Bike Setup - using today's Fit technology

Through winter it has been easy to take a break from too much intensity. It gave time to give the bike any required or overdue service and give the body a recharge.

One thing I also took the chance to do was revisit my bike setup, which worked out well as Peter at Topgear Cycles had recently attended BG Fit training to become Fit Accredited.

Until this time my road bike setup had been done using some basic guidelines, interpretation of my comfort and any feedback from observations of a few trusted sources. In general terms I didn't look out of place or poorly setup, but with Peter's new training he was able to drill down a little further into the dark science of bike setup. 

The Assessment

After some warming up the first stages of the setup analysed the natural shape and limits of my physical flexibility. Some basic measurements were taken including sit-bone width, stand-over height and torso length. By using the Fit equipment it was also possible to see what level of foot arching I have. Also noted was the natural resting angle of the soles of my feet across the body, angle measurement of hamstring flexibility and how far I could reach to the floor standing with straight legs. 

Next it was a look at the cleat positions with respect to the foot bones and muscles in the shoe. Some recommended initial adjustments were made and then onto the bike to find out where things were currently set. 

With the aid of video recording and almost frame-by-frame playback using the setup software my leg motion and pattern of knee motion was traced during loaded pedalling. From front-on we could see how linear, arced, slanted or figure 8 my knees moved during the seemingly basic up and down activity of pedalling. Hip and pelvis movement could be checked, too. Recording from the side we could analyse the reach, along with back and neck angles, and how all these tied in with the measurements of flexibility taken earlier. All aspects were taken into account, from sitting up on the bars, riding on the brake hoods and driving the pedals whilst on the drops.

The Irregularities

With the intent to tune or optimise my position on the bike for a more efficient and effective riding result there were several key areas that were highlighted as starting points for some changes. Archs of the feet were higher than I had ever paid any attention to. 

By following the leg motion it was possible to see how the left knee was more prone to a path narrowly curving up toward the cross bar and the right leg had a more vertical path.  

The stack height and rotation of the handle bars was definitely showing potential for changes to improve the cockpit and also the outdated style of my handle bars was affecting my position. Another area was that the bar width seemed greater than necessary for my body. 

As studies and development of cycling analysis progress so continues the evolution of every aspect of the bike. Colour schemes change with fashion but most shapes and styles generate from ergonomic and efficiency studies, so by saying that my bars were outdated I mean the profile was far from the more recent handle bar profiles that have since been developed. It is also worth noting that the appearance of a style versus the correct function of a style may have a more negative effect on performance. We found that the larger drop bars on my bike were too deep and therefore compromised the amount of physical reach or flexibility I could afford. A shorter top length to the brake hoods could also be seen as an advantage over the current setup.

The Changes

First thing was to shift the cleat positions to a more effective power position under the foot. Higher arch supporting foot beds were selected for inside the shoe. From standing on the heat reactive platform it was shown that my feet were within the higher arch range of Foot Bed insoles available. 

Saddle height seemed about right but the fore-aft position was adjusted. The saddle width was within the range specified by the measurements from the sit bone width.

Next sourced was a pair of shorter reach bars that had a shallower, more anatomically styled drop in favour of the more hooped curvature of the old drops. We retained the stem length but increased the stack height of the bars and then tuned the set angle of the bars to work with the extents of my reach and flexibility.

The Results

With the high arch insoles my leg tracked a straighter path vertically. It certainly felt different from the support my feet were used to. It only took a short time to adapt, and the drive through the pedals felt more positive. 

Although the new stem stack height has raised the clamping height of the bars, the comfort in the drops has been massively improved as the riding position in the drops now falls between where the drops and the brake hoods were on the old bars. Previously I would spend little time using the drops as it seemed more strain than it was worth, even on long descents. The changes have enabled me to spend any amount of time in the drops. This has in turn lowered the centre of gravity and improved handling control and confidence on descents as speeds increase. Even changing the point on the bars that the levers are clamped has improved something as fundamental as braking. 

Having since completed several 3.5 to 4 hour rides I have noted the comfort and power throughout the ride has been consistent and effective. The rides have included a mix of long climbs and long descents, both in arduous training sets and more social, endurance based rides. 

This is only a brief description of the main steps that we went through,

Setup on the mountain bike is next.