OVERVIEW
A little heads up for multi-sport athletes: you are most susceptible to misinformation as anything that is printed, spoken, or passed through cyberspace becomes the mantra of the day. Among all types of riders, you will be the most diverse in positioning and bike performance because it is the nature of the sport. Don't let this interfere with the fitting process. How much time do you spend on your bicycle? Probably a lot more than you spend on your nutrition, bike and component selection, or anything else related to your bike. How much do you value your time on the bicycle - enough to ensure that you are ideally positioned to maximize your potential? Comfort riders, enthusiasts, multi-sport athletes, road bike riders, cyclocrossers, mountain bikers (ATBs are a bit more challenging but we can make it work),... there are so many styles of riding with a fitting to match. Even a cursory observation reveals that most cyclists could benefit from a few quick adjustments. This number greatly increases when an individual's performance, specificity, biomechanics, comfort, efficiency, and ergonomics are considered. Life events might adversely affect riding but riding should never negatively affect life. Bad bike position can cause more than pain or injury, it can extend into everyday life by preventing you from doing other activities or worse, no more riding while recovering from that injury. Biking should make us healthier, not the other way around. So it is imperative to have a repeatable and consistent fitting based on a scientific approach and not a hodge podge of conjecture and anecdotes. I'm a certified fitter who will get you to a sensible position in only a few hours or tweak your current position in a few minutes. Experience gained from nearly two decades in the industry will ensure a positive and rewarding fitting experience. The specialty fitting tools and equipment, like anything in the cycling industry, are expensive. Tools don't fix problems without the knowledge to interpret and adapt to the situation. Fortunately I have invested in education, too. My fitting tools and processes are approaching the $10k mark. Fancy smoke-and-mirrors software and whatnot may be how some shops impress their customers - some of these setups are absolutely amazing - but the software is no more useful than a simple graphics program. At $15,000 for some of these software packages, using them in a retail store is equivalent to lighting a candle with a flamethrower. Only the most hard-core coaches and scientists, basically a few fitting entities in the world, would ever hope to use this software anywhere near its potential. All fittings, where applicable, will use a Fitmaster Fitting Bicycle adorned with adjustable cranks and stem. Several saddle and bar choices on standby will address those finer comfort issues. Original and updated bicycle positions will be precisely measured and documented for future reference. A detailed questionnaire will pinpoint any areas of concern during the interview process. The Fitmaster Fitting Bicycle is truly a wonderful machine because it has the ability to simulate almost ANY riding position. Stock bike geometry can be set up exactly as needed to see and feel the fit. Custom bikes can be designed with incredible accuracy. Existing bikes can play with different stem dimensions and measurements. Really, well worth the investment.
Understanding the limitations of a fitter will help you spot some phonies. If you have been negatively affected in any way, consider your options very carefully. Any person without a degree in medicine is legally and ethically unqualified to practice medicine, diagnose your maladies, or treat them. Take measurements, yes, make observations, yes, but that's about it. You'll find that many fitting specialists as they call themselves are not qualified to provide the depth of services they do. But the consumer does not know - or maybe cares not to know - the legal and ethical concerns some fitters routinely ignore. I've seen first hand how such callous attitudes wreck bodies. Do you want a fitter who ignores every rule on their own bike guiding you through this process, disrupting your rhythm? They pat themselves on the back for a job well done, unaware of the basic consideration of someone's health, or heeding that little voice that says they are in way over their head. So what about me? I am not an exercise physiologist, do not have a degree in physical fitness or related sciences, not a doctor, physical therapist, or otherwise licensed or qualified to diagnose any physical problems. I was a Personal Trainer and Aerobics Instructor for many years and taught classes for national-level certification programs, practiced or studied body movement therapies, healing arts, martial arts, spiritual disciplines, and participated in just about every mainstream fitness activity. I am a tool (that doesn't sound too enticing) to you; like any tool, it is important to understand how to use it. I know when to consult a specialist and am perturbed by fitters who attempt to be doctors. When my limits have been exceeded the appropriate expert will be contacted. Knowing where and when to find information goes a long way towards building trust. 'A little knowledge is a dangerous thing' as the saying goes, fortunately I have enough knowledge to enhance your well-being. My knowledge is not determined by a fitting certification program. Yes, I learned much at those intensive workshops but this is a lifestyle, a passion, motivated by a personal thirst for knowledge. My very first bike shop job stressed the importance of the fitting process and top-notch mechanical service, still foreign concepts to most. That philosophy shall continue to my grave. Super fitter? Hardly, but rest assured of my competency. I come into contact with upwards of 10,000 athletes and participants every year at various events. Granted I don't work with every one of them but do interact with the entirety of the cycling community. There's lots of feedback about what's happening at every level of the sport. And a great need to respond to that feedback.
