Physiotherapist Neill Stanbury from Australia joins the show this week to dive into his specialty which is complex asymmetrical motion patterns and injuries.  As a bike fitter, Neill encounters extremely difficult cases where cyclists have experienced significant pain, injuries, and developed issues and complications due to the asymmetry.  He discusses how issues manifest itself on the bike, the brain's involvement in the process, and also his treatment methods. The episode is broken down into a few main topics:

1.) Body Asymmetry and the Impact in Cycling

2.) Treating Leg Length Discrepancies and Asymmetry (case discussions)

3.) Structural Leg Length Discrepancy vs. Functional

4.) The Bike Fitting Adaptation

Episode website:

http://bit.ly/BFPodEp17

See more episodes and connect with us:

https://blog.bikefit.com/podcast

Episode sponsors:

G8 2620 Orthotic Insole

https://blog.bikefit.com/insoles

BiSaddle BikeFit Edition

https://blog.bikefit.com/saddles

Neill Stanbury Bio:

Neill is a Physiotherapist who specializes in cycling biomechanics and injury management. He has been fitting for around 10 years and has a special interest in complex asymmetrical motion patterns and injuries. His interest in bike fitting came about after suffering from severe knee pain on the bike and attempting to overcome the problem with conventional fitting philosophies. After struggling to achieve any improvement with three separate bike fits, he set out to solve his own challenging problem and became deeply interested in the complex biomechanics and problem solving involved in high-level bike fitting. After running his cycling-specific Physiotherapy clinic for a decade in Melbourne, Australia, Neill has just recently moved further north to Brisbane and is currently conducting fitting sessions by appointment out of Cam's Cycling Collective in Bowen Hills. Neill has trained with world-renowned bike fitter Steve Hogg and specializes in all forms of complex asymmetries, as well as cycling overuse injury management.

Online or virtual bike fitting is not a new concept in the scope of bike fitting but certainly considering the current state where many are confined at home due to stay-at-home or lockdown orders, most in-person fitting is not functional. As a result, more fitters offer a virtual or online fitting service. In Ep. 16, I interviewed 4 different bike fitters to glean their diverse opinions. Two of them currently offer the service and the other two expressed concerns about the practice. Between the 4 interviews today, you’ll acquire a quality sample of the current pros and cons of this topic.

Please note that in this as well as our other episodes, the views and opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect those of the company BikeFit.

Episode 16 Guests:

Dan Smith from UK Bike Fit http://ukbikefit.com/

Frederick Ilagan of Forward Motion Performance https://www.facebook.com/forwardmotionperformance/

Jason Barcoff from Piermont Bicycle and BeSpoke Bike and Ski in upstate New York https://www.piermontbike.com/

Dr. Brian Adams of Adams Sports Medicine and Physical Therapy in Michigan

https://adamssportsmedicine.com/

Episode website:

http://bit.ly/BFPodEp16

See more episodes and connect with us:

https://blog.bikefit.com/podcast

Episode sponsors:

BiSaddle BikeFit Edition

https://blog.bikefit.com/saddles

G8 2620 Orthotic Insole

https://blog.bikefit.com/insoles

Pelvic stability is integral to power transfer.  Seasoned professional and functional movement specialist Greg Choat has been involved in racing for 40 years, coaching for 30 and fitting for 20.  He extensively discusses how pelvic stability impacts our fit, the comfort of your saddle and how your efficiency and power transfer.  He's traversed the arduous path of injury recovery which sidelined him for a period from cycling.  His winding road back to health inspired a relentless hunger for knowledge of body functionality and bike fitting.  Greg also is an expert on saddles and he talks about not only his view on the world of bike fitting but why it's so incredibly difficult to navigate the saddle selection market.

Episode website:

http://bit.ly/BFPodEp15

See more episodes and connect with us:

https://blog.bikefit.com/podcast

Episode sponsors:

BiSaddle BikeFit Edition

https://blog.bikefit.com/saddles

G8 2620 Orthotic Insole

https://blog.bikefit.com/insoles

Greg Choat Bio:

Greg's passion for bike fitting grew from his own misfortune. Unable to ride a bike, walk or run following a back injury he sought out professionals to help address his issues. The answers he sought could not be found in the bike industry at the time so he looked to the wider health community.

His journey took him both eastern and western medical professionals, neurologists, kinesiologists, phycologists, chiropractors, physiotherapists, and some who's practice could not traditionally be described.

After 14 months of inactivity, he returned to competition with a new appreciation of the human body and the many ways it can function.

