bike fitting

8/17/2019 Bike Fitting

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How to Fit a Road Bicycle

Overview This article is focused on road bike tting and not bike sizing. Often these twodescriptions become intertwined but they are completely dierent. With that said,tting a road bicycle works best when you start with the right size bike; or at aminimum a bicycle that is close enough to your right size.

izing a road bicycle is not as complicated as you may ha!e been led to belie!e, in partdue to the reality that a good bike t actually has little to do with the bicycle per se."itting a road bicycle comes down to the contact points #connection points$ betweenthe cyclist and their bicycle. These !e connection points are% right and left foot, thepel!is and right and left hands. o e!en if your bike is not the correct &size,' as long asyou get the connection points in the ideal place you can still achie!e a good andcomfortable bike t.

( proper bike t has more to do with the saddle, handlebars, brake le!ers and hoods,

stem and, most importantly, shoes, cleats and pedals.

)llustration * + oad -ike with the &target' connection points highlighted.

(s long as you get the euipment within the bull/s+eye #range$ you can achie!e aproper and e0cient bicycle t.

1eep in mind selling bicycles is the business of a bike shop so it is inherent that theirfocus is on the bicycle and bicycle frame. -ike"it focuses on a great bike ride and ourbusiness does not rely on selling you a bicycle. Our uniue position enables us to gi!eyou a non+biased opinion on the brand #or cost$ of bicycle you ride. We 2ust care thatyour bike ts you.

3etting the connection points into the bull/s+eye is 2ust a start to the bike t. 4ot onlydo these points need to be in the correct area but you need to ne tune each specicconnection. 5ou need to assess and ne tune the bike part as it meets your body. Why6


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-icycles are symmetrical #other than one crank sometimes being a little wider+from+center than the other$ whereas the human body is not. "or e7ample at the hands, 2ustbecause you may ha!e the correct length and angled stem does not mean you ha!ethe right shape and size of handlebar, the proper bar tilt8rotation, and8or brake le!ersand their location on the handlebars. Or for the feet, because you set the cleat fore8aftposition does not mean its rotation, tilt and stance width are correct.

The ultimate result between the bike and your connection to it is when the bicyclebasically disappears. Once you no longer notice the bike and the only thing on yourmind is your ride, the scenery and8or company then you ha!e a good bike t. imilarlywhile a bike racer may not care about the scenery, they do care how fast they aregoing and their position in the eld. When a bike racer is not conscious about their bike#it disappears$ they are e7periencing a great bike t.

Getting Started(s pre!iously mentioned, the #cyclist/s$ body contacts the bicycle at !e points+ hands,pel!is, and feet. The location of the feet, pel!is and hands dramatically impacts comfortand e0ciency on the bicycle. There are se!eral pieces of euipment on a bicycle that

are used or ad2usted to nd your ideal position on your bike%

*. Pelvis 9 saddle selection, height, fore8aft and tilt and sometimes cycling shorts.

:. Hands 9 handle bars, brake le!ers and hoods which are connected !ia a stem.

. Feet 9 pedals, cleats, cycling shoes and occasionally crank arm length.

Pelvis

Saddle Selectionarely do bicycle tting articles mention saddle selection with regard to bike tting. The

reality is it is the rst step before making any ad2ustment to the seat height, tilt or

fore8aft. 4ot ha!ing the ideal bike seat can aect and compromise your ideal cycling

position.

(s simple as it sounds, the best way to nd the most comfortable bike seat is to sit on

it. The problem is switching saddles is both time consuming and di0cult.

that uickly

and easily allows you to test as many saddles as you/d like by sitting on them

4ot all shops ha!e witch)t so you/ll need to ask for it or nd another bike shop thatdoes. When you nd a shop with witch)t, try as many saddles as you/d like until yound the one that ts best before you make your purchase. )t may come as a surprisethat the seat you currently ride is not really the best saddle for you. ?et your hinny bethe 2udge@

http://www.bikefit.com/s-13-road-bikes.aspx#Pelvishttp://www.bikefit.com/s-13-road-bikes.aspx#Handshttp://www.bikefit.com/s-13-road-bikes.aspx#Feethttp://www.bikefit.com/p-52-switchit-rapid-saddle-changertilt-adjuster.aspxhttp://www.bikefit.com/s-13-road-bikes.aspx#Handshttp://www.bikefit.com/s-13-road-bikes.aspx#Feethttp://www.bikefit.com/p-52-switchit-rapid-saddle-changertilt-adjuster.aspxhttp://www.bikefit.com/s-13-road-bikes.aspx#Pelvis


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-eware of other ways a bicycle dealer may guide you in your saddle choice. ome bikeshops may ha!e you sit on a de!ice that takes an impression of the width of your sitsbones. )f this de!ice actually works, the best information it Asuggests/ is 9 how wide ornarrow of a saddle you Amight/ like. Bnfortunately we can share with you story afterstory where this de!ice does not pro!ide information for a good saddle choice.

