Apologies for not having written a blog this past week; I have had the pleasure of spending the week at SBCU (Specialized Bicycle Components University) which is housed at the Specialized headquarters in Morgan Hill. Of course, I am not at liberty to divulge all the information here on our blog, nor would I be able to. However, I can attempt to convey the importance of bike fitting. In addition, I can let you know that Specialized definitely bears weight with their statement “Innovate or Die”; they are doing things far beyond the scope of the vast majority of the industry.
Oh man, where to start. Upon entering the headquarters, you can ooh and aw at the Specialized Museum, where they display Specialized’s innovation over the last 40 years. Below you can see the S-Works TT Shiv that dominated in Florence Italy. Specialized is more than accommodating, not only did the SBCU course exceed my expectations in knowledge, but the amenities that they provided were top notch, very great hosts. As I always say, the world would be such a better place if everyone rode bikes. Specialized is a true testament to this, everyone was so helpful, nice, and pleasant to spend time with.
The course I attended at SBCU was the Body Geometry fit course. I can attempt to convey the importance of getting a professional bike fit, but I can almost guarantee that much of it would be lost in translation. I can guarantee this, because I myself had been told the importance of professional bike fitting, and to be honest some of it was lost, as with most riders I thought that I was unique and needed no customization, or that I could simply make an educated guess as to what customization I may need. Low and behold, the position and shoe fit that I had thought was perfect for me was not so. Basically, everybody has different body geometry, an of the shelf bike is like buying an off the rack suit. It is the right size, and it will work, but a BG fit bike is analogous to a tailored suit, it is fit specifically to the rider to prevent repetitive motion injury, increase comfort, and enhance cycling performance. From having a BG fit myself during my time at Morgan Hill, I can tell you that this is 100% the case, the changes are noticeably better.
Of course, I was there on business and to learn professional bike fitting, yet of course my favorite part of each day was when I got to test ride super nice bikes; I would be lying if I said that this was not the case. I was blessed to get to ride the Tarmac Pro Disc Race UDi2, oh man so nice. I can confidently tell you now the importance of Di2 electronic shifting. It is not a status symbol, or just the coolest stuff out there. In a sprint, shifting precision can be the difference between first and fifth. When putting the hammer down, never a shift is missed and there are no delays, pulling you away from the pack as opposed to falling behind. In addition, descending chicanes with confidence at high speeds is more possible than ever with the Shimano 785, hydraulic disc brake system. Again, these benefits really have to be ridden to understand, but they are definitely readily apparent, Shimano is not selling snake oil. Below is a photo before a quick 12 mile ride on the lovely Tarmac Pro Disc Race UDi2, third day in Morgan Hill.
Following this, is the Specialized Venge Pro Race and S-Works Road Shoe after my Body Geometry fit. As mentioned before, the difference between this and the Venge Pro Race that I rode on the second day (simply adjusting saddle height) is noticeable. As a tailored suit would be noticeably better than one straight off the rack. The difference is noticeable both in comfort and power transfer, ideas that are traditionally thought to oppose each other actually work hand in hand on high end road bikes.
Ok, of course we have to talk about the “Win Tunnel“, not trip to the Specialized headquarters would be complete without having experienced this marvel of engineering. Again to understand the wind tunnel, you really have to experience it. 30mph winds might not seem like a lot, nor does the forward resistance seem as significant when riding at 30mph, yet these forces are readily apparent when stood still in the hollow wind tunnel. When asked if anyone would like to volunteer to sit on the Venge for the demonstration, of course yours truly was first in line, like a kid in a candy shop. Just in front of the bike on the ground is a chart tracking aerodynamic drag. When you change positions you see the chart increase and decrease slightly, until a person stands in front of the cyclist and the drag chart plummets. This mimics the benefits of drafting another rider. You understand it so much more after seeing this and feeling the benefits in the wind tunnel, so cool.
So much research and engineering is derived from the “Win Tunnel” at Specialized. Everything is tested and improved upon, all the way down to Lycra bib kits, and even extending battery life of the Turbo bike by increasing its aerodynamics.
It is awesome that Specialized is perhaps the most innovative in the industry, making some of the best product, and providing nothing but the best for their athletes and customers alike. But I think it is most cool that they are simply great people. Again, all of the ladies and gentlemen were more than acommodating, knowledgable, and friendly. Nothing but good things to say about these dudes. It takes a really cool company to be chill with letting people try out their pump track on $5,000+ road bikes, not to mention it is conveniently sat next to their mini half pipe.
Fulton Bikes 