A Simple Bike Fit Solution (to a complex real-world case)

[@roadcyclingacademy]

UPDATE: Richard has emailed with some very happy news, he is 1200km post fit and doing really well, all pains gone and he's feeling great on the bike.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Special treat time. We had a professional two man film crew shoot a Neill Stanbury bike fit. Many thanks to Richard for allowing us to share his fitting story.

[@chrisridesbicycles]

57! Holy moly, looking half as good as this guy at 57 is a life goal!

[@angustroutman3494]

I'm 58, almost the same circumstances as Richard. Spine issues, recent right hip replacement, but no ankle issues. I literally had the same problems on the bike as he did, and no matter what I did, I could never figure out what the problem was. I do use the G8 insoles, which helped, but only a tiny bit until watching this video. Got some craft foam and wedged both inside heels of each shoe. I now sit square on the saddle. Left hip and knee no longer in pain and right knee no longer pushes in towards the top tube, simply amazing! As soon as I did my first ride, which was only 14 miles, but 2000ft of climbing, when I got to the top of the climb, I literally was in tears of joy to be pain-free! Seriously, thank you!👏

[@Lemond75]

Another fascinating video, and example of Neill’s incredible depth of knowledge and ability to articulate it so clearly. Keep these coming!

[@aubreyxengland]

an absolute master class. i learn something new every time i watch these

[@martinkroutil]

Absolutely fascinating, love these bikefit videos. Neil is like a bikefit wizard, I could listen to him geeking about bikefit all day :).

[@bamicus9342]

Brilliant Neil, You, and your S. Hogg colleagues put most fitters to shame. Shout out to Colby Pierce here in the States who’s helped with my SMP choice.

[@joelsoto1849]

The master at work! That guy is aging very slowly. Amazing.

[@robertmcfadyen9156]

Hidden damage . I look much younger than I actually am . I use 170mm cranks no problem . I have tried sizes either side of this .

[@Mincher]

Fixed the dude like you would a wonky table. Good stuff!

[@E.T_rode_bikes_As_well]

Dude is made of legos but looks better than I did in my 20s.

[@Dustydayzz]

We recognize the extra filming & editing effort put in this video...kudos!

[@edmundhodgson2572]

Huge knowledge. I'm a smashed up 56 year old (knees, elbow, foot and back) and would love more of these "special circumstances" bike fit vids

[@themaestro7922]

Sherlock Stanbury back at it 😍😍😍😍

[@jeremywofford4257]

Great diagnosis and wonderful way to mechanically stabilize that root biomechanical failure. I’m a bike fitter here, but feel it’s a great opportunity to also mention Richard could then (through proper training OFF the bike) change his neuromuscular resting position of his right glute, left adductor, and medial right foot that could start to change that central pattern. I love what you do, and I use professional bike fitting as a diagnostic tool to learn the training dysfunction. 3 wedges now is addressing stability, but that doesn’t define your function forever. Any “thing” we rely on is still a knock on anxiety and sustainability. We should always be working to stabilize and strengthen these limiting factors. Stabilize it for now, but the work isn’t done!

[@Lookgameplay]

Can I speak with you about training off bike ?

[@Soonaone]

I was wondering abut strength / conditioning training to help with this kind of issue. I think I have something similar to the issue highlighted in the video. I have had some foot issues which resulted in reduced stability when walking, which seems to have resulted in over supination on and off the bike and predominately some slight hip mobility issues on my left leg (non dominant). The left foot seems to want to twist out and pull the heel in to the bike, like Neil spoke about. Do you think there is any specific strength exercises I could do to help this? I'm assuming general leg work at the gym help to even out any muscle inbalances. I do stretches regularly to try and help. Any info would be hugely appreciated!! Thanks

[@jeremywofford4257]

@@Soonaone Yes you're correct. There was a reason or dysfunction that created that external rotation of your left leg. Everyone has neuromuscular weakness, leg length differences, injuries, etc. That's never going to change, but the body is always adaptable. You'll need some banded internal rotation work for your left leg and most likely referrally some relearning in left glute, right hip flexor, and right adductor. Inevitiably they're taking up some of the slack of that left rotation. This is the connection piece between bike fitting and exercise physiology that's being neglected. You can now stabilize that issue on the bike, but if you continue to rewire that resting position of the left hip you'll continually be removing that limitation and correcting all aspect of mobility. It's a tool to learn the issue and then start fixing the issue. Not just accepting that you'll have to address it this way forever. Banded, internal rotation contractions throughout your day with the left hip and you'll start to groove a new path.

