Bike Fit with Joe LoPorto's Fit Werx Studio

2014 was a breakthrough year, but there's always something I can work on to improve, else I would have been crowned at Kona this year. 2 main changes I'm looking to make 2015: focus on Nutrition and looking at a new machine. I'm going to focus on the latter on this review.

I went to Joe Lo Porto's Fit Werx studio in Ridgefield Park, NJ on Saturday, December 20th. I've heard good feedback from my friends at GCTRI who've been there: he is really professional, knowledgeable, a great listener who makes his sessions very informational, and more importantly they all felt great coming out of his Fit studio. All sounded good to me, but I've had a good experience with my previous bike shop, and some terrible experiences with bike shops in the city, so I was a bit on the fence about switching to another bike shop..again. 

The experience was beyond my expectations, and I would recommend Joe's services (and Ron as a mechanic) in a heart beat! Price wise, I am not sure where Fit Werx stacks up against its competitors, but to be honest, I don't even think that they have any competition at this point. They are just too meticulous, too focused on providing you with the best bike fit that it'll dwarf the "competition." But let me share more details on my experience...

My research on Fit Werx

Friends' feedback (chats, FB statuses...) definitely helped make the decision. A good first indication that Fit Werx does a decent job is that I have not heard anyone (spoke to 4 different people) complaining about his service. Just like when you're looking for a new job and you want to know how it's like to work for the company, word of mouth usually weighs a bit more in your decision, especially when you hear good things about a company (or service provider in this case). That said, that was not enough for me to make the jump, but it was a good start.

I looked at their website to try to get as much as possible out of it: background, products they support, services they provide... I was trying to find the answer to the question: why would a bike fit studio provide such a precise, pro-like bit fit service to the mass? Reading their website content and watching the videos, they pictured the type of service that in my mind only pro cycling teams or pro triathletes can get access to. I think I spent a good 2+ hours just looking at their site. Fit Werx apparently provides top-notch, pro-like bike fitting services to "normal people." I was intrigued, interested, and excited at the idea of getting the perfect bike fit that would consider almost every aspect of my training, and of my build. I am very focused on the details, sometimes too much, and if Fit Werx does provide the level of service they advertise on their website, they'll have me as a customer without a doubt. 

So I called Joe to really get a good feel for it before pulling the trigger. I did not want to waste anyone's time, and told him exactly what I was looking for. I told him what my understanding of his services were (ie. pro-like bike fit), and asked him questions about it, mainly to see if he was indeed as good as the website claims they are. And from the chat I had with him, he seems like he knew what he was talking about. As importantly though, I told him that I was also interested in building a relationship with the shop where we both have a mutual interest in working together: him making me more aero on the bike, and me advertising and spreading the words about his shop. He was on board, and seemed excited, so we set an appointment for Dec 18th. 

Saturday, Dec 18th...6 hours "cooking in the bike shop"...

Joe told me to block 3 hours of my time. I gave myself an extra hour and blocked 4 hours, which I

The roadie getting a physical!

thought would be plenty. I had a bike fit earlier this year (click here for details) and we spent a good 2 hours at the shop, so I thought 4 hours was going to be enough. 

The shop and Ron the mechanic

The shop itself looks nice and clean, with some nice bikes and parts displayed (mostly Guru, Parlee, and Felt). It does not look like your typical bike shop where bike are hang up on the ceiling and parts  are displayed in every possible square inch. The shop feels roomier. As you enter it, you'll see 2 armchairs on your left-hand side, a coffee machine, and a massage table for measurements and some stretching before getting on the bike. The fitting studio area is between the massage table and the repair shop area

Speaking of the repair shop area, I have to say that I've rarely seen such a clean space when surrounded by grease. Ron, the mechanic, was great. He knows his stuff inside out, and is very open to sharing his experience and tricks. We spoke for a little while and it turned out that he is a mechanic for Mavic, worked at the US pro challenge race in Colorado, and worked on races like Paris-Roubaix.  Needless to say that after hearing that, I felt pretty comfortable letting him work on my roadie. Some parts were worn (pulleys of the derailleur), and I could make some minor changes on the tubes/cables to improve the shifting performance and feel. However, overall, I was pleased to hear that the bike was in pristine conditions and ready to roll for another year. Though I don't ride it as much, I really enjoy the bike, and it needed a tune-up. I cannot wait to check it out and check how those new cables impact the shifting experience. Ron offered to let me test ride a Time bike, but knowing the price, I really appreciated the trust, but had to politely decline. 

