12 Jun Bike Fit
BIKE FIT IS NOT ONLY FOR OUTDOOR RIDING
Bike fits are for everyone, especially new riders and indoor cycling/ spin classes!
Some people suggest, and rightly so, that proper bike fit is essential so that you can produce the most power, most efficiently. But even more important for outdoor riders in training indoors at studios/ spin classes is comfort. The comfortable you are , the better your riding/ training experience.
And lets not forget to mention the importance of a good bike fit to help prevent overuse injuries that result from an improper position.
Bike fit is certainly not a one size fits all process varying from person to person, depending on factors like age, style of riding, and physical attributes, injuries like flexibility, lower back integrity, core strength and pregnancy
In a indoor cycling training studio or spin class, there is no option to change the size for the bike. But there are a quick tips should know, and do , before starting a training session
Whilst there are a number of adjustable points on most indoor cycle bikes, the two key points in terms of both comfort and performance are:
(1) seat height
(2) set-back.
Key tips when setting someone’s seat height:
Measure the set-back before the height (as the set-back will influence the height). When the pedal is at 90 degrees (3 )’Clock) Start with your knee being inline with the ball of your foot .If the knee protrudes to far past the ball of the foot – additional force will be put through the knee, if the knee recesses to far behind the ball of the foot the hamstrings may be overworked.
Figure 5. Saddle height and set-back set-up (Active Training World, 2015)
In terms of saddle height, there are two simple guides to get someone within the right range, and then to fine-tune the height;
a) Seat to hip height when you are standing next to the bike;
b) Get the individual to sit on the bike and place the crank in a 6 o’clock position (pointing down with leg extended), ask them to try and place their heel on the pedal; if they need to shift their body across to reach the pedal and their legs is fully extended, then this is the correct height.
Should you be feeling knee sensitivity during or after a session, simplistically – pain at front of knee [anterior], saddle is too low, pain at back of knee [posterior], saddle is too high’.
If you are, ask the instructor of the session to give you some assistance.
If they are a good instructor, like all those at Cycle Collective they will be able to see (at a glance) if you are set up correctly and help with some smaller changes to make your experience as comfortable and fun as possible
Just ask one of the Cycle Collective instructors if you would like a better fit. Studios have personal bike set up cards do record your seat/handlebar positions so you can have the same fit, each and every session