Getting the drop on handlebar shape Next up in my series on the properties of drop handlebars is the aspect “drop” (‘C’ in picture below) and the closely related aspect 'shape'. (Other articles in the series include one on finding your optional road handlebars and the skinny on handlebar width.) Drop is a measurement of the bars from the centre of the tops of the bars to the centre of the lowest point of the [...]
The skinny on handlebar width In the first article of this series, we discussed some of the issues involved in finding your optimal road handlebar. In the rest of the series, we will have a look at the different dimensions of the drop bar and how they affect fit. This article concentrates on handlebar width. Future articles will explore reach, drop and shape. For the remainder of this article we will be focusing on road handlebars. Some, [...]
Finding your optimal road handlebar When optimising a cyclist’s position on a bike, there has been extensive research regarding torso, hip and knee angles, or an optimal cleat position on the shoe. There has been research regarding the aerodynamics - particularly regarding the CDA and how to reduce it by reducing a rider’s frontal surface area. There has however, been next to nothing regarding the optimal road handlebar for a given rider nor how they affect a [...]
Spatzwear overshoes and gloves to warm up winter cycling Living in Canberra and taking up cycling over 15 years ago has meant I have spent my fair share of winters in the Territory. As a bike fitter, I seek to fit cyclists so that they are in a comfortable position on the bike. This comfort can relate to lack of pain and discomfort in the cycling muscles and joints or on the contact points such as the [...]
The drawbacks of bike fitting on a trainer With the number of bike fitting methods around, you may be wondering which is the best one for optimising your position. Will the bike shop sizing serve me well? Should I have an angle based fit? A bike brand specific fit. What about having a biomechanist or sports scientist fit me? Is 3D video capture or saddle pressure mapping important? It can be a bit of minefield to wade [...]
The costs involved in a bike fit You might be wondering what sort of costs you are up for when seeking your Winning Position. My philosophy is to make this process as cost effective as possible. I like to accommodate a cyclist’s existing equipment where possible. That said, it's common that additional equipment is required to achieve a comfortable and efficient position. I'll now outline some of the common expenses that customers encounter in implementing a bike [...]
How to find the perfect saddle I am a firm believer that a cyclist shouldn’t have to suffer saddle discomfort. Far too many people accept saddle discomfort as an inevitable part of cycling. They put up with it and hope that they will ‘toughen up’ over time. At best this approach leads to a reduction in the joy of cycling and at worst to permanent damage to bits you really don’t want damaged. I believe it is [...]
Cobb saddles - a revolution in saddle comfort This is the first in a series of articles about bicycle equipment we stock here at Winning Position. We only sell a few brands and each one has to earn its place through proven effectiveness at addressing one of the elements of bike fit . Before we dive in, I want to stress that one of the biggest factors in saddle comfort is an optimal bike fit. [...]
