Any recommendations for bike fitting expertise in Atlanta? I just got into an argument with my physical therapist over whether it was possible to ride with out stressing my lower back. He wants me off all bikes entirely for at least a month. Which seems unacceptable on several levels, especially as I don't think it is a problem on my city bike.
I could use some expert advice to back up my refusal to abide the PT's advice. I have also been told my race bike is too big a frame and I am too stretched out (of which I am also dubious).
Seems I may need to talk to a bike fitter.
Advice anyone?
bike fitting
Submitted by fathom on Mon, 2007-12-17 22:24.
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Listen to your PT.
Then go to a bike shop. bike south has the crazy machine thing. other bike shops (Intown, Skate Escape, P'tree Bikes) have great folks working. Take your pick.
+1
Get 2 opinions on bike fit
It is not a cut and dry affair. I had the older fit method at Bike South, and it helped to understand some of issues I was having at the time.
When I sold bikes for years
When I sold bikes for years at a local shop I noticed that a lot of guys always wanted a bike that was too big for them. It seemed to be a guy thing, like having a smaller bike was less manly. Don't be scared of a smaller bike. I dropped from 54cm to 52cm and found I fit that size much better even though I am an honest 5'9". I have a long inseam and frequently had issues with my top tube being a bit too long.
Find a good fitter with a lot of experience. Todd at Roswell bikes is the best I have ever seen at fitting. He can spot size problems, leg length discrepancies, and other issues very quickly. I do not know what he charges if he is not fitting you on a new bike, but he is worth whatever he does charge. They also have one of the fit contraptions.
Stay away from Hog Pen, the
Stay away from Hog Pen, the gap on Richard Russell Scenic Highway. That climb will murder your back.
In my experience the strengthening of the lower back muscles resulting from touring kayaking eliminated much back pain many years ago, so maybe cross-training would help.
Your physical therapist may not know putty. I would be as likely to get an opinion from another therapist as I would from a second fitter.
Eddie O'Dea is a respected fitter.
Stay off the bike
Sure, it sucks, but the last thing you want is to make whatever the hell is wrong with your back to become aggravated to the point where it becomes chronic. You never know which one of your injuries will become subject of that story that everyone tells about having fucked up a body part and having it never really be the same again.
agreed
i assume you have a PT for a reason. If you're not going to trust their opinion, why go at all?
one month? that's nothing. phil should tell you his story where he had to stay off a bike for months on end.
just shy of 6 months
July 11, 2005 - the 'incident'
September - weight bearing exercises and stationary bicycle
November 14 - 2 normal shoes and no crutches
January 5 - outdoor bicycling begins!
Dec. 2007 - final medical payment made!! woo-hoo!
Interesting perspectives,
Interesting perspectives, thanks for the advice and the fitter recommendations-- I assure you I am respecting the PT... I'm pretty sure the issue is not the biking itself but posture on the bike.
Incidentally TimothyJ: I don't think my frame size choice was due to some manly hangup (since I am a woman). I've never bought into the whole "women-specific" bike geometry idea-- although I am 5'7 I do have a somewhat long torso. But I wonder if bike shops just assume every rider of the same height will need the same frame size.
a lot will follow a
a lot will follow a height->framesize system. some disguise it better than others with elaborate contraptions or anecdotes of old italian men with hand-rolled cigarettes. don't believe them. if a man takes out a plumbob whilst in the process of fitting you, ask them why. ask them for one compelling peer-reviewed publication directly linking femur length(and shoe size for that matter) to upper-torso "reach". then ask yourself why you just spent 75$ on this guy vs going to a palm reader.
as you experiment with fitting and changing things around on your bike though, i would really suggest keeping a very detailed journal, if you don't already. include everything, measurement-wise on your bike, and also, everything about yourself, mood, health, weight, etc. this may help you help yourself later on.
in terms of the 'fittings' though, i rib on them, but they will at least get you close. the recommendation in a previous post for multiple fittings is an excellent one.
Women usually by the wrong
Women usually by the wrong bike because they didn't like the color of the correct one. Kidding, sort of. I have seen it done a few times, by men and women but more women. The guy thing was just an honest observation that used to drive me nuts.
I have no trouble with women specific bikes. Women are built a little different and many can benefit from the different geometry.
A buddy and I are the same height, but end up on very different bikes. I have long legs and he has a long torso. He needs a much longer top tube. I ride in a more aggressive position, so I need a bike with a shorter/lower head tube. If we tried getting fitted on each other's bikes, it would be difficult and neither one of us would be assured of getting a good fit. When we buy new bikes we both pay attention to the specifics we require in the frame measurements.
Of course the best avenue is to post a picture of yourself on your bike from the side with the pedal closest to the camera at 6 o;clock in bike gear. Then we can post our opinions on your fit. It may not do you any good, but they have fun with that over at Slowtwitch! Somebody may also spot something very easy to see that you cannot. Our some of us may notice the obvious, like you are a female!
Life's too short to ride an
Life's too short to ride an ugly bike. If that's a girl thing to say, then so be it! If the only bike in a store that fit my needs was ugly I would go to a different store/ different brand (Unless it was on some crazy sale-- that's how I ended up with the ugliest telemark skis on the face of the earth).
I think a lot of "women-specific" designs, along with being ugly colors and having flower decals on them, assume that women can't ride as well/as aggressively as men. I like Cervelo's take on why women-specific designs are meaningless:
http://www.cervelo.com/viewkb.aspx?id=00692#3
The other good thing about posting a photo for fit advice would be that you could admire my decidedly non-ugly bikes!
Seriously, though, this is giving me a lot to think about. Thanks.
Back problems?
Back problems?
Upright posture = shorter top tube and longer head tube and/or use a proper stem in concert.
Scoot your seat back some and enjoy the ride.
Just look at leisure bikes or for a more extreme example look at recumbents. That is it!
Isn't that why they make those things?