August 23, 2023

Bike fit for older athletes: Why subtle changes might improve performance and enjoyment

53 minutes

Getting older is one of the certainties of life. Aging affects us all in different ways, partly due to genetics but mostly to do with lifestyle choices. In recent months I’ve been reading and writing about this a lot more, because I’m trying to find my own solutions to combat the inevitable as best I can.

The physios tell me that common issues they see in older athletes are reduced flexibility and range of movement which results in reduced ability to turn and look over the shoulder, a standard movement when driving or riding your bike. Increased tightness in the lower back, which means bending forward is more challenging. Tighter hips which means that squatting or lunging is more difficult.

Fortunately, cycling is a lot easier on the body than running and doesn’t require the same mobility as swimming. Nevertheless, reductions in mobility and flexibility can still present challenges when cycling. This is why I asked expert bike fitter Phil Burt to chat with me about adjustments that older riders could make to their bike set up to make cycling a little bit more comfortable, and therefore more enjoyable.

This is a great conversation with Phil, and we cover topics such as:

being aero vs comfortable (11:00)

shorter crank lengths (12:00)

short nose saddles (36:30)

pedal with more float(38:30)

why disc brakes allow you to choose fatter tyres (46:20)

To find out more about Phil and the services he offers, please visit him at:

Website PhilBurtInnovation

Facebook - Philburtinnov

Twitter @PhilBurtInnov

Instagram PhilBurtInnov

YouTube Phil Burt Innovation

Linked In PhilBurtInnov

In this video, Phil explains his new approach to bike fit, performance, and comfort

Phil also recommended these books:

Start with Why by Simon Sinek

Breath by James’s Nestor

To contact Beth regarding Life Coaching, please email her at [email protected].

To leave a review of the podcast on Apple podcasts CLICK HERE.

Sports Nutrition questions - if you have a sports nutrition question that you would like answered on the podcast, please email it to me via [email protected].

Join our SWAT/High Performance Human tribe using this link, with a happiness guarantee! You can watch a brief video about the group by going to our website here, and join our SWAT High Performance Human tribe here.

Purchase a copy of my High Performance Human e-book featuring more than 30 top tips on how to upgrade your life.

If you would like to help offset the cost of our podcast production, we would be so grateful. Please click here to support the HPH podcast. Thank you!

Visit Simon's website for more information about his coaching programmes. Links to all of Simon's social media channels can be found here. For any questions please email [email protected].

...more

View all episodes

By Simon Ward

4.5

2222 ratings