My good friend Richard Melik is a fully qualified Retul bike fit specialist and is the founder of Freespeed, a bike fit studio in West London. I’ve never had a bike fitting in my life but I believe there could be some improvements to be had.
So how can a bike fit benefit us?
A good bike fit I’m told is like buying a bespoke suit. The benefits can be found in performance, efficiency, injury prevention and comfort. Rather than trying to adjust YOUR body to the bike it’s about setting up the bike to your body. Kind of makes sense when you think about it.
So what’s so special about a Retul bike fit?
Retül uses a 3D motion capture technology that analyses a bike rider’s movements whilst pedalling and records all three planes of movement, hence the name 3D motion capture. So see it like a dynamic bike fitting session that doesn’t rely on a bike fitters eye or 2D pictures. The fitter can make adjustments to the bike position and assess those changes using objective measures.
But what about me?
I’m effectively a Time Trialer. I’m going to spend over 5 hours in the time trial position and so aerodynamics, comfort and efficiency are key. How many pictures have you seen of Ironman competitors with expensive bikes who are riding them sat upright because they have a stiff back. I’ve experienced back pain in all of my Ironman’s and I’m keen to do everything I can to eliminate this. As with any kind of assessment it’s the knowledge and skill of the fitter combined with the Retul technology that makes a great fit. In Richard Melik I’m in the hands of one of the best.
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