Hip rocking Back Posture Upper Body Stability

Shoulder Posture Balance Reach

Hip Angles Pelvic Tilt Soft Elbows
Wrist Postures Saddle Comfort
Power Delivery Weight on Hands
Saddle Neutral Positions Hip Marker Position
Saddle Height Formulae Knee Angles KOPS
Knee deceleration Centre of Gravity
Symmetry Consistency Pedalling Efficiency
Souplesse Ankle & Foot Postures
Ankle Range of Motion Wear patterns

DIY Dynamic Bike Fitting

DIY Dynamic Bike Fitting Using Simple Tools and Observations.

1) Road Bikes (Revision 2 May 2020)

Michael Veal B.Tech M.Sc

BikeDynamics Ltd

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 DIY Dynamic Bike Fitting
Using Simple Tools and Observation

Introduction
The title of this guide may be a little misleading as although possible to do your own solitary
bike fitting, a helper / observer will make the whole process much easier. The 'DIY' in this
context relates to being able to do the fitting in your own home using a turbo trainer and
simple tools. Elaborate motion capture equipment can make the bike fitting process much
easier, I use them all the time, but for most people, a combination of direct observation,
subjective impression and simple measurements will get you very close. The intention of this
guide is to inform you of what to look for, what to feel and how to use relatively simple
measurements to find that elusive 'sweet spot' of comfort, efficiency and performance. What
this document can't do is give you the experience and fine observation skills of a quality Bike
Fitter, so if struggling with chronic cycling related pains and niggles, you need to find a
reputable Fitter and / or seek appropriate medical help.

This guide assumes that your road bike is of a suitable size and can be made to fit you.
Although primarily written for road bikes, the principles are applicable to all bikes. The frame
is the 'heart' of the bike and the most important thing to ensure is the correct size during the
buying process. Crank length and handlebar width are also important and can be both
expensive and time consuming to change. If in any doubts that your bike is a suitable size,
please refer to Appendix 1 - Bike Sizing before commencing the fitting process.

Copyright © by Michael Veal B.Tech M.Sc.

BikeDynamics Ltd
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any
information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except
where permitted by law. To request permission, apply to Michael Veal, 11 Portland Place
East, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, United Kingdom CV32 5ES

This publication is not intended to replace Medical care. Cycling injuries should be referred
to qualified Medical professionals.

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 Contents

Introduction ........................................................................... 1

1) Tools Required ........................................................................ 3

Essential
Non Essential but Useful.

2) Process overview and Measurement Techniques. ...................... 4

Process
Measurement Techniques

3) Cleat Set Up. .............................................................................. 7

4) Initial Assessment and Data Gathering. ......................................... 9
Initial Baselines
Set Up, Warm Up and Observation
Data Gathering - Assessment Parameters
Data Gathering - Calculators

5) Analysis and Position Improvement. .......................................... 25

Saddle Position
Handlebar Position

6) Error States ................................................................................ 33

7) Recording and Replication. ......................................................... 39
8) Adaptation and Post Fit experience. ............................................ 40
9) Conclusions and Feedback ........................................................ 41

Appendices ................................................................................... 42

1 - Bike Sizing ........................................................................................................ 42

2 - Anatomical Markers .......................................................................................... 46
3 - Bike Dimensions ............................................................................................... 48

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 Chapter 1

Tools Required
Essential
Turbo Trainer

The most important tool to enable a bike fitting is a turbo trainer. Ideally this will have
variable resistance and be reasonably representative of rolling along a flat road. Being able
to monitor your performance is extremely useful. Some turbo trainers give a direct reading of
speed, power or cadence which is ideal. Your bike may have on board cadence or power
measurement, which is also good, as is speed, provided the sensor is on the rear wheel. If
your speed sensor is taken from the front wheel, see if you can temporarily move it to the
rear for the fitting exercise. As you will see later in the guide, my process looks for small
performance changes to quick positional alterations, so being able to measure and read
increments of 1 watt, 0.1 mph, 0.1 kph or 1rpm will be very useful, though not essential.

Tape measure

Spirit Level

Plumb Line (or small weight on the end of a piece of string).

Small (6") ruler.

Allen Keys / Spanners.

Non Essential but Useful

Vernier Callipers

Will tend to be easier to read than a small ruler.

Goniometer.

A device for measuring anatomical angles.

IPad / Android Apps.

You may like to replace the spirit level with an 'Inclinometer' App and the Goniometer with
video analysis Apps or software such as Kinovea.org, Dartfish or Ubersense.

Torque Wrench (up to 15Nm).

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 Chapter 2

Process Overview and Measurement Techniques

Process Overview
In overall terms, the Dynamic Bike fitting process is relatively simple. The objective is to find
an ideal riding position, optimised for performance, comfort and efficiency whilst minimising
the chance of injury. The technique is to take a series of measurements and observations of
the current riding position, coupled with subjective impressions of the rider. These
parameters are correlated against the expected norms and in a series of iterations, the ideal
position established. The penultimate step is to accurately record the position to enable
replication across other bikes. The final stage is to ride the bike out on the road, hopefully
with improved comfort and performance, but at the very least the rider will have learned
something about themselves and how they interact with their bike.

So far so simple, but just to let you know what you are in for, you will be looking for 12
different pieces of information to support establishing the saddle height. A further 5 to ensure
a suitable saddle fore-aft location and 7 more to get your handlebars in the correct location.
Note, this is all done on the assumption that you are relatively happy with your shoe /cleat
set up. The next chapter of this document will cover the basics of cleat set up as this needs
to be done first, but if in any doubt about your shoes & cleats, again you need to see a
reputable Bike Fitter.

Fundamentally, the cleats need to be set first, the crank lengths checked for suitability, the
saddle height and fore-aft position established, then the handlebar and shifter positions
located. But if things were not complicated enough already, cleat, saddle, handlebar position
and crank length all interact with each other. Changing one will have knock on implications
to the rest, so the fitting process is a series of iterations, hopefully honing in on your perfect
cycling posture.

So what are these numerous measurements / observations and how easy are they to do.
You may be pleased / surprised to know that at no point will I be asking you to put your heel
on the pedal with a straight leg, measure standover height or if you can see the front hub
past the stem. You will be hanging a plumbline off the bony bit below your knee cap though,
which is my only concession to 'old school' bike fitting. You may also note there are no
flexibility or core strength checks, not that they are irrelevant, but because doing them
yourself or with an untrained observer would not really add to the process.

More detail on each later, but to summarise, the key dimensions and most relevant
parameters are as shown below. Don't worry if this intimidating, or your observer is worried
that they have more responsibility for the outcome than they initially thought when agreeing
to help. None of these parameters is definitive, some will be ambiguous or even
contradictory. Taking so many observations helps to build a picture, which nudges the bike
set up in the right direction. After a while both the rider and observer will be 'tuned in' and
feel / see the effect of very small changes as the iterations get closer to optimum. Although
many of the photos shown are of men, the process is equally applicable to women.

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 Assessment Parameters

Saddle Height Saddle Fore-aft Handlebar Height and

Reach.

Knee maximum angle. Knee Over Pedal Spindle. Default hand position
(KOPS)
Knee minimum angle. Torso to upper arm Angle
Hip marker alignment to
Ankle posture at top of seat tube axis. Shoulder posture / Straight
stroke. or soft elbows when on the
Balance hoods.
Ankle posture at bottom of
stroke. Weight on your hands. On the Road - How much
time do you spend on the
Deceleration of knee marker Shoulder posture / locked drops.
at bottom of stroke. elbows
Difference between power
Symmetry of knees either output on hood and drops.
side of the bike.
Minimum hip angle
Difference between power
output on hood and drops. Wrist posture on hoods and
drops.
Stability of the hips.

Upper body movement.

Orientation of pelvis.

Inseam to ground.

Greater Trochanter to
ground.

Other Relevant Factors

Hamstring, back, hip, quad, calf flexibility.

Hip, knee, neck, shoulder, arm, hand, foot or back pain.
Saddle discomfort. Core strength. Foot anatomy.

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 Measurement Techniques.
This guide was sold on the basis of 'using simple tools' and in most cases the parameters
are subjective or require just a tape measure, ruler or plumbline. Some will benefit from more
objective measurements, usually the angle between various body reference points. There
are a number of options to do this, from very high, to very low tech.

The high tech options are to use video cameras and free analysis software such as
Kinovea.org, or Apps such as Ubersense or Dartfish on a phone or tablet. Ideally the camera
would be at least 2.5m from the bike, approx. 0.7m off the ground and in line with the crank
centreline. There is plenty of opportunity for errors and fast spinning legs can often make the
images a little blurry, so these measurements should not be regarded as definitive, like
everything else, merely contributing to the overall picture.

A lower tech option is to use a Goniometer, a simple protractor, large enough to be able to
measure between body reference positions. These can be found cheaply on Amazon, EBay
etc. and ideally need to be at least 30cm long. Alternatively, you could print off a photograph
of the bike and rider, then use a protractor to measure the angles.

The very low tech option is the judgement of the observer; hopefully made easier by the
examples I shall be providing.