Greg is a Cat 1 USA Cycling Coach and Certified Skills Instructor, Functional Movement Specialist II, RKC HKC kettlebell Instructor & Precision Nutrition Master Coach. With over 20 years of fitting experience and 30 years coaching and continuing learning he is a journeyman in the world of human movement and sports performance.

After an amazing discussion about saddle height with Paul Swift in Episode 3, I wanted to dive into Paul's rich history in bike fitting.  Even beyond his illustrious cycling career, he managed to start a bike fitting company from the ground up and traversed an amazing journey through the history of bike fitting.  The path began with adapting his pedals and shoes by hand to accommodate a leg length discrepancy during his racing career in the early 80s and now 40 years later, he continues to travel the world teaching fitters how to help cyclists enjoy their passion to the fullest extent. Ep. 14 explores the passion, drive, and persistence of a bike fitting pioneer and a man who wants to eliminate cycling pain and discomfort for every enthusiast.

Episode website:

http://bit.ly/BFPodEp14

See more episodes and connect with us:

https://blog.bikefit.com/podcast

Episode sponsors:

BikeFit Education

https://blog.bikefit.com/education

G8 2620 Orthotic Insole

https://blog.bikefit.com/insoles

Paul Swift is an 8-Time US National Track Cycling Champion and a gold medalist at the 1998 Goodwill Games. After retiring from competitive cycling, Paul founded BikeFit and Bikefit Education to share his passion for cycling. Paul is a Master Bike Fitting Technician, a certified USCF sport coach, and a former member of the USA Cycling Board of Directors. Paul specializes in training bike fitters to correctly deliver comfortable and consistent fits to any type of rider.

Paul is a product designer or creator of the following:

The Cleat Wedge (formerly known as Big Meat & LeWedges)

The In-The-Shoe Wedge (formerly known as Sole Power)

The Stem Sizer

Cannondale Track 1000 Bicycle Designer

LeMond RevMaster indoor bike

MultiPedal™ – dual-sided pedal

He has trained over 1000 bike fitters and cyclists around the world. Currently Paul’s Level 1 BikeFit Pro training course is taught in over 12 different counties and in 6 languages. He is also the co-author of the BikeFit Foot/Pedal Interface manual When the Foot Meets the Pedal…

He continues to innovate in the bike fitting and cycling world with revolutionary ideas and products.

This week the BikeFit Pod presents the first segment of a 2-part conversation with legendary frame builder Ben Serotta. He willingly devoted hours to our interview and went beyond my list of quirky questions.  Although we certainly discuss frame geometry and design, Ben is also one of the early godfathers of bike fitting with the invention of the Serotta Size Cycle in the mid-80s and in the early 90s, the formalization of one of the first bike fitting schools, the Serotta International Cycling Institute in 1998.  His relentless pursuit to provide the best fitting bicycle, lead to his passion for fitting as he found them to be undeniably intertwined.  He has designed bikes riders on major professional teams like 7-Eleven and Coors Light and for riders participating in national championships, world championships, Olympics and grand tours.

Part 1 of the conversation with Ben focuses on the following great topics

1.) Ben's history in frame design

2.) Finding the fit--Serotta Size Cycle and SICI

3.) The challenge of bike fitting and bike fitters

Learn More:

https://blog.bikefit.com/podcast

Episode website:

http://bit.ly/BFPodEp12

Episode sponsors:

https://blog.bikefit.com/saddles

https://blog.bikefit.com/education

https://blog.bikefit.com/insoles

Ben Serotta bio from https://benserotta.com/

"After opening up a small retail and repair shop as an off-school activity in the late 1960’s I traveled to London, England where I apprenticed in building steel bicycle frames. First represented in the 1976 Olympics, Serotta bicycles bore witness to America’s rise as a modern cycling power. Contracted by US powerhouse teams 7- Eleven (1984-1988) and Coors Light (1991-1994), along with numerous smaller national and international programs, Serotta became the dominant US builder of high performance racing bicycles. By 1990 our bicycles had been raced to National, European and World Championship titles in road, time-trial, track, mountain and triathlon events.

Ever driven to raise performance standards, I worked directly with hundreds of elite athletes while developing a unique approach to the human/machine interface, resulting in the company’s two-pronged approach to elevating cycling performance: personalized engineering and a paradigm change in bicycle fitting methodology.

These revolutionary paths inspired the development of a proprietary range of shaped, “size-specific” bicycle frame tubing, dubbed the “Colorado Concept” and the first SizeCycle (an infinitely adjustable stationary bicycle). Like dual cornerstones, these advances became the foundation for the next 25 years of my company’s work. In 1998, Serotta launched a hands-on teaching program for bicycle fitting, which later became knows as SICI (Serotta International Cycling Institute). In turn, SICI graduates have gone on to become integral to the development of more than a dozen other bicycle-fitting organizations. To date, more than 1,500 fitting technicians, coaches and medical practitioners have come from around the world to attend SICI programs and seminars.