(s mentioned, a saddle that is not right for you can compromise your position on thebike and of course be uncomfortable.


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)llustration : + Deel crape

This is applicable for a road bike or an indoor cycle like the pinner. )n our e7periencethe properly bent knee should ha!e between :H and H degrees of Ee7ion from astraight leg. Typically, most people ha!e greater than I degrees of knee bend at thebottom of the pedal stroke. )f your hips rock a little when you pedal, lower the saddle a couple millimeters and testagain. epeat as necessary until you eliminate this rocking.

While there are formulas that take into account your inseam measurement, generally,they do not produce any better result than the aforementioned heel scrape method. We recommend using a 3oniometer to accurately measure knee bend. Dere is agoniometer checking knee Ee7ion or the bend in the knee at the bottom of the stroke%

http://www.bikefit.com/p-45-goniometer.aspxhttp://www.bikefit.com/p-45-goniometer.aspx


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)llustrations a J b + 3oniometer measurement and proper knee angle


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)llustration M + 1nee o!er Ledal pindle alignment

This measurement is the same if you use an indoor cycle like the pinner Lro or road

bike. Cany people use a plumb bob for this measurement #we did at one time$ but we

ha!e found a laser to be easier and far more precise. While the right leg in the photo

abo!e is closest by using a laser the rider can spin the other leg forward and check the

fore8aft on far leg as well without mo!ing the laser. This is not possible with a weighted

string hanging from the knee.

1OL is a starting point. ?ess e7perienced tters may rely on 1OL as their only

method. Core e7perienced tters also consider the rider/s o!erall front+to+back

balance. The goal for saddle fore8aft is for ideal front+to+back bike balance and weight

distribution. )f you feel like you could pop a &wheelie' if a strong head wind hit your

face you are likely too far back on the bike and thus need to mo!e the saddle forward.

)f you feel like you are completely on top of your steering with a lot of your weight on

the front wheel you are probably too far forward on the bike.

One of the common misconceptions is that you should not ha!e any weight on yourhands. That is not correct. )t/s true you don/t want too much weight on your hands,

wrist and triceps so they tire easily and8or become uncomfortable after some period of

time, but the pressure should be &slight.' Kecreasing hand pressure sometimes can be

achie!ed by mo!ing a saddle towards the rear #or if the saddle nose is tilted downward

you would need to raise the saddle/s nose$.

Hands

http://www.bikefit.com/p-47-plumb-bob.aspxhttp://www.bikefit.com/p-47-plumb-bob.aspxhttp://www.bikefit.com/p-51-self-leveling-laser.aspxhttp://www.bikefit.com/p-51-self-leveling-laser.aspxhttp://www.bikefit.com/p-47-plumb-bob.aspxhttp://www.bikefit.com/p-51-self-leveling-laser.aspx


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Handlebar Positioning

Dandlebar positioning is a mi7 of the bar/s height, depth and width, and brake type and

position #and occasionally the le!er/s reach$. The position can be changed by

increasing8decreasing the length and height of the stem, the width and reach of the

handlebars, and the fore8aft and inward8outward position of the brake le!er hoods.

3enerally your hands should be placed in whate!er position you most freuently ride.

The most comfortable position for most road bike cyclists is where the angle between

the torso and the upper arm is around NI degrees #see illustration below$. 5ou should

ha!e a slight bend in the elbows to ma7imize comfort and control. This bend canincrease if you want to become more aerodynamic such as when time+trialing, racing or

riding into a really strong head wind.

Once you/!e found your sweet spot you can begin ad2usting your position. Kon/t forget

to mo!e your hands around on the bars to try dierent positions. (lso, you need to

stand comfortably to accommodate climbing or sprinting out of the saddle.

)f you ride more upright, the angle at the shoulder may be less than NI degrees. This

NI degree angle applies to road bikes, touring bikes, pinner -ike, and stationary

bikes such as the ?eCond e!Caster.


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that we recommend as it is both ine7pensi!e and can be used permanently.

While this stem takes some practice to ad2ust, it/s worth the learning cur!e because it

oers many ad2ustment ranges. urprisingly, this ad2ustable stem is only a few grams

hea!ier than a &7ed' stem. (d2ustable stems are really useful on a new bike or if you

share your bike with friends. Once you nd your perfect, desired position you may

re!ert to a standard 7ed stem.

Road Bie Handlebar !idth

The easiest way to select the handlebar/s width is to pick up dierent width bars in a

bike shop and grab hold of them. Co!e your hands around from the drops to the tops.

Try both narrow and wide bars. With both hands on the bars mo!e your hands down

near your waist, straight out in front of you and then bring them toward your chest. Ko

this with a few bars and usually you/ll nd one that feels better than the others. )f you

are still unsure between two widths put the bars up to your armpits and choose the

ones that are most closely aligned.