My recommendation would be to trust the observer, especially as none of the parameters is

definitive. As I said before, this is a case of building up a picture and does not need to be
precise. I can appreciate this does put some responsibility onto the observer to be good at
their job. I'd hate to think the process could cause arguments and strain relationships, but I
could imagine comments such as

'What do you mean my torso angle is over 50o, I'm far more aggressive than that.'

I'll leave you to decide if you need some objective data!

Body Reference Points.

To help with the measurements and observations, it is helpful to place markers at key
anatomical reference points. It is best to find these points whilst sitting on the bike. Where to
place the markers and some to cut out and use are contained in Appendix 2. Whilst doing
your Bike Fitting, I suggest you attach the markers after you have warmed up, so giving
them less opportunity to fall, move, or be knocked off before you need them.

Bike Dimension Definitions.

A key part of this process is correlating predicted saddle height dimensions based on leg
lengths against actual measurements. Once complete, you also need to be able to record
your position and be able to transfer it onto other bikes. Appendix 3 gives a description on
how each dimension is defined and measured. Please refer to your Bike Owner's Manual for
instructions on how to make the adjustments.

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 Chapter 3

Cleat Set Up
Contrary to some opinions, setting up your cleats is a relatively simple affair. This is not
to say that the foot / shoe / pedal interface is simple, because it is not, but the cleats
themselves can be set with three simple rules. The subject of foot anatomy, insole
choice, wedges and shims is worthy of another document similar to, if not bigger than
this one and as such is not the remit of this guide.

In simple terms, cleats can usually be placed onto shoes with adjustment in three
directions, Longitudinally, Laterally and Rotationally.

Longitudinally.

This is the fore-aft placement of the cleat and controls which part of the foot sits on top
of the pedal spindle. Most road cleats such as Shimano SPD-R or Look Keo allow a
range of adjustment of approx. 10mm in this plane. The intention is that the 'ball' of the
foot sits over the pedal spindle, but the ball can be defined as quite a large area. My
preference is to prod the feet to find the end of the metatarsal heads and use this as an
indicator of the 'ball'. An alternative and generally 'safe' approach is to move the cleats
as far back as possible. Cleats that are too far forwards tend to encourage toe
numbness or 'hot foot', can give very 'toe down' ankle postures, expose foot instability
problems due to weak calf muscles or insteps and over-compress minimum knee and
hip joint angles. By comparison, there is little downside to the cleats being back and
doing so can help to mitigate the effect of cranks being too long for you. I would expect
that at least 30% of the people reading this document have cranks that are too long for
them!

The reason that the cleats have to be done first is the same reason that some people
believe that moving their cleats back and forth has given a noticeable power benefit or
loss. This is because the cleat fore-aft location is inextricably linked with the saddle
height. For most people, moving the cleats back 10mm has the same effect as raising
the saddle 5-6mm. I would hope that by the end of this process, you will know that even
2-3mm saddle height modification can feel like a big change, so of course moving your
cleats around can feel significant.

So where to place your cleats longitudinally.

As a start point, prod your feet to find the ends of the metatarsal bones and align the
best average with the cleat centre line. If in doubt, just move them back as far as
possible.

Laterally.

If you thought that the 10mm longitudinal adjustment was meagre, then the typical 3-
4mm of lateral adjustment might appear almost worthless. There are two considerations
here on where you place your cleats laterally, the width of your hips and whether your
feet tend to be toed in or out. Starting with hip width, if you are quite slender, you will
find that the pedal spacing may be wider than your hips, which can encourage the knees
to lean in towards the frame. Alternatively, your hips may be wider than the pedals,
which is one of a number of factors that push the knees into more outboard trajectories.
As a general rule, skinny hipped people should push their cleats out, which brings their
feet inboard and so closer to being under their hips and knees. People with wider hips

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 should move their cleats inwards, towards the bike, which places their feet further apart.
If you are noticeably duck toed i.e. your feet point out like Charlie Chaplin's, there is
every chance your heels will rub against the cranks or chainstays, so you will have to
move the cleats inboard / feet outboard anyway.

Rotationally.

We have just touched on foot posture in terms of being toed in or out. A good way to
assess this is to sit on a table and let your legs dangle off the edge, looking down to see
if your feet turn in or out. Another approach is to note the angle of the feet whilst
walking, with the foot position between heel strike and toe off a good representation of
the cycling posture. Don't be alarmed if you are asymmetrical, this is quite common.
Whatever the posture the feet wish to adopt, whether toed in or out, the cleats should be
set to permit this with minimal constraint. This is achieved by either having cleats that
permit enough rotational movement (float) to accommodate this position, or being quite
precise in the angle at which the cleats are attached to the shoes. In practice, it tends to
be a combination of both that dictates the cleat position. Look and Shimano both offer
cleats with three levels of float, high, medium and low. Some people like the locked in,
solid feel of cleats with no float, but this does require some precision in setting up. Lots
of float gives a much wider tolerance of set up, but can give a loose feel.
To check your cleat position, ride normally on either the road or turbo and let the feet
adopt their natural posture. Whilst pedalling (assuming they have at least some float),
you should be able to move your heels both towards and away from the bike without
starting to unclip. If this test is unclear, bring the feet to rest with the cranks vertical and
again try rattling your heels both in and out. If you find yourself already against an 'end
stop' in either direction, you need to twist the cleat on the shoe to allow the heel to move
either in or out and let the foot find its natural posture. This will change where the cleat
now actually releases, so practice unclipping a few times in a safe environment.

Your feet don't actually rotate much whilst pedalling, typically less than 1o either side of
the nominal. High levels of ankle articulation in dorsiflexion / plantarflexion couple with
rotation, possibly giving a higher range of motion. This is also affected by saddle height,
so it is worth rechecking your nominal cleat position if the height changes significantly.

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 Chapter 4

Initial Assessment and Data Gathering.

Initial Baseline.
On the Road

Before we make any changes to the bike we need to take a baseline of your current position.
As discussed, this will involve the assessment of a number of different parameters on the
turbo, but the intention is to improve your 'on road' cycling experience, so this needs some
form of baseline too. Presumably you have been riding around in a similar position for at
least a few rides and will have some feel for your performance and comfort. You may have
detailed performance data from races, Strava.com or similar, or just keep an eye on your
average speeds. It will also be worth making a note of any aches and pains as these are
often the best indicators of incorrect bike fit. We don't need reams of data here, but a feel for
how fast you go and in what degree of comfort would be useful. One important aspect to
consider is to know where your hands normally reside whilst riding your bike on the road. As
a Bike Fitter, a question I ask every customer is ‘where do you normally put your hands'?
The intention is to find out if they spend most of their time on the hoods, bar bends, bar tops,
drops etc., or maybe move around a lot. You may be surprised to know that some people
have to think about this and aren't actually sure! Wear or dirt on the bar tape can often give
the game away, but is not always conclusive. So whilst out on a ride before you embark on
the fitting process, regularly check where your hands reside on the bars. This is not where
you think they should be, but where they naturally fall. Also contemplate how much time you
spend on the drops i.e. never, 5%, 50% etc. and whether you would like this to be any
different.

On the Turbo

Respondents who have followed this guide have suggested it can take a good 2-3 hours, so
make sure you leave plenty of time. The rider will get quite hot on the turbo, whereas the
observer is relatively sedentary. Remember that the observer does not stand to actually gain
much out of the process other than the gratitude of the rider, so it might be best to ensure
they are warm enough and well stocked up with drinks and snacks.

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 Set up, Warm up, and Observation
Install the bike onto the turbo ensuring the front hub is at the same height as the rear.
Hopefully you will be using some sort of speed, power or cadence measuring equipment,
ideally with a high enough resolution to be able to detect small changes in output. The
observer should be able to get an unobstructed view of the rider from both sides, front and
back. Space can be limited though, so placing the bike alongside a wall may be necessary. It
would be better to have one good side view from 2-3m away rather than a tight 1m view from
each side. This is certainly the case if you intend to take some video footage as the camera
will need to be this far away.

Whilst warming up, the turbo should be on a relatively light load allowing an easy spin of
around 13-16mph (24kph). Don't be tempted to push it harder to warm up more quickly, just
gently get the legs spinning and blood flowing. For some, this may be your first time on a
turbo trainer, so allow yourself time to settle in, play with your gears and any load adjustment
on the turbo to see how it works.

It is worth considering where you actually sit on the saddle and introduce the notion of the
'neutral saddle position'. The neutral position is defined by a combination of both the saddle
and your shape (particularly sit bone width) and is where you would sit naturally given a
suitable saddle height and torso angle on a normal level ground cruise. You may push
yourself behind the neutral position whilst climbing, or come forwards whilst working hard on
the drops. An excessively high saddle will tend to tip you forwards off the neutral position. If
the reach to the hoods is excessively long, you may also be pulled forwards off the neutral
position. For the purposes of this assessment, try to make sure you sit where the saddle is
placing you rather than where you think you should be or pulled or pushed into. If you are
forever squirming around on the saddle, pushing yourself back or forth, this suggests that
something is wrong with your set up and this assessment can't happen quickly enough.

