Good Luck to Racers at Tri Nationals, Iron Girl!

Ben's Cycle has been wildly busy the last three days, helping triathletes from around the country get their bikes prepped for two different events, USA Triathlon's Olympic and Sprint National Championships in Milwaukee and the Iron Girl Triathlon in Pleasant Prairie. 


 
We'll be in Pleasant Prairie Saturday talking about bike fits and custom orthotics with our Human Movement Scientist Brett Meinke. 

Brett is a highly experienced professional bike fitter who comes at bike fits from a unique angle: the feet. In a full bike fit, Brett will first work with a customer's gait and foot shape. He can create custom orthotics for both running shoes and bike shoes.

Once the foot position and cleat/ shoe position is dialed in, Brett will work on the rest of the body position. 

Whether you're gunning for a national championship, an age group win, a personal best, or just a finish in your first tri, nothing will make your run and ride more comfortable and fast than a good fit. 

Stop in at the shop or call Brett (414.384.2236) for an appointment or to discuss how a bike and shoe fit will help you.

A Cyclocross Bike Gets Customized

Addie, a Ben's customer, came in to Ben's looking for a bike to do long rides with her husband.  She wanted to get on the Glacial-Drumlin trail, do the Door County Century, and do long, leisurely rides.

"My husband bought me a hybrid five years ago," she said. "But it was too heavy and that grandma seat just wasn't comfortable."


We suggested she try out the Milwaukee Bicycle Company cyclocross bike. A lot of our customers have been customizing the bike and using it for touring.


"It reminds me of the comfort of riding a bike as a kid," she said while getting an initial fit from professional fit guru Brett Meinke.


Addie said she appreciated being able to customize the bike as well as getting a fit from Brett. She said she was glad as well to buy a product made in Wisconsin.


Even though she already has a carbon-fiber road bike, she said the weight difference was minimal.



Addie is scheduled to return for a final fit with Brett where he will trim the steer tube, adjust the saddle position, and change out the stem.

Addie's Milwaukee Bicycle Company cyclocross bike. Steel beauty. 

Get Your Bike Fit Dialed In at Ben's Cycles

A good bike fit will make a good bike feel great and turn an awesome bike into one that makes you  feel you could ride at the Tour!

Fortunately, at Ben's, we have some of the best fit experts anywhere. Brett M. will work with you - your feet, your posture, your muscular and skeletal systems - and get you totally dialed into the right fit on your bike.

Brett and Steve use the Specialized Body Geometry Fit, as well as years of experience and lots of training at the Specialized factory in California.

And a good fit means a faster, more comfortable ride!

This is from Outside Magazine in an article discussing the most common cyclists' mistakes, including not getting a good bike fit from someone who knows what is going on!

HOW TO EXERCISE BETTER

Fitting your bike to your body

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Photo: Alan Daniels

There is no reasonable argument for paying $3,000-plus for a road bike but not a couple hundred bucks to have it fit perfectly to your body and riding style. In the past few years, bike brands have invested heavily in fit technology that precisely records your ideal position and then compares it with a database of bikes and components to suggest the best combination. The result: you’re faster (a fit can boost power output by 10 percent) and more comfortable.

How to Fit Your Bike to Your Body
1. Tron-style fit bikes like the Retül Müve Dynamic and the Guru Experience allow assessment and adjustment of every measurement without the rider ever having to dismount.

2. Video is displayed as you pedal, and fitters can compare footage of different fits. In some systems, bikes are set on a 360-degree turntable. Others, like 3D Bike Fit, add a second camera.

3. The Retül harness attaches sensors to your flex points that transmit fit angles to a computer to capture static positions and patterns, like how your knee tracks through a pedal stroke.

4. Power meters test how a position affects rider output. Small tweaks can make a significant difference.

5. Your contact points with the bike matter most. Many fitters offer custom footbeds and pedals with varying spindle widths. The Specialized Body Geometry sit-bone tool measures hip width, so you can choose the ideal saddle.

FIND YOUR FIT
Retül: Get fit on the Müve Dynamic at one of 280 U.S. sites. From $300.
Guru: Some 60 retailers run the Experience system. From $100.
3D Bike Fit: This San Francisco shop ­offers the greatest number of custom options. From $195.
Specialized Body Geometry Fit: The largest selection of components and some 200 fit centers. From $250.

Don't buy a bike without getting fitted. Photo: Glory Cycles/Flickr

You buy online, adjust your saddle height by feel, and wonder why your back hurts, knees ache, and nether regions are covered in golf-ball-sized saddle sores (yes, it happens). While bike fitting still remains a mix of science, art, and trial by error, a quality fit will prevent some of the most common injuries and concerns riders face.

The Fix: Ask around, and find a reputable fitter in your area, says Mayhew. But opt out of any spin-scan analysis. While countless coaches and fitters extol the virtues of pedaling in circles, some of the sport’s top athletes have the least circular pedal strokes when they’re really putting out the power. Instead, ask to focus on comfort and aerodynamics—the power will come.

A good fitter will also help you swap out the components on your contact points—hands, feet, bottom—to maximize comfort and performance, so test out a variety of saddles before you give up on your bike.

http://www.outsideonline.com/fitness/biking/Cycling-Mistake-4.html