Cycling is a repetitive sport, with the average cyclist completing approximately 5,000 leg rotations per hour. “If it ain't broke don’t fix it” is not sound judgement when it comes to cycling. Due to the repetition of the sport, many injuries will sneak up on you over time and may even end your cycling career. But when your body is positioned just right, you can maximize performance on the bike and you can prevent injuries. A bike fit from PT Works can help you achieve this positioning.

Who should have the bike fit? Basically, anyone who spends any time on a bike. Whether you’re a recreational cyclist or a serious athlete, it’s important to be positioned properly on your bike. Through proper positioning, you can cycle more efficiently and reduce your risk of injury to the knee, lower back or neck. No one cyclist’s body is like another, so your bike needs to fit your body specifically.

What is a bike fit? A good, reputable bike shop can fit you with the correct bicycle style and size for your needs. But what do they know about the human body and how it moves? Some people will measure your knee angle while you sit on your stationary bike or make calculations based on a formula from a magazine and call that a “bike fit.” That is a static fit. That’s not what we consider riding a bike. That’s not good enough for us.

How is a PT Works bike fit different? We are medical professionals. So we’ll begin with a detailed interview and medical history. Reporting all of your past on or off bike injuries is important. Sometimes a small injury can lead to a compensation and be the root cause of several problems. Proper assessment and treatment of leg length discrepancies, patella femoral disease, forefoot varus, neck and back pain can affect your performance.

Examination: We'll run through a full musculoskeletal and functional mobility and stability assessment. Your current mobility, strength, and stability will affect your comfort and efficiency. How you move off the bike determines how you move on the bike. Bike fit formulas out of a book or magazine cannot assess you in this way. That's why static bike fit formulas are of limited value.

Your Bike: Next, we'll set you up on your bike. We use your actual bike, not a sizing device. We do not sell bikes. Our goal is to fit your current bike to you not you to a virtual bike.

Video Motion Analysis for a Dynamic Fit: Realize that your position on a bike is dynamic and changes with effort. More technique flaws will show up when you are working hard pedaling against resistance than pedaling easy or not at all (ie static fit). We will analyze your position frame by frame and pinpoint your technique flaws. Research has proven that critical angles of the spine, pelvis, and lower body joints make a considerable difference in economy. The goal is to get you within certain specific norms to make you as efficient and comfortable as possible when you are riding hard.

The Fit: After all the data has been collected and analyzed, we will then begin fitting your bike to you. We'll help you adjust your bike to get you in the best position possible based on your current mobility, strength and motion analysis information. Sometimes a small adjustment can make a huge difference in comfort. It may require adjusting the saddle height and fore-aft position, stem height, cleats or adding a shim. We may even recommend an orthotic or modification of your current cycling shoe insert to improve your biomechanics. We'll do our best with what you bring in, but sometimes different length stems or handle bars help, and we can make recommendations on these for you.

Finally, we'll guide you with corrective exercises and essential drills to progress your fit even further.

How do I prepare for a bike fit? Please make sure your bike is clean and in good working condition. If your bike is not functioning properly, it can be difficult to do a good bike fit. Bring or wear your cycling clothing. Check your cleat screws! Before you come, make sure you can remove your cleats from your shoes. If your cleat screws are stripped, we can't adjust your cleat position, which will probably be a significant part of your fit.


Should I come to PT Works before I get a new bike? No. First visit a reputable bike shop to purchase a well fitting bicycle. Our bike fit is not meant to help you select specific bike frame sizes, geometry, etc.

How long will the bike fit take? You should allow an hour to an hour and a half. A follow-up may be recommended.