After about 10-15 minutes gentle spinning, you will have started to feel a bit warmer. Your
cadence will usually start slower than usual, but is now getting close to normal. We need to
find a suitable measurement speed and effort level to ensure consistency with everything we
do subsequently. My recommendation would be to use a cadence and effort typical of your
usual longer ride, club run or Sportive. Note that I have used the term effort rather than
speed. This is because turbo trainers can vary widely in resistance and are also affected by
tyre choice, pressure and roller loads. A good 'speed' to use is around 20mph (32kph). At
this speed, the rotating inertia of the rear wheel can help to smooth out the 'choppy' nature of
the turbo resistance, whilst still exposing poor pedalling technique. So try to set the road
speed to around 19-21mph (30-34kph) in a gear that gives your usual cadence, then adjust
the turbo resistance to give an effort typical of your normal cruising pace out on the road.
For those familiar with RPE (Rating of Perceived Exertion scales) where a 1 is no exertion at
all and 10 maximum effort, this will be around a 4-5. For those that know their numbers, this
corresponds to somewhere around 65-85% of your maximum heart rate or 60-75% of your
FTP (Functional Threshold Power).

For the assessment, your hands should be where they naturally reside whilst out on the
road.

Now is a good time to attach the anatomical markers. See Appendix 2 for details.
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 Data Gathering - Assessment Parameters
Saddle Height Indicators
We can now start gathering our measurements and observations, starting with the ones
applicable to saddle height.

Knee Maximum Angle

The knee will reach full extension just before the bottom of
the stroke i.e. with the crank in line with the seat tube. If
measuring statically using a Goniometer, make sure the
rider adopts the same ankle posture when holding the leg
stationary as when pedalling. Ankle proprioception (the
body knowing where it is) is not good when cycling and
many people believe their heels to be lower than they
actually are. The observer knows best here, so the rider
needs to do as they are told and either lift or drop their
heels as instructed.
From the rider’s perspective, is there any sensation that
the legs are over-extending, often accompanied by niggles
behind the knees? Or do you feel they are under-extending
and often seem to get more power when you shove
yourself back on the saddle?

The saddle could be considered low if the angle is less

than 135o and / or you often shove yourself back on the
saddle to get more power. It could be considered high if
over 146o and / or there is discomfort behind the knees.

Knee Minimum Angle

The minimum knee angle occurs when the cranks are just
before the top of the stroke, again in line with the seat tube.
Remember to check ankle postures and replicate if
measuring statically. Tight knee angles will feel like you are
too squashed up, often compromising climbing ability and
encouraging you to get out the saddle early on even gentle
climbs.

The saddle could be considered low if this angle is less than

68o. More than 74o would indicate a high saddle.

Caveat - Cleats too far forwards or cranks that are too long
could also give tight minimum knee angles.

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Ankle Posture as the Foot Passes Over the Top of the Stroke
View the ankle posture as the foot passes forwards over the
top of the stroke.

If the ankle looks to be strongly dorsiflexed, i.e. the toes

tipped up towards the shins (typically an angle <100o) the
saddle could be considered low. A very toe down posture, (>
120o) would indicate a high saddle.

Caveat - Forward cleat positions, a lack of knee joint

articulation, or very tight quads could also give a toe down
posture.

Ankle Posture as the Foot Passes Through the Bottom of the Stroke.
View the ankle posture at the same point as knee
maximum extension

The saddle could be considered low if the foot is

relatively horizontal, the heel is lower than the fore-foot,
or the ankle angle is <110o

A very toe down foot would indicate a high saddle (>137o)

Caveats - If the cleats are too far forwards, the foot may
be excessively 'toe down'.

Deceleration of the Knee Marker at the Bottom of the Stroke.

This one will be quite tricky for a novice observer, so don't
worry if you find it hard to make any sort of assessment.
The marker at the knee joint should have a smooth
pendulum type action with a gentle change of direction at
each end. If the saddle is too high, there will be an abrupt
deceleration of the marker as the leg straightens, often
accompanied by a fore-aft 'kick' of the shoulder and 'wow
wow' noise from the turbo trainer.

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Symmetry of the Knees Either Side of the Bike.
The rider should look down at their knees while the observer views from the front. Are both
knees the same distance from the frame. Does one knee occasionally brush against the top
tube? The result of this observation needs to be taken with care, but significant asymmetry is
often associated with not only the saddle being too high,
but one leg being shorter than the other. The shorter leg
will be over-extending sufficiently to require the hip to be
closer to the crank. This is achieved by the hip coming
forwards on this side only, twisting the pelvis and pushing
the knee in towards the bike and the other knee further
outboard.

Caveats - asymmetrical hip or hamstring flexibility and a

low saddle can sometimes give a similar effect, so please
don't assume you have a definite leg length difference.

Difference Between Power Output on Hoods and Drops.

This is one for the rider to judge. Pedal normally at the agreed assessment speed on the
hoods or your default hand position. Monitor the speed and 'tune in' to the effort required to
hold that speed. Move your hands to the drops and assess whether it feels easier or harder
to hold the speed. Don't be fooled by an initial small burst of speed as this will be due to your
body dropping down and temporarily pushing the pedals harder. Look to see if the easier or
harder impression is sustained. Don't be distracted by a change in comfort, we are only
interested in more or less power. The observer can support this assessment by watching for
any change in speed and listening to the sound of the turbo trainer.

The lower position should be more powerful as the increased forward inclination of the pelvis
offers biomechanical benefits to the glutes. If there is no increase in power, the saddle may
too high and the hamstrings over-extending. The saddle could also be too low, lifting the
knees too high into the chest and preventing the pelvis from leaning further forwards. At this
moment we are not sure, so this is just a baseline against which to compare further changes.
If your bike has straight bars and no drops, try to simulate this change in position by leaning
further forwards - preferably by rolling forwards at the hips.

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Stability of the Hips.
Observe from behind the rider. A couple of chalk marks on
each side of the pelvis (just below the waistband) could
help to show how much the hips are rolling. You could also
see if there is any asymmetry by unclipping one foot at a
time and pedalling slowly backwards. Does the hip lift as
the foot comes over the top of the stroke (possible low
saddle or excessive crank length) or dip as the leg extends
(saddle maybe too high). Although rocking hips are usually
associated with a high saddle, this is not always the case
as a low saddle can have the same effect. Poor core
strength and cranks that are too long can also give rocking
hips. The observation here is to establish a baseline to
compare against subsequent changes. I suggest using a 5-
point scale. High numbers indicate the saddle height is
wrong whereas lower numbers are good.

Excessive High Rocking Rocking Gentle Rocking stable

Rocking
5 4 3 2 1

Upper Body Movement.

Observe from the side, particularly at the shoulder marker. Is there a strong fore -aft motion,
a vertical 'bobbing', or is the shoulder relatively steady? Again this is a baseline to compare
against further iterations. Use a 5-point scale from highly unstable to stationary.

Highly unstable Unstable Noticeable Gentle Stationary

movement movement
5 4 3 2 1

Orientation of the Pelvis.

When viewed from the side, does the pelvis seem
happy to roll forwards, giving a smooth transition
into the lumbar region, or does it seem reluctant to
do so, with a noticeable hinge at the lower back? A
low or high saddle can create a hinge, as can poor
core strength, so again this is more of an
observation.

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 Saddle Fore-Aft Indicators.
We can now look at factors pertaining to your fore-aft location.

Knee over Pedal Spindle (KOPS)

This should be more accurately defined as Tibial Tuberosity over Pedal Spindle and can be
assessed using either video / photo evidence or taken statically with a plumbline. If the latter,
care should be taken to ensure the ankle posture in the static position is the same as during
pedalling. The rider needs to do what they are
told by the observer again and tilt the foot
accordingly. In both cases the cranks should
be horizontal and a vertical line dropped from
the bony lump at the top of the shin, just below
the knee cap. Ideally this line will pass straight
through the centre of the pedal spindle. If
doing it with a plumbline, you might need to
hold it off to one side to clear the foot. If the
line falls in front of the pedal spindle, the
saddle could be considered too far forwards
and vice versa if too far back. The huge flaw
with this process is that the fore-aft location of
the knee is also controlled by the saddle height. If too high, the leg will be straighter and the
knee further back. So this test is only valid once the saddle height is somewhere close.

Hip Marker Alignment to Seat Tube Axis.

Looking from the side, imagine a line (or draw one on your video / photo) straight along the
seat tube axis up through the rider's body. The rider should come to rest with the cranks
horizontal and the foot nearest to the observer forwards (as per the KOPS assessment).
Where does the hip marker sit relative to this line? If in
front, the saddle could be considered too far forwards or
the saddle tipped too 'nose down'. If behind, the saddle is
either too far back or 'nose up'.

The good news about this assessment is that it is largely

independent of saddle height. Moving it up or down does
not change the saddle fore-aft relative to the seat tube
axis.

caveat - if the saddle is very high, people will tend to shift

forwards off the neutral position.