Road Handlebar Reach and "ropOne of the great ad!ancements in handlebar comfort was shortening the bar/s reach

and drop. The reach is dened as the measurement from the part of the bar that

attaches to the stem to the furthermost part of the bar #where it bends downward$.

Krop is the measurement of the top of the handlebar to the top of the lower part of the

bar #also called the &hooks'$. The reach and drop should be comfortable for your riding

style. "or e7ample, bike racers spend most of their time on the hooks whereas a casual

cyclist may ne!er ride in that position.

Road Handlebar Rotation

Distorically the most freuently used method of determining the handlebar/s rotation

was putting the bottom of the drop parallel to the ground or le!el like the photo on the

left. )f you walk into most bike shops today may still likely see this. This position is not

!ery comfortable for most riders. The rotation of your bars is determined solely by what

is comfortable, not the bar/s alignment with the earth/s surface. otate your bars

upward until you achie!e a more neutral wrist position. Koesn/t the bars rotation in the

right photo below look more comfortable6 ?et comfort be your guide to ne tune this

as your body will guide you to the best position. This simple ad2ustment helps impro!e

hand comfort and reduces numbness.


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)llustration Ha J Hb + Dandlebar rotation before and after

Handlebar HeightDandlebar height is determined by comfort and the type of riding you/re doing. "or

e7ample, some cyclists ad2ust their bar/s height for spending most of the time in the

drop position whereas other riders ne!er go to the hooks but prefer riding with their

hands on the hoods. (d2ust your handlebar height to your comfort. ome tters use

body measurement to determine the handlebar/s height. While a measurement might

be useful it should not be used as the sole determining factor.

Feet

#ran $ength


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The Foot/Pedal #onnection

(nd last, but certainly not least is the foot8pedal connection. The foot8pedal connection

is the most important aspect in any bike t because our e7perience shows us that most

of a rider/s pain and discomfort actually originates in their feet.

#leat Fore/Aft position

"ore8aft cleat position has changed o!er the years as cycling shoes ha!e become

stier. While some cyclists nd positioning the center of their cleat behind the ball of

their foot #the big bump on the foot behind the big toe P *$ is comfortable, others place

the center of the pedal spindle e!en closer to the bump #back from the pinky toe P =$

on the outside of the foot.

)n the illustration to the right the center of the spindle is between the middle of the *st

and =th but closer toward the bump on the outside of the foot.

)f you feel strain in your calf or (chilles tendon mo!e the cleat back toward the heel of

the shoe. )f you feel sore under the arch you may need to mo!e the cleat forward on

the shoe.

#leat Side%to%Side Position


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)llustrations Na J Nb + (d2ustment for knee o!er foot alignment

)f the knee goes inward when you pedal then the foot needs to be mo!ed inward #cleatmo!ed outward$ as well to be more under the knee.

)llustrations *Ia J *Ib + (d2ustment for knee mo!ing inside of foot

4ot all cleats allow for side+to+side ad2ustment. )f you ha!e ad2usted the cleat as far as

possible but you are still not out or in far enough you may want to consider pedals that

ha!e dierent length spindles such as peedplay. Or, you can mo!e the foot wider by

adding a spacer washer or a :I mm spacer.

http://www.bikefit.com/p-25-1-pair-20-mm-pedal-spacers.aspxhttp://www.bikefit.com/p-25-1-pair-20-mm-pedal-spacers.aspx


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)n the illustration below, the top pedal shows the :I mm spacer threaded onto the a7le

to increase the width8length of the pedal. The bottom pedal shows a *mm spacer

washer o!er the threads of the a7le to increase the width8length of the pedal. 4e!er

use more than one * mm washer on a pedal spindle.

)llustration ** + peedplay pedals with * mm and :I mm spacers

The :I mm spacers are often a good solution for the cyclists that look like a !+twin

engine while pedaling with both knees outward at the top of the pedal stroke.

)f you are one to pedal with your knees out you may ha!e heard other riders tell you to

&bring your knees in.' This is another cycling myth. The reality is your knees go where

they want to go and you need to mo!e the foot underneath the knee to accommodate

that natural motion.

#leat Tilt

The tilt and angle of the forefoot is !ery important and is one of the most o!erlooked

aspects in bike tting. The most common

&hot spots' #your foot feels like there/s a Eame underneath it$ are resol!ed by a simple

tilt ad2ustment where the cleat8shoe meet.

4ot a week goes by that someone doesn/t call or email us complaining of discomfort or


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pain on the bottom, outermost part of their foot. The left illustration shows the location

of the COT common &hot foot' or foot discomfort.

The right illustration shows e!en pressure the cyclist should ha!e across the entire ball

of their foot.


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(nother indication for needing


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-ike"it originated both


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)llustration :Ia J :Ib +


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bike fitting

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