When a Bike Fit is Optimal

1.   You should be COMFORTABLE on your bike - don’t wait to the point of pain before seeking help!

2.   You should feel like you have about 30-40% of your weight on your hands while you are in your brake hoods and 60-75% of your weight on the saddle (if you measured weight distribution it would be 45% hands /  55% saddle or so).

3.   You should feel like 60-75% of the weight on your saddle is on the bony part of your pelvis (ischial tub / rami) with minimal weight on your ‘soft tissues’.

4.   Your elbows should be relaxed, bent slightly (about 20-30 degrees) and not locked, with your neck relaxed.

5.   Your back should be almost flat, not hunched over.

6.   Your knees should move in a plane parallel to the bike frame. They should not move closer or farther away from the top tube on the way up and down through the pedal rotation.

7.   Your hips should not rock more than ½ - 1 inch side to side.

Some of the above requirements are affected by the body’s flexibility, core stability, and an understanding of good cycling mechanics.

For a decent starting position (a quick guesstimate):

Seat

·     Height: knee fully extended with HEEL on pedal at maximum reach WITHOUT hips dropping, or .87 x inseam measured from top of saddle along seat tube to center of bottom bracket.

·     Fore / aft of saddle: knee over pedal spindle with foot flat and crank arm horizontal. You’ll need help here.

·     Angle: about horizontal so that you’re not sliding forward and the saddle is not tipped up into you.

Cleats  

·     Rotation of cleat: should allow your feet to stay in their current anatomical neutral position. Knees should not be forced to twist in an unnatural position. Note that this is not always symmetrical.

·     Fore / aft: the back of ball of your foot is over the pedal spindle (center of pedal).

·     In / out (Q angle): move cleat relative to the shoe to make a straight line from your upper leg through your lower leg and 2^nd toe.

Bar position

·     Reach set-up so that you are COMFORTABLE on brake hoods / shifters with a functional length stem (8-12 cm long with a slight up angle).

·     Drop depends entirely on flexibility, strength, and goals. Generally the top of the hoods should be 1 -2 inches above the saddle for fair flexibility / core stability and 1-2 inches below for excellent flexibility / core stability.

All of the above are generic recommendations which can vary drastically between people depending on one’s goals, flexibility, strength, core stability, past medical history and many other factors.  Please consult your fitter or medical professional before implementing. Also, ALWAYS mark and measure your current position BEFORE moving anything.

By: Curtis Cramblett, PT, CSCS, CFMT, Chair; Medicine of Cycling Bike Fit Task Force & Dave Hopkins, Retul, Specialized Fit Certified

Contact Revolutions In Fitness to Optimize Your Position Today! 

Palo Alto - San Francisco - San Jose | (650)260-4743 | Office@RevolutionsInFitness.com | www.RevolutionsInFitness.com

Bike Fit for Kids: At-Home and Professional

Does your kid need a bicycle fitting, or cycling position optimization?
Probably not. 
If your child is under 13 years old and only riding around the block or possibly back and forth to school, then a professional fitting is certainly not necessary. However, some basics can help your child be more efficient and comfortable and stay healthy on the bike.
When the saddle position is correct, your child will pedal more efficiently with more ease and comfort.
A good estimate for seat height (A in the diagram to the right) is approximately ½ inch less than your kid’s

·       A good estimate for seat height (A) is approximately 
½ inch less than your kid’s inseam.

·       Next, put the nose of the saddle approximately 1 ½ to 
3 inches behind the center of the bottom bracket (B).

·       Once the saddle is in the right position, get the 
handlebars about level with the saddle (D = 0), and 
adjust the reach (C) so that when your kid grabs the 
handlebars, he or she is not locking out his or her 
elbows.

inseam.  You can measure inseam length yourself, or you might already know it from the child’s pant length size. Seat height is measured from the center of the bottom bracket (the axle where the crank arms go through) to the top of the saddle in line with the frame of the bike.
Next put the nose of the saddle approximately 1 ½ to 3 inches behind the center of the bottom bracket (B). You can use a plumb line going straight down from the nose of the saddle to measure this distance accurately.
Proper handlebar position will minimize strain for your son or daughter's neck, upper back, and shoulders.
Once the saddle is in the right position, set the handlebars up by adjusting the stem so your child does not have to reach too far or down. Get the handlebars about level with the saddle (D = 0), and adjust the reach (C) so that when your kid grabs the handlebars, he or she is not locking out his or her elbows.
These basics will keep most kids comfortable and efficient on their bikes. If your child is riding a bit more intensively, consider bringing him or her in for a professional bike fit. Many of the kids we work with for cycling position optimization are 13 years or older and are riding more than 7 to 10 hours per week. These kids can be riding for fun or even considering racing. A professional bike fit will help keep your child efficient, comfortable, and injury-free throughout a lifetime of dedicated cycling.

Revolutions in Fitness provides cycling position optimization for dedicated
junior riders, like these members of the San Jose Bicycle Club.

In case you decide that a professional cycling position optimization is right for a child you know, we are offering a 50% DISCOUNT on bike fit for children now through the end of the year. Great for last minute stocking stuffers! Email or call to order: office@revolutionsinfitness.com / (650) 260-4743