Every Cyclist Has a Story

One of the things I love most about my work is that people rarely arrive at my studio with just a bike problem. They come in because their knee hurts, their hands are numb, their back is complaining, or they want to get more comfortable and powerful on the bike. But somewhere between looking at feet, mobility, movement, bike position and physiology, the conversation starts to wander….

A cyclist is never just a cyclist. They’re a parent. A grandparent. An engineer. A teacher. A bus driver. A builder. A retiree. An environmentalist. An adventurer. A weekend warrior. Someone who has just discovered cycling or someone who has been riding for fifty years and still wants to beat their mates up the next hill.

One of the most important pieces of equipment in my studio is the coffee machine. Because let’s be honest, a bike fit studio without coffee just wouldn’t be right!

During a bike fit, there is plenty of time to talk about feet, hips, knees, saddles, shoes and cleats. But there is also time for a coffee and that helps the stories flow!

I have clients preparing to ride Paris-Brest-Paris which is a modest 1,200-kilometre ride in France (for those who think a weekend ride to the coffee shop isn’t quite enough). Then there are those preparing for a very different kind of epic adventure… four days trying to keep up with their wife around the rail trails of Bright. There are the brave clients attempting their first triathlon. Not a sprint triathlon, nor a half Ironman but a full length Ironman. I guess some people look at swimming 3.8 km, cycling 180 km and then running a marathon and think, “Yep, let’s give that a go.” I admire their confidence and adventurous spirit.

Then there are the cyclists who are out there for something completely different.

Some ride because they want to explore whilst others ride to stay connected to friends.

Some ride because it gets them outside and away from a desk.

Some are riding to raise money or awareness for something they care deeply about.

And some are simply trying to keep up with their mates.

I have clients who are bus drivers and have a very real understanding of what it’s like to share the road with cyclists. They have become passionate advocates for better relationships between cyclists and motorists.

I have engineers who approach their bike with the analytical precision you might expect.

I have carpenters who understand bodies and bikes through a completely different perspective.

There are people with different occupations and different reasons for riding. But somehow, they all end up in my studio talking about their bikes and cycling. I’ve heard stories about cyclists who are training for enormous adventures but haven’t quite worked out how they’re going to manage the logistics. I’ve met people who plan their holidays around cycling routes rather than sightseeing. I’ve met cyclists who know the exact number of kilometres they’ve ridden this year but couldn’t tell you what they had for breakfast yesterday. There are those who meticulously track power, cadence, heart rate, elevation and training load… and ignore the fact that their feet are screaming inside their shoes. There are cyclists who have every piece of the latest technology but are still trying to work out why their bum hurts.

There are the cyclists who arrive saying: “I’m not really competitive.” Then five minutes later they’re telling me how they absolutely cannot let their mate Dave beat them up that particular climb. Of course, they’re not competitive. At all.

When I reflect on my clients over the last 8 years, I don’t just recall cyclists but also the rich stories.

My job is to look at how a cyclist’s body interact with their bike. But I also get the privilege of hearing what they are using their body to achieve. So, if you wonder why I allow three and a half hours for a bike fit, it’s because of this… We might be talking about your bike. We might be talking about feet. We might be talking about movement. But somewhere along the way, we’ll probably end up talking about life.

Honestly, that’s one of the things I love most about what I do. Because behind every cyclist is a story. And I never seem to run out of good ones.