Bicycling Shoes & Fitting

[Charlie Schuessler]

I found bicycling with good fitting bicycling shoes is the same as skiing with good fitting ski boots. After reading some books and magazine articles about it, I experimented using my ski boot footbeds in my road cycling shoes...then I spoke with Jeff Bokum about it... there's canting adjustments, fore/aft adjustments, etc... and he listed statistics about power improvement with proper alignment...

I do know this, proper fitting shoes, proper seat height (leg extension), seat fore/aft positioning (knee over pedal), shoe fore/aft positioning (ball of foot over spindle), and comfortable knee position (foot in/out) creates good form, consistent power, centered balance on the bike and NO KNEE PAIN!!!

Like skiing, it seems to me to it starts at the feet...

What do you think?

 

[Marc]

Very true. I feel like I'm losing power to my shoes that are a cm too big for me.


I know some bike shops have a fitting stationary machine where all the measurements you talked about can be adjusted, and basically they keep you at a consistent HR and then see what combo gives you the maximum power output. I wonder if that correlates to the most comfortable (racing) posture as well.


I've never really had any knee pain. I adjust all my stuff until it feels just right.

I do get a kick out of the people at the gym on the stationaries that have their knees pointing outward. I don't know how they can't feel that it's wrong, but sometimes if they look like they're struggling I'll give em a friendly tip and they're always receptive.

 

[Charlie Schuessler]

...I know some bike shops have a fitting stationary machine where all the measurements you talked about can be adjusted, and basically they keep you at a consistent HR and then see what combo gives you the maximum power output. I wonder if that correlates to the most comfortable (racing) posture as well...

I got "Fit" using the Serotta Sizing Cycle at Goodales in Nashua NH some time ago. I had read about a number of sizing systems in Len Zinn's books as well as others and though it was worth a try. The procedure was simple enough, the fitter took a number of body measurements, questions about the type of cycling I enjoy doing and what I wanted to do in the future. He also checked my shoes for spindle alignment with the ball of each foot. He then measured my existing bicycle configurations. Using some formulas Serotta put together, we raised the seat up and back from where it was. The handlebar arrangement was right on. It took a while to get nice round revolutions again. With the use of my cycle-computer and heart rate monitor, keeping detailed records I noticed my power and average speed increased in controlled workouts.

 

[andyzee]

I always get a kick out of people that have their seats way to low, damn, how do you ride like that?