FighTim Fit Bike Fit @ LOUE BICYCLES

FIGHT-TIM FIT BIKE FIT

@ LOUE BICYCLES

PROLOGUE

Timothy Lim, our bike fitter professional extraordinaire is a firm advocate of maintaining structural fitness and he stresses its importance to us as cyclists and more so as triathletes. He is very much interested in biomechanics and really understanding how disabilities can be overcome by proper exercise and  proper bike fitting as much as is possible. He relishes each and every challenge to find out the best possible solutions to ameliorating the set disabilities that we come to him with.

He maintains that achieving good structural fitness by undertaking a regime of stretching and core strength training can help one stay injury free and make bike riding more enjoyable.

This is an area where he can only give advice on as no amount of tweaking of bike position will serve to improve personal structural fitness.   So the caveat is out that the bike fit is not a one stop cure all for any of the pains and aches that one may suffer from riding, in whatever capacity whether as weekend warrior or a half Ironman wannabe .

For yours truly, my brief to Tim was that I was  boldly envisaging undertaking my first Half IM in August this year, and having taken this awesome challenge up9yup - actually signed up with moolah down), wanted to maximize my comfort, power and efficiency on my TT bike for the bike leg, as well as in my training.And even if tthe IM sdidnt work out, i shld have  aTT bike that was fitted well to me for all other less lofty pursuits on Spore tarmac!

The current TT set up even for my Planet X wasnt ‘fitted’ as it were professionally to suit my  body frame and any of its idiosyncracies. It was important as I will be spending that much more time in the saddle (yes ..yes..resolutions for 2014) in my regime.

It is also to be noted that prior injuries or medical conditions can affect cycling performance, comfort and the bike fit. It is highly recommended that any medical conditions or injuries related to cycling must be reviewed by a qualified medical or health professional.

Recommended Readings  suggested by Tim for Structural Fitness (more information can be found online):

1. Flexibility for cyclists by Fred and Kele McDaniel
2. Core Strength Graduate Project by Sarah Hoffman
3. Stretching and Flexibility by Kit Laughlin (Check out Youtube for free Videos)
4. Pilates for Dummies

Bike Fitting with Tim @ LOUE BICYCLES, Singapore
All very scientific and tech based with a huge load of professionalism and candid sharing!

DURING THE FIT
Tim was meticulous and methodical in the pre-fit interview, asking about our expectations of the fit, our medical history and the aches and pains that we suffer from and are prone to from bike riding.

He asks about our ambitions in the races to come and how we see ourselves training for those goals in terms of training volume and intensity. I told him about my laminectomy of the L5S1, my trigger finger (carpal tunnel syndrome?), lower back pain, pain in my right pelvis near the adductors….he took it all in..:) He then  put me on the flat couch to test my flexibility and observe my range of motion  in my hamstrings and hip flexors, amogst other body parts ….

Ok - we had a bit of a prob when the wedge holding the seat post accidentally dropped into the seat tube and just refused to come out despite probing and shaking and what have you. Time valiantly persisted with a Wire hanger and his preserverence finally paid off at day's end. But that meant I had to come back again for day two fitting session. 

He surmised from the stability assessments that I had a weaker left ankle and right pelvis. Pronation and rear foot varus evident. Right leg longer!! Wow!!
I was first warmed up at 100Watts on his Computrainer using the TT bike that I brought for the fit – my brand new P3 Cervelop 2014 model !

Tim utilizes the Retul system which has 3D motion capture marked out by 8  bilateral anatomical structures withinfrared markers placed judiciously o and variously on my foot, heel, ankle, knee, hip, shoulder, elbow and wrist! I felt like a actor marked out to perform a motion capture as Gollum in LOTR!

Small magnets were placed on foot toget exact precise measurements of the pivotal points for the Retul capture.
Stability and flexibilty tests carried out too. Kool :)

These images were captured at timed intervals during the cycle phase  in a Retul-specific technique known as Stroke Intelligence. The saddle pressure was also analysed to see where the pressure points were during the ride.

During this fitting, Tim adjusted the cleats on my shoes, adjusted the saddle (having sawn off the extraneous bits the day before!), replaced my existing stem (3T) to a Ritchie 90mm, extended my aero bars extension and arm rest pads as well. He also gave advice on maintaining the aero position for a person like me who is wearing glasses/contacts. A tuck here and there and voila – see the pics to see how aero I can be….in the safest, non-body aching way!

A pain in the Butt - look at the pressure points evident on my left butt. No buts about it - his prognosis was accurate!

And then I was made to get up to speed again with the new adjustments and had a feel of what it was like. Of course, Tim said that atual riding on the road will add in dimensions of balance and engaging of core muscles and other considerations. So there has to be road sessions on the bike post fit to really see how I adapt to the new fit.



AFTER THE FIT
Although a neutral fit was achieved after the session, there are many variables in cycling and bike fitting (that cannot be controlled) and the fit session may be affected by the activities carried out the day before and prior to the bike fit. So it is important that one returns for follow up which he recommends after 10-12 sessions on the newly fitted bike.

In any case, the  idea is to keep as many of the variables constant and work with what we can change and adjust easily first. The advice is to go easy and ease into this new neutral fit and let the body slowly but surely adjust itself to the new standard.

Make no bones about it... Femur record, bike fitting is serious business!

Tim also stresses that there will be an adaptive period after the session whereby one’s body and brain recognizes and adapts to the new positional changes.

It is advised that within the next 3-4 weeks, one should ride with relatively low intensities, with a recommended heart rate of no more than 75%. ( that’s Zone 2 for me!)

Hmmm…this means no racing and high intensity training. (Body adapts faster under moderate loads!) The position on the bike  post-fit is now different and the motor pattern one developed in the past is no longer relevant. Therefore, in order to help the body adapt to the new position, one is to ride at lower intensities as riding harder will only make the body want to fall back to patterns of motion that it is used to, which does not work anymore.
He cautioned that in these 3 weeks, I may also experience occasional one-off aches on certain parts of your body (it’s ok!), which may not be of concern as the body adapts. So …guys…time to RIDE!!

POST BIKE FIT AERO?? WAHHH - YUP - AERO ALRIGHT!!!

"we dun need another Aero..we dun need to find the way home....."

Smile on The Miles when the going is Good!