If your bike has gone straight from shelf to road without you making any adjustments, it might not offer the perfect fit. Bikes feature numerous components that can be moved and altered; and while it may feel comfortable, you need to be sure that it’s sufficiently supporting your body as you rack up those miles.

If your bike isn’t set-up correctly, you’re more likely to experience pain and discomfort when out on the road, making you more susceptible to developing injuries. A bike that’s tailored to fit minimises joint and muscle load, improving comfort while reducing the likelihood of suffering repetitive stress injuries.

Other benefits include: enhanced performance, safer riding and more enjoyment

The process…

Setting up a bike isn’t as simple as lowering the seatpost or swapping your stem over. It’s actually a complex process that involves numerous steps, which is why many riders turn to the experts for a professional bike fit assessment.

There are a number of other reasons why you may need an assessment, besides buying a new bike. Injuries and goals can also inform how your bike should be set up to maximise power, efficiency and comfort.

The ideal bike setup may change over the years, too – maybe your flexibility has decreased, you’ve lost weight or you’re planning to ramp-up your training.  So, if you’ve already had an assessment but your circumstances have changed since, it may be worth having a review to make sure your bike still offers the best fit.

How Wimbledon Clinics can help

Nicole Oh is one of Wimbledon Clinics’ Consultant Physiotherapists who specialises in cycling injuries.

Nicole helps cyclists maximise performance and reduce the risk of injury by carrying out in-depth bike fit assessments and cycling plans. Her role is to understand how you and your bike interact  – after asking some questions, performing various tests and observing your riding on our turbo trainer, she will make the appropriate adjustments to ensure optimum comfort and efficiency, mile after mile. 

Areas Nicole will look at include:

Saddle – fore/aft position and tilt

Stem length and height

Handlebar width and height

Crank length

Shoe, pedal and cleat positions

Brake lever position

Hopefully, you’ll leave the session not only with a bike that fits you perfectly, but with better insight into how your body and bike interact. This will allow you to fine-tune your technique and ultimately, become a better cyclist.