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Balance
KOPS and hip marker alignment are a good start
point, but what is actually important is how well
balanced you are. With the cranks stationary and
horizontal, can you hover your hands just above the
handlebars. You will need to brace your legs, use
your core strength and may find yourself sliding
forwards on the seat. Is it easier or harder to do so
if you push yourself back or forwards on the
saddle? If moving from the hoods to the drops, can
you move both hands together, or prefer to do one
at a time? The ideal fore-aft location is where you are as far forwards as you can be without
tipping forwards and putting too much weight on your hands. This can be quite tricky to
establish and can be compromised by an excessively low or high saddle height. Don't worry
if this is ambiguous - it probably will be!

In simple terms, if you struggle to hover your hands above the bars, the saddle is either too
far forwards or nose tipped down at the front.

If easy, the saddle is either too far back, or tipped back.

Weight on Hands
This is another way to assess the 'balance' question

Whilst pedalling - how much pressure is on your hands. Is the pressure evenly distributed
across the palms or concentrated at pressure points? A lot of weight on your hands would
indicate the saddle is too far forwards, or tipped down at the nose.

The question you may well be asking is 'How much is a lot'? Unfortunately, what might be
considered a 'lot' to some is quite gentle to others. Don’t be fooled in to thinking that half
your weight is on the saddle and the other half through the hands. Your legs will support a lot
of your weight so the loads through your hands and arms should be closer to 15% of your
total body weight. Too much weight will usually be accompanied by hand, arm or shoulder
discomfort, locked elbows and a tense upper body. If you are comfortable on the bike,
without any of these issues, your fore-aft location is probably fine. If the handlebars are set
too high, it can be too easy to lean on them rather than let your core strength take the load.
Counter-intuitively, lowering the bars can actually take weight off your hands. Taken to
extremes, if the bars were so far away you could not reach them, they would not have any
weight on them would they?

Caveat - Out on the road, the pressure of the wind on your chest will help to reduce weight
on your hands. The turbo can make this feel worse than it actually is.
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Shoulder Posture and Locked Elbows.
Shoulder posture is regarded by many as an indicator of handlebar position, but it is also a
very good means to address the issue of ‘balance’ and ‘weight on hands’. Shoulders should
be relaxed, down and in a similar posture to how they would be if you were standing up but
holding imaginary handlebars in front of you at eye level. If the shoulders are hunched up
and rolled forwards, this is a good indicator of either excessive weight on the arms or that
the reach is too long. When viewed from the side, the observer should be able to see the
rider’s neck. The pictures below show good and bad examples of shoulder posture. I’ll let
you work out which is the good one!

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 Handlebar Position Indicators
Default Hand Position
Where do the hands fall naturally on the bars? Do you have to stretch forwards to reach the
hoods? Having to stretch to the hoods suggests the stem is too long or the bars are too low.

Shoulder Posture and Elbows Locked or Soft?

Shoulders rolled forwards and locked elbows suggest the reach is too long, but as discussed
above, can also be indicative of too much weight on your hands and a lack of core strength.

Torso to Horizontal Angle.

Measure the angle between the horizontal and
a line drawn from the hip marker to the
shoulder with your hands in their default
position. This will typically be between 40o and
50o. 40o is considered an aggressive 'racing'
posture whereas 50o is a more relaxed. A good
start point is 45o. The hip moves with pedal
rotation, so always place your feet with the
cranks horizontal when measuring torso angle.

Torso to Upper Arm Angle.

We need to be careful how we measure
this angle. It should be to the upper half
of the Thoracic spine where the
shoulder blades attach. Taking it to the
line between the hip and shoulder
markers can give a false reading as it
does not take into account the curvature
of the spine. An angle in excess of 90o
would normally be considered too
stretched out, whereas less than 80o too
'on top' of the bike.

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Difference Between Power Output on Hoods and Drops.
I know we have done this once already. As well as being indicative of saddle height, this
comparison helps us to establish how low the drops can go before you start losing power.
This will become more relevant once the saddle height has been established and the
handlebar position is being set. If less powerful on the drops, the handlebars are probably
too low.

Out on the Road - How Much Time Do You Spend on the Drops
Some people never use the drops because they don't feel stable, or their riding style has no
call for it. In this case one could consider a weight saving opportunity and saw them off! I
believe the use of the drops should be encouraged, primarily for the performance benefit, but
also to give improved stability and brake lever access whilst descending. On the assumption
that you actually want to spend at least some time on the drops, how much time do you think
you do so?

Less than 5% 5-30% 30-50% 50-75% Nearly always

If less than 5%, the drops could be considered too low for you, probably compromising
power deliver and almost certainly uncomfortable. If more than 50%, the bars may be too
high. You will appreciate the performance benefit on them, so choose to lean forwards.
Ultimately, all day riding comfort is likely to be better served with your hands on the hoods
rather than drops. Lowering the whole bar assembly down with give the performance benefit
and improved hand comfort.

Minimum Hip Angle

Minimum hip angle occurs a few degrees later than
minimum knee angle and will coincide with the knee
being at its highest point. This tends to be more
relevant to Time Triallists and Triathletes trying to
get into very aerodynamic positions. As a rule, most
people, male or female should be able to cope with
a minimum angle of around 50o. The most flexible
men could be in the 40-45o region and very flexible
women may even go below 40o. As discussed
earlier, if measuring this statically with a goniometer,
ensure the ankle posture is correct.

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Wrist Posture - Neutral or Tipped Up or Down
Imagine your wrist posture whilst shaking someone's hand. This should be close to a neutral
posture, neither tipped up or down or flexed in or out. Are your wrists neutral when your
hands are in their default position? Can you reach the brake levers comfortably when on the
drops?

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 Data Gathering - Calculators
Inseam to Ground
Inseam is one of two leg length measurements that combine to help predict where I would
expect your saddle height to be. This one is measured from crotch to ground in bare feet
whilst standing with straight legs. The person should be wearing their normal cycling shorts
and the measurement should be taken to the top of a 25mm tube (or similar) held snugly
against the crotch. As a sanity check, divide your measured Inseam by your height. For both
men and women, this will be around 45%-48% (average 46.6%). If outside of this range, you
will probably know by now that you have either relatively short or long legs

Greater Trochanter (GT) to Ground

Inseam is not always the best way to define leg length. People can have either a deep or
shallow pelvis, with the hip joint at varying heights above the crotch. An alternative leg length
measurement is to the top of the Greater Trochanter (GT), which is a reasonably good
estimation of the centre of the hip ball joint (see the image below). You should have a
marker on the GT from the earlier measurements, but you need to be careful as that was a
sitting rather than standing position. You will need to have another prod to confirm the
correct location.

A further sanity check can be achieved by dividing GT height by your height. This time giving
a figure of around 52%, with below 50% or over 53% being short or long legged respectively.
Yet another sanity check is to calculate the difference between the inseam and GT height,
which will usually be between 6 and 12cm (GT higher). If much more or less than this, it
might be worth checking your measurements.

Surely Women Have Longer Legs?

Surprisingly not when comparing these metrics. Women appear to have longer legs because
their waists are higher. Inseam and GT height as a proportion of height are very similar for
both men and women.
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Best Correlation to Predict Optimum Saddle Height.
Correlations between saddle height and either inseam or GT height are a good start point,
but there can be some large discrepancies. For those than know their statistical terms the R2
values are around 0.91-0.92. The best correlation is to use a sum of both inseam and GT,
which with my latest men’s data gives an R2 of 0.975. Not ideal, but quite good.

Men’s Saddle Height(mm)

Predicted Saddle Height (mm) = 4.5787x- 65.335

(where x = Inseam + Greater Trochanter Height (cm))

Women’s Saddle Height(mm)

Predicted Saddle Height (mm) = 4.4832x-51.396

(where x = Inseam + Greater Trochanter Height (cm))

I know I am mixing my metrics here, but centimetres are good for measuring legs whereas
we need millimetres for the fine tuning of saddle heights.

So there is a difference between Men and Women after all?

Well spotted, having said that, for all intents and purposes everybody’s leg length
proportions where the same, men and women do have differences in their preferred saddle
heights for the same leg lengths. As a rule, a woman’s saddle will be 3-5mm lower for the
same leg length. The main reason for this is that women have smaller feet for the same
height. Just as moving cleats further back requires the saddle to be lower, so does a shorter
foot.

So once you are happy with your measurements, either do the sums above, use the
following graphs or visit this webpage here and input your numbers –

http://bikedynamics.co.uk/965ll.htm

You could even go back to the old Lemond formula and multiply your inseam by 0.883. It
probably won’t be that far away.

If you look at the graphs, note how some of those data points can be a good 10-15mm away
from the 'trendline', which is a big margin and why we need to look at other indicators as well
as simple formulae. These are ‘Predictions’, not ‘Instructions’.

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 Chapter 5

Analysis and Position Development

Saddle Position - Height
We have a number of interrelated parameters and observations that are indicators of saddle
height, plus predictions based on leg lengths and actual measurements.

Summarising these in a table.

Assuming you are using a hard copy, I suggest you tick the boxes and write the actual
numbers in. I'm sure those reading this electronically can improvise somehow.

