First Bike Fit

Bike Fitting Assessment                       Date: 10th April 2011

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Name:
Joel Labelle                                      

Riding Experience: Regular cyclist.

Goals:

1.
Ironman. June-France,
Aug-1/2 Philippines, WA full ironman

Height:                         Weight:

Type of Riding:
Comfort                               Sport                      Competition          UCI
legal required?

Current injuries /
complaints:

1.
Tightness into
quadriceps

2.     Stiffness/ache into back muscles during long
rides.

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Bike:

Manufacturer:   Cervelo             Model:  P3        Size: 48 cm      Year:

2009

Bicycle Geometry Chart	Size mm:
Seat Tube Angle (degrees)	Initial 78° / Post fit 75°
Head Tube Angle (degrees)	72°
Top Tube Length (effective)	Initial 490 / Post fit 514
Seat Tube Length (effective)	480
Chainstay Length	368
Fork Rake	*
Trail	*
Head-tube Length – Integrated	110
Bottom Bracket Drop	73
Saddle Length / Model	265
Crank Length	170
Handlebar Width / Model	Aero bar c-c pad initial 175mm/post 200

Bike Set Up	Initial mm	Recommended mm	Final for current set-up
Seat tube angle recommendation	78°	75°	75°
Head tube length recommendation	Approx  130-150mm
Top Tube length recommendation	Approx  495 mm
Headstem Length / Angle°	80 / - 17°		80 / + 17°
Seat height	650		660
Crank Length	170	170	170
Tip of Seat to Handlebar	490		444
Tip of Seat behind BB	+50		10

Observations on bike before adjustment:

From Behind:

Lateral Tilting Ilia                                    L.         R.
        Comment: PSIS drop. Decreased left gluteal
activation. Increased gluteus medius to compensate.

Rotating Ilia (Ant./Post.)                         L.         R.

        Comment:

Lateral Flexion of Lumbar Spine             L.         R.         Comment:

Rotation of Lumbar Spine                      L.         R.         Comment

Thoracic Spine Rotation                         L.
        R.         Comment:

Elevated Shoulder                                 L.         R.         Comment:

Scapula Protraction                               L.         R.         Comment:

Toeing of the feet                                  L.         R.         Comment:

Heel Dropping                                       L.         R.         Comment:

From the Front:

Shoulder Position                                  L.         R.         Comment: Protracted and elevated due to excessive low
position of handlebar.

Head position                                       L.         R.         Comment:

Knee position. Frontal plane deviation      L.         R.         Comment:
very slight outward deviation.

From the Side:

Foot position in relation to pedal:           Normal    Foot
too backward L         Foot too
forward

Knee position in relation to pedal:          Normal    Knee too backward           Knee too forward+++

Saddle Height appears:                         Normal    Too High slight                   Too Low

Handle Bar Height appears                    Normal    Too High                             Too Low+++

Thoracic spine curvature                        Normal    Excessive
Kyphosis          Other

Neck                                                     Normal    Hyperextended                  Other

Lumbar spine                                        Normal    Hyperlordosis                     Hypolordosis

Musculoskeletal Assessment Outcomes:

1. Flexibility:

a.
Hamstring:            Normal                  Tight                       Hypermobile:.

b.
Calves:                  Normal                  Tight                       Hypermobile:

c.
Hip Flexors:          Normal                  Tight                       Hypermobile: Iliacus+, psoas++

d.
Gluteal:                  Normal                  Tight                       Hypermobile:slight

e.
ITB:                         Normal                  Tight                       Hypermobile:

f.
Thoracic Spine     Normal                  Tight                       Hypermobile

g.
Cervical Spine:    Normal                  Tight                       Hypermobile

h.
Lumbar Spine      Normal                  Tight                       Hypermobile:L3 T12-L1

2. Neural
   Tension:

a.
Upper Body                          Normal                  Excessive
tension:  Tenderness at
right infraspinatus tendon.

b.
Lower Body:                         Normal                  Excessive Tension: positive in hamstring. Possible adhesions to
sciatic nerve at hamstring.

