Spring might seem to be the best time to dial in the fit of your bicycle, but some riders may notice that necks and backs begin to pinch a little during long summer bike rides.
For me, it's a sore knee brought on by too many uphill miles on my second-hand mountain bike that I never took the time to fit properly.
While searching for some other bike-related videos, I stumbled across this video on YouTube of a bike fit system used over at Veloce Velo in Issaquah.
Cyfac Postural System
The store is only one of a few in the US that uses the Cyfac Postural System, created for France-based Cyfac Bicycle in conjunction with research from the Lyon Center of Sports Medicine.
Essentially, the bike fitter considers body measurements, rider characteristics, injury history, equipment and type of cycling to determine the bike fit.
The system is fully explained at the Cyfac company website, as well as the Veloce Velo website.
The video was produced by a local TV station after the bike shop received a high rating in a poll.
Do-it-yourself
For comparison, there's a do-it-yourself bike fit tutorial prepared last year by Performance Bikes, the mail order, online and retail bicycle store.
If you've ever read about bicycle fit procedures, you'll see them demonstrated in this 6-minute video. Basically, the mechanic shows the three-major fitting tests: saddle height, fore/aft saddle position and horizontal body position.
He also gives advice on making adjustments based on your style of riding, such as racing or touring.
I remember most of these measurements from old Bicycling magazines I've read over the years.
If you have lots of time, you might enjoy the 5-part John Howard bike fitting clinic on YouTube.
There's also a bare bones, 1-minute bike fit tutuorial.
Recent Comments