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A professional bike fit with Jim Manton

    Getting a professional bike fit was something I’ve wanted to do since hearing Jim Manton speak at a triathlon meeting. His speech was fascinating. So technical — wattage & power & angles & stack & drop.

    When I bought the bike nearly 10 years ago, the sales person eyeballed the fit. It took all of 15 minutes, and it was based on height and weight. Now bike fits are based on stack (angle of leg, knee, foot, & saddle) and drop (the handlebar drop distance; wrist, elbow, and shoulder).

    Since hearing Jim speak I’ve focused on comfort level while riding. There should not be any pain when riding. Yet, in reality, I’ve never been been 100% comfortable when riding; the feet go numb, the shoulders feel like they were hit with a fireball, and inner-thigh chafing – what causes that, the saddle or seams! Either way, ouch.

    The fitting showed why my knees were so sore after the 68.5 mile ride — clips were not aligned correctly, placing my feet too far forward. While my burning shoulders were caused by an extended reach of over 3cm.

    The process took 3+ hours, and here’s a little clip. Audio is not the best, but hopefully you’ll get the gist of the technical skills needed for a professional bike fit.

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