(se) got schooled at Cronometro during a biodynamic bike fitting. Colin O’Brien owner of Cronometro (located on the isthmus in Madison, WI) was wonderful to work with as he used a combination of grids, levels, tape measures and goniometers to check out my current bike set up. He took an impressive intake asking for any current pain when riding, numbness or tingling and asked about previous injuries. I was able to give him a good long list of injuries and pointed out that my left arm is a good inch shorter that my right as the result of a broken arm while still growing. After putting my bike on a compuTrainer and having me get my RPMs up into the 90’s we looked at the power of my right leg vs. my left. We were also able to identify that I had a very dominate power surge as I came over the top of the pedal and lost power as the pedal was lifting, this became one of the bench marks as we looked for improvement to pedal stroke with different geometry.
I could not help myself, as a biomechanics geek, I was in hog heaven. I picked his brain for the whole three hour fitting about ideal wattage, cadence and technique for the Ironman course to have a good ride. In the Ironman it is a tricky balance of not wanting to be on the bike all day, but also not wanting to spend any amount of energy that you don’t have to. After all, you still have to run a marathon.
My New Saddle SMP Lite 209
I ended up with a different saddle, one that allows my weight to rest on the bony rim of the pelvis instead of the muscular floor. I also ended up with a straight pair of aero bars, off set to accommodate for my shorter left arm and set wider to reduce strain on my neck. What I was fascinated by is how much the (se) number pattern fit in to the adjustments we were making. I could feel more space in my neck when we changed my cleat placement. My comfort on the saddle improved when we lifted up y handle bars with a longer stem and a change in my saddle finally got me to pedal much more smoothly.
Profile Designs t2 Aero Bars
Photo taken with iphone and lines drawn with “The Body Level” iphone app
There is no amount of strength and conditioning that was going to keep my neck from hurting with my old set up. My hips could be perfectly neutral but it would never have mattered until we changed the seat angle. My point being….It is Dynamic. Even the best of bike fit and the best of running form still require a well balanced body….which is where Structural Elements fits in…..but good mechanics and a good bike fit from someone who knows what they are doing is well worth the time and money.
Thanks again Colin! I look forward to bringing you to the clinic to lecture on what is different about a Biodynamic Fit.
