We are excited to launch some small but meaningful changes to our system for how it measures riders and recommends changes to their position. In short, we’ve adapted our ranges to better accommodate more riders, particularly those at either end of the performance/comfort spectrum.
Let’s dive into the specifics of the changes!
Joint Angle Ranges:
The recommended ranges applied during our on-bike analysis are uniquely tailored to the bike type, fit goals and individual mobility of each rider we fit. These ranges have been established based on industry best practice ranges in bike fitting, and ones that we have been using as part of professional fits for years. They are calibrated to reflect internal research and testing on how our computer vision tools measure cyclists in comparison to other industry technologies such as high speed video capture, LED motion capture, and optical motion capture (used by the big players in bike fit).
Since our launch, we have built one of the largest databases of humans on bicycles in the world. With that comes a massive amount of information, including approximately 3 billion motion capture data points (as of today). Over the past months we’ve reviewed what recommendations MyVeloFit is making, and in combination with user feedback and observed fit outcomes have found that there is an opportunity to broaden our recommendations to fit the needs and abilities of a larger set of riders.
MyVeloFit’s ethos has always been first and foremost to help riders avoid injury, so our recommendations lean slightly to the conservative side. This has been particularly noticeable for cyclists who have lots of time in the saddle and are looking for a more aggressive position on the bike. In general, we are ok with this - a more conservative position is less likely to lead to injury, and while losing 5 seconds on your next 40km TT might sound like a terrible outcome of a bike fit, being able to ride comfortably for longer, injury-free has lasting benefits. However, being a company that is focused on all types of cyclists, while maintaining our commitment to injury prevention, we have determined that we can safely and confidently increase the breadth of our recommendations to encompass more aggressive positions for some riders, and more relaxed for others.
The Changes:
While we won't bore you with the minutiae of every change, we do want to explain the key changes we’ve made.
Knee Angles:
We have decreased the lower bound of our recommended Knee Extension ranges, especially for riders after a performance oriented position, who exhibit or report great hamstring mobility, and with a longer riding history. This allows for a slightly higher saddle height when appropriate.
We have decreased the lower bound of our recommended Knee Extension ranges, especially for riders after a performance oriented position, who exhibit or report great hamstring mobility, and with a longer riding history. This allows for a slightly higher saddle height when appropriate.
Back Angles/Torso position:
- We have decreased the lower bound of our recommended back angle ranges for riders seeking performance oriented positions and can demonstrate or report good mobility. This results in slightly more saddle to handlebar drop available for those riders.
- We are also increasing the upper bound of our back angle range for riders seeking a more comfort focused position or with reduced mobility. This results in more upright positions available than with our previous ranges.
Shoulder Angles:
We have increased the upper bound of the shoulder angle ranges to accommodate a more aggressive position for riders that have the mobility to support it. This reflects both changes to how we measure riders, as well as the result of rider feedback and data analysis.
We have increased the upper bound of the shoulder angle ranges to accommodate a more aggressive position for riders that have the mobility to support it. This reflects both changes to how we measure riders, as well as the result of rider feedback and data analysis.
Fore/Aft:
We’ve improved how we assess (saddle) fore/aft position on the bike to improve the consistency of recommendations and reduce the number of adjustments needed.
We’ve improved how we assess (saddle) fore/aft position on the bike to improve the consistency of recommendations and reduce the number of adjustments needed.
At MyVeloFit we are constantly striving to improve our system to help cyclists get the most out of their fit. If you have any questions about our fit process please feel free to contact us.