At Bike Science we’re dedicated to building you the best possible bike to suit your requirements. So, even if one of Planet-X or On-One’s incredible complete bike offers don’t quite hit the mark, we’ll custom build you a machine to suit your riding style, component preferences and most importantly fit. So whether you’re after an uber high-spec dream machine, or a custom spec bike using a collection of your own existing components we can help.
Buy any Planet X or On-One bike from Bike Science and take advantage of our HALF PRICE RETUL FIT OFFER. Combine the best value high performance bikes with the most accurate bike fitting technology available.
Planet X never cease to amaze us with their incredible value high performance offers. They’ve done it again with their latest offer, a super high spec build on their top of the range time trial/triathlon frame, the Exocet.
Buy your bike through Bike Science Bristol or Bike Science Derby and take advantage of our 1/2 Price offer on our Level 2 Retul fit service!
We’ve added to our range of high performance shoes with Bont’s “entry level” A3 road shoe in stock and available to order NOW. Don’t let the entry level tag fool you, these shoes blow similarly priced competition out of the water. Ultra stiff for maximum power transfer, very thin stack height for great pedal feel and fully heat moldable. Not only the upper, but the entire shoe including the sole can be heat moulded for a perfect fit and ultimate comfort. You REALLY have to ride in these shoes to appreciate how good they are!
We love Cobb Saddles! They’re proven performers when it comes to combating numbness, soft tissue and perenial pain on the bike. That’s why we weren’t too surprised when Triathlon Plus Magazine loved them too. Awarding their test V-Flow Max saddle a full 5/5 for performance and their top accolade of “Peak Performer“. Why not find out for yourself why these unconventional looking saddles are fast becoming renowned as the best perch out there for triathlon and time trial specific bikes.
Bike Science Derby’s Retul certified fitter Andy Brooke explains what sets Retul apart when it comes to bike fitting measurement systems…
We often get asked what makes Retul 3D fittings so special and I always answer with the same simple reply – accuracy and individuality! The system doesn’t apply a one-size-fits-all approach to fitting, it tailors the position to each individual rider based on their own pedalling style. That’s what really sets Retul apart from other systems.
Until recently riders were fit using very simple calculations for saddle height based solely on leg length, but this didn’t take into account how the rider pedalled. Lets take a simple example of two riders with exactly the same inside leg – one who pedals with their toe down and the other who pedals with their heel down. If you set both their saddle heights according to inside leg measurements then of course they’ll end up with the same saddle height. However, the rider who pedals heel down might be over-straightening their leg at the bottom of the pedal stroke and risking injury, while the rider who pedals with their toe pointing down might not be straightening enough and won’t be able to put the maximum power down. It really doesn’t matter which of these pedalling styles you use as long as you take it into account when setting your saddle height. Everybody is different and even the greatest cyclists in history have different pedalling styles from one to the next. Bike fitting has now realised that it’s OK to pedal differently to the Pro of your choice (because lets face it, s/he probably pedals differently to everyone they race against anyway!) so fitters have moved away from static fits based on leg length and towards dynamic fits – fitting riders on their bike to take into account their individual pedalling style. Before the Retul system, this relied on fitters working by eye but accuracy varied greatly between fitters and only elite level athletes could access the kind of motion capture technology required to accurately measure the angles of knees, hips and ankles during the pedal stroke.
This opened up another, cheaper option to get a dynamic bike fit – video capture. The main problem with video capture is accuracy. The lens in a camera, like the human eye, can shorten angles depending on it’s view point, making it incredibly difficult to take accurate measurements. Even if a camera can accurately show the pedal stroke, the next problem with measuring angles on the human body is setting the points to mark out the angles. With most video capture systems this relies on the fitter clicking a mouse on the exact pivot point within the joint. When the rider and bike are reduced on a computer screen from over 1.5m in real life to just 10cm, it’s very difficult to precisely find anything! Clicking just a few millimetres either side of the pivot point can change the angles recorded by as much as 5-10 degrees.
By placing infra-red LEDs on skeletal markers, the Retul system can ensure accuracy and repeatability and take the guess work out of fitting. Our fitters are still highly trained and the 3D motion capture technology we use certainly doesn’t do the job for us, but it does allow us to be confident in our recommendations and our measurements knowing that the figures we have in front of us are accurate to within a millimetre.
