1st Day of BG Fit School....Yes it Rocked!

Today was pretty cool! I have really been looking forward to this trip for many reasons, but what i am finding out about the material, the people, and the rides, is that this is exactly what I should be doing! Once again, probably not the last time, I want to thank Bikesource for this opportunity. The knowledge that I am absorbing from the BG Fit Instructors is Priceless! The stories about minor adjustments to Tour de France, Paris Roubaix, and World Champions bike fit over the last few years alone is amazing. Seeing the video difference after only a few millimeters change of a riders headset was proof that there is an Art and Science to getting the perfect bike fit! It is definetly a work in progress throughout someones riding life and will change slightly depending on their discipline of riding. But, seeing it all come together after an assessment is not only amazing, but something i cannot wait to add to my arsenal at Bikesource!

Now, yeah, this is fun! But, it get's serious at times. We study Anatomy, Biomechanics, and the basics of sizing someone for a bike. Now, there is a big difference between Sizing and Fitting! Sizing is done and should be done before you even remotely look for a new bike. You must make sure you have the right size bike or everything else does not work! I see so many people who do not fit on their bikes, they can ride for short distances, but once they try to ride long, they get numb in areas they should not, they ache in the neck or low back, or maybe it is a knee issue that flared up after a 60 mile ride when they are use to riding 15-20 miles in their current position. I could go on about this, but you will just need to come and see me when I get back to the Shop next week. We can all benefit from a proper bike fit. If you spend money riding or racing a bike, you should take the time this Winter and get a proper fit! You will love your bike more and want to ride it even more when the weather get's nice this Spring.

So, about my day! Well I thought the Pictures would help? The Big "S" needs no explanation, this is the entrance to Specialized Headquarters, pretty dang impressive! The picture of the Peleton pulled over on the side of the road is above the bathroom stalls. I thought it was pretty dang funny! The best part about the photo is the Police car rolling by the entire group. The Next photo is not my Garage! These are the bikes that we get to choose from everyday! Yes, they are just lined up by size. We grab the ride of Choice, set it up and roll! Pretty sweet! The other bike Picture is employee parking. Gotta love it! The parking lot is pretty much empty, everyone commutes! See how simple this would be for your employer to set up at work! Does not take much does it, show it to them and get a commuter Garage set up at your work place. Our work area is highlighted by the I am Specialized Wall, the room is more like a PT clinic, with tables, bike trainers, and tool set's set up at each station. The last few Pictures are of the ride!



I rode the Venge today and will ride it most of the week. I am trying to really get a feel for this bike. I get asked a lot of questions about it. We went up a pretty good climb today, but I need to play with my position a bit more before I am going to comment. Maybe by Thursday Nite, I will have a better idea? We have a longer ride scheduled for Thursday, after we have done a complete bike fit! So, that will be the true test. The Bike has Dura Ace Shifting and I have been riding SRAM for the last year exclusively. I can say that I like how the Dura Ace Shifters conform around my hands, but I do think that SRAM is a much crisper shifting system at a hirer rate of speed. That is all I can say at the moment!

It is late in the Midwest and my body is still on Midwest time. I need to hit the sack, we are riding at 8 a.m. tomorrow! It will be about 44 degrees vs the 70 degrees we rode in today. The weather seems to be very consistant, cool in the a.m. and close to 70 and Sunny every afternoon. Fortunate for this weather this week!

GO!