3. Muscular
   Control:

a.
Multifidus Control                                Normal                  Requires re-education Some excessive use of paraspinal muscles.

b.
Core stabilization:                               Normal                  Requires re-education Abdominal control is quite good, but need to
focus on gluteal control and activation.

c.
VMO control:                         Normal

                 Requires re-education. Initaites with lateral quadriceps muscles,
needs some vmo exercises to assist.

d.
Active Hip Extension:          Normal                  Requires re-education Decreased gluteal activation on and off the
bike. Excessive paraspinal & hamstring muscle activation to compensate.

e.
Single leg squats:                                Normal                  Requires re-education Ankle ok, hip drop and medial knee deviation
left<R. Less stable in cycling than running position.

4.     Knee:               Normal                  Tight lateral structures      Tenderness

Photographs:

· Your torso is too arched, with excessive kyphosis in the thoracic spine which would make it more difficult to optimize your diaphragmatic breathing. · Inadequate pelvic tilt leading to an arched back. · Shoulders are dropped downwards from the upper back. ·   Shrugging of the shoulders compressing neck tissue. ·   Knees too close to upper chest, and too far over bottom bracket increasing quadriceps contribution and not allowing adequate gluteal activation. ·   Wrists deviated, increasing tendon strain.

Before:

 After:               

	Improved torso lengthening over the top tube which reduces back muscle strain, improved breathing and allows the body to be more stable on the bike Better pelvic tilt allowing the torso to reach forward and assists in improved gluteal function. Knees with less shearing through the knee joint and a more muscle balanced position to allow all the hip and leg muscles to activate correctly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Physical Assessment Summary

Riding
position directly influences the power that can be produced by the athlete,
physiological efficiency and resistance caused by wind drag.

Pedal
technique + riding position = optimal cycling biomechanics.

Changes made:

1. Moved cleat on shoe forward

2. Moved saddle backward approx
60mm

3. Raised seatpost 10mm

4. Flipped over headstem to +17deg
to raise handlebar height.

5. Re-angled aero bar to approx 7-8
deg. Made aero pad wider to 200mm c-c

I moved your cleats on the left
side to a more stable position under the ‘ball of foot’. The ball of foot is a
more stable and rigid part of the foot to transfer power to the pedal.

Your position was much too far
forward over the bottom bracket. The forward position encourages you to utilize
more quadriceps and tensor fascia lata contribution to the pedal stroke, and
decreases your gluteal function. We have moved the saddle rearward to balance
the contribution of all cycling muscles throughout the pedal stroke, and to
discourage excessive hip flexor and psoas involvement. This forward position
but increasing tensor fascial lata contribution also increased the tension of
the ITB which you have an underlying problem.

Your gluteal muscles were in a
shortened position, which does not encourage the optimal length-tension
relationship of the muscle to produce optimal force. This is not only due to
the forward seat position, but also due to your inability to sit with enough
anterior pelvic tilt. This position also encourages you to overuse your hamstring
muscles. I would like for you to focus on not initiating the hip extension with
the hamstring and paraspinal muscles, but rather the gluteus maximus muscle.

In order to help you to better use
the right gluteal muscle, it is important to keep the muscles at the front of
the hip relaxed.

I have already provided some
gluteal activation exercises. It is very important to ‘activate’ the muscles
correctly before undertaking a strengthening program.

Your forward position and probably
habit is to over-activate the long back muscles called the paraspinals. These
overwork and become tired. By stretching your position over the bottom bracket
and encouraging better gluteal function you should find you can relax these
muscle better.

Please look at improving the vmo muscle
which is on the inside of the knee. This will help to stabilize the knee and
assist the gluteus maximus to activate.

Your left gluteus medius was quite
weak. This links into why your knee moves during single leg squats and
contributes to the tight ITB which is likely to become a problem in the future
if left unresolved.

Please also note that we found a
tender tendon on the infraspinatus at the back of the shoulder. This is likely
to be from your swimming and can cause shoulder injury. This was on the right
side.

Finally:

Bike position is an ongoing
process, as your core stabilization and muscle flexibility and function improve
we can further fine-tune your position.

Please keep in contact about your
new position, any aches or concerns. We may need to make adjustments. Your new
position puts you into a ‘neutral’ position within the limits of your body. Any
change to seat, handlebar, or feet will effect every other part of your body,
so take care if you change anything yourself.

Happy cycling!

                                                            

Elissa Whittington

SKY BLUE BIKES
No 4 Bonham Strand West
Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
+852 9669 5037
elissawh@yahoo.co.uk