[@Soonaone]

@@jeremywofford4257 Jeremy, honestly thank you so, so much. I've had quite a journey trying to understand what's happening. I've been to an osteopath and they were useless, seen a physio who said "everyone's bodies are different, don't over think it"....they don't seem to understand I want to resolve this problem, I want to get to the root of it, fix it and feel strong again. Your input is invaluable. I will start looking at the banded left leg internal rotation and hip flexor / adductor exercises straight away. Can't thank you enough, have a truly wonderful day. Thanks!!

[@jeremywofford4257]

@@Soonaonemy pleasure! There’s always something more to work toward and it’s exciting, not daunting. You can change anything when you remain objective and curious

[@senyaw53]

I rode a four day mountain bike race last w/end. I saw some shocking foot, knee, hip and seat positions. I thought of you Neill and how much those people would benefit from your geeking out. Which i love by the way. I always enjoy your tutorials.

[@abedfo88]

what did we learn from this? Australia is really freaking huge.

[@geothunder1971]

Been riding for decades my advice to newbies, get fitted for a Selle SMP saddle, get checked for leg length discrepancy, get shorter cranks, try longer axel pedals for wider q-factor, Oh and watch all of Neil's videos you will learn something every time! these are all things I've learned on this channel, and it's made my cycling experience much more enjoyable, Godspeed

[@hinrichaue7199]

Man, you got the Coefficient RR handle bar stacked there in the back! I see those way too rarely (only on my bike honestly). Was a big investment, but worth every cent. Love the video!

[@davidbidwell250]

Amazing detective work. For a guy that banged up he's doing fantastic. I wonder if his previous running issues could have been fixed by Stan's magic?

[@imspartacvs]

Great job Neil Was wondering what made Richard finally come to you. Such an easy fix and no one (except you) had a remedy. You are the ONLY one just boggles my mind and speaks volumes about your skills. Matt Hudson Valley, NY Canyon Endurace CF SL7

[@gregp2477]

Absolutely wonderful assessment today. I have been battling the same issues as Richard with a previous ACL tear on one side, and glute weakness on that side causing these same issues to my opposite knee/IT band. 2 professional bike fits and neither saw nor addressed these discrepancies. Thanks, Neil for another homerun of a video, and for the guidance and info I can bring to my next re-fit.

[@ronb9901]

I wish you were in the States!

[@Oakpathetics]

Nice one! This is remarkably similar to my bike fit with Neil too.. identified a very nasty ankle sprain I had (20yrs ago) and was fixed with 2 x heel wedges. Great result 👍🏻

[@daveh4019]

Hello, was the wadge thick side outside or inside of the shoe for your fit?

[@Oakpathetics]

@@daveh4019 the wedge (2 glued together) was thicker inside, tapering to thin outside. Probably 3mm to 1mm

[@daveh4019]

@@Oakpathetics perfect thanks.

[@midsfella]

This is very interesting to me, I have a similar history to Richard having broken multiple bones during my moto x racing days, I did break my hip and ACL in 2005 (fixed with a dynamic hip screw) which has left me with a LLD of approximately 16mm. I have a painful hip/flexor (probably over worked) albeit the opposite side to the trauma. I've had multiple bikefits with different fitters and have a 10mm shim fitted between my cleat and sole. I would love to get this figured out properly but I'm in the UK. Great video Neil 👌👌

[@fpgamemearray]

another banger video! very interesting to me as i have the opposite symptoms (external right ligament pain and internal anterior left knee pain). i might look into what my ankles are doing despite no sprains or issues. thanks Neill!

[@cycledelic44]

Happy for you Richard, ride on brother.

[@lukewalker1051]

Richie is quite the unit. Guys like Richie are the reason I never considered playing American football. Looks like a MMA fighter. Makes sense he is on 160 cranks with no doubt range of motion limitations with all the surgeries he has had. I am a fit 70 y.o. and can relate to the challenges of having the best fit possible to mitigate injury as the body loses strength with age. If there is a better fitter than Neill, I don't know who it is and I have been doing this for decades.

[@webbovich77]

Awesome video. Please keep geeking out

[@TenSapphires]

57! Dude is specimen!

