IMPROVING CYCLING
You already have a bicycle: 3 formulas of cycling analysis
Three different formulas are offered to you to adapt your session to your needs
Ortho
You are looking for comfort. The pressure measurements on the saddle can locate excessive pressure zones, help to identify their potential causes and, during the session, define the most comfortable position possible. In most cases, adjustments to your bike’s setup will reduce harmful pressure in the subpubic area, where nerves and blood vessels are located, and move the support to the area where it is less harmful: the bone structures.
Are you targeting better performance? The procedure is the same. A lack of comfort will be the cause of premature fatigue, at the same time as your performance will fall. Regardless of your practice, your morphology, your ambitions, … we will try to find the best mix of performance and comfort.
Prevention is for you a priority. You want to avoid that your position on the bike is the cause of overload issues. The combination of video analysis and pressure measurement on the saddle are valuable aids.
If the reason why you decide on a postural optimization is orthopedic or neurological, that’s the formula I recommend.
The content of the Ortho formula:
- Interview, review of your ambitions, your practice, your expectations, your complaints, … these elements will be drivers of your session.
- Assessment of your muscular and articular flexibility, possible asymmetries or specific muscular insufficiencies.
- Observation of your dynamic characteristics as you pedal on the trainer.
- Adjustment of the cleats.
- Measurement of important angles and visualization of your posture via video analysis.
- Analysis of the axes of your lower limbs.
- Optimal adjustment of saddle height and tilt, saddle setback, handlebar reach and drop, handlebar rotation and position of shift/brake levers.
- Visualization of the pressure measurements on the saddle.
- Optimization of the saddle position.
- Comparison of pressures and videos before/after optimization.
- The possibility of ordering a custom saddle.
- Tipps (Stretching, technique, stability, …).
Basic
The Basic formula is identical to the Ortho formula but without saddle pressure measurement.
This formula is meant for cyclists who have no orthopedic problems and no discomfort or pain that could come from the saddle. It is also meant for cyclists who are less demanding in terms of positioning accuracy but still want to be sure that they will not harm their health due to a poor fit. In this case, however, cyclists must be aware that any pathology of the urinary or genital system caused or supported by saddle pressure can be treated with less efficiency.
If your decision for a fit does not have orthopedic or neurological reasons, and if you are ok with your saddle, then this is the formula I suggest.
The content of the Ortho formula:
- Interview, review of your ambitions, your practice, your expectations, your complaints, … these elements will be drivers of your session.
- Assessment of your muscular and articular flexibility, possible asymmetries or specific muscular insufficiencies
- Observation of your dynamic characteristics as you pedal on the trainer.
- Adjustment of the cleats.
- Measurement of important angles and visualization of your posture via video analysis
- Analysis of the axes of your lower limbs.
- Optimal adjustment of saddle height and tilt, saddle setback, handlebar reach and drop, handlebar rotation and position of shift/brake levers.
- Comparison of the videos before/after optimization
- Tipps (Stretching, technique, stability, …)
Difference from the Ortho formula:
No pressure mapping on the saddle to visualize the pressure distribution and the stability of the pelvis on he saddle.
Express
As the name suggests, the Express formula is meant for cyclists who have little time. The tariff is therefore kept as low as possible, but without the individuality being neglected. The session should not take more than two hours for a mountain bike or a road bike without aerobars.
The concept is similar as for the Basic formula, with some differences:
- We only have two hours. Be punctual 😉
- No functional tests are less detailed.
- You’re fine with your saddle. In order to meet the promised maximal duration of the session, saddle tests are not possible.
- You have no orthopedic or neurological problems and no foot complaints.
- You are certain that you do not have a significant difference in the length of the lower limbs.
- Cleat adjustment only in 2 dimensions.
- I will send you your report without the video files. In any case, I keep your datas.
- An outdoor test ride after the adjustments is not possible.
If you decide to do a postural optimization for orthopedic or neurological reasons, the Express formula may not be right for you. In this case, I recommend the Ortho formula.
The content of the Express formula:
- Interview, review of your ambitions, your practice, your expectations, your complaints, … these elements will be drivers of your session.
- Observation your dynamic parameters as you pedal on the trainer.
- Adjustment of the cleats.
- Measurement of important angles and visualization of your posture via video analysis.
- Analysis of the axes of your lower limbs.
- Optimal adjustment of saddle height and tilt, saddle setback, handlebar reach and drop, handlebar rotation and position of shift/brake levers.
- Comparison of video recordings before/after optimization.
You need help for choosing a new bike: 2 options
- You are coming for the first time and/or you want to change your position or type of bike: I recommend dynamic bike-sizing
- You have already benefited from my cycling analysis less than two years ago and you want to change your bike without changing your position: bike-prescription
Please note that these two services are not possible for mountain bikes and touring bikes, the geometries and components mounted are too varied, making calculations impossible.
Bike Sizing
In summary first for those who are in a hurry: bike sizing is the art and science to determine your ideal position in order not to go wrong with the purchase of a bike and its components. It is the position that you can maintain for a long time without loss of performance related to discomfort or pain.
At the very beginning, bike sizing was simply measuring the inseam to determine the correct frame size. It soon became clear that this measure was not enough and could be used at most to evaluate the seat height. Other anthropometric measures were then added, which is logical, the length of the legs not being proportionally related to the height of the trunk or to the length of the arms. Two factors are however neglected here: the flexibility of the cyclist and, at the same time, his ability to maintain the position imposed by the results provided by the formulas.
