Articles

Bike Fitting Made Simple

by Mohit J. White Hat Link Building Services

Not everyone has heard of bike fitting or if they have they might not know exactly what is involved or what it means. For that reason, some people might try to do a road bike fitting by themselves with a bit of research. While that might help some, a proper bike fit takes a good understanding of various issues such as handling stability, performance, fast acceleration, comfort and speed. There are different systems, programs and tools that can be used but in general, it is about understanding how the position of your body can affect how you cycle and the impact it has on your body. You can improve convenience and pedal efficiency. You can also get the right mix of comfort and power if power is something you will need. Here is a closer look at crank length, saddle height and tilt.

Understanding crank length

The length of the bike’s crank is what decides how big the diameter of the circle you move in when you pedal. The larger that circle is then the more your knee and thigh muscles have to work to rotate the cranks. But the fact is that your thigh muscles cannot give the same energy through the whole range of the circle. So what are the optimal length of your cranks? This is not a precise number, in an online bike fit it would also depend on your leg length. Around 170 to 175 is a guiding number for a road bike, a rider with longer thighs and shorter calves would use a longer crank, and the opposite, a rider with short thighs and long calves would use a shorter crank to get the right flexion.

Setting the seat at the right height

It is important to have an online bike fit to ensure the seat is set at the right height once the crank length has been worked out and set. If you are only using the length of your legs to determine seat height then there is no guide on height, it is something you have to figure out for yourself. Beginners would prefer to have it so that you are able to have your hips square and one leg hanging down with no tilting to either side. Make sure your heel touches the pedal when your leg is straight and the bottom pedal is lined up with the seat tube. Seat height is important for a lot of reasons so spend some time getting it right.

Getting the right angle on the saddle

Some saddles are not made well! They might angle down towards the front of the bike and so as a rider, you end up sliding forward too much and have to push against the handlebar to get back into position. It is not comfortable and it is also not safe. It is easy to lose your balance, and it can lead to unwanted aches and pains that are not normal with a proper road bike fitting. You should have a saddle that has your pelvis on a level surface, often that means the nose of the seat should actually be a little higher than the back. Female saddles are more comfortable when they are wider because their pelvis’ are wider.


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About Mohit J. Innovator   White Hat Link Building Services

12 connections, 0 recommendations, 52 honor points.
Joined APSense since, October 19th, 2019, From Indore, India.

Created on Jan 14th 2022 02:15. Viewed 112 times.

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