Bike fitting is the best upgrade
Fit is the most important consideration when it comes to deciding on a bike. Forget the fancy wheels and carbon fiber bits. If the fit isn’t right you won’t be comfortable, you won’t perform up to your potential and it could lead to overuse injuries. At our Westboro Physiotherapy location, bike fitting is done here.
- Do you suffer from numb hands or feet?
- Is your back or butt sore after a ride?
- Are you as comfortable as you could be?
- Are you positioned to put out the most power you can?
- If you have a road bike and weren’t fit, ask yourself are you getting all the performance you could?
Before you think about frame material or what wheels you want, think about bike fit. Consider the fact that a 60 km ride equals more than 10,000 pedal strokes. If you are riding an ill-fitting bike you will be at best uncomfortable and slower than you could be, and worst case it can lead to injury.
We operate on the philosophy of adapting your bike to you, rather than the other way around.
For recreational riders, it’s all about comfort. The right equipment with the right setup for you leads to an enjoyable ride. Your butt and back don’t have to hurt.
For performance-oriented riders and racers, it has to be a balance between performance, comfort, and biomechanical alignment. I’ve been refining our fitting system for 12 years, using the most up-to-date research combined with the use of fitting technology from Bikefitting.com and Lemond Fitness.
To get your bike adjusted to you, we look at more than just your measurements. There is an interview where we find your athletic and injury history, comfort issues on the bike, riding goals, and anything you might have done to try to fix any problems before coming to us.
Then we do a structural assessment. Most people have imbalances, whether in flexibility, strength, or stability. By assessing which muscles may be tighter or weaker we can find and address the root cause of alignment and performance issues.
Only then do we get you on the bike. Starting with your feet we work up until you have a total body alignment on your bike. When your bike is fitted properly, you feel like you could fly. Hill climbing is easier. 100-mile rides are much more enjoyable because your hands and neck aren’t hurting. More speed, fewer aches, and pains.
Do you want to have up to 10% more power in one day?
I’ve had customers gain this much of an increase in sustained power just by having their bikes adjusted to match their biomechanical structure. Even riders who are fitted pretty well can see improvements that would take months of training to accomplish. And this is in just a few hours of repositioning on your bike.
Each Ottawa Bike Fitting session works with your measurements, cycling history, flexibility, and preferences to dial in your position for maximum performance while still being comfortable for the long haul.
A quality road bike is like a suit, it only looks good on you when it is tailor-fit. By getting the three contact points ( handlebars, pedals, and saddle) in the right position you will find yourself riding faster and longer with less soreness. Add to this foot and knee alignment for optimal power output and injury prevention.
Getting your alignment and balance right on the bike will make riding faster and more comfortable.
Our list of fit factors includes:
- Saddle shape and position
- Saddle height and fore-aft balance
- Handlebar shape and angle
- Choice of type of handlebar tape
- Brake lever angle
- Cleat alignment and shimming
- Knee and foot alignment
- Leg length imbalances
- Pedal stroke mechanics
- Custom molded orthotics
- Crank length
- Pedal stance width