In January 2018, I formally and publicly re-entered the bicycle business with the opening of the Serotta Design Studio. It’s not a 3-click to purchase company, nor will you find my new bicycles mixed in with a line-up in general retailers. With this new endeavor, I wanted to establish a direct relationship with each cyclist who places her/his trust in us to deliver an exceptionally wonderful product. It’s not that I have anything against retailers as a whole, not at all. It’s just that I’d rather not dilute the information flow, so that I really know we are delivering the best product for each client. Besides, it’s more fun and more informative getting the direct feedback."

On the pod this week, I interview John Cobb. He is a pioneer & innovator in the bike industry since 1972 and is considered part of a handful of legendary figures that helped shape the bike industry. He is often referred to as “Mr. Wind tunnel” and has been a proven pioneer in the area of cycling aerodynamics to help position riders better in order to gain speed and comfort.  He’s designed or been involved with the design for virtually every part of the modern bicycle. His stories are almost as legendary as he is and John provides many of them throughout the podcast.

We focus on aerodynamics since John was one of the first to ever put a human inside a wind tunnel.  How he convinced the kind and intelligent people of Texas A&M to use the wind tunnel for cyclists vs. their usual car testing is quite amazing.  Regardless, John was relentless in spending his own money and time with some of the early pioneers of the industry to study the impact of aerodynamics on cyclists.  This lead naturally to bike fitting as he analyzed position changes and it's aerodynamic impact but also the tradeoff regarding aero vs. comfort.

The Podcast breaks down into 4 major topics but as you'll notice, I let John's brilliant mind meander down the rabbit hole in any direction as only he can bring the most amazing stories to life.

1.) Coaching and bike fitting symbiosis

2.) Bike fitting

3.) Aerodynamics

4.) Crank length

Learn More:

https://blog.bikefit.com/podcast

Episode website:

http://bit.ly/BFPodEp11

Episode sponsor:

https://blog.bikefit.com/education

About John Cobb:

John Cobb has been an avid cyclist since 1973, going through the steps of recreational cycling, touring, road racing and getting involved in the new sport of triathlon in 1981. Triathlons were particularly interesting to John and he began to focus more on that area as he developed skills in fitting and designing bikes. John opened his first retail bike shop in 1981, always having a focus of making his customers faster and more comfortable. He began testing human riders in 1984 at the Texas A& M WindTunnel and soon developed a reputation and a following for delivering the fastest bikes and riders around the world. John has always had a natural curiosity and an ability to see something in his mind and then be able to actually build it with his hands to test his theories. He has designed frames, wheels, cranks, helmets, saddles, handlebars, clothing and virtually every other part of modern bicycles, having many, many designs and products that lead the way today. John has always been willing to explore the outer limits of different sports and his continuing research will hopefully help riders for many years to come.

Want to learn more about John's current projects?  You can find his work below:

https://speedandcomfort.com/

https://www.facebook.com/SpeedandComfort/

Chris Balser, otherwise known as the bicycle fit guru, joined the podcast this week to discuss the ongoing debate on how to define the dynamic units pictured in most fitting images found on the web, social media or in shops around the world.  Chris is clearly a specialist on this because he already composed an article on his blog a few years ago titled, "Fit Bike? or Size Cycle?"   He conducted trials testing the fits between a fit bike and a trainer and measured client outcomes.  Through this podcast, Chris aims to answer the question of whether the dynamic fitting bikes on the market currently are better for actual bike fitting or does the true value reside in using it as a pre-bike purchase sizing mechanism.

Interestingly enough, in Ep. 10 Chris goes well beyond the discussion of what it should be called and expertly explains his experience with bike fitting technology and it's the accuracy when fitting the unique human body to a bicycle.

The podcast is broken down into 3 sections where Chris discusses the following:

1.) The Accuracy of 3D analysis systems

2.) Size Cycle or Fit Bike

3.) The bike fitting placebo effect

Learn More:

https://blog.bikefit.com/podcast

Episode website:

http://bit.ly/BFPodEp10

About Chris Balser, the Bicycle Fit Guru:

Chris Balser started his bike fitting journey in the late 80s by tinkering with the fit of kids he was coaching on the Pedro's New England Junior Mountain Biking Team.  After moving to Pittsburgh in the early 90s to pursue a doctoral degree in psychiatric and alcohol epidemiology, racing elite mountain bikes and opening his own bike shop, Steel Mill Cycles, Chris was dealing with chronic knee pain.  A specialist at the University of Pittsburgh diagnosed him with severe chrondomalica and informed him that he would never run or race again.

