You love your bike, you have the gear, the shoes, the pedals, the zippy helmet. But does your bike love you back? Is your bike adjusted to be the best bike for you?
A proper bike fit can increase your efficiency and speed, not to mention substantially reduce the risk of repetitive cycling injuries.
Balance Multisport is psyched to welcome Cheryl Lumbruno to our team! Cheryl is a Certified Bike Fit Specialist as well as a Licensed Physical Therapist, she pairs her technical know-how with her amazing knowledge of physiology to create a bike fit like no other.
Winter can be a great season to dial in your bike fit, no races and a lighter training load give you more time to focus on finding that perfect riding position.
Check it out!


Take Your Bike Position Seriously


Pain, discomfort, fatigue, performance and pedaling efficiency are all related to a proper bike fit. 

Fit is not only about the correct frame size.  It is about your individual posture, alignment, flexibility and biomechanics. 

Improper fit affects posture and mechanics leading to overuse injuries.

Due to the repetition of bicycling (approximately 3,000 to 5,000 rotations per hour), many injuries will sneak up over time, but when your body is positioned properly you can maximize performance and prevent injuries.  One small injury or area of discomfort can lead to compensation and potential for problems.

No one cyclist’s body is like another, so your bike needs to fit your body specifically for optimal efficiency of your pedal stroke.

Our bike fit involves a detailed interview and medical history followed by a complete evaluation and assessment of flexibility, posture, strength and musculoskeletal alignment.  This information is applied to a proper fit on your bike.

Whether you spend 5 hours a week on your bike or 35, a proper bike fit can make all the difference!

 

***Fitting services are provided by Cheryl Lumbruno, licensed physical therapist with extensive certification and training through many schools of bike fit.***

There is a chill in the air, pumpkins everywhere and leaves swirling on the roads - it's Fall in New England and I am loving this time of year!
Many people think of Fall as the 'running season' it's certainly the time for marathons, all the big ones are happening now and lots of local half marathons take place in the fall also.  Cooler temps make Fall a great time to work on some running drills and form work that will make you a more efficient runner when the next tri season rolls around.


Some tips on running form:

• Correct running form is specific to each individual, although we adhere to basic mechanical principles, no two runners will have exactly the same form.
• Landing heel first will jar the body excessively (and is almost impossible to do!) however not allowing the heel to touch the ground in a ball-heel grounding action is also an error in form.
• Landing on your forefoot will keep the impact off you heel and reduce muscular damage.
• For runners (not sprinters) a natural stride is the most economical.
• Hands should be relaxed and cupped at all speeds, a clenched fist is a waste of energy.
• The head should be aligned naturally with the upper body, eyes focused a few meters ahead.

So how do we asses our form? You need to be aware of how your body moves as you run. There are a few ways of doing this, have a friend videotape you, get all angles and try different speeds. Run barefoot on the beach and check out your footprints - how do you land?  Run fast at the track, accelerate to race pace and focus on what your body does, what happens to your stride, your knee lift, your posture, arms and head angle. 
Try using this body focus in a race, at your next 5k concentrate on your body movements, ignore the sights and sounds, don't talk and be only peripherally aware of the other runners. 
The purpose of these drills is to figure out any form flaws so you can isolate them and know exactly what you need to work on, good form will maximize your ability to run faster.
Equipment also plays a big part in correct running form, make sure you have the right shoe for your foot, get properly fitted at your local running or multisport store .
Happy running!!


For more form information check out Hal Higdon's book Run Fast, and the Newton Running website.