Upon returning from my tour, I mentioned to my sponsor that my feet have been riding forwards on the pedals and eventually I’m pedaling with my heels. He suggested getting a proper fitting on my bike might be a good thing for me to do. At first I thought I what the F? This is not a $10,000 carbon fiber race bike what kind of benefit could I receive from this?
He made the a appointment for me at Flat Tire Bike Shop to meet Kaolin who’s to do the bike fitting. When I arrived there I let them know I was there for a fitting and Kaolin came out to greet me and we bonded immediately. He listened to all my needs and wants and ignored the points that were not relevant due to lack of knowledge on my part in the most respectful way.
He made changes in seat height, position and angle, changed the bar angle and then changed the position of the brake and gear levers. The result was so radical and impressive that I’m a true believer. He also complimented me on the limberness of my hamstrings, stating that most people’s legs are quite tight.
If you are a cross country bicyclist or wanting to do some cross country touring, getting a bike fit is as important as having the proper gear to take you on your journey.
If you are in the Phoenix AZ area I would recommend Kaolin at Flat Tire Bike Shop for your fitting. This guy is a guru of bike fitting. I only wish that I had been turned on to this guy earlier.
Kaolin also made recommendations for better pedal choices after I expressed a concern about foot slippage on my platform pedals, my choice of platforms is that I hike a lot along the way and carrying a set of hiking boots (except on my feet) is not in the game.
His fitting made for a better ride, solved the slippage issue and helps deliver more power to each pedal stroke. In summation, get a bike fitting before you hit the road on that next adventure, and remember dare to dream, and dare to live those dreams.
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