We asked a couple of recent customers to put down in writing what they thought of their fitting experience. Here’s what they sent us.
The Road Racer
“I originally went to see James about my road bike set up. I was also interested in the custom footbeds he had and how they could help my flat feet.
“Having the fit set me up in a much more comfortable, but still aggressive position that was great for descending and sprinting.
“I also took the plunge and got a time trial bike this year; James was my first port of call with it. He took all the guesswork out of setting it up for me.
“It takes time to get used to a TT bike and having that fit straight away means I can concentrate on getting used to it without any bad habits I might have developed by setting it up myself.
“It’s got me improving my times faster than I expected.
“The footbeds have also been a big success; really comfortable but also very supportive.
“I can confidently say that visiting Fit2Ride has made me far more efficient than spending the equivalent money making my bike lighter.”
The Recreational Rider
“It’s now some six weeks since I had a morning with James at Fit2Ride adjusting my riding position.
“Arriving in cycling kit and with my road bike, I was soon installed on a turbo whilst James ran his lasers and video over me. ”
I’m a life-long cyclist and have generally felt pretty comfortable about my position. However, back pain led me to drop my saddle 2cm a year ago, with immediate benefits, so I arrived with an open mind, wondering if there were other positive modifications to be made to my position.
“To cut a long story short, James moved my saddle forwards, pushed my cleats back and spaced out my pedals by a couple of mm. The latter was to correct a lack of alignment in my ankle, knee and hip.
“He also homed in on my very broad, high-arched feet and recommended Sidas footbeds basically a bespoke, supportive inner-sole to correct a pronounced rolling-out of my feet on the downstroke.
“None of the individual tweaks was particularly radical but I’ve noticed a number of benefits. The footbeds have given my feet more stability and also comfort.
“The spacing out of the pedals and moving of the cleats and saddle have all combined to create the impression of a smoother, more grooved pedal stroke.
“A tendency for my right knee to splay out at the top of the pedal stroke has been reduced and I’ve noticed that, when fatigued, I’ve still been able to maintain fluidity and a high cadence.
“When tired, my natural style is to slog in a high gear, mashing at the pedals. This tendency has been reduced and although I’m aware of fatigue, I seem still able to hold a better position, especially with my feet, giving me a cleaner, more economical style and greater endurance that I might expect.
“I suspect that the benefits will be even more apparent once I’m a little fitter than I am now.
“Thanks James!”