BASIC SIZING - For the average healthy person, this will determine a starting position on the bike. Information provided by the bicycle manufacturer can be matched against the fitting numbers to find suitable bicycles. It will also figure out some simple sizing issues like stem dimensions, seatpost setback, and saddle position. This process can be accurately performed with just the measurement tools. A few quick body measurements are taken to set the major adjustments. Though a formula approach, the statistics encompass tens of thousands of people. If the FitMaster is used, you will be quickly brought to the calculated position which should be biomechanically sound for most people. One or two more quick adjustments and it's a wrap. People who have cycling issues or other limitations will need the full custom fitting. Injuries, gross physical abnormalities, and detailed positioning are saved for the full fittings. "Video" analysis is short and sweet, you'll get a set of before and after pictures and live-motion viewing. Detailed video analysis is saved for full fittings. Current bike owners will be limited by their frame's geometry. The improvement will be marginal for some but others will have an epiphany. Basic Sizing is not appropriate for a full custom bike or any frame/frameset over a few thousand dollars. This is roughly a 60-90 minute process. COST: $100 for Basic Sizing (for one bike). Price does not include labor for changing equipment on existing bicycles to match the fit numbers but every effort will be made to reduce this cost. ELIGIBILITY: appointment-only; no need to bring any equipment but we'll discuss specifics when you book an appointment NOTE: $75 surcharge in addition to mileage for a mobile fitting with the FitMaster fitting bicycle, otherwise just a $25 surcharge. For the FitMaster, there must be enough level and clear floor space for me to comfortably work, minimum about 7ft x 10ft but 12ft x 14ft preferred. Any person who has had a Basic Sizing within the past year can upgrade to the Full Custom Fitting by only paying the difference in price between the two services.
FULL CUSTOM FITTING - This is Basic Sizing on EPO and steroids, just don't tell doping control! Any level of rider would benefit, this is one of the few services wholly devoted to you, it's OK to splurge a little. Existing bikes are good candidates, correctly positioning a rider as best as possible on their current steed. New bike purchases should be preceded by a fitting of this caliber, custom bikes absolutely. Not only will a complete set of body measurements be taken but flexibility and ROM are assessed at a number of joints, too. All major joint motions and performance characteristics are carefully measured and analyzed. Numerous adjustments during the process attain a purposeful biomechanical position (foot placement, knee tracking, hip position, torso angle, shoulder and arm position, more) while addressing injuries and performance objectives. A purposeful video analysis includes before and after video and live motion viewing. I can even make it look snazzy by overlaying graphics and measurements on it, I don't need a an expensive motion-capture software package or the attitude that goes along with it! The Custom Fitting will determine two things. Number one, the ideal custom bike geometry and configuration. Custom doesn't mean expensive, some framebuilders may offer it as part of the purchase price or for as little as a few hundred dollars. Number two, provided the manufacturer publishes accurate frame geometry information, how or if a stock bike would fit. This is roughly a three-hour process. COST: $250 for Full Custom Fitting (for one bike). Price does not include labor for changing equipment on existing bicycles to match the fit numbers but every effort will be made to reduce this cost. ELIGIBILITY: appointment-only; you may need to bring your bicycle, cycling uniform, cycling shoes, or other equipment; we'll discuss specifics when you book an appointment NOTE: $75 surcharge in addition to mileage for a mobile fitting. There must be enough level and clear floor space for me to comfortably work, minimum about 7ft x 10ft but 12ft x 14ft preferred. Any person who has had a Basic Sizing within the past year can upgrade to the Full Custom Fitting by only paying the difference in price between the two services.
