![]() “But then you might go on to the velodrome and see that the position is 16 watts better aerodynamically, so there’s a net gain.” “What we may find is that if we take the rider too low, they start to work harder and are penalized by, say, 8 watts,” he said. “At the same time we’ll test the rider metabolically through the recording of oxygen consumption at various positions and then essentially convert that to a metric where we can see exactly how efficient in watts produced the rider is in a given position.” Photo: Brad Kaminskiįinally, Carver will take riders onto the track to analyze the aerodynamic impact of that ideal position. “Then we’ll move over to what we call the Move Bike and take them through a variety of stack heights and other variables in real time while pedaling,” Carver said. He’ll start with a traditional Retül motion-capture fit to dial in the basics and assure comfort. It’s basically become three bike fits in one.”įor example, this off-season Carver will work with riders from Deceuninck-Quick-Step. “Now we are adding in a performance testing element, looking at both the metabolic and aerodynamic effects of various positions on the bike. “We’ve been doing motion capture and looking at joint angles for a while now,” said Todd Carver, the Human Performance Manager for Specialized, and founder of Retül. ![]() Instead of simply addressing the issue of comfort on the bike, bike fit is being used to gain speed and efficiency. So what is new in the world of bike fitting? The short answer, especially if you’re on a WorldTour team, is qualified performance testing and validation. “Now it’s gotten to the point where it’s basically an expected service.” “A decade ago we saw this explosion of technology come into the space,” said Mat Steinmetz, a longtime professional bike fitter and founder of 51 Speedshop, a manufacturer of high-end time trial bike components. Nowadays any bike shop worth its salt offers some form of professional bike fitting services. Dedicated bike fitting companies such as Retül and Guru sprang to life. But then in the mid-2000s, technology began to slowly creep into the equation in the form of 2D and then 3D motion-capture analysis. ![]() Not so long ago, “professional” bike fitting was akin to “alternative medicine.” Weights attached to strings were the tools of the trade, measurements were done by eyeball, methods were unabashedly unscientific. Don't miss a moment from Paris-Roubaix and Unbound Gravel, to the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France, Vuelta a España, and everything in between when you
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