Suggests the saddle is

High - Inconclusive - Low

Parameters

Maximum knee angle

Minimum knee angle

Ankle posture at top

Ankle posture at bottom

Deceleration of Knee marker

Asymmetry of knees

Wrong - Inconclusive - Right

Observations

Difference in power between hoods and drops

Rating
Stability of Hips

Upper Body Movement

Orientation of Pelvis

High - Inconclusive - Low

Measurements mm
mm
Predicted Saddle height
mm
Actual Saddle Height

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 Saddle Position - Fore-aft

Suggests the saddle is

Parameter Forwards Somewhere close Back or nose tipped up

or nose tipped down
Kops

Hip Marker

Balance

Weight on hands

Shoulder Posture /
locked Elbows.

So by now you should have an indication on both the height and fore-aft location of the
saddle and we can go through a number of iterations to put it into the correct location.

Before we start optimising the saddle position, we need to make sure the cleats and saddle
tilt are now fixed with no expectations of major changes to come, though there could well be
some fine tuning. If still unsure about the longitudinal position of your cleats, now is the time
to shove them right back. If they feel fine, great, leave them alone. There is little justification
for the saddle to be anything other than level (or very close to level). So if it is noticeably
tilting up or down, set it to horizontal. If you have made any big changes here, it might be
worth running through the parameters and observations again.

When you get into the modification phase of this process, you will need to be able to judge
how far you are moving the saddle. I find the best means to do so is to wrap some masking
tape around the seat-post at least 20mm above the clamp. If your predicted saddle height is
significantly below your actual, you may need to give plenty of room for adjustment, so,
place the tape 40, 50 or even 60mm above. The process works best with relatively quick
changes in saddle height so you can more easily feel the differences. It will be worth
ensuring that your Observer, whose role is now becoming one of Chief Mechanic, can easily
get to and adjust the clamp and the seat-post slides up and down easily. To facilitate this,
the rider needs to stop pedalling, stand up on the pedals and lean forwards out of the way.
With a bit of practice, the observer will hopefully be able to lean in and make an adjustment
in just a few seconds. We don't want to make any actual changes yet, so if you have
practiced moving the saddle, ensure it is back where it started.

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 Height Development - Coarse Tuning

The rider needs to get back on the bike and warm back up for 5 minutes or so. You can't
help but be aware of how your predicted saddle height compares against you own, but try
not to jump to any conclusions about what might happen when you adjust it.

Once warmed back up, spend some time 'tuning in' to how your legs are developing their
power. Is there any sensation of being over-extended at the bottom or squashed over the
top? Keep moving between hoods and drops and notice any differences in how easy it is to
generate that power. Do you feel smooth and consistent, or erratic? Keep an eye on your
speed, cadence or power measurements and try to correlate the subjective impression to
your objective data. Don't worry if you have moved your cleats back and it now feels harder
work to hold the speed. This does not suggest you need to move them forwards again, it just
tends to confirm the saddle is too high and you will retrieve that power as the saddle comes
down.

Once fully tuned in we need to make our first adjustment and for this I suggest setting the
saddle height to somewhere close to the prediction. If the parameters all suggest the saddle
is too high or low and contradict the prediction, trust the parameters and move the saddle
10-15mm in the appropriate direction.
Work out by how much the saddle needs to go or down and make the change as quickly as
possible as the rider stops pedalling and leans forwards out of the way. They should then get
back up to the assessment speed and consider just one thing - is it easier or harder to hold
the speed. If ambiguous, go up and down a few times until you are sure. Be careful to not
just 'want' it to be better and wrongly convince yourself. To help draw a conclusion, the
observer should keep an eye on the measured speed as well as listening to the sound of the
turbo and watching the upper body movement. Now also check for the difference between
hoods and drops. Ideally you will feel more powerful on the drops.
There are three possible outcomes to this test, worse, better or ambiguous.

If it is worse, your ideal saddle height is closer to your start point than the new location. My
recommendation here is to split the difference, so if you went down 10mm and it was worse,
now try going down only 5mm. If still worse, try going up 5mm.

If better, then try going another 5mm in the same direction and keep doing so until there is
no more improvement to be seen. If noticeably better, don't worry about keeping to the
assessment speed decided earlier, re-establish a new baseline.

If ambiguous, try a number of 5mm increments both up and down.

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 Saddle Fore-Aft Adjustment

Some people may consider that looking for a saddle height 'sweet spot' is too wide using
5mm increments, and they would be right, but it is not worth getting too carried away quite
yet as the fore-aft location still needs to be established.

You will have assessed your fore-aft position earlier and drawn some conclusions on the
requirement for change. This needs to be re-assessed now that the saddle height is
hopefully somewhere close. KOPS especially can be compromised by either a low or high
saddle, so reassess this along with the Hip marker location and your balance / weight on
hands.

Move the saddle back or forth on its rails to suit. The balance / weight on hands criteria can
be ambiguous, so if in doubt prioritise the hip marker location as this tends to be the most
reliable. Ideally the saddle clamp will be within the range markers on its rails. Being at one
extreme end or the other suggests you need a different set-back on your seat-post or the
saddle is either too wide or narrow for you.

Saddle Height Fine Tuning

With the fore-aft location now settled, we can look to do some very fine height tuning and
find a 'sweet spot'. Moving the saddle back will usually increase the effective saddle height,
whilst going forwards reduces it. So you may need to re-optimise the height anyway.

The rider should get settled in again and warm back up. Once re-tuned in to the efforts
involved in holding the assessment speed, adjust the saddle height to compensate for the
saddle fore-aft change. It depends on the inclination of the saddle rails, but moving the
saddle back or forth 10mm could be the equivalent of raising or lowering it 3-5mm
respectively. Check that this compensation actually feels better. Once again, all you are
interested in is whether it feels easier or harder to hold your assessment speed. If easier, or
you feel no change, great, leave it where it is for now. If it now feels like harder work, you
may have over or under-compensated, so try an extra 2-3mm in either direction.

Hopefully, you are now somewhere close to your ideal saddle position. It might be worth
doing a quick 'sanity check' and running once more through the assessment parameters,
observations and measuring the new saddle height. Alarm bells should be ringing if the
actual height is more than 20mm away from the prediction, there is plenty of room for error,
but it might be worth checking your measurements and conclusions one more time.

Hopefully by now, the rider is quite well tuned in to how the bike feels and we can try some
very fine tuning. This is best achieved with very quick changes to the saddle height so the
rider can get an almost instantaneous comparison between two conditions. Conventional
adjustment via the seat-post will take too long. A very simple technique to achieve the same
effect is to insert and remove an approx. 2mm pad between rider and saddle. This could be
made from thick cardboard, foam rubber, even a tea towel folded once or twice. The image
below shows 'old faithful' that I have used for years, now moulded into a saddle shape and

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 very easy to slide in and out betwixt rider and
bike. Inserting the pad may take a second or
two, but taking it out just needs the rider to lift
enough body weight off the saddle to whip it out
in no time. The quicker the change, the abler
the rider will be to detect small improvements. If
the saddle is still far too high or low, then you
will not detect any change with the pad. The
difference between being 10mm away and
12mm is hard to quantify, but going from 3mm
to 1mm away is often very noticeable. Keeping your hands in their default location, if the bike
feels better i.e. easier to achieve and sustain your assessment speed with the pad in, nudge
the saddle up 2mm and try again. If worse, go down 2mm and re-assess. Hopefully you will
eventually get to a point where either inserting the pad or dropping the saddle down 2-3mm
makes things noticeably worse, in which case 'well done', you have found your sweet spot.

Hold the celebrations though, because you have found your sweet spot for the torso angle
associated with your default hand position. You may find that the saddle needs to be 1-2mm
lower when on the drops. This is because your hamstrings are stretched by both leg
extension and your torso leaning forwards. So you may need slightly less knee extension to
permit the pelvis to roll forwards without putting a hinge into your lumbar region. So continue
to compare the hoods and drops power output, with and without the pad, and decide if you
need to make any compromise between the two. As a rule, it is 'safer' to be at the lower end
of your 'window’ as this will allow for shorts with thicker pads, winter tights, or days when
your hamstrings may be a bit tight.

Handlebar Height and Reach

Hopefully by now you will be satisfied with the relationship between your feet, shoes, pedals,
cranks, crank centre-line and saddle position. You may have noted that at no point during
the setting of saddle fore-aft or height did we take into consideration where your hands fell
naturally onto the bars. This is because the bars should not be allowed to influence the
saddle position in any way.

If you had been monitoring your natural hand position on the bars, you may have noted
some interesting changes. It may seem counter-intuitive, but one of the most significant
influences on where your hands naturally 'fall' is the height of the saddle. A low saddle,
possibly in combination with long cranks will bring the knees high up towards the chest as
the feet pass over the top of the stroke. This can tend to push the pelvis back into a posterior
tilt and give a relatively upright torso angle. Many people who come for a fitting do so
because they can't reach the bars and expect me to fit a shorter stem. They assume that
raising the saddle would make things worse, but doing so actually tips them forwards, with
no stem change required. Alternatively, a high saddle over extends hamstrings. As these
attach to the rear of the pelvis, it is again pulled back into a posterior tilt, compromising the
reach to the bars and giving lower back pain. Lowering the saddle is often enough to let the
pelvis roll forwards and the hands to move along the bars onto the hoods.