R.A.D. Adjustment: The R.A.D. is a patented pedal tool used by the foremost cycling experts, companies, individuals, manufacturers, laboratories, and retail stores the world over. It allows the leg to assume the most natural position and orientation during the pedal stroke so the cleat and pedal can be properly aligned, thus preventing or reducing the likelihood of injury due to poor cleat placement or selection. IMHO it is probably the most significant and ingenuous piece of fitting machinery ever designed for bicycles bar none. Invented by Chris Nurre of FitKit, R.A.D.'s original patent was miscategorized or mislabeled (still learning the details, nifty story). It didn't have any affect on the patent, it's just a little history behind the man and invention. Using this pedal system on a bike requires nothing more than a stationary trainer with the resistance turned off and the chosen bike. And the R.A.D. unit, of course, with the proper R.A.D. adapter plate for the chosen pedal system. With nearly 50 pedal systems on the market, selecting the best one is more involved than a whimsical trip down the candy aisle buying whatever looks good. Once the rider has warmed up sufficiently the device will show how the pedal and cleat align throughout the pedal stroke. The R.A.D. will allow the fitter to make corrections to cleat placement and position until the R.A.D. indicates the cleat position matches the anatomical and biomechanical aspects of the pedal stroke. Even though the entire body has an influence on the pedaling dynamics, the observations are mostly foot-related in the R.A.D. The pedal is the only point of locomotive energy transfer between the rider and the bike. Clipless pedals are more efficient and safer when installed properly. Over a three-hour ride, 15,000 pedal revolutions can certainly cause discomfort or injury even for a small misadjustment. Do overuse or repetitive strain injuries sound appealing to anyone? As a former fitness trainer, I immediately understood the significance of aligning the cleat. I was fortunate to have a bike shop that offered this service for my first set of clipless pedals in 1992. The knee and its safety are very important considerations when using or choosing clipless pedals. No self-respecting expert fitter would be caught dead without the R.A.D. or a recommendation for a shop that uses one. It takes a special person to wholeheartedly dismiss 20+ years of bicycle-related scientific research by experts of every kind. Selling a pedal system without performing a R.A.D. adjustment is wrong. I worked at a specialty bicycle shop a number of years ago. Their whole business concept was based on bicycle fitting. Down to the millimeter or 1/10deg, whichever applied to the measurement. Hundreds of pedals, custom and regular shoes, cleats, and new bikes were sold. The R.A.D. collected dust the whole time. No one is talented enough to accurately line up cleats by gut feeling or know which cleat system will be the best. The owner was insulted nonetheless that anyone would question his methods. Mind you, this was after he was in the industry less than one year, he had never even worked in a bike store before. He would do whatever it took to sell bikes. Lots of people complained about knee problems but he never saw the correlation. COST: starts at $75 per R.A.D. for a perfectly brand new shoe with a perfectly brand new and unmounted cleat; price will be reduced 50% if shoes and pedals are purchased in-store; all parts are extra ELIGIBILITY: appointment-only; you will need to bring your chosen bicycle, cycling uniform, cycling shoes, pedals, and cleats; unusual pedal systems may require additional lead time to get the proper adapters for the R.A.D. NOTE: $25 surcharge in addition to mileage for this mobile fitting service. There must be enough level and clear floor space for me to comfortably work, minimum about 7ft x 10ft. Incompatibility issues, used shoes or cleats, worn or damaged parts, and age may substantially increase the price due to additional labor and/or parts required to properly prepare the pedal and shoe system. It is best to NOT mount the cleats, let me do it properly to reduce any problems.
"We would never use milk products made with rGBH however we can't guarantee the same from all the suppliers of our dairy products." - The lamest double-talking, contradictory, and condescending disclaimer I have ever seen, appearing on Ben & Jerry's ice creams. How is it that you'd never use it but it still appears in your products?
(c) 2011 Bicycle Support By Mark, LLC - all rights reserved; revised 11/22/2011