A bike fitting presentation for road bikes based on Bike Fit Systems and lemond cleat wedges

1. Road Bike Dynamic Fitting
Nick de Meyer
Sound Coaching Ltd Bike Swanky

2. How to Fit a Road Bicycle

Sizing a road bicycle is not as
complicated as you may have been led to
believe, in part due to the reality that a
good bike fit actually has little to do with
the bicycle per se.

Fitting a road bicycle comes down to the
contact points (connection points)
between the cyclist and their bicycle.
A proper bike fit has more to do with the
saddle, handlebars, brake levers and
hoods, stem and, most importantly, shoes,
cleats and pedals.

3. Comfort and Aerodynamics

Do you think I should lower my aero bars?

If I switch to a pedal system with more float to save my knees, will I
compromise my power?

How much should I move my saddle forward to optimize my aero position?

Should my aerobars be flat or point up slightly?

Should i put my saddle up or down a bit?

What if i change my bike to a TT bike?

Should i have the same setup on all my bikes?
Dr. Andy Pruitt, EdD sums up proper bike fit as " a marriage between the
human body, which is somewhat adaptable, and a machine that is somewhat
adjustable" . Dr. Ed Burke, PhD goes on to add, " In fitting the bicycle to the
cyclist, one needs to adjust the bicycle to the cyclist so that the cyclists has to
adapt as little as possible ".

4. Bike Fitting
Problems commonly associated with a poor position
1. Power leakage
2. Biomechanical inefficiency
3. Discomfort
4. Injury
5. Chronic over-use injury caused over a long period of time

5. A Bike Fitting session takes about two hours and is a very personal and
considered appraisal of an individual’s cycling physiology, technique and
alignment. Everything about you as an individual is evaluated and perfected

Injury / Pain concerns

Assymetry

Ranges of Motion

Posture

Muscle Recruitment

Cleat position / foot / arch shape

Cycling / sporting history

Future cycling aspiration

6. Do you have any of the following?:

Knee pain?

Lower back pain and hip pain?

Leg length discrepancy?

Illiotibial band tightness and lateral knee pain?

Do you pronate?

Tightly clenched toes and/or aching on the outside of your feet during
rides?

Feet hot spots?

Flat feet?

Lack of power?

Excessive movement of one or both legs while pedalling?

One foot that never feels quite right in the shoe/pedal?

One good leg, one not so good?

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of the above then we can help

7. Saddle Height

In our experience the
properly bent knee should
have between 27 and 37
degrees of flexion from a
straight leg. Typically,
most people have greater
than 30 degrees of knee
bend at the bottom of the
pedal stroke.

8. Handlebar Positioning

Handlebar positioning is a mix
of the bar’s height, depth and
width, and brake type and
position (and occasionally the
lever’s reach). The position
can be changed by
increasing/decreasing the
length and height of the stem,
the width and reach of the
handlebars, and the fore/aft and
inward/outward position of the
brake lever hoods.

9. The Foot/Pedal Connection

And last, but certainly not
least is the foot/pedal
connection. The
foot/pedal connection is
the most important aspect
in any bike fit because our
experience shows us that
most of a rider’s pain and
discomfort actually
originates in their feet.

10. Cleat Side-to-Side Position
Clinically speaking, side-to-side
cleat position is referred to as
medial/lateral cleat placement
If the knee is outside the foot—see
Illustrations 9a and 9b—then you
need to move the foot outward by
pushing the cleat inward.

11. If the knee goes inward when you pedal then the foot needs to
be moved inward (cleat moved outward) as well to be more
under the knee.
Illustrations 10a & 10b -
Adjustment for knee moving
inside of foot

12. Cleat Tilt

The tilt and angle of the
forefoot is very important
and is one of the most
overlooked aspects in bike
fitting. The most common
“hot spots” (your foot feels
like there’s a flame
underneath it) are resolved
by a simple tilt adjustment
where the cleat/shoe meet.

13. Cleat wedges

Another indication for needing
Cleat Wedges is if your knee
dives inward on the
downstroke as illustrated below
on the leg with the red arrows.
It is biomechanically better to
reduce the inward dive as it
increases your efficiency by
reducing excess side–to-side
movement. The leg on the right
shows the “after” of Cleat
Wedges installation.

14.  There are 3 types of Cleat Wedge—
2-hole, 3-hole and 4-hole—which
correspond to the type of cleat system
you are using. Cleat Wedges are
designed to match the pattern used to
fasten your cleat to your cycling shoe.
 The 3-hole Cleat Wedge works with Look Keo, Look Delta,
Shimano SL road, Campagnolo, Time road and similar 3-hole cleat
systems. The 4-hole Cleat Wedge is used with Speedplay X-Series,
Zero and Light Action cleat systems. The 2-hole Cleat Wedge (one
horizontal slot) is most often used with SPD and mountain biking
shoes.

15. Bike fit re test

aero wheels should reduce drag area
by 4.5%, equalling 1 min over 40km

torso as horizontal as possible

seat tube angle 74-78 degrees

arm and shoulder angle 90 degrees

knee angle 25-35 degrees

aero frame saves 2 mins in a 40km
TT

aero helmet saves 30 secs in 40km
TT

aerobars = 1 min in 40km TT

aero fork saves 30 secs over 40km
TT

16. Dynamic Bike Fitting Packages

Initial 2 hour bike fit
£170

Cleat Setup £60

Time trial bike £180

Mountain Bike (HT)
£150

Follow up fit £90

2nd
Bike £120

17. Websites
Bike Fitting & Coaching www.so
Personal Training
www.coremotions.co.uk
07958635142
dynamicmotion1@hotmail.com

18. Summary
This overview is not
intended to take the
place of an actual bike
fit done by a bicycle
fitting specialist such
as a BikeFit Pro.
While using this
guidance will help you
fit yourself nothing
beats a good bike fit
from a well-trained
and experienced fitter.

19. Conclusions:
If you want to get a bike fit hopefully this overview
will help you better determine the right person for the
job by enabling you to ask better questions.
www.sound-coaching.co.uk
NickdeMeyer
BA(Hons)DIP. PTIIHHT
BritishTriathlonFederation
CertifiedLevelIIICoach
Mob: 07958635142