RIDE LONGER, RIDE STRONGER, RIDE FASTER, RIDE SAFER, WITH COMFORT

At FITT 1ST we are passionate about the sport of cycling and believe that in order to enjoy this wonderful sport to its fullest, you need to be comfortable above all else. Whether you are a weekly commuter, a dedicated charity rider, serious recreational club rider, elite or professional athlete, road or mountain, it all starts with finding the best position possible for you. Once you are comfortable, then and only then can performance be optimized.We believe that a person’s bicycle when fitted correctly should feel like an extension of their own body, the perfect union between Rider and Machine. You should feel comfortable, safe, balanced, strong and always in control.

K Scott Judges B Sc. ( Founder / Owner )



Contact Info: Tel: 416-346-9696

Email: fitt1stbikefitting@gmail.com



FIT STUDIO AND PERFORMANCE LAB LOCATED AT:

1450 O'connor Dr. Building 2, Unit 105 Toronto ON M4B 2T8

Go to this link for Directions::

https://www.google.com/webhp?source=search_app&gws_rd=ssl#q=1450+o+connor+drive+building+2



WHAT MAKES A " FITT 1ST " BIKE FIT DIFFERENT

"Tell me and I’ll forget. Show me and I’ll remember. Involve me and I’ll understand”

Confucius

We at FITT 1ST want you to understand your bike fit, that's why we take the extra time to actively involve you in all aspects of the procedure. This way we establish quality communication and feedback.

Our fitting process was developed by the leaders and pioneers in this industry, taught at the SICI Institute to the TOP FITTERS IN THE WORLD. Although our system uses well established scientific criteria as its base we add a very “Rider Centric “ component to our fit procedure by establishing a thorough personalized profile of the rider themselves.

There are no “quick fixes” if a bike fit is done correctly, and that is why our fits are very comprehensive.

Whether you are a pro athlete or a daily commuter, the process remains the same and is equally important for all.

By the time your fit is complete you should not only feel totally satisfied with your new position, you will also have a much greater knowledge and better understanding of how your body and your bicycle work together. You and the bicycle become one. This is how the cycling experience is maximized.


Full FITT Procedure

Step 1: Interview

The fit begins with an extensive interview to establish a personal blueprint of the uniqueness you bring to the bike.

We will gather information about your life off the bike that relates directly to your comfort, efficiency and power on the bike. Lifestyle, fitness level, riding experience, prior injuries, surgeries and current physical concerns all play an important role in determining your ideal position.


Step 2: Foot Assessment

This is a very important aspect of the bike fit and absolutely essential for any rider who uses a clipped in pedal system. The interface between the foot, shoe, cleat and pedal is where it all begins. This is where all your power and efficiency originates.

This is also the source for the majority of foot, knee, hip and sometimes lower back issues that we encounter. Foot size and shape, degree of pronation, arch type, length and height, forefoot and posterior foot varus and valgas and metatarsal support are all evaluated here.


Step 3: Flexibility and Postural Assessment

Everyone has a unique body structure, determined by genetics, how we live our lives, and even what we do for a living. A person who sits in front of a computer all day will have a much different range of motion and flexibility than the fitness trainer, even if they were born identical twins. Chances are they would not be comfortable in the same position on the bike as well. Postural alignment, leg length differences, pelvic asymmetries, spinal flexibility, hamstring flexibility, and hip flexion range of motion, IT bands and internal hip flexors will all be assessed.


Step 4: On Bike Assessment

Everything we do on the bike is to ensure that the bike fits you. It makes more sense to change a stem, saddle position or handle bar position than to force one's body into a position that is unnatural. This process will result in a position that accommodates all of your natural bio-mechanics, removing excess pressure on all your joints.

Foot stability, cleat alignment, ankling pattern, knee tracking, pelvic angle, upper body alignment, arm and hand positions will all be optimized to ensure that you will be riding safely and comfortably for your current skill and fitness level. We will be asking for your feedback continually through this phase.


Step 5: Evaluation and Recommendations


We will do our best to adapt your existing equipment to you. However there may be changes that we will recommend to you. A new handlebar with shallower reach and drop to accommodate your arm and hand position, a different saddle that fits your body and riding style better or something as small as adding a wedge to one of your cleats. Any one of these small changes can make a world of difference in your ability to enjoy, perform well and ride safely on the bike.

If your bike is just the wrong size and or geometry for you, we will tell you so, and give you advice on what manufacturers makes, models and size would be a much better fit for you and your style of riding.

All of your data will be recorded, so that you will have a permanent record of all the key bike measurements.


To book a fitting contact:


or call Scott Judges at 416-346-9696

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

" FIT TIP OF THE WEEK "

Feeling pressure or pain on the outside of your foot when you ride??

This is a much more common issue than you think and it all has to do with the anatomical structure of your foot.

Most people when they walk (about 87% in fact) strike on the outside of their foot first and then roll to the inside.   What causes this is the way your foot is made.

If you were to lift your foot off the ground and let it hang weightless in the air you will notice that the inside of your forefoot is hanging higher than the outside of your foot ( see diagram below showing rear view of the right foot )





This means that in order for your foot to be in its neutral position, the inside of your foot wants to be higher than the outside of your foot  This is called FOREFOOT VARUS

About 9% of the population has a foot that hangs higher on the outside than the inside. This is called FOREFOOT VALGUS, But thats another issue that we will not discuss in this article

Now...  When we have a foot like this that wants to be higher on the inside to be happy and we put it into a cycling shoe that is flat, and then we clip in to a pedal on our bikes that is also flat, our foot is forced in to a flat position that it is not happy with.