But back to the most important with the bike fit experience!

Joe, aka the bike fit surgeon...

Joe's process is a 3-step process where we first sit down and discuss goals, past experience, and any pain I may be having on the bike or run (analysis). We then would start getting the measurements and doing some stretching to get ready for the fitting. We then get on the fitting bike and start diving into the analysis, look at my position, and make adjustments to find the best possible form on the bike. On a very last step, we discussed bikes and the frames that would fit my build.

Step 1: Analysis

We sat down for a good hour to discuss my goals, my past experience, any pain or discomfort I was experiencing on the bike. Nothing really stood out from me, though we discussed my right knee potentially moving inward and following an elliptical movement. Joe's tool would allow us to track the movement of the knee onto the screen and see the actual movement. What was also interesting to me was linking this to insole and the benefits of "orthotics" and hearing the rationale behind it. Not only does Joe understands the bio-mechanical aspects, but he also has a very good understanding of how the position on the bike can impact ligaments and joints, and the loss of power that would result from it. Very, very interesting, and not something I would have thought of in the first place. 

The next thing we discussed was my wattage on IM and half ironman, and how that translates into speed. That is an important factor, as it will directly impact how aggressive the fitting will be according to my build and flexibility. Looking at my numbers, it was safe to state that the drag I may experience will have an impact on my performance, and that all aspects should really be thought through. that was clearly a concern of mine, but Joe brought it up without me having to ask, which I really liked. it is that level of attention and details that I was looking for, and it seemed like I was getting it. 

After a good hour spent talking and dissecting my experience, we both were on the same page around what needed to be achieved. I just did not know what he were going to do to make it happen. 

Step2: Measurements and Stretching

All details count, and Joe's meticulous approach to everything made the fitting longer than I anticipated, but it was time well worth it. It was the level of service I was looking to get, and beyond. So we did a slew of measurements, from measuring the inseam to my arm length when fully extended and at a 45 degree angle. Joe told me why we were taking such measurements, but I don't quite remember. 

My bike shoes revealed a lot...

We looked at my bike shoes (not sure what I'll do with the tri shoes just yet), and I've learned something new today, something I would have expected the specialized dealer to mention it when I bought the shoes. Thankfully Joe did. I ride the Specialized Expert Geometry body bike shoes, a great bike shoe, very comfortable and stiff. I really like them. 

However, apparently, Specialized tailors their products to the mass, and the shoes are no exception. The shoe is designed to compensate for the pronation that 90% of people has. That's great for 90% of the population, but not so great for the remaining 10%. When looking at my posture and walk, I have a slight pronation (5mm according to his measurements), but not enough to feel the full benefit of the pronation of the shoe. In fact  it was the opposite, as we had to compensate for it to push the foot the other way. Quite interesting analysis and realization on a shoe I've been wearing for 3 years now. one 

Stretching

After that we did a good 3-4 minutes of stretching to help "align the hip" and loosen up the hip flexors. It also gave Joe some key metrics on how much we can push the fitting. All this I did not fully grasp, but it made more sense when on the bike. I think you'll see for yourself when you get fitted at Fit Werx. 

Step 3: Bike fit

This one would take a while to describe, so I'm going to leave it to pics for you to see. hopefully it'll reinforce your opinion of considering Fit Werx for your bike fit, because it is worth every penny. We did a series of 4" footage and projected the video onto a wider screen. We then dissected every single pedal stroke, the position and angle of my heel compared to the ball of my foot, the angle that goes from my hip to my achilles, and finally the angle that goes from my hip to the shoulder, to the aero-bar pads. All that came with a very detailed analysis and explanation of where I should be at, and what different options we could look at. 

