Specialized Body Fit
Specialized Geometry Body Fit with M. Steel Cycles. The only qualified store between Glasgow and Harrogate for your BG Fit. For enquiries or to have your unique fitting please call or email mark@msteelcycles.co.uk
Fit to ride. Getting the best out of you and your bike. Specialized Body Geometry Fit.
You’ve chosen the road or mountain bike to suit your particular type of riding. You will probably have given the set up of the bike some considerable thought. Like me, you probably did this based on ‘feel’ or perhaps information gathered from friends, websites or magazines. (I am thinking in particular of saddle height and position here) Your bike just feels right.
However, and as I recently found out, ‘feeling’ right and ‘being’ right can be two totally different things. The human body has an amazing ability to mould into the shapes that we put it into on a day to day basis so being objective about our own bikes and bodies can be difficult. I learnt this first hand when I underwent a Body Geometry bike fit session with Dave Buchan at M Steel Cycles. The process has been developed by Specialized and was a fascinating insight into how bike and body work together in the most effective and efficient manner.
At this point some more casual cyclists may be thinking, ‘This is beyond what I need. I don’t race. I am more of a leisure cyclist’. Well, bear with me because later I would like to highlight why the process is of value to cyclists of all levels and aspirations.
As an endurance mountain bike rider and racer an effective and efficient position on the bike is very important as it brings about a number of performance benefits which can make a significant difference in a race situation. I also ride on the road and have applied the process to my road bike bringing about noticeable gains in my general training. More of the specific benefits for the performance cyclist in a while, but you will see that the interests of the casual rider and the racer are closer than perhaps you first thought.
Dave explains the Body Fit process to a female client and asks about riding history and style of riding
Dave started by having a good look at my general physical shape and asked me questions about any injuries or niggles I had experienced. I told him that I had, over many years of riding, been very lucky generally and had experienced few injuries. However, the limited injuries that I had suffered tended to be down my left leg and I have recently had some discomfort in my left foot. My flexibility was also assessed through the planes specific to cycling.
The rider’s flexibility is examined
In some areas, and as expected, it was ‘could do better!’ Some good food for thought already! And then Dave took some measurements and this was the first real surprise... my left leg is one centimetre longer than my right! This had never been picked up by a physio in the past and may go some way to explaining why any injuries had been down my left leg; I had been putting unequal force through my legs and the left was, to a degree, dragging the right around. This was proving a very valuable session!
On to fitting the bike. The Specialized Body Geometry fit concept is based around one key angle: the one formed at the knee which, when combined with the pedal cleat position and the position of the saddle fore and aft on the saddle rails, defines the saddle height. The angle the hip forms with the torso is also optimised.
The crucial optimal knee angle is established.
This ‘sweet spot’ provides the most effective position, allowing you to put all your pedal power right where you want it, so that all your energy works to propel the bike forward. The deftness with which Dave manipulated these positions and resultant angle highlighted his many years of cycling and bike fitting experience. My saddle was raised and pushed back on its rails. We also changed the pedal cleat position on my left shoe relative to the right to help compensate for my leg length imbalance.
In some areas, and as expected, it was ‘could do better!’ Some good food for thought already! And then Dave took some measurements and this was the first real surprise... my left leg is one centimetre longer than my right! This had never been picked up by a physio in the past and may go some way to explaining why any injuries had been down my left leg; I had been putting unequal force through my legs and the left was, to a degree, dragging the right around. This was proving a very valuable session!
On to fitting the bike. The Specialized Body Geometry fit concept is based around one key angle: the one formed at the knee which, when combined with the pedal cleat position and the position of the saddle fore and aft on the saddle rails, defines the saddle height. The angle the hip forms with the torso is also optimised.
The correct cleat position is established using a plumb line
We also looked at my reach to the handlebars to ensure that I was not overstretched or in a cramped position. Whilst the fit was done on my mountain bike, handlebar width on a road bike is also crucial for control, comfort, and efficiency.
Handlebar width is measured and correct reach is established
On the shop turbo trainer the new set up felt weird! Essentially the strange sensation is a result of ‘muscle memory’, a phenomenon that I hinted towards earlier. Cycling is very repetitive muscular activity and my legs had become accustomed to moving in certain way and from a certain position. There is a lot of forgetting and relearning to do but it shouldn’t take long!
Movement of the leg through the pedal stroke is also observed
So what exactly are the benefits of the Body Geometry set up? As stated early, it enables the maximum energy input into your pedals. Your pedalling is more effective. I also found, after a few rides in the new position that I was able to push the pedals hard for longer. I am riding more efficiently. As a long distance rider this is a great advantage because it means I will also conserve energy, thus delaying the onset of fatigue. The process also highlighted many interesting aspects of my physiology so hopefully I will have reduced my future chances of injury.
This all sounds very racey and performance based doesn’t it? Well, I have always maintained that casual riders can benefit greatly from the strange practices of the performance biased! Whether your aspirations are to complete a twenty mile leisure ride at a steady pace or race hard for one hundred, as cyclists we all share one common interest; we want to be comfortable and energy efficient so that we get the best out of our body and our bike. The bike fit process is one such way that we can move towards that universal cyclist’s aim. I for one am extremely glad I attended the session.
