As I recently mentioned I got a proper bike fitting. I've always been an advocate of getting a proper fit on a bike while skipping it myself. I just figured after riding for 15+ years I had the bike fit fine, boy was I wrong.
What Changed
As I said in the fit we moved me much lower and further forward in the saddle. We also moved the handle bars down since I could reach it without discomfort.
All told the changes gained me about 60 watts on a ride and added about 10rpm to my spin. Those aren't small changes at all. The best comparison comes from the same ride about 10 days apart. I know it says they're a bit different but trust me I was on the same roads each time. The second ride (faster) was really really really raining (seriously wettest I've ever been on a ride, there were even huge puddles to ride through) which is known to screw specifically with the altitude sensor on a Garmin. I also tried the 'course' feature for the first time on the Garmin Edge 500 which thought I was off course a few times (I wasn't this is a regular loop for me). Those two items may explain the slight differences in distance/elevation.
April 26, 2011
May 7, 2011
Not only are the rides the exact same, the rides the day before are roughly the same so I was going in to it with about the same level of fatigue. I don't track sleeping schedule but my kid is sick this week not in the last few so I probably got the same amount/quality of sleep. Looking at the ride after the fit (May 7) you'll notice I cut 20 minutes off and added 69 watts over the course of the ride.
Even more telling is the segments from the ride. On the Climb in to Cultus segment (May 7 | April 26) you see my times are exactly the same. This is a steeper climb that requires seated spin or standing, it's just hard.
Now move on to the Cultus Lake segment (May 7 | April 26). This is more of a gradual hill, not much standing involved (if any) and cut almost a full minute off the time.
The final segment in to Columbia Valley which has a mix of standing and sitting (May 7 | April 26). Again here I cut a minute off the previous time. If you look at the comparisons you can see that each time is flattens out a bit I gain more time. I gain a little on the steeps but not near as much as the flatter portions.
With all of that information I've concluded that I haven't gained much overall power. My standing climbs are pretty close to what they were. This makes sense because I'm in 90% the same spot while standing. Seated is where the fit yields the biggest rewards which again makes sense because we moved my seat lots.
Get a Fit
Even if you've been riding for years and 'know' how to get a good fit, go get a proper professional fit. I thought I had myself in a comfortable position but it would seem that I had lots of power to gain by getting things right.
Now, I've got my cleats off the rusted plates. The fitter thought I could get some more pedal torque by moving the cleats back. Did it last night, lets see if I pick up some more speed.