Bicycling Fitting & Riding Form
Bicycling Fitting & Form
MSN Pro Coaching Fitting Review
You have just finished having your bike fit by MSN Pro Coaching and you learned a lot! Here is a sheet to review, to remember and to put into practice all that you learned.
Bicycle Fitting
Fitting is all about having the bike adjusted to your body. Fitting is 99% accomplished the day of the fit. The other 1% is learned through practice and adaptation over time. There are two parts to the 1%.
1. The Gray Zone: is any minute adjustment that needs to be made after you ride your bike in the weeks following your fit, any discomfort should be noted and brought up during any refitting. These adjustments should be done by a professional fitter and preferable the one that performed the fit. These adjustments are literally only millimeters.
2. Fundamentals: is what you need to learn and have your body adapt too. Below I will review the 2 key areas needing attention; pedaling dynamics and body posture. These are the 2 major areas that make your bicycle more efficient and you stronger as you ride longer.
Pedaling Dynamic’s
As you complete the bottom of the pedal stroke, try to have your foot even or parallel with the ground at all times.
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Pedaling Dynamic’s
This will insure that you are pulling through the bottom of the stroke (Image 2) and pushing forward over the top of the stroke (Image 3). This creates rounded circle style pedaling, shown to distribute power evenly throughout the pedal stroke. Once learned you will travel faster and farther than before.
Body Posture (includes 3 parts)
Knees:
1.Tracking in a straight line with the center of your knee over your second toe (Image 4). Make sure your knee does not swing in or out. Think of a piston driving straight down for maximum power.
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Back:
2. Puff your chest out to straighten your back and allow your diaphragm to expand and contract as much as possible (Image 5). It is important to have good back posture and torso extension so you can take in as much air (oxygen) as possible.
Elbows:
3. Bend your elbows and rotate them in (Image 6). This is important for good posture, absorbing road vibrations and allowing your upper body, shoulders, and neck to relax. This allows you to put more focus and effort into the pedals and not areas that will slow you down.
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With these areas covered and practiced, over time you will enjoy your riding and become more efficient at pedaling a bicycle. Thank You for choose MSN Pro Coaching for you bicycle fitting needs.