[@andrewdenny5571]

What a rig. Total unit

[@chinaskibukowski7747]

Aged gracefully is understatement of the year, Richard is a straight up genetic anomaly.

[@daveh4019]

Thanks Neil , so interesting. Was the wadge thick side outside or inside of the shoe?

[@andrewbrewin5418]

I would also like to know this.

[@monty2078]

Excellent!

[@Saltcodnewfie]

You're a goddamn genius gump !

[@facelesssman]

Richard is a stud…. Ride safe mate!

[@fabianthaesler1317]

Very interesting content! Thanks for sharing! :-)

[@StephenCrimmins]

I always love watching these videos, but I really perked up when you mentioned people with ankle sprains, since I had one a few years ago that still affects me on and off the bike so this is something I should try. But which way are you wedging? Googling I found a little research about people in normal shoes with ankle issues using medial wedges, but it's not clear from this video if that's what you're doing, or what factors might change the direction one needs the wedge to go. Thanks Neill!

[@seascape]

For a future video, how about a slo-mo video with a grid overlay with pointers showing the left-right discrepancies in hip offsets, leg length differences, seat height, crank length, handlebar, stem differences, etc.? I keep watching the video of Cam’s bike fit, and I can’t see the problem or the fix - must be my old, untrained eyes, or my brain correcting for it (built-in image stabilization?).

[@malcontent_1]

Brilliant.

[@commando25101]

Great watch

[@disloyalyou5455]

This guy is a machine

[@TheCyclingCardio]

I also suffers asymmetrical hip and saddle connection, that affects my right knee and foot pedaling motion, my right foot tends to supinate, and my right knees tends to rub the top tube..I really wish I have the chance to have a bike fit with you

[@HarishChouhan]

Mate what would you recommend for someone with one leg 9mm shorter than the other? I have the cleat shims from form brand for spd pedals for 5mm. Found it because of you but there is still a lot of imbalance. I recently realised that I tilt my bike towards the left to bring the right pedal higher.

[@HarryPotter-wm3kf]

Neil..., is your bikefit site / shop in Sunshine Coast - 26. Main Drive ? Will be traveling to BNE / Noosa Dec. 14th... and looking fwd to hop in :-) Cheers

[@GetFitwithNatasha]

Good tips Neil. That bike looks like it would be hard to adjust the stack and reach.

[@sphexes]

I have a subtalar fusion on my left foot. I use flat pedals because it's difficult to to get out of the left clip. I know I have symmetry issues.

[@ZulphyG]

Wow i have the same exact problem!

[@sjoerdvanraak2320]

Amazing! Does anyone know a bikefiter with the same qualities as Neil in Europe?

[@JanneRasanen2]

Phil Burt in the UK. He has made lots of YT content so you look at what he has done and decide for yourself.

[@perseverance9888]

Hi Neil , do the foot inserts and wedges work for walking and running shoes or are foot patterns different then when biking because I have the same issue as this guy just want to know if I should keep the wedges in when I go running?

[@crailwah]

57 . Looks like he’s 35 . Also good in him for coming in with 160’s and putting the work for his fit

[@ianezzi9212]

Also curious which direction you wedged his heel, my right foot always rolls to the outside, had been considering wedging heel to bring it back to centre and find the big toe again...

[@lisacarpenter6709]

I’ve had to add shims under my clets to correct Left side back pain. On the basis of a fractured hip & ankle on right side is that the best option?

[@zalagardin]

Very interesing video. I have pain on the inside of my right knee (away from the frame) and pain on the outside of my left knee (closer to the frame) and I also suffer from pain in my left iliotibial band and lower back. However, my hip is turned to the right side when I am on the saddle. Contrary to what happens to your client, how can this be? Maybe my left foot is the weak one because of the ankle sprains I had years ago?

[@ShadowzKiller]

You may have a dominant left leg. I do. My left foot is also shorter so I needed to put some shims and stagger the cleats.

[@zalagardin]

I visited yesterday trauma and got x-ray of my hips and legs and guess what? My hips are completely leveled and my legs completely symmetrical. Then I don't understand why I'm pedalling so twisted on the saddle 😢

[@ShadowzKiller]

@@zalagardin You could have then muscular or functional imbalance or then a positional problem. Check stuff like saddle tilt, height, crank length, etc.

