Photos: Linsey Corbin Gets Fit To Her Speed Concept At Retul

Linsey Corbin visited Boulder, Colo. with her new Trek Speed Concept to receive a bike fit from the Mat Steinmetz at Retul. Check out the photo gallery featuring captions from Steinmentz.

Once saddle position was set…x/y to the armpad via the bottom bracket (armpad stack and reach) was used to set the front end.

The team at Retul had worked with Corbin in the past and the first step was to digitize the Trek Speed Concept to the exact fit coordinates of her old bike.

The bike came with Trek’s 100/45 stem (100 length/45 height), which positioned the armpads too high. The bike allows for 50 mm of height adjustment from spacers alone. However, the pads were bottomed out at their lowest position and the stem was removed and replaced with the 100/10.

Here’s a look at the front end with the 100/10 stem. When purchasing a Speed Concept, it’s very important to get fit first on an adjustable size cycle to determine which frame size/stem combo is best.

LED markers are then placed on eight anatomical landmarks to record 3D kinematic rider data.

Placing the knee marker. Many fitters attend Retul University to learn precise marker placement.

Check out the new Bontrager cycling shoes. Linsey also brought a white pair with her to setup. Apparently the black shoes were her choice for the winter/off-season. But now, it’s time for business.

This contraption is the new Retul adjustable front wheel block. Linsey tried to take it home with her for her trainer workouts.

A Cycleops Powerbeam was used to control effort during the dynamic data captures. It’s important to fit the rider under load as the pedaling mechanics will often change at different intensity levels.

Linsey settling in on the new Trek.

Linsey checking herself out as a stick figure.

Video is also taken to help explain and give the rider visual feedback.

The control station.

The ankling pattern is a big area for improvement for certain riders. It's important to remember that in a TT position, everything is rotated forward via the bottom bracket. A flat foot will appear toe down in the TT position. Over correcting for this for a “heel down” pedaling style limits the power zone of the pedal stroke.

In reviewing the data with Linsey, we found some asymmetries right to left that explained some of the issues she was experiencing last year.

Linsey sat off and rotated towards the right side which caused a number of problems with her bike fit.

The saddle needed to be raised and moved forward.

Linsey’s custom ISM saddle.

Armed with the knowledge of her cycling posture and a saddle adjustment, Linsey was able to self-correct the issue. With some off-the-bike work and paying to attention to her posture on the bike, I feel it will be a non-issue for her in the future.

Linsey patiently waiting while more adjustments are made.

Patience no more, this is going to be a team effort.

Making adjustments to her Speedplay cleats.

Rider feedback is a very valuable part of the process and is always encouraged.

The major adjustments for this year… Lower back angle. This was achieved by her arm position on the armpad vs lowering the bars. Placing the armpad back towards your elbow allows the rider to relax or as I like to say, “lay across the front end” using your skeletal system to support your upper body. I also like to make sure the rider as a little bit of room to choke back a few millimeters so that they can torque to promote hip transfer power during short accelerations or while climbing in the aero position. Linsey had previously ridden with a wider armpad width. The armpads were narrowed, which felt more comfortable and should provide and aerodynamic improvement. The last change to the front end was in her hand position. We ended up going with a prototype extension (not pictured) that relaxed her hands in a similar position as the picture above. The theme is to be able to relax, but then leverage the upper body when needed. Linsey will also be riding a shorter crank length this year, 165. There will be more to come about crank length, but the reasoning behind the change is the crank length will not negate power. However, there is an aerodynamic, biomechanical and comfort benefit, which can all add up to making the rider perform better. Linsey was able to ride at a lower the back angle while maintaining a normal hip angle range at the top of the pedal stroke. The saddle was moved forward 20mm and up 20mm which reduced heel drop and help with ankle change. A lot of athletes will drop the heel excessively when the saddle is too low in order to get proper knee extension. With this change, the armpads were moved a similar distance to preserve the cockpit/reach.