As a result this causes our tibia to rotate at our knee, causing our knee to turn inward, which causes pressure and in extreme cases pain on the outside of the foot. ( see diagram below figure 3)



Average varus for most people is about 3-5 degrees, however I have seen people who have as much as 18-20 degrees of varus to their foot.  The more varus your foot has the more pressure you will feel on the outside of your foot.

How do we relieve this pressure... Well it is simpler than you think

If you look at figure 4 in the picture above, we simply add wedges either inside the shoe or between the cleat and the bottom on the shoe ( location depends on numerous factors ) , to keep the foot in a more natural position and prevent tibial rotation from occuring, therefore spreading the load more evenly across the ball of the foot relieving the pressure on the outside of the foot.

Good insoles like eSoles when fitted correctly will also stop tibial rotation resulting from over pronation and also relieve foot pressure.

If your feet are not happy on the bike, you will not be happy on the bike

If you have unhappy feet consider having a foot assessment done.

OH... by the way, this service is also included as an integral part of our full bike fitts.

Great Riding




 



Monday, July 23, 2012

TORONTO TRIATHLON FESTIVAL " BIG RESULTS FROM SOME OF OUR ATHLETES "

 Toronto, Ont hosted its inaugural Urban Triahlon on July 22, 2012, which also served as the 2012 Canadian Championships for the Duathlon, as well as a Qualifier for the World Triathlon Championships for 2013 in London, England, for Olympic and Sprint distance Two qualification spots for 2013 Worlds were available for each age group, so there was a lot on the line.

TOP FINISH RESULTS GO OUT TO ALLISON CHISHOLM WHO FINISHED 2ND OVERALL IN THE WOMENS DIVISION  AND 1ST IN HER AGE GROUP AT THE OLYMPIC  DISTANCE IN A TIME OF 2:16:24.  OH BY THE WAY  ALLISON HAD THE FASTEST BIKE SPLIT IN THE ENTIRE WOMENS DIVISION COVERING THE 4O KM'S IN 1:04:57

                                                       WAY TO GO ALLISON  !!!!!






SUE YORKE FINISHED 4TH IN HER AGE GROUP, COMING OFF A 6.5 HR RIDE THE PREVIOUS DAY. SHE IS IN TRAINING FOR IRONMAN AND WAS OFF ON A RUN AFTER THE RACE WAS OVER . 


TOP HONOURS IN THE DUATHLON GO OUT TO CAROLYN SILVEY WHO FINISHED 5TH OVERALL IN THE WOMENS DIVISION AND 1ST IN HER AGE GROUP, ANOTHER FANTASTIC RESULT ( Unfortunately Carolyn was not available for a photo )







Friday, July 20, 2012

RESULTS JUST KEEP GETTING BETTER FOR FITT 1ST SPONSORED PRO MIRANDA TOMENSON - BHARADWAJ

WHAT CAN WE ALL SAY BUT  " WOW " FOR MIRANDA'S PERFORMANCE IN THE AMICA 70.3 ON JULY 8TH IN PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND

3RD PLACE !!!!  PRO DIVISION

IN THE FIRST 3 RACES THAT MIRANDA HAS COMPETED IN AS A 1ST YEAR PRO, SHE HAS FINISHED 8TH, 5TH AND NOW 3RD,  JUST AN INCREDIBLE PERFORMANCE

MIRANDA WILL TAKE THE NEXT FEW WEEKS OFF FOR TRAINING AND RECOVERY AND WILL BE BACK RACING IN AUGUST

LOCAL MOUNTAIN BIKER RACES 3 HRS AFTER HIS BIKE FIT AT FITT 1ST

Hi Scott,

I really enjoyed working with you today and will definitely recommend your services, I'm sure I'll be back in the future with a new ride to set up.

I wanted to inform you that the mountain setup seemed to help my performance immensely tonight, especially considering it was a big night for climbing (up the WALL OF PAIN 3 times).

I beat the 2 guys who normally beat me however a couple of expert riders showed so I didn't end up winning overall but I was very satisfied with my performance.

The position felt more in control, faster, and overall I didn't fatigue and fade nearly as bad as normal.

So again thx and I look forward dealing you in the future.

Cheers Jeff Lee

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

EARLY SEASON GREAT RESULTS FOR PRO TRIATHLETE MIRANDA TOMENSON - BHARADWAJ

BIG congratulations are in order for first year PRO Triathlete Miranda Tomenson - Bharadwaj from Toronto, who has posted great results in her first 2 Ironman 70.3 races of the year.  8th in the Mooseman 70.3 on June 3, 2012 at Newfound Lake, New Hampshire, USA with a time of 4:56:06 and  4th in the Mont Tremblant 70.3 on June 24, 2012 at Mont Tremblant, Quebec, Canada with a time of 4:40:58.

FITT 1ST is a proud sponsor and official bike fitter of Miranda in her quest for excellence.

FASTASTIC EFFORT MIRANDA  ......   CHEERS TO YOU !!