The Bike Shed has teamed up with Retül & Specialized to bring their fit services and technology to you. We currently have 3 trained members of staff at our Exeter store, and 2 at our Barnstaple store. We have been carrying out bike fits for around 10 years now!
What can a bike fit offer?
The human physiology is unique and personal, so just jumping on a bike that isn’t set up specifically for you can potentially lead to injury. At best, you can expect inefficiencies that will cause fatigue more quickly, causing a loss of pedal power after a period of time.
As an example, the basic muscle group used for cycling comprises the glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps and calves. If your position causes any one of these individual muscles to work harder than necessary, then your pedalling is inefficient and you will fatigue sooner than you otherwise could have.
By putting you in an efficient, comfortable position denoted by your own body’s physical attributes, your bike fit can help to transform your cycling performance – no matter whether you’re seeking power, comfort, injury avoidance, or even simple reassurance ahead of an upcoming challenge!
Here at The Bike Shed, we use the millimetre accurate Retül Fit system to give you the best bike fit possible, taking advantage of the latest motion capture technologies, a dedicated Retül Müve fit bike, a 3D video capture system, and Retül’s ‘Zin’ digital measurement technology.
About Retül
Retül help riders make decisions using personalized data. They provide technology and tools to help cyclists increase their comfort, reduce the chance of injury and improve performance. Retül stands for being the most technically advanced bike fitting and product matching technology available on the market.
By partnering with Specialized’s Body Geometry Fit service, Retül are able to offer a millimetre accurate fit system to cyclists of all ages, abilities and motivations. So, whether you’re a Sunday cafe-run cyclist looking to alleviate your neck and back aches; a super-randonneur looking to prevent aches and pains after 400km; or an elite license road racer looking for a few extra watts, the Retül fit system will be able to provide a full assessment of your body and bike, and provide adjustments to help you achieve your goals.
Why Bike Shed?
Before qualifying as a Retül Fit centre we participated in an intensive course at Specialized headquarters. The course was run by the Retül Fit Lead Technician who explained the theory thoroughly and guided the hands-on practice in meticulous detail. At our branches our staff put the training into practice, honing their skills and were then reassessed before becoming authorised Retül Fit centres. Continued training, annual assessments, resources and contact ensure you receive the very best Retül Fit bike fitting.
The Retül Fit Tools
Retül Müve Bike
A purpose-built static bike that has been designed with adjustment at the forefront. Every adjustable element of a bicycle is available on the Muve, with millimetre accuracy without getting you off the bike. This enables us to test you out in a range of positions, assessing your on-bike movement multiple times in a fraction of the time. This means we only need to make adjustments to your own bike once – when we’re happy with the final position.
Vantage V7 Motion Capture
The Retül Vantage V7 motion capture system consists of the industry’s most precise motion capture and measurement tools. It enables us to see the real-time changes to your position as we adjust the bike. It gives 36 real-time 3D measurements precise to the millimetre. It measures in 3D, not only giving us a side-on picture of your position but also your lateral movement, such as if your knee drifts in/out as you pedal.
The Process
Prior to your arrival, we will ask for some basic information about your current bike, your choice of shoes, saddle, handlebars, pedals, etc. We’ll ask whether you have any current fit concerns, and what you’re hoping to achieve from the fit. This will help us to prepare the fit room to match your current set up as closely as possible, providing more time whilst your here to tackle the problems you may have.
We start with a biomechanical assessment, which is a posh way to say we test your body to find your limitations and physical attributes. We use this information later when we have you on the bike, to ensure you’re not exceeding your body’s limits during your time on the bike.
This lasts approximately 60-90 minutes, and all findings are documented in our Retül program, for reference later on.
Next up, we use the motion capture Zin tool to digitally measure your current bike to measure the stack, reach, saddle-bar drop, etc with millimetre accuracy and translate this data onto our Retül Müve bike.
Next, we get you on the Retül Müve and dot you up! By attaching LED markers to 8 anatomical points on each side of your body, the Retül Vantage Motion Capture system can track real-time 3D data from each pedal stroke.
Using this data capture, we can assess your current position, and using Retul’s recommended ranges (derived from a 40,000+ rider database of fit data) along with our fitters’ years of expertise, we’re able to amend your position to address your aches and pains, and help you achieve your fit goals.
Then, once we’re both happy with your final position, we utilise the Zin tool to accurately recreate the position from the Retül Müve onto your own bike.
Our bike fit costs £200 for a full Retül motion capture fit (approximately 3 Hours).
- There may be an additional charge for time-trial / triathlon bikes (This is due to the additional complications relating to their complex cable routing).
- They may also be a charge for applying fit data to a 2nd bike.
To book a consultation please call our Exeter Store on 01392 426191 or our Barnstaple Store on 01271 328628.