like that no matter how much we’d love to. But does that mean we should just ignore our aerodynamic profile? Absolutely not. Getting into the most aero position for you will still have gains but you can’t ride in a position you’re not physically capable of holding. It’s counterproductive and will end up being uncomfortable at best and causing injuries at worst. Yes, you can improve your flexibility to help you get more aero over time but if you are set up correctly now, there is no problem making those changes once your body has adapted.
It’s also important to be set up for the event you’re doing. If you’re riding a TT bike for a sprint Tri, you wouldn’t have the same position as you would for an ironman. Getting the correct tool for the job is vital to optimum performance.
Historical gains
We have had reports from clients of gains of over 10% straight after their fit. Numbers we never thought would be possible and probably the thick end of the wedge. The one constant that has come from feedback from every client to date is an increase in performance. Even from the clients who came to us for something else. Some marginal gains and some massive gains but all gains. Those gains are just from the performance side and don’t even look at the improved comfort and endurance they have also reported.
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