Bike Fit

My physical therapist suggested I go for a bike fit to make sure my increased time riding was not the cause of my recent knee pain. I had a friend who had been to Music City Cycles and learned how important a good bike fit is for the shop owner. So I contacted Music City Cycles and scheduled an appointment. All I knew about a bike fitting was it would make sure the dimensions of my body would fit on my particular bicycle and there might be some adjustments made.

I showed up the bicycle shop a little early to change into my bicycling clothes and put the pedals on my bicycle. Music City Cycles owner, David, uses a system known as Quick Fit. This has various sticks that measure a variety of things. Several of them are light weight poles with another pole inside that are spring loaded. David started with measuring two forms of flexibility. I still wonder how flexibility is used on the bicycle, maybe balance? He measured my inseam standing up and again sitting on my knees. Measured my torso, the width of my hand, the length of both arms and then measured various places on my bike. He plugged the numbers into a computer system and the system showed optimal placement of things like the seat and the handlebars. He showed me proper pedaling technique. One position in the bicycle has not been comfortable at all for me. He looked at the optimal placement of a stem and was able to determine the stem is the wrong angle and wrong length. I ordered a new stem. It's worth a little bit more money to be comfortable and not injured. The stem was recently replaced when I had my bicycle repaired in July after my fall.

David says the customers who have come to him end up being some of his most loyal customers. They come back often and sometimes end up buying a custom made bicycle with the measurements taken. I expressed that it takes a special person to measure an inseam. He also said his wife's friends have made comments that he can talk about a women's crotch and it's not crass.

It was a painless process and I'm glad I did it. I'm thinking about taking it out to a state park this weekend for a ride. Last Sunday I put it on the trainer my friend has let me borrow. That was the first time I've ridden it since the fall in July. It was a hard workout. Although the temperature was pleasant it was humid. I was dripping with sweat and left a pool of it on the patio. I didn't go nearly as long a period of time as I would have liked, but I seem to have lost some of the strength in my lungs (VO2 max?) since i had the fall.