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Before getting into too much detail on stem lengths and spacer stacks, it is worth considering
where the shifters are attached to the bars. Most manufacturers are now fitting them in what
I believe is a sensible manner, which is with a smooth flat platform along the bars and onto
the skirts of the hoods. A common error is to
have the shifters too far 'up' the bar bends,
giving a deep 'v' into which the palms must
rest. This will give two pressure points across
the palms and often be quite uncomfortable. A
flat platform spreads the loads over the palms
and will usually give a neutral wrist posture.
Flexing the wrists away from the neutral
(handshake) posture can give various hand
discomforts including carpel tunnel related
numbness and tingling.

The flat platform along the bar tops onto the hoods will usually be horizontal, or just a few
degrees above or below. Rolling the bars up can reduce the reach to the hoods, but will
compromise the brake lever access on the drops. Rolling the bars down favours the drops,
bringing them closer to you with good lever access. I suggest you start with the platform
horizontal, fine tuning up or down when the stem length and height has been established.

Before the saddle position was established, we looked at seven parameters that help to
define handlebar position. Given the possible changes to your saddle position It is time to
review these again.

Suggests the bars are

Too far away / low Inconclusive Too Close / High
Natural hand position
Shoulder Posture /
Arms locked or soft
Torso angle
Upper arm to torso angle
Too low Inconclusive Too High
Power difference hoods to drops
How much time on the drops*
Minimum Hip angle

* As still on the turbo, you may need to consider how much time you 'think' you will now
spend on the drops.

You will note how the first four are indicative of both height and reach, whereas the last three
tend to be just height. This is because the first four are more concerned with the proximity of
the hands to the hoods, whereas the last three relate to the drops. The ideal hood position
could be defined as a relatively small area with a tolerance of less than 10mm, whereas you

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can place your hands in a number of locations along the drops, so reach is less important,
accepting that you still need to be able to reach the brake levers and shifters.

Hoods Position

Ideally your torso angle will be suitable for your style of riding, with a relaxed upper body and
soft elbows. The upper arm to torso angle will be approximately 85o and the hands should
fall naturally to the hoods. The hoods are the ideal default hand position because they are
designed to spread loads over the palms, encourage neutral wrist postures and give easy
brake and shifter access. If this is not the case, the first choice would be to change the stem
length, but the height is also relevant. Referring to the figure below, if one considered the
upper arm rotating about a pin at the
shoulder marker and keeping the
arm to torso angle within the
preferred range 80o-90o range, the
hands could be anywhere along the
prescribed arc. So the stem could be
long, provided it is also high with lots
of spacers or a long head tube.
Conversely, a low stem would also
need to be short. This gives a choice
of valid stem length and height
options, so what to choose? The
likely scenario is that your bike
geometry makes this choice for you. In my view, a stem length of 100-110mm gives a good
combination of stability with responsiveness. I personally prefer not to fit stems shorter than
90mm unless absolutely necessary and the customer made aware of the possibly 'twitchy'
handling.

One other option to shorten an excessive reach is to

use 'Compact ' handlebars. Figure left shows the
geometry of compact bars with a typical reach of 80mm
and drop of 125mm. Standard handlebars would
usually have a reach closer to 100mm and drop of
150mm. The top tube length difference between
adjacent frame sizes is often less than 20mm, so fitting
compact bars could feel like a significantly smaller bike.

Bike Fitters will have a range of stem sizes or fully adjustable gadgets to facilitate the
selection process, but I fully appreciate how this may not be the case in the DIY
environment. One approach may be to make a 'best guess' before buying a replacement
stem, or borrowing a selection from cycling friends or a local bike shop.

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 Drops Position

As discussed earlier, you can place your hands anywhere along the drops so the reach is
slightly less important than for finding that nice hoods position. The key aspects of the drops
position are for it to be comfortable enough to spend time on them, and to be able to reach
the brake levers. The increased leverage available when pulling back on the brakes in the
drops position means that you can stop quite effectively using just one finger and long
descents will be less fatiguing. Braking from the hoods is fine for gentle speed checking but
will be very hard work if you need to use the brakes a lot. Small hands can often struggle to
reach the brake levers, but fortunately manufactures are now offering mechanisms to bring
the levers in closer. One alternative means
to bring them closer is to roll the whole bar
assembly down so the top platform is off the
horizontal. Be careful that this does not
compromise wrist posture on the hoods.

The optimum height of the drops can be

established using the test we have done a
couple of times now, assessing the power
difference between hoods and drops. You
should always feel slightly more powerful on
the drops, or at the very least the same. If less powerful on the drops, there will be no
incentive to use them. For a performance orientated fit, keep lowering the bars until you feel
less powerful on them, then come back up slightly. Double check your saddle height as
going down 1-2mm may retrieve that lost power. For a comfort orientated fit, set the torso
angle (on the hoods) to 45o to 50o, ensuring that the bars are not so high that you lean on
them rather than supporting weight via your core.

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 Chapter 6

Error states

Saddle - Insufficient Fore-aft Adjustability.

There might not be enough saddle rail adjustability to enable the hip marker to be aligned
with the seat-tube axis and you may still feel too far forwards or back. This would tend to
suggest that the saddle is either too narrow or too wide for you, or the seat-post 'set-back' is
incorrect. You will sit quite far back on a narrow saddle to place your sit bones onto the wider
section. A wide saddle will push you forwards as the thighs have to pass the sides as the
hips articulate. If you are comfortable with the saddle choice and loathe to change it, one
means to achieve the correct fore-aft location is to
change the seat-post for one with more or less set-back.
Typically, the set-back (difference between clamp centre
and seat-post axis) will be around 15-20mm, but these
are available from 0-35mm. A 0mm offset is often
described as 'inline'. So if you can't get the saddle far
enough forwards, you will need an inline post, whereas if
it won't go back far enough, try one with more offset. It is
generally a good idea to have the clamp mid-way along
the saddle rails as this can offer more compliance and
help to soak up some higher frequency road vibration or
shock loads.

Saddle Height - Can't Find a Sweet Spot.

Hopefully you will not have spent 2-3 hours becoming increasingly frustrated at being unable
to find the elusive saddle height 'sweet spot'. There are a number of reasons why you may
find it difficult, but the usual suspects are a leg length difference, overly long cranks and poor
flexibility. In all these cases, the saddle is effectively both too high and too low at the same
time. In the case of a leg length difference, the longer leg may be over-compressed because
the saddle is too low, but the short leg is over-extending and can't permit the saddle to go
any higher. Long cranks will both over-compress and over-extend the legs, so it never feels
'right'. One might imagine a 'window' of saddle height acceptability and for many people this
window is quite narrow. Tall, symmetrical, flexible people with relatively short cranks can
have a 10-15mm window, whereas for most people this window will be just 2-3mm wide or
less. Unfortunately for some, the window does not exist and the saddle height is always a
compromise.

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Leg Length Difference

One way to assess for a leg length difference is to lie on your back, legs straight and have
your observer check the alignment of the medial malleolus (ankle bones). Then bend the
knees with the ankles aligned and look for a height difference of the knee caps. Doing this
can be fraught with error because there might be a 'functional’ rather than actual
discrepancy, often caused by a twisted pelvis. Trying to correct a functional difference with
cleat spacers can just make things much worse. If you do suspect a real leg length
difference, I suggest you get this confirmed by a Physiotherapist, Osteopath or Chiropractor
and find a reputable Bike Fitter to establish the best means to apply a correction.

Crank Length

If unable to find your sweet spot, check your crank lengths (appendix1). I can't stress
enough how important it is to get the right crank length. In my opinion it is the second most
important dimension on your bike after saddle height. Ignore internet forums suggesting that
crank length is irrelevant and that 2.5mm is 'tiny' and 'comparable to wearing thicker socks'.
The key thing to consider about the cranks is that the length affects both the top and bottom
of the stroke. Shorter cranks will often permit a higher saddle, giving a double whammy of
more room over the top of the stroke. The main problem with changing cranks is the
expense, but I believe this to be a small price to pay for comfortable and efficient cycling.

Cleats

If you have not done so already, move your cleats as far back as they will go. This effectively
increases saddle height but does so by more at the top of the stroke than the bottom (the hip
to foot distance is shorter at the top). Unfortunately, some shoe manufacturers place the
hold drillings too far forwards on their shoes, so they can never go back far enough. By far
the biggest culprit here is Fizic, with the cleats often being 10mm too far forwards. So sorry,
if your toes are numb and you can’t find an ideal saddle height wearing your new expensive
Fizic shoes, you will need to change them!

Flexibility

If everything else seems to be ok, it might be worth seeing a local Physiotherapist to assess
your flexibility. As mentioned earlier, flexibility checks are important, but a bit beyond the
remit of a DIY Dynamic Bike Fitting guide. A tight hip or knee joint for instance will hinder the
smooth movement of the foot as it comes up and over the top of the stroke and call for a
high saddle. Tight hamstrings will inhibit leg extension and call for a low saddle.

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 Can’t Reach the Hoods.