Instead of quitting, Chris decided to utilize the University of Pittsburgh database to delve into the research of the body, his injury and began a lifelong learning process in becoming a great bike fitter.  In fact, Chris still researches the human condition regularly and is currently researching how a human functions more like a primate on the bike.  

He utilized Fit Kit at his shop in Pittsburgh and eventually moved to Minneapolis where he started the fit program for Erik's Bike Shop.  After working there for about 10 years, Chris could not endorse the new program adopted by the shop and he left to create his independent fitting business Bicycle Fit Guru in 2008.  

Chris went on to invest and study new technology in bike fitting.  He developed a 27-marker, 860-operator integrated 3d/ EMG program for cycling assessment protocol in 2012 and developed a biofeedback protocol to reduce counterproductive pedaling technique.  He also developed a symmetry protocol and a fit bike that would simulate "real world" conditions for BTS Bioengineering in Italy.   

Chris's extensive research, consultation, and development of technology led him to discover that those tools of bike fitting do not render the accuracy required to match the individual unique human condition as well as the function of the body on a bike in "real world" conditions.

Through this process, Chris also became a yoga instructor, continues to ride his bike, fits over 800 cyclists per year, fits cyclists from around the country to solve issues and spends time with his wife and two kids in Minnesota.  To learn more about Chris' bike fitting and life journey, see his personal bio.

To learn more about Chris' bike fitting services or to contact him for a bike fitting, please see his website below:

https://www.bicyclefitguru.com/

Renowned cycling researcher Dr. Jim Martin from the University of Utah joins the podcast this week to discuss the implications of crank length on cycling. Dr. Martin's research on crank length was originally motivated by examining kid's standard crank length and attempting to find the optimal solution. Although his research on this topic was published in 2001, many people have strong feelings about specific crank lengths and how it affects cycling. Dr. Martin provides a colorful and detailed picture of the science behind crank length as well as multiple examples from his long career of working with national and world level athletes.

Learn More:

https://blog.bikefit.com/podcast

Episode website:

http://bit.ly/BFPodEp9

Sponsors:

Festka: www.festka.com -- Mention BikeFit when you contact them to receive an exclusive offer from our podcast listeners.

BikeFit: Recieve 15% off your order from now until December 31st, 2019 with the code bikefitpodcast.

Dr. Jim Martin Biography:

Associate Professor in the Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology, within the College of Health at The University of Utah and a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine. He teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in biomechanics and muscle physiology. His research areas include neuromuscular function, biomechanics, physical activity, and performance modeling. Applications of these areas range from optimizing elite sport performance to facilitating physical activity in desk-bound office workers. He is an author on 50 papers in peer-reviewed journals and three book chapters which have been cited over 2000 times. He has been an investigator on research funding totaling approximately two million dollars. He is the sole inventor on one patent and a co-inventor on one other. He has served as a consultant to several sport organizations including the USA Cycling, Australian Institute of Sport, the English Institute of Sport, Canada’s Own the Podium, High Performance Sport New Zealand, and Oracle Team USA where he has worked with World and Olympic Champions. He holds a Bachelors's degree in Mechanical Engineering and Masters and Doctoral Degrees in Exercise Science. Dr. Martin’s publications can be viewed on his Google Scholar Profile. When not working, he enjoys spending time with his family, hiking, cycling, and woodworking

In Ep. 8 I spoke with Sean Madsen who is the owner of the Denver Fit Loft in Denver Colorado.  After running the Specialized BG Fit program for 5 years and fitting some of the greatest cyclists in the world (Peter Sagan, Vincenzo Nibali, and Tom Boonen), Sean decided to embark upon his own project to provide custom bike fitting for Denver area cyclists. After 5 years of running the BG Fit program, he noticed that on average only 10% of the thousands of people he trained implemented fit effectively in their business.  Sean attributes this to the fact that the majority of bike shops' primary task is to sell bikes and bike-related inventory and provide bike service.  While bike fitting is a service, many of the trained fitters were also managers, owners, mechanics, salespersons...etc.  He expressed that fitting gets "pushed down on the priority list" when a shop needs to pay bills, move inventory and employees have multiple responsibilities.  As a result, he created his own independent bike fitting business to implement the strategies he formerly taught but without the capital investment of bicycles and bicycle equipment.

