Cycling

Properly Fit

A couple of nights ago I made a trip out to Acton, Ontario to visit Ian at IMFit.ca. One of the services that Ian at IMFit offers is professional bike fitting, and with race season just around the corner, I wanted to confirm that I am setup in the best position. I was originally fit on my bike during the purchase last year, but I’ve made some progress since then (I hope) and thought it might be worthwhile to see if a more suitable position was available.

Being properly fit on your bike might be the most important thing in riding. First, you want to be comfortable on a bike that you spend hours on at a time. Second, you don’t want to open yourself up to injury (knees especially) due to poor positioning, and finally, if you pay hundreds or thousands of dollars for a bike, why wouldn’t you spend a little money to make sure that you are in the best possible position?

We found out about IMfit.ca from some friends and everything that we heard was positive. So after a few email exchanges to arrange a date/time, we were on our way to Acton.

When I arrived at Ian’s house, I was surprised to see such a professional shop. My initial impression was that I was not sacrificing a thing by coming to somebody’s house to get a fitting; actually, I would end up getting a personal one-on-one fitting while still having access to all of the technology used in today’s fits. Having access to information such as wattage and left/right leg comparisons during a fit is reassuring, and I don’t believe I could do another fit without it.

Once I got on the trainer, I was immediately reading the output to decipher any faults in my technique. Fortunately, I couldn’t read what the screen was telling me, and Ian would not offer any hints until later. He began tinkering with my saddle, incrementally inching it forward and upward until he was pleased with the increase in extension, power, and efficiency. When I was all dialed in with the new position, he began to focus on other areas such as posture and fluidity in the pedal stroke, both areas that I need to concentrate on.

All in all, I’d say that the change is dramatic: 3cm increase in saddle height and a 2-3cm saddle shift forward. The fitting took less than an hour, and now the only piece that’s left is for me to go out and ride with the new setup.

So if you’ve been thinking of getting a bike fit, IMFit.ca might be a good place to consider. IMFit.ca combines a unique one-on-one atmosphere with a feeling that you’re getting a bargain for what you’re paying for. And once you have the confidence that you’re properly configured on your machine, you can go out and ride that much harder!

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