Consumer Beware: A proper bike fit goes along way

A proper bike fit is a necessity for all triathletes. I recently purchased a tri bike from a well-known bike store in Toronto. This place was highly recommended to me and I had shopped there previously. I was given a quick 20-30min assessment on my new bike purchase – a few minor adjustments were made – and I thought I was set! I acknowledge that I am not overly knowledgeable when it comes to purchasing a bike; however, I went with a friend who has been an experienced triathlete for a few years now. Neither of us realized the mistakes they made at the time. Without naming all of the errors they made, the handle bars and aero bars were attached incorrectly. Some of the bike parts they had “thrown” on my bike weren’t even supposed to be put on a tri bike! I feel like they took advantage of someone who they knew was newer to the sport.

I recently decided to have a professional bike fit done. In the course of an hour, these errors and numerous positioning adjustments were made. I noticed an instant increase in my ability on the bike – my power was significantly higher for the same effort! I was still alittle anxious about how this bike fit would affect my performance in longer distance triathlons. I am happy to say that I recently completed a half ironman and was very comfortable on the bike.

It is amazing how simple technical adjustments can have a signficant impact on your cycling performance.

Please contact me if you have any questions. I am happy to refer you 🙂