Unfortunately bikes are the simpler part of the equation. The Bicycle Studio started as purely a fit studio. Our founder, John Weirath, started performing medical bikes fits shortly after graduating from physical therapy school in 1997. Drawing on an extensive knowledge base in biomechanics and injury management and prevention, he was able to fix client's fit issues after they had to been to multiple shops for help, without success. In early 2007 we began to offer custom bicycle creation and we pride ourselves on working with only the most meticulous manufacturers |
Bicycles + (Bodies in motion) = Bicycle Fitting
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Bike fittings schools are a great beginning point, but they are still weekend crash courses in the art of bicycle fitting, and inherently limited in their scope. They are great in teaching basic fitting principles, and a handful of injury scenarios. It's a lot like taking a weekend course in how to be a doctor: you will learn how to take a basic medical interview and treat a handful of basic problems, but without the years of training, you'll be left guessing on hundreds of scenarios. Example #1: If you have hand numbness while you ride they may suggest a new bar position or a new bar and/or gloves, to reduce pressure on the heel of the hand. But what if you have a previous shoulder injury that has caused a mild adhesion (sticking) of the nerve in the shoulder complex. Changing bar position or gloves is likely to not help at all. This exact scenario presented itself at The Studio , and instead of focusing on the client's hands, we altered his shoulder position and gave him a few dedicated stretches to do. He has been asymptomatic since. Example #2: A 52 year old female client purchased a $4000 road bike from a local shop and had toe numbness after a few rides. To remedy the problem, the shop sold her $50 shoe inserts that were purported to fix just such a problem. The symptoms only got worse as her whole foot felt too tight in the shoe with the new inserts. She returned again to the shop, and they convinced her she now needed a shoe a half-size bigger to accommodate the new insoles. Cost: $125. The foot discomfort persisted and she contemplated selling the new bike and going back to her 12- year old steel bike that was relegated to the trainer. She came in to see me and after a complete assessment it was determined that her cleats were simply too far forward on her shoe, putting undue pressure on her toes and forefoot. We switched her back to her old shoes and her cleats were moved back to a more rearward position on the shoe and the client was sent on her way. She experienced almost no issues on her first ride back on the bike, and within a week and a half all pain had resolved. She was now left with almost $200 in unusable (and unnecessary) footwear. Example #3: An experienced Masters cyclist came to me after months of back pain on the bike. His local bike shop kept moving his handlebar position higher and shorter in an attempt to relieve the pressure on his back. He came to me and after a thorough interview and examination on and off the bike, I discovered his pain started after a weekend of mountain biking where his position was very upright. Since he had such an odd confluence of symptoms that didn't respond as expected, I dug a bit deeper and upon physical examination, discovered that he had a "step" deformity in his low lumbar spine. Only x-rays would confirm, but it appeared he had a spinal deformity called a spondylolisthesis -- where one vertebral body is slipping forward on the one below it. The upright position on his mountain bike had put his lumbar spine into more extension and put pressure on his lumbar nerves. We returned his road bike to it's more aggressive (racer-like) position, and instructed the client in progressive abdominal strengthening exercises. The sum of these two corrections held his lumbar spine in better alignment and his back pain resolved within a few weeks. |
Already have a bike? Custom fitting to your existing bike.................................$250 for the first bike $150 for the second bike (for the same person) Looking to buy a new custom bike? Custom sizing & fitting to a Seven, Guru, or Serotta......................Free |