If the saddle position is correct, you have ‘Compact' bars, rolled up towards you and a short
stem, but still can't comfortably reach the hoods, we may have to accept that the bike is too
big for you. To be more precise we could hypothesise that the bike 'Top Tube length' is too
long for you. Refer to Appendix 1 to check if the bike size is appropriate for your height.

Body Proportions

If the bike size appears to be suitable, then the most likely explanation is that you have
unusual body proportions, typically long legs and a short torso. The long legs will call for a
high saddle that lifts you up and away from the bars. Unfortunately, the short torso means
that the reach to the hoods becomes excessive. To test the long legs theory, divide your
inseam measurement by your height. An answer in excess of 0.475 would support the
suggestion, whereas less than 0.45 indicates short legs for your height. If this is ambiguous,
also compare your span (fingertip to fingertip with arms outstretched) to your height. On
average, these dimensions will be within 1-2cm of each other. A span more than 3cm shorter
than your height is indicative of relatively short arms.

I tend to see far more 'long legged' than 'short armed' people and as a rule they will end up
with short stems, often flipped over to gain as much height as possible. One option could be
to use a smaller frame size, but these will also tend to be lower, so counter-productive. An
alternative approach is to buy a bike marketed as having ‘Sportive' geometry as these will
tend to be have shorter top tubes but longer head tubes.

Compromise your fore-aft location.

As an absolute last resort, you could consider compromising your fore-aft location to get
your hands into a more suitable location on the handlebars. Moving the saddle forwards may
reduce the reach to the hoods, but we also know how it spoils your balance and puts weight
onto your hands and arms. This is best assessed over a few rides out on the road.
Remember that the saddle height may need to be raised to compensate for it moving
forwards. Look for any changes in neck, shoulder, arm or hand discomfort whilst monitoring
your natural hand location and elbow posture. Only you can decide if this is a worthwhile
compromise.

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 The Saddle is Still Uncomfortable.
Many customers seek a professional or DIY Bike Fitting with a long saddle ‘history’. They
have been searching for their perfect saddle for many years, often getting on well for a few
months before deciding enough is enough and selling it on eBay to fund a new purchase.
They will have had high hopes of the new acquisition, having read glowing reviews and gone
through the manufacturers selection process, only for the shine to rub off after a few long
rides.

In some cases, these saddle problems will be because they have been in the wrong place all
along. High saddles, low saddles, misaligned cleats and long cranks can all rock the hips,
placing higher cyclical pressures at the contact points. High saddles and body asymmetries
will often result in the rider being twisted on the bike, again leading to excessive pressures in
the wrong places. High saddles will push you forwards whereas riders can hang off the back
of a low saddle. In both cases, the rider is not located at the saddle ‘neutral’ position, with
their sit bones misaligned to the region they are supposed to be at. Remarkably, some
people come in with saddles that are physically broken, often lop sided or sagging in the
middle!

One of the biggest problems with saddle fit is that it very person specific. My favourite saddle
could well be agony for another person, even those with a similar height and build. This
section is intended to help you find a more comfortable saddle if the DIY Bike Fitting process
has not solved your problems.

The first thing we need to do is define the saddle problem, which tend to fall into one or more
of the following categories.

Saddle sores. – Chafing, infected hair follicles, ulcerations, boils.

Sit bone ache. – Tends to come on over longer rides, characterised by a feeling of bruising
on your sit bones, relieved by getting out of the saddle.

Soft tissue pain. – Particularly vulva and labia chafing and compression in women.

Nerve pain. – Compression of the Pudenal nerve leading to a variety of pains around the
lower buttocks, anus, perineum, testicles, scrotum.

Blood flow restriction – Leading to penile numbness, erectile dysfunction.

Prostate, urinary tract problems, urination difficulties.

Classic Saddle soreness is the one most likely to be improved by a good bike fit as it is often
associated with excessive rocking or other movement on the saddle. Countermeasures also
include investing in good shorts, maintaining good hygiene and using chamois creams.
Improving core strength may also be beneficial as the pelvis moves excessively due to being
insufficiently ‘anchored’.

Sit bone ache tends to have a higher correlation to saddle width, with an excessively wide
saddle often the culprit. For research purposes, I have sat on a few Sit Bone width
measuring devices in Bike shops or trade shows and been dismayed at the different
recommendations. The one I trusted the most was a Shimano electronic device which rightly
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suggested mine are quite narrowly spaced. The trust was shattered though when the
operator recommended my ideal saddle width was between 130mm and 150mm!

For me, the best indicator of whether a current

saddle width is suitable for you is to see where you
sit on it once the saddle height is correct. If you sit
quite far back on it, it is too narrow, far forwards
means too wide.

The rider to the left is an example of ‘hanging off the

back of a narrow saddle, with the hip marker well
behind the seat tube axis. You can just see the back
off the saddle well under their bottom.

Whereas above / right we can see a lot of saddle behind the rider as he is pushed forwards
by a wide saddle (it was quite far back on its rails).

This should give you some indication of the suitability of your current saddle. You might like
to try the numerous measuring device on the internet such as sitting on corrugated
cardboard etc. but they can be ambiguous. Still quite ambiguous, but maybe worth a quick
look is to measure your wrist diameter. There is a correlation between wrist diameter and the
size of your ‘frame’, which correlates to the width of your sit bones. Unfortunately,
Coronavirus has stalled an attempt by myself to measure and study this, but early
assessments (sorry males only so far) confirms it is worth of consideration.

Measure around the narrow section of the

wrist in front of the bony lump.

Wrist diameters of up to 165mm are

indicative of narrow sit bones and saddle
widths of 125-135mm. 165mm-190mm
wrists are indicative of 135-150mm saddles
and over 190mm wrists belong to large
boned people who need wide saddles.

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Sit bone ache can also be associated with saddles that are relatively flat along the
longitudinal axis. These are often sold as desirable for people who like moving around on the
saddle, with the Fizic Arione as a prime example. Personally, I tend to think people move
around on these saddles because they are flat, but get on with them all the same. Saddles
with a more pronounced scoop can be beneficial with the Fizic Alliante and Antares, Fabric
Scoop, Specialized Romin and Pro Turnix all being good examples.

This leaves all the other issues, which can be lumped together as related to the over-
compression of soft tissues, nerves, arteries and veins in the crotch. ‘Bike’, but not ‘Fit’
related countermeasures could include selecting the bike, tyres and tyre pressures to
minimise the strong road inputs up through the saddle. I still see people coming in for fits
with harsh aluminium framed bikes with 20mm tyres pumped up to 130psi. Compliant carbon
frames, large width tubeless tyres with low pressures may be all you need.

If not, the key saddle choice left is to consider one with a central hole or groove. The
objective of such a design feature is to remove pressures acting directly on the perineum
and for many people this works very well. Some care is required as the edges of the hole
can sometimes dig in, and if you reduce pressure in one are, it has to increase elsewhere,
so this type of saddle can lead to more sit bone discomfort. Nearly all Specialized saddles
have central holes and the Selle Italia Diva is well liked by many of my female customers.
SMP saddles have the most extensive pressure relieving channels and the twin pronged
ISM Adamo is popular with triathletes and Time Triallists.

There has been an increasing number of short nosed saddles coming to market recently,
which offer a similar benefit to a groove by removing any material at all at the front of the
saddle. The Specialized Power and PRO Stealth are well liked by my customers.

Fabric Scoop Selle Italia Diva SMP Dynamic

ISM Adamo Specialized Power PRO Stealth

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 Chapter 7

Recording and Replication.

Once you have established your ideal position, record it for future reference and to enable
transfer onto other bikes. The dimensions marked * are what you want to replicate across
other bikes whereas 'stem length' and 'saddle tip to head bolt' will tend to be only relevant to
that bike. See Appendix 3 for a detailed description of each measurement.

You will note how many of these dimensions relate to either the tip or top of the saddle. An
alternative saddle may be of a slightly different shape or you may sit on it in a different
location. What this means is that these dimensions are only truly applicable to the saddle
used during the fitting process. They can be used as a start point though, but be prepared
for some subsequent fine tuning if the bike feels different.

Measured mm
A* Saddle top to crank centre
B Saddle tip to head bolt
C* Saddle tip to hoods
D Stem length
E* Crank length
F* Saddle to bar drop (bar centreline)
G* Saddle set back (tip to crank centre)
H* Handle bar width (centre to centre)

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 Chapter 8

Adaptation and Post Fit experience.

Many people assume that it may take a few rides to adapt to their new position, but
customers often write to me after their first ride with very positive feedback. As a rule, the
bigger the changes made during a fitting, the quicker the benefits will become apparent. A
change in crank length can sometimes take a while to settle in but a saddle height error of
more than 10mm will be noticed immediately.

Before going out on the road, ensure the bike is safe and all the fixings set to the appropriate
torque.