Retul is a 3D system. Three infra red cameras in the Retul scanner record side to side position and movement of each marker providing our fitters with with detailed information about how each rider sits and moves on the bike. No other bike fitting system gives this detailed insight. Side to side imbalances in pedal stroke can be spotted and corrected (either by direct interaction from the fitter or with flexibility work and strength training). In most cases our fit clients will leave us not only with a better bike position, but a suggested program of stretches and corrective strength exercises to improve their efficiency on the bike further.
Why not book a demonstration evening for your team or club? – IT’S FREE – Contact Us.
A host of Retul fitted and Retul sponsored athletes are primed and ready to go at next weekends “Big Dance” in Kona. Retul sponsored rider Craig Alexander is back to defend his crown and looking strong whilst the UK’s Julie Dibens from Team K-Swiss Trek looks to make things interesting for the usual suspects in her first crack at the Ironman distance.
Looking to qualify for Kona next year? Now’s the time to start optimising your body position ready for some killer bike splits and super fast runs next season.
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Bike Science Derby’s expert bike fitter and Cyctech qualified mechanic Andy Brooke gives us his top tips for setting up your bike for the long winter ahead.
For most of us the end of the season means a well earned rest before we instantly start planning ready for next season. A big part of your training over the off-season is likely to be long, slower rides to build the base miles before doing more intense stuff towards the spring. Many of us will be riding a different bike over the winter so it’s important to remember a few key points…
If you’re swapping from your best bike to your training/winter bike then make sure the position is as close as possible. Dramatic changes in riding position will take you a while to get used to so we don’t want you doing it twice every year – adjusting to coming off the best bike and then adjusting again when going back onto it – measure your saddle height and fore/aft position then replicate it as closely as possible.
Check your saddle. Training bikes are often neglected a little during and always end up with the old saddle off your best bike when that one gets replaced. If the padding is worn out then it won’t be a comfortable experience. It’s also worth remembering that if you have different saddles on each of your bikes then you’ll sit in a different place on each of them. Generally we find a place on each saddle that’s most comfortable for us, which is usually based on where the width fits perfectly with our anatomy. Different saddle means different sitting position and might throw off your fore-aft measurement by as much as a couple of centimetres.
Winter miles are spent mostly on the hoods so make sure they’re in reach and don’t be afraid to raise the bars a little – long rides in the rain are bad enough without suffering a bad back from being too bent over. We’re aiming for a back angle of around 45 degrees when on the hoods and aren’t likely to spend too much time on the drops.
Back pain is not part of cycling! With longer rides coming up you might be expecting to experience a few aches and pains but with a good fit and some simple core stability exercises you’ll be able to spend hours in the saddle without a single twinge (apart from the obvious pain in your legs!).
Keeping your bike clean
When the weather gets really bad and the gritters are sent out most of us leave the bike in the garage, but the days and weeks after gritting can still cause a lot of damage to your pride and joy. Salt, water and bikes really don’t mix so it’s important to clean off all the muck picked up whilst riding. Below are a few quick tips on limiting the damage…
Cut down an old inner tube and stretch it over your seatpost clamp to protect your bolts andstop any water getting down your seat tube and into your bottom bracket. Simply undo your clamp, lift your seatpost out, stretch the piece of inner tube over the seatpost and slide it up to the top. When you re-insert your seatpost just slide the inner tube back down and over the clamp, ensuring that at least 1-2cms still remains on your seatpost to create a good seal. This should help keep the bolts in your clamp clean but you can also give them a little extra protection by following point two.
With the remaining inner tube left over from point 1, the more mechanically able of you will be able to do something similar for your headsets. I got this tip from a Downhill Mountain biker and it works best for external headsets. You do have to remove your forks and stem but it does protect your headset from all the grime found on our winter roads.
Fill the allen key holes in your bolts with either grease or silica sealant (just make sure you do it in such a way that you can get it back out afterwards!). This will stop all the gunk getting down in the bolts and doing any damage.
Use the right lubricants. If you know it’s going to be wet then use a wet lube that better protects your bike against the water. Dry lubes will wash off and leave your bike unprotected.
Clean your bike well after every ride using a good quality cleaning product and re-apply lubricants to all the moving parts (chain, front and rear mech hinges etc).
The final point that’s worth mentioning is tyres. Run your tyres at a slightly lower pressure during the winter, especially in the rain. The lower pressure will give you better grip in the wet but don’t drop them too low because you’ll risk pinch punctures. Around 80-90psi should be fine, with lighter riders at the lower end of the range and heavier riders sticking up around 90psi.
