I had NO IDEA what this would entail. I had been in that shop a couple of times talking about getting fitted for a new saddle (seat) but no one ever mentioned to me what goes into the "getting your bike fitted" routine. I thought I was just going to waltz in there and have him measure my seat and adjust its height and be done with it! I guess I should have gotten my first clue when I went in on Saturday and the technician told me that he couldn't do it on Saturday cause they were too busy and that I should come back at 11 am on Monday (an appointment).
I brought my bike into the store today with the idea of scratching off some of the "must get" items off of my shopping list for the Spring Adventure. I would get a rear view mirror and maybe a saddle. That was it. However, my visit to the bike shop ended quite differently. First, the manager of the store got me into a pair of Specialized ( a brand name) ergonomic hand grips. Yes! No more hands falling asleep! Then we picked out the mirror. Then Eric the technician came out and saw that I did not have clip peddles and asked if I was looking at getting those in the future. (Those are one my "must get" list, but I was not looking at purchasing them today.) He explained that if I am going to get fitted, it is best to have my saddle, clip peddles and shoes first. Okay then...... To the wall of shoes I went. Oh ya, I wasn't wearing socks, so I HAD to buy a pair ( a girl can never have too many amazing socks)! My new socks are so cool! (Being a runner will turn you into a sock freak, just a warning to the wise.) Eric helped me find the right pair of Specialized biking shoes; he informed me that they fit small so up to a 9 1/2 I went. They fit perfectly AND they were on sale! YES!!!! I had no idea that the right biking shoe was just as important as right pair of running shoes! The way the insole fits has a huge part in how your foot works with the peddle and ads to your efficiency and speed. Wow! I had no idea!
Now I have the right shoes and socks. I need the peddles. Oh the choices! Ultimately what it came down to was me being a novice clip peddle user. I wanted something that was as user friendly as possible. I really was kind of throwing myself at the mercy of the bike experts and allowing them to choose for me and teach me along the way. I really wish my big brother, Matt, lived here. He used to be a serious cyclist back in the day. And if it wasn't for him, these name brands that people were throwing around at me would all equal to "Huffy" to me. I wouldn't have known the difference! But when Eric suggested Shimano clips, I knew the brand name. (Thank you, Matt, for being an excellent example when I was a kid!) I ended up with Shimano clips with closed bearings. (Thank god for my roller derby days and learning about bearings for my wheels! I understood the importance of closed bearings.)
With socks, shoes and peddles picked out, it was time to get fitted for a saddle. Is there anything more awkward than talking to man about the soreness a woman feels while riding bikes? It's not my sit bones that hurt; let's just make that clear! The pain I have been feeling has been up front (as the nice young man pointed out.....) "in my pubic bone area". Ya...awkward! He had me sit on this gel saddle seat that measure my butt imprint! Awesome! Just what every woman wants to know.."how fat is your arse?" Okay, it wasn't that bad. It has nothing to do with how wide your back end is, but rather how far apart your ischial tuberosity bones are. "What are those?" I'm glad you asked; here is your medical moment brought to you by Wisegeek.org:
"When a person is in a seated position, his or her weight typically rests on a section of bone called the ischial tuberosity. There are two of these bony swellings, sometimes called the sitting bones, located at the front of the superior ramus of the ischium, which is the lower back portion of thehip bone. The gluteus maximus muscle lies over it when a person is standing; however, when he or she sits down, the muscle shifts to a position behind it and the tuberosity bears the majority of the weight.
The ischial tuberosity is an attachment point for several muscles and ligaments. Three of thehamstring muscles, the semimembranosus, the biceps femoris, and the semitendinosus start there. The adductor magnus, a large muscle in the thigh that lies next to the hamstrings, also originates at the tuberosity. The sacrotuberous ligament connects it to the sacrum."
While I was sitting there letting the gel form around my sit bones, he tells me that sometimes it takes a few tries to get it right. People often think they are sitting centered on the gel piece when in reality, they are not. "Great, " I thought! "He is gonna have to keep looking at my butt imprints until I get it right!" Awkward! Thankfully, I'm a pretty centered person and I got it right the first time! With the measurement taken, Eric was able to lead me to the right size saddle. Dolce Sport Gel that has gel for my sit bones and cut out up front for my pubic bone area. Whew!
With all of this put on my bike, it was time to make the adjustments necessary. I hopped onto my bike which was stationed on the stationary spinner. I learned how to use my clips and he started taking note of how my body looked while in the saddle. What it came down to: my bike seat had been at least 3 inches too short. My frame is too small so he changed out the stem for my handle bars and extended them out another inch. He tilted the front of my seat down a little to relieve more of that front pressure. With these adjustments, my legs will be able to get full function, making me faster and keeping my knees healthy (great since I'm 12 weeks post op on my knee.) Also, my back and my wrists will stop hurting. My body will be working more efficiently and I will be faster! Yes!
Like I said, I had no idea how much was involved in this process. It was certainly much more than just raising my seat! I learned a great deal about the way the bike riding process should work and how the bike and the body should work in unison for the best possible experience! I will count this as a great training day!
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