Foot position

From my original position, we realized that the foot angle (heel to ball of foot) was around 24.7 degrees, or about 10 degrees wider than we want it to be. The direct impact is the loss of power and torque. If you think of the pedal stroke as a clock, you want to be able to put some torque between 12 and 6 o'clock, and release pressure from 6 to 12 o'clock to allow the leg to flush some of that lactic acid while the other leg takes over. To correct this, we adjusted the seat post down by about 1cm from it's original position. The result was staggering. We managed to bring the angle down to 14.7 degrees, and at times down to 11.3 degrees, but that's only because I was focusing on getting my heel down. 

Hip and shoulder angles

The hip angle was decent at 153.5 degrees. Ideally this angle should be between 145 and 155 degrees. Above that, the cyclist may risk hyper extension, which could lead to injury and more power loss. We weren't too bad with my angle, but we could managed to bring it closer to 150. What we could do was to bring the seat back a notch, and raise the cockpit. That would allow me to be a bit more stretched on the back without sacrificing too much comfort in the process. It would have a massive impact on my aero position as my back did not arch as much. In fact, we estimated the gain at 4cm of increased aerodynamics by raising the handlebars by 2cm. It is counter intuitive, as you would think that raising the handlebars would expose my torso to more wind resistance. However, the video and results speak for themselves. It opened up my neck area, allowing me to look straight without putting too much stress on the neck. My back is now much flatter, though my homework will be to focus on it to keep it as flat as possible. 

We did an experiment to test the effect of lowering the cockpit to the weight distribution. We went from a fairly well balanced weight distribution between the legs and shoulders to more weight on the shoulders. from Joe's perspective, with the same position, we should be feeling the weight sitting more on the trainer compared to when riding outside. And the simple answer to that is because the wind resistance naturally pushes our trunk up and removing some of the weight we would normally put on the handlebars.

Post adjustments - at the bottom right corner you can see where my back was prior to the fitting

Knee analysis

That one was interesting. I thought my right knew moved in an elliptical movement, essentially losing power in the process and exposing me to IT band issues. To analyze that we put some sensors around the knee, recording a video, and then tracked the movement of the knee on the screen. Despite a slight adjustment, the video proved me wrong. my knees were moving fine, in a piston movement as you'd expect. 

So after few adjustments we found what we believe will be the right position for me for next year. All in all, it took us about 5 hours to get there, but from a selfish perspective, I was fine with it. Joe probably would have preferred to be home with his family! Sorry Joe!

Looking at bike frames...

We spent another hour looking at bike frames and what frame would fit me best next year. We narrowed it down to few brands: BMC TimeMachine 01, Cervelo P5, Guru 901, Specialized Shiv, Trek Speed Concept, and Argon 18. The Shiv was ruled out after we realized the frame was just not right for my build. I was not a big fan of the Trek, and getting it would mean having to get a new power meter, an additional 1K expense I would have had to consider for a bike I was not a fan of...crossed out of the list. 

My heart is set on the BMC, but that would require more work for Joe to get me perfectly fitted on it. Guru is a strong option as you can customize the frame to your personal needs, and can also customize the colors. Guru would also be willing to support me with the "caveat" of putting their names on the kit. That's tempting. However, my only issue is that the Guru looks too much like my current Cannondale, which I don't think I'm very excited about this idea. Shall I get a new bike, I would like to ride something that looks and feel different than my current bike. Lot to consider, but the P5 is also out there. though it is the most expensive option of the 4, and EVERYBODY has it at races, the frame would fit me well. The last option is Argon 18. The bikes, manufactured in Canada, looks nice, but does it fit me? Joe will have to crunch the numbers in his spreadsheet to see if that is a viable option at this point.