[@zalagardin]

@ShadowzKiller Saddle is leveled with no tilt and I mounted 170mm crankset. Maybe it's too high and my handlebar too far and too low. My saddle should be good enough, as it's 143mm width and my sitbones are 110mm separated. I was fitted by another bike fitter using Retül system. I can imagine that maybe I'm not riding in a very well position.

[@wl108]

That's the boy from the Assos catalog 🤔😀

[@craigbrady73]

You need to get someone on with bow legs such as myself. It would be invaluable to a small section of riders who have a particular problem with setup that's very difficult to get right. I speak from experience 😬

[@chrisridesbicycles]

This neurological feedback thing is interesting. I sometimes get pain on the upper side of my feet on long rides and I think this could be because I am unconsciously trying to stabilize my feet with muscles. I have a high arch and I already run high arch support. Could this be an unstable heel?

[@JanneRasanen2]

I have seen videos of physiotherapists suggesting massasing the area highest in the arch to mobilize it so that you gain mobility that allows the arch to bend lower. Look for correct protocol so that you do enough and avoid overdoing the massage.

[@Nkprod]

Can you please comment on the insults that you mentioned that we're over-the-counter?I didn't quite understand the brand

[@yutiros5174]

i think you meant insoles lol

[@tcmcdcac]

@@yutiros5174 SIDAS Low insoles

[@santiagocastro8197]

Soy de Colombia. Tengo un problema similar, hace unos años tuve esguince en el pie derecho, al pedalear mi pie derecho y cadera derecha son inestables, tengo dolor en la cara medial de la rodilla derecha, dolor lumbar derecho, he tenido ciática en el glúteo derecho, al pedalear siento que activo más la musculatura de mi lado derecho, me siento torcido al pedalear, con el paso de los años el dolor ha incrementado y los bikefits y fisioterapia que me he realizado no han servido 😢. Al igual que el señor del vídeo, aparento tener unos 15 años menos 🤦🏻‍♂️. Me queda difícil viajar hasta Australia y todo indica que estoy condenado al retiro del ciclismo ☹️

[@RichMTB]

You ain’t wrong with the introduction lol

[@bertusbob]

👍👍👍

[@akhiltrandapuppi3864]

What size s5 need to 184cm tall

[@anthonyharris483]

160mm crank length?

[@mf0u3021]

Got any UK bikefitting pals/recommendations? I hate spiders, and AUS has all of them.

[@interceptor7905]

Lol not that scary

[@JanneRasanen2]

Phil Burt.

[@robertmcfadyen9156]

How did Richard have the right foot sprain ? How old was he when this happened ? I was 18 years old at that time . I have brown hair and look 20 years younger than I am but have diabetes and osteoarthritis . I have bone spurs in my hands .

[@richardmelder5131]

Military injury.

[@JanGoh-jb5ge]

The most annoying thing about these videos is that it's a 22 hour, $3500 flight from here and I wish I could find someone this skilled and rigorous anywhere in this province, let alone city.

[@XlogicXX]

What's his height and in seam? Anybody know? I have similar build (though not as fit) with lumber and hip issues... thinking of going down from 165 to 160 crankset on a 56 endurance bike.

[@richardmelder5131]

Hi, I’m 173cm and not sure of my inseam length. Moving to 160mm cranks was an absolute game changer. Neill’s changes have completely overhauled my experience on the bike.

[@XlogicXX]

@@richardmelder5131 Thank you!

[@S2Sturges]

Im sure if I came in for a bike fit, Neil would suggest I take up tiddly winks... lol

[@alecosavvas3361]

Wow. It’s unbelievable that you’re almost forced to travel to Australia to get somebody to do there job well. I never understand how bike fits costs so much when there are a handful of individuals who actually know what they are doing. Next trip is AUS! All the way from the states…

[@bamicus9342]

@@alecosavvas3361 Save your money and check out Colby Pierce in Boulder.

[@_cpdchua]

57??? He looks 37 golly!

[@migatron7359]

I wash you lived in Melbourne

[@9psi]

There is a Steve Hogg fitter in Melbourne. Around $500 for the full thing IIRC. But if you see Neil you get an excuse to go to the sunny coast

[@interceptor7905]

Black oval chainring!They getting sued for their business now according to Hambini!

[@richardmelder5131]

These are ROTOR Q-Rings. Not the rubbish from Absolute Black.