WHEN BUYING A NEW BIKE
Knowing the nuances and measurements of your body can help guide your purchase to select a bike that better fits you from the start, enabling you to get the most out of your ride.
WHEN SETTING NEW GOALS
If you’re looking to increase your training volume or speed, a proper bike fitting can help reduce your chances of injury, and increase efficiency and power as you adapt to your new regimen.
IF YOUR FITNESS HAS IMPROVED
Have you made significant changes to your strength or flexibility recently? A bike fit can ensure that you continue to maximise your power, endurance and comfort.
OR IF YOU HAVE NEVER HAD ONE!
Whether you’re a racer, enjoy sportives, or simply cycle in order to stay fit, at In-Gear Cycles we’re 100 per cent committed to ensuring that your riding experience is as enjoyable as possible. Key to this is making sure that your position on the bike is efficient, comfortable and takes account of any injury issues that you may have. Our bikefitting service is designed to achieve your optimum, active riding position and uses Retul motion capture technology to consider the unique connection between your body and your bike. Matt, our highly trained Retul expert, has over 5 years racing experience at national and international level. Pete has over a quarter of a century’s experience working with bikes and riders, and it's this combined knowledge that enables us to make sure your position is right, meaning you’ll be riding confidently, comfortably and with less fatigue.
A Retul fitting session typically takes around three hours, and is a personalised, one-on-one consultation with a professionally trained specialist, designed to help you get the best experience from your ride. During a pre-fit interview we will discuss your experience and ambitions as a cyclist, as well as any past or current injury concerns, and this is followed assessment of your flexibility and ranges of motion.
From there, we move you on to your bike to assess and optimise your position, ensuring that your motion on the bike matches your body’s natural range, paying particular attention to knee tracking – often a crucial factor in injury cure and prevention.
This is accomplished using LED markers, strategically placed on eight anatomical points of the rider: the wrist, elbow, shoulder, hip, knee, ankle, heel, and toe. As the rider pedals, Retül's sensor bar gathers real-time, three-dimensional data of the rider's pedal strokes and movements. The rider's data is compiled into a reader-friendly report for analysis by the fitter. The fitter can then assess the rider's position and make necessary adjustments.
Finally, a handheld digitizer allows the fitter to digitally measure the rider's bike at over a dozen points, providing a complete digital map of the bike.
The fit information, comprising the rider's personal profile, measurements from the fit, bike measurements, and the rider's final fit position, are all stored on computer for future reference, making it easy to track historical fit data for the client.
Please bring your normal riding kit – shoes, lycra bibshorts, cycling jersey etc – and, of course, your bike. Note that Retul motion capture technology relies on the rider wearing tight-fitting clothing, and will not work accurately with loose fitting garments, three-quarter length shorts or tights. If the weather is warm you may also wish to bring a water bottle and towel, as the fitting process does involve a reasonable level of activity! We would also ask that your bike and shoes/cleats are reasonably clean and that your seatpost moves freely within the seat tube – time spent freeing up a seized post may, unfortunately, have a negative impact on the time available for carrying out your fit.
As an alternative to our full fit, we also offer a more basic level of fitting using a computerised system from Shimano Bikefitting.com. A series of accurate body measurements enable us to set your bike up for your preferred riding style, and your details are stored on our computer for future reference. This level of fit is perfect for newer riders or perhaps for someone who is considering a new bike and requires guidance on sizing etc, and is included free of charge for anybody buying a bicycle from us.
SADDLE SCHEME
We have a range of Selle Italia and Specialized test saddles in store with a 28 day exchange promise. We also have Fizik test saddles available with a £75 deposit which is non-refundable against the purchase of any saddle within the range.
I thought my bike was already well set up, but that proved not to be the case. Matt used his specialist bike fitting expertise as well as his experience as a top cyclist to make a real difference so that everything felt just right by the end of the session. No hesitation in recommending a bike fit, and Matt at In-Gear is definitely the person to go to. - David B.