Introduction to Bike Fitting

Thanks to growing awareness of fitness in Hong Kong, increased knowledge of the benefits of cycling, and excellent performances by Hong Kong riders at international cycling events, cycling is growing very quickly.  In fact, we are amazed every time we go to a race in Hong Kong at just how many people there are riding awesome equipment, and just much people are willing to spend on their bikes.  However, there are certainly some fairly sub-optimal, potentially dangerous, and simply odd positions out there.  Many cyclists ignore the fact that with an expense of only a very small fraction of what they have spent on their bike, they could go significantly faster, for less effort, in more comfort…

Dr. Andy Pruitt, Founder, Boulder Center for Sports Medicine has said: "The sport of cycling involves a highly adaptable human body and a semi-adjustable mechanical device. The common denominator of riders who enjoy and excel at cycling is an effective position on the bicycle".

“I recommend that everyone has a bike fit done by a professional fitter. I go to a lot of races and see horrible bike positions that reduce power and increase drag – the worst possible combination. A few small adjustments could do wonders for nearly all of these riders. It would take hours of weekly training for several months to build more power in order to reap the same benefit as a few basic adjustments of the bike set up would take.”

-Joe Friel, Triathlon Coach and Author

At The Bike Energy Lab, the emphasis is on the adjustment to the bike rather than forcing the body to conform to an undesirable position.  The fitting is a highly personalized multi-phased process that begins with a simple interview to learn more about your background, experience, and goals.  It is followed by a biomechanical assessment, and we perform an evaluation of your current position and equipment.  

We then observe you, and use Retul, the most advanced motion capture system developed specifically for cycling, to gather real-time, three-dimensional data and gain a very accurate understanding of what happens while you are riding bike.  We look at data from several different workload levels to best observe patterns in your position and pedal stroke.  We couple this data with information gained about your cycling history and goals, as well as information gained from the physical assessment, to chose which changes to make.