For Whom?
Cycling is a wonderful sport that offers plenty of possibilities at many different levels. Unlike with many other sports activities, cyclists can dose the amount of load that is placed on their muscles and joints. Cyclists can continue to enjoy cycling until an advanced age. It is not without reason that most physiotherapists’ practices have bicycles on which patients can exercise.
Cyclists that practise endurance sports or are involved in professional sports do not tend to sit up straight on their bikes. This can cause lots of physical problems, especially if the cyclist does not have strong back and stomach muscles. Problems can also arise if the cyclist is seated wrongly.
Training your body is a personal matter that is mostly done while cycling. However, the position on the bicycle can be improved with good advice from cycling specialists.
Cyclefit is a specialist in advising bike measurements based on your body measurements. This system has proven itself in the cycling industry for over 30 years. Each category of cyclist has their own, specific needs. Cyclefit therefore offers customised advice on how to achieve the correct position on different types of bicycles.
City bikes / E-bikes
Cyclists are generally positioned upright when cycling on everyday bikes; this hardly puts any stress on the back and neck. However, it is important to position the saddle at the correct height in order to enjoy cycling and prevent knee injuries. The Cyclefit advice offer for this category includes the correct saddle height and frame size.
Hybrids
The term ‘hybrid’ is widely used in the cycling industry, and there a big differences between the different types of bicycles that are referred to as hybrids. For this reason, the hybrid category is divided into ‘Hybrid City’ and ‘Hybrid Sport’.
The Hybrid City category consists of light-weight bicycles that are mainly used in urban areas. The cyclist is positioned upright, and in this case comfort is more important than speed. The Hybrid Sport category refers to the sports version of the hybrid bike. The cyclist is generally positioned more forward, which is more efficient when travelling long distances.
Mountain bikes
Over the past years, no other bike has evolved more than the mountain bike. Advancements to ‘mountain bike geometry’, the use of front and rear suspension, and large 29 inch wheels have had a major impact on the bikes and the sport itself. When advising cyclists, Cyclefit distinguishes between six different categories of mountain bikes:
- 26 inch Cross Country Race
- 29 inch Cross Country Race
- 26 inch Cross Country Trail
- 29 inch Cross Country Trail
- 26 inch All Mountain
- 29 inch All Mountain
Racing bikes
Cyclefit has extensive experience with the category - racing bikes. Cyclefit offers three different performance levels within this category. From a sports- and performance-oriented posture in the ‘rider’ category to a more relaxed posture in the ‘randonneur’ category. Nearly all commercially available pedal systems can be included in the advice. This means the position of the shoe plate and the saddle height can be fully adjusted to the desired system.
Time trial bicycles
Unlike any other category, this category is marked by an extreme emphasis on performance. The construction of the frame and rider’s posture are based on the laws of aerodynamics. To optimally tune the time trial bicycle to the rider’s needs, Cyclefit makes a distinction between ‘triathlon’ and ‘time trial’. A triathlete will be positioned in more or less the same way on the bike as a time trialist. However, regulations that govern time trial events are highly different than those for triathlon events. This requires different advice to be given per category.