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Testimonials | The Coach | Philosophy | Techniques | Coach Me! | |
 Optimizing
your position on the bike affects both comfort and speed profoundly.
Proper bike fit has significantly more potential to increase your
speed than a more aero frame or race wheels because your body is the
main source of wind resistance. The smaller you can make yourself
as the wind 'sees' you, the faster you'll go with the same power output.
Of course there's a compromise between speed and comfort, and that's
my goal—to put you in the fastest position you can comfortably
hold for whatever distance you race.Fitting the bike correctly also affects your power output. I see many athletes with seat height too low; a few with seat too high, and very few with seat height just right. While there's a narrow range for optimal seat height, finding your best fore-aft seat position setting is based on several factors, including the rider's sports background, flexibility, and race distance focus. 
I see quite a few athletes fitted by 'experts' who are definitely
not getting the most advantage from their bike split. My goal
is to put riders in the best possible position, and also explain why
it will work.I don't claim that bike fitting online is as exact as making changes in-person, but I can get you to 99% of what a fitter can do one-on-one. I use images, and/or video, and charge a whole lot less. I've spent a significant part of my life on a bike (>250,00 miles over 35 years), having experimented with my own position, as well as bike-racers, duathletes and triathletes. The rider on road bike in the 'before' image at the top of page raised her seat 1.5cm; lengthened and lowered the stem the same amount; moved her brake levers lower on the bars so she can reach them on the drops; reduced the amount her seat is tipped down, and most important—added short, low clip-on aerobars! Her speed improved. After racing on the road bike with clip on aerobar for a few events, I convinced her that she'd have significant speed gain if she invested in a dedicated TT/tri-bike. She did, and the 'after' photo below shows her body position change. She recently rode to the fastest bike split for her age group by a substantial margin, placing 5th at the Duathlon World Championship in her first attempt. A testimonial from recent bike fit client here. Cost: $44 click here. |
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