When assessing your new position out on the road, I suggest you start with the feet and
work upwards. I would expect most of you have at least some 'float' in your cleats, so check
that your heels can move both towards and away from the bike without immediately hitting
any end stops. Feel how much your ankles and knees articulate and whether they are over-
compressed or extending through the range of motion. Think about where you are sitting on
the saddle and if there is any desire to slide forwards or back. Is it any easier now to roll
forwards at the hips with a straighter lower back? Where do the hands fall naturally on the
bars and are the elbows soft? You may find there is actually less load on your arms out on
the road as the pressure of the wind on your chest at anything above 15mph will be
noticeable. Can you get down onto the drops comfortably and do you feel more or less
powerful? How does your speed, cadence or heart rate compare against previously?

You may be making better use of different muscles now, so don't be alarmed if there a few
new niggles, hopefully these will settle down after a few rides. If there is a negative answer
to any of the questions raised above, you may need to go back through the process to work
out what is amiss and rectify accordingly. If any new pain persists, stop riding, return the bike
to your previous set up and book yourself into a reputable Bike Fitter

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 Chapter 9

Conclusions and Feedback

Hopefully you have got to the end of this process with your bike set up correctly and
relationships with partners and friends intact. Along the way, you may have learned a little
more about how you interact with your bike and how your body works. Key conclusions
should include: -

Saddle height is key, affecting not just power delivery but how you sit on the bike, your
reach, and how much time you spend on the drops.

Crank length is important.

A good fore-aft location on the bike is all about being well balanced, with a relaxed upper
body.

The right size bike in the first place is critical.

I would appreciate it if you could send me your final list of dimensions using the online form
available here.

http://bikedynamics.co.uk/965ll.htm

You may have visited the same site earlier for the online saddle height calculator. With the
increased sample size, I will be able to dive deeper into the stats and develop better
correlations, not only for saddle height but other key dimensions as well.

I would also appreciate any feedback on the document and process. I've tried to make it all
as straightforward as possible, but this is what I do all day, so it is bound to be
straightforward for me!

Part of the reason for publishing this process on line is to generate some income so I can
spend less time Bike Fitting and more time on research. I now have mountains of data on
thousands of cyclists, and would like to devote more time to wade through the stats, develop
better correlations and explore error states and countermeasures. This document
summarises considerable intellectual property that I am giving away (I think) quite cheaply. If
you have found it useful, rather than sharing it with your cycling friends, please point them at
my website to buy their own copy. I would also welcome suggestions on suitable subjects for
further research.

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 Appendix 1 - Basic Fit and Sizing
The Dynamic Bike Fitting process can only really work if the bike is the right size for you to
begin with. Provided your frame size, crank length and handlebar widths are somewhere
close, there should not be any major compromises made in achieving a good fit.

Frame Size
Frame size should be reasonably easy to get right and you can probably get away with being
one size too big or small if prepared to change a few components. Unfortunately, I often see
customers who have been sold inappropriate bikes. For more detail see

http://bikedynamics.co.uk/bikesizingbd.htm which contains the following summary table.

Size 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62
Height 5’-5’3 5’3-5’6 5’5-5’8 5’7-5’10 5’9-6’0 5’10-6’2 6’0-6’3 6’2 +
Height cm 152-160 160-168 165-173 170-178 175-183 178-188 183-190 188+
Inseam 70-74 74-77.7 76.3-80 78.6-82.3 81-84.6 82.3-87 84.6-88 87+

Seat tube 435-445 455-480 485-500 500-520 515-565 540-580 560-600 580-620
length (c to t)
Horizontal 505-520 510-530 520-540 535-550 540-565 560-585 580-605 600-625
top tube
Seat tube 74-75 73.5-74.5 73.25-74 73.0-73.5 73.0-73.5 73.0 72.5-73.5 72.5-73
angle
Head tube 100-120 110-140 120-155 120-175 140-190 160-225 180-240 200-260
length
Reach 355-370 360-375 375-380 380-390 385-400 390-410 395-415 405-430
Stack 500-515 505-535 510-550 520-565 550-590 570-620 600-645 610-660
Crank Length 165 165 165-170 170 172.5 172.5 172.5- 175
175
Handlebar 380 400 420 420 420 440 440 440-460
width

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 Crank Length

I would expect at least 30% of you to have cranks that are too long, mainly due to the desire
of many manufacturers to fit 172.5mm cranks across as much as their size range as
possible. If you are riding a 54, ‘M' or smaller with 172.5mm cranks, they could well be too
long for you. If riding a 50 and in some cases a 52 with 170mm cranks, again these could be
too long. You only need to go back around 20 years to a time when 170mm was the
standard across most of a range, whereas this seems to have now become 172.5mm. The
excuse often cited is that 'people are getting taller', but I know for a fact that I have not grown
at all in the last 20 years.

To a novice rider, you don't really know what the pedalling action is supposed to feel like, so
it will be extremely difficult to tell if anything is amiss. Internet forums are often unhelpful as
people frequently post on not being able to tell the difference between 170mm and 175mm,
so anything will do! This could well be true if you are around 183cm tall (6'0") but
unfortunately, the shorter you are, the more likely it will be that your cycling is being
compromised by the length of your cranks. My view is that crank length is the second most
important dimension of your bike set up after saddle height. The problem is nearly always
that the cranks are too long as there is very little downside to short cranks. Excessively long
cranks will increase the range of motion at the hip, knee and ankle joints beyond their
efficient and comfortable regions. This can give joint pain and especially make it difficult for
the quads to extend the knee joint when fully flexed. This in turn gives an inefficient ‘stompy'
pedal stroke.

The following table shows my recommendation for your ideal crank length based on both
your inseam and Greater Trochanter height. Use the same point on the top of the Greater
Trochanter as shown in Appendix 2. My recommendation is to
fit the appropriate length cranks to your bike prior to the fitting
process. Nearly everybody who has come to BikeDynamics
and either fitted shorter cranks at the time, or subsequently,
has appreciated the change and felt a definite improvement.
Obviously they are an expensive component, so you may need
more convincing. In this case I suggest you go through the
process, but refer to the Crank Length section in Chapter 7
'Error States' which explains what long cranks may feel like
and the implications to setting other parameters.

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Crank Length Recommendations

Crank Inseam GT Height Inseam + GT Height

Length Height (Male and
Female)

162.5 77 86 Up to 163.4 Up to 166.3

Up to 5'5

165 77 - 79 86 - 88 163.4 - 167 165 - 170

5'5" - 5'7"

167.5 79 - 81 88 - 90 167 - 171 170 - 173

5'7" - 5'8"

170 81 - 83.5 90 - 93.3 171 - 177 173 - 179

5'8" - 5'10.5"

172.5 83.5 - 86 93.3 - 96 177 - 182.5 179 - 185.5

5'10.5" - 6'1"

175 86 - 89.5 96 - 101 182.5 - 189 185.5 - 192

6'1" - 6'3.5"

177.5 Above 90 Above 101 189 + Above 192

Above 6'3"

* Assuming average leg length proportions for your height.

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Handlebar Width

You will note from the above frame size table how the width of the handlebars tends to be
proportional to the size of the bike. I don't think it too unfair for manufacturers to suggest that
large people on big bikes will need wider bars, whereas those riding smaller bikes probably
need something narrower. The 'correct' handlebar width is defined by the width of the
shoulders, but the measurement of this
can be quite ambiguous. The best place
to measure to is the ends of the
shoulder blades as shown left because
this is a good representation of the
centre of the shoulder ball joint. We like
our arms to be parallel when riding our
bikes, which is achieved if the crooks of
our thumbs on hoods or drops is the
same distance apart as the shoulder ball
joints. The shoulder width as defined
here should match the 'centre to centre'
width of the bars.

Bars that are too narrow can sometimes be too constrictive across the chest whereas wide
bars are less aerodynamic, can encourage splayed out wrist postures and often give neck
and shoulder discomfort.

If your bars are the wrong size for you, but you have no neck, shoulder, arm, wrist or hand
discomfort, don't worry, they don't really need changing unless upgrading anyway. If you are
uncomfortable in these areas, it could be due to other reasons, so swapping the bars may
not resolve your problems. I’d be tempted to fit the correct size bars though, if only to put
your mind at rest. Note that narrower bars will tend to reduce the reach slightly, possibly
affecting your ideal stem length. If changing the bars, it might also be worth considering the
choice of compact or standard bars shapes as discussed in chapter 6

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Anatomical Markers

Print out onto label paper or use double sided tape to attach to the body
reference points.

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Appendix 3 - Bike Dimensions

A - Saddle top to Crank Centre

Measure from the centre of the bottom bracket along the seat tube axis to the top of the saddle.
B - Saddle tip to Head Bolt
C - Saddle tip to hoods
From the tip of the saddle, diagonally to the upturn on the hoods where the crook of your thumb
would normally reside.
D - Stem Length
Usually written on it somewhere. Otherwise centre of handlebars to centre of steerer tube.

E - Crank Length
Usually written on inside edge of each crank.
F - Saddle to Bar Drop
The height differential between the top of the
saddle and the centre of the handlebars
G - Saddle set back
The horizontal distance between a plumbline dropped
from the nose of the saddle to the crank centre line
H - Handlebar Width
Centre to centre of drops.

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 A) Saddle Top to Crank Centre

F) Saddle to Bar Drop.

G) Saddle Set Back

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