Sean also spends significant time on the pod defining different types of bike fitting and why it's important that these exist: foundation fitting, custom fitting, and pre bike purchase sizing.  He also offers advice to bike shops and fitters on finding success with fitting and sizing in the current marketplace.

Learn More:

https://blog.bikefit.com/podcast

Episode website:

http://bit.ly/BFPodEp8

Sponsors:

G8 2620 Performance Insoles

https://www.bikefit.com/p-123-g8-performance-2620-pro-series-orthotic-insoles.aspx

Episode Topics:

Sean's background with BG Fit and studying with Dr. Andy Pruitt

Why custom fitting is not functioning well in many bike shops

The benefits of an independent bike fit studio

The appropriate level of fitting at a bike shop

Sizing vs. Fitting

Pre Bike Purchase Sizing

The adjustable bicycle and the adapable human body

PTs and bike fitting

How often a cyclist should get a bike fit

Advice to bike shops to be successful with fitting in the current sales landscape

Foundation bike fit vs. custom bike fit

The length of a bike fit session

How to discern whether someone needs a custom bike fit vs. a foundation bike fit

Mountain bike fitting

Marketing in bike fitting

Fitting is rider education

How bike fitting is currently devalued by some who offer it

About our guest, Sean Madsen:

Sean Madsen is a world-renown cycling biomechanics expert who has worked with over 12,000 athletes of all abilities during a career spanning 20 years. Early in his career, Sean honed his skills at the prestigious Boulder Center for Sports Medicine where he studied under the founder of modern bike fitting, Dr. Andy Pruitt PA EdD. Sean then moved to California to create and grow Specialized’s Body Geometry Fit program where he taught thousands of fitters worldwide. He is one of the foremost experts in aerodynamic testing, working with over 200 athletes in the wind tunnel and over 100 more in velodrome validation testing. Sean has worked with some of the best cyclists and triathletes in the world, including Peter Sagan, Vincenzo Nibali, Tom Boonen, Javier Gomez, and Jan Frodeno. Making the best of the best a little faster is fun, but creating ways to help the everyday rider become a life-long cyclist and enthusiast is the most rewarding. Most of all, Sean is a passionate cyclist who has dedicated his life to showing others how riding a bike can change your life.

In Ep.7 I interviewed legendary coach, CEO of Peaks Coaching Group, co-founder of Training Peaks software, co-founder of WKO software, co-author of Training and Racing with a Power Meter and co-author of Cutting Edge Cycling, Hunter Allen.  Yes, this is still the BikeFit Podcast so why did I interview a coach? As a matter of fact, Hunter strikes a chord with many bike fitters and cyclists who recognize the crossover between the two practices. For any cyclist to reach their goals, a proper and full fit allows them to reach their potential and it(bike fitting) can be ruled out as a factor hindering performance (Hunter talks about this in the pod).

In the first part of the podcast, Hunter discusses his history in coaching and racing, the updated, 3rd edition of his book and challenges that coaches encounter regularly.  We then traverse into the land of fitting and discuss Hunter's own fit, his philosophy on how fitting and coaching overlap and his feelings on Q-factor in the cycling industry. Finally, we discuss the pros and cons of new technology in coaching and the overlap into virtual bike fitting.

Through this podcast, it's clear that Hunter is incredibly passionate, enthusiastic and wants every cyclist to achieve their goals.  It's not hard to understand after listening to him for a few minutes why he's accomplished so much in his career.

Learn More:

https://blog.bikefit.com/podcast

Episode website:

http://bit.ly/BFPodEp7

Sponsors:

BiSaddle Shapeshifter BikeFit Edition: https://blog.bikefit.com/saddles

Leomo - https://www.leomo.io/ (special deal on our podcast page http://bit.ly/BFPodEp7)

About our Guest, Hunter Allen:

Widely known as one of the top experts in the world in coaching endurance athletes using power meters, Hunter Allen is the founder of Peaks Coaching Group, co-founder of TrainingPeaks Software and has been instrumental in developing and spreading the power training principles. Hunter has traveled to over 20 countries and taught thousands of cycling coaches and riders the principles of power training. Hunter is a USA Cycling Level 1 coach, was the 2008 BMX technical coach for the Beijing Olympics and has taught the USA Cycling Power Certification Course since 2005. A former professional cyclist on the Navigators Team, Hunter has been coaching endurance athletes since 1995, and his athletes have achieved more than 2000 victories and numerous national, world championship titles and Olympic Medals. Hunter is known as the “Coaches Coach” and frequently has coaches from around the world consulting with him to learn more about the latest in cycling and triathlon training principles. He is a sought after consultant for many endurance-oriented tech companies and has worked with numerous companies to develop products for the cycling world.