Lorena Isasi (https://www.instagram.com/lorenaisasi/), is a professional indoor cycling instructor from Spain, who also loves to ride her Road, MTB and Gravel bike. With so many different styles of bikes and a true passion for everything cycling related, Lorena was curious to see what a bike fit would make of the set up of her gravel bike, and how it could help her address some minor issues she’s been experiencing lately to ensure she could be as comfortable as possible across all of the bikes that she rides on such a regular basis.
She brought her gravel bike in to Watts Lab in Madrid (https://en.wattslab.es/), where they gave her the full bikefitting.com treatment and we asked her the following questions.
QUESTIONS
What type of cyclist are you?
Road, MTB, Gravel and indoor
How much do you ride on a yearly basis?
Between 8.000 and 10.000 km.
What is your next big event?
MTB: Non Stop Madrid-Lisboa
Gravel: La ruta de los cuatro elementos (https://www.cicloturismonavarra.es/rutas-por-navarra/ruta-de-los-elementos/)
Road: L´Etape Madrid
Have you had any crashes or injuries that affected your position either short term or more permanently?
Yes, in February I had a fall with the MTB which injured my right shoulder and my left hand. After a month without any riding at all, I was able to start again, although it was still a bit painful at the beginning.
This was taken into account after my last Complete Fit bike fitting to arrive at the recommended position for my gravel bike. It meant some small changes in the positioning of the handlebar and my levers whilst also changing the height of the saddle slightly. I felt more comfortable immediately and on top of that, with the new PRO Stealth Off Road saddle that I was recommended, it now fits me perfectly.
How did you arrive at your current bike position (feel, fit, advice, etc)?
Since my last injuries and the increase of riding on different bikes I wanted to experience if there was really a difference before and after a bike fit. I can ensure you that the session helps you to really notice the difference with a few small changes based on data and facts. During the Dynamic Fit you can see the effect of any changes to your position directly on the screen in front of you, which is really interesting. Going forward, I can see the benefit of doing a bike fit every year, because your body changes over time and a you might ride a different bike. A bike fit really is worth it, I would recommend it to anyone to try for themselves.
If you have multiple bikes, do you use the same position on all?
No, my road bike and gravel bike are different due to the handlebar position. I use a 40cm handlebar for my road bike and a 42cm handlebar for my gravel bike. I also use different saddles for my bikes.
Which of the 3 contact points (saddle, handlebar, shoes/pedals) is most prone to issues or complaints?
I think most people don’t have their cleats positioned correctly, so a Shoe Cleat Adjustment will always be a great first step to a better and more comfortable pedalling stroke. I found I needed slightly different positions on my RC9 road shoes and my RX8 gravel shoes. Saddles are of course also notoriously personal, but after having tried several different saddles, without any profesional opinion, the Saddle Selection that was part of my bike fit, really gave me a better understanding of why my new PRO Stealth Off Road saddle is the most suitable for my needs.
Are you aware of any asymmetries in your pedaling strokes?
Yes in my left ankle, which also became apparent as part of the Pedaling Analysis that was done as part of my bike fit.
Do you think there’s any room for improvement in your pedaling dynamics (smoothness, efficiency, balance)?
Yes, I am pretty confident there will be. I have already received some great advice based on the Pedaling Analysis and have seen the difference of some small changes, which were made based on the data, so I am looking forward to riding soon and see the improvement in terms of efficiency and balance.
Are you happy with your final position?
Yes, the Bike Adjustment translated the changes to my position recommended during the bike fit to my bike, so I am pretty sure that I will notice the difference and be more comfortable on my bike.