In the meantime, bike sizing has evolved a lot; it became dynamic. The tool used is a fit bike (or size bike) allowing, while the cyclist pedals, to change in all directions the position of the saddle and the handlebar. A saddle, handlebar and crank length change is instant so you can easily compare the effect. I use the F.I.S.T (Fit Institute Slowtwitch) protocol to make you travel through different positions and arrive at YOUR position. It is the one that corresponds to your type of practice, your morphology, your flexibility, taking into account your possible pathologies and your traumatic history.
Do not make a mistake when buying your new bike. I, unfortunately, welcomed many cyclists who chose the bike according it’s look or being a victim of marketing or a proportion. They could not be comfortable and had to resell it at much less than the value. You do not have to adapt to the bike. You must have the possibility to buy the bike that suits you, right from the start. A powerful database of more than 100 brands and more than 10,000 models will allow us to find your dream bike. As a result of this session, you will be given a list of models and your fit coordinates so that you can immediately order your bike with the right length of the stem, the height of spacers needed and the length of the cranks. Your bike shop will be grateful.
The limits of bike sizing:
- The fit coordinates provided may differ from your final bike as the components (saddle, handlebar, levers, and pedals, …) are probably different. The ideal is to optimize your position once you after several rides with your new bike.
- Only brands whose stack & reach measurements are provided in addition to the angles of the head tube and seat tube may be considered. These values are necessary for applied trigonometry.
- Sizing works very well for road, triathlon and time trial bikes; unfortunately, it is not applicable to mountain bikes. Why? Comparing the geometries, you can see the enormous variety of angles of the head tube and the seat tube. Added to this are the various forms of handlebars mounted on MTBs. Adding the types of practice and the lack of information provided by some manufacturers, we quickly realize that even after defining your position, it is impossible to draw up a list of bikes list that correspond to it. On the other hand, if you have a model in mind and the information provided is sufficient, it is possible to calculate the possible positions and to simulate them on the fit bike.
Please note: The components are taken into account for the calculations, but the choice of the colors and the precise model according to your budget is not part of the bike sizing!
Bike prescription
It consists of drawing up a bike list corresponding to your position. Such a list is provided following the bike-sizing, but not automatically following the bike-fitting. The final result of your bike fitting can direct you to a type of geometry and possibly some brands and models that can be taken into account. On request, model recommendations with the exact size and necessary components can be made in a second step: the “bike prescription”. It requires concentration, research, calculations, email exchanges, and some knowledge, so ….. time. I hope I can count on your understanding if this time is charged.
The pieces of information provided for each bike are:
- the brand and model
- the frame size,
- the stem length and angle,
- the number of spacers to place under the stem,
- the shape of the handlebar
- the crank length
Bike prescription is based on:
- the position of the saddle and the handlebar in relation to the center of the bottom bracket for road bikes
- the position of the saddle and the arm pads relative to the center of the bottom bracket for triathlon and time trial bikes
Some precisions:
- The calculations are based on precise coordinates, not on evaluations. These are the coordinates measured at the end of your fitting.
- The components are taken into account for the calculations, but the choice of the color and the precise model according to your budget is not part of the bike prescription!
- If you have had a bike fitting and not a bike sizing, I only use the fit coordinates for the calculations of your next bike if you want to keep your final position resulting from your fitting.
- If the last fitting is more than two years old, I recommend a bike-sizing.
- Remember the limitations of fitting: the final position of the fitting is the one allowed by your bike and its components. Ideally, your bike should match perfectly your position. Unfortunately, very often, the opposite occurs: a position that could be better but that has to adapt to the bike and its components. That’s the reason why I recommend a bike sizing for the purchase of the next dream bike. That cost of such a session is ridiculous compared to the money you lose if you buy the wrong bike.
- As with bike sizing, bike prescription works great for road, triathlon and time trial bikes, but not so well for MTBs.
Request: please tick this service in the booking calendar on this page.
Make the most of your session:
custom footbeds
Many seem to forget and neglect them and yet it is through them that we transmit our efforts to the pedals, ..or we waste part of it if they are not supported: our feet.
A good insole contributes significantly to comfort if it provides sufficient support to the arch. Especially, if the rides last many hours. If this support is absent, the foot support musculature fatigues quickly, which often results in burning feet. In addition, if the plantar arch collapses, the knee will follow and the additional work of stabilization of the knee, more in that of the foot, will affect the performance and the strain on the knee will increase with muscle fatigue.
Generally, even the most expensive bike shoes are sold with flat insoles that offer at most a support of the arch. These insoles are usually to replace quickly. Why? Everyone is different and nobody is symmetrical. All cyclists have different feet and most people have a different foot from the other. Each cyclist, therefore, needs insoles adapted to his feet. If you count the number of pedal strokes per minute, with the foot always in the same place on the pedal and with a relatively small contact area, you need to understand how important it is to provide your feet with good stability and a better distribution of the foot bearing surface.
That’s what custom insoles bring you. After an examination of your feet, you place them on cushions to reproduce a 3D mold of your feet. In this mold are then placed previously heated flat insoles that will fit the shape of the mold, so of your feet. During the cooling phase of the soles, you are standing in the mold and on your future footbed. Once cooled they are adjusted to your shoes. They are in principle ready to use, but I prefer to check the position of your cleats before you get on your bike, which is already on the trainer.
That’s why I’m asking you to come with your bike; I want you to feel, pedaling, if the footbed soles require any adjustment. It is only when I see you pedaling that I can evaluate the need to make any additional adaptations.
These insoles have only one big drawback: if you have any, you will not be able to do without 😉
The custom footbed cost you 159 € if they are made in an isolated session, and 106 € if they are made at the same time as your fitting.