Why have a Physio Bike Fit?
Having a comprehensive bike fit that takes into account your individual musculoskeletal system reduces your risk of injuries and eliminates unnecessary discomfort while riding your bike. Whether you are starting out in your cycling journey or are an experienced cyclist we can address your individual bike fit needs to create the ideal balance between comfort, cycling economy and facilitating performance.
Karen has undertaken specific training in bike fitting for physiotherapists and is herself an experienced cyclist. Due to their knowledge of the musculoskeletal system and biomechanics of the body, physiotherapists are extremely well equipped to perform bike fits with or without the presence of injuries.
The bike fit process
A Physio bike fit involves multiple modes of assessment to give us the best picture of how you interact with your bike. First, we take a full history, noting your cycling type, volume and injuries. Your goals of where you want to take your cycling are important to us and influence how we set you up on your bike.
Next, we do a thorough musculoskeletal assessment, noting your joint mobility, muscle flexibility, and strength – this greatly influences what position we can get you into on the bike and whether you have the capacity to hold it.
Following a brief warm up by you on our wind trainer with your bike, we collect measurements from your body and your bike. Then we work through a fit process to deliver your individualised bike set up, including the use of dynamic video assessment.
We also prescribe a tailored exercise plan to address any deficiencies found in our musculoskeletal assessment. This will help you to maximise your ability to work in the new bike position and also to move onto a more aggressive position with time if you so wish.
Often a bike fit is a process over time, if we make significant changes to your current fit too quickly your body may react and become irritated. Sometimes a step by step approach is necessary – we will talk you through this if it is the case and recommend when you should have a follow-up appointment. If you require new parts or significant mechanical alterations we will write a detailed referral for your local bike shop.
Adapting to your new fit
Response to a new bike fit varies, some people’s bodies adapt immediately and feel very comfortable and the person can push the same or more power out than before. Others adjust slowly and it can take up 6-12 weeks for the new fit to feel normal.
A drop in power output may occur temporarily as your muscles adjust to their new working position. The time taken for your body to adjust will also depend on how much time you spend on your bike every week. For these reasons, unless you are injured, we would suggest timing your fit around your racing season – please get in touch with us to discuss timing if you are concerned.