My obsession to understand how things work began when I was 3yo, with clocks, radios – anything that needed “repair” – even if working perfectly fine before I started “fixing.” If an item did not function after reassembly, I proudly explained it was damaged beyond repair. Whether my efforts lead to success or not, each lead to valuable learning experiences.
We bought a motorcycle when I was seven, that is when life started to make sense. I loved riding that bike, rebuilding the motor and installing modifications. I no manuals so my skills were honed through trial and error. This kind of learning worked for me, and by the 7th grade I became the guy parents and kids contacted for bicycle and motorcycle repair.
There is no doubt I was born to tinker and fix things. My mechanical aptitude was off the charts equal to my struggle with rote memorization tasks. I restored cars and motorcycles, helped build a 105ft sailboat, and recently remodeled our house, but cannot seem to master Spanish;)
I started fitting bicycles in the late 80’s coaching kids on the Pedros New England Jr. Mountain Bike Team. This was fitting in the most basic sense, where seat height was more important than handlebar reach or drop, and my decisions were based on how fast a kid could ride different terrains with me chasing him down as the power metric. I’d raise the stem if someone could not ‘wheelie’ and lower it if they could not turn quickly.
By the time I started racing mountain bikes in the pro-elite divisions, a handful of these kids could already kick my butt. They said it was payback for hard workouts and being humiliated by my pulling stragglers with a bungee cord to keep the group together, but I believe it had a lot to do with proper bike fit.
The heyday for my racing was in the early 90’s, before West Dover (Mount Snow) was a popular mountain bike destination for anything other than the big races. I was an undergraduate in college, which afforded me long summer in VT — dedicated entirely to training and racing.
During that time I contracted Lyme disease after a black fly bit my chest. I experienced the classic symptoms – bullseye, knee pain, and fever – which I attributed to an allergic reaction because ticks (not fly’s, right?) transmit Lyme.
Shortly thereafter, I moved to Pittsburgh for graduate school and opened a bike shop called Steel Mills Cycle. I continued fitting for stock bikes, and working with Fit Kit to sell custom frames through Seven Cycles. The Fit Kit components were the mainstay for fitting back then. We converted measurements through formulas and a paper-worksheet to identify frame sizing. I considered myself a pioneer using this protocol for stock bike selection long before Fit Kit released software for that application.
The Lyme had a significant impact on my racing – now mid-field expert – though I had no idea it was the cause. Eventually my knee pain became unbearable, and I could not run or ride my bike. I met with a prominent knee specialist at Pitt University who diagnosed me with severe chondromalacia and told me that I would never run or race again.
I had just graduated from the MSW program at Pitt, working toward an MPH in route to a PhD in Psychiatric and Alcohol Epidemiology. My enrollment included access to the university online research database (@2,400 baud) which I used to understand my knee problem. This started my life-long obsession researching biomechanics, neurology, physics and engineering. More my “jam” than manipulating small-samples problems with statistics, I lost sight of the program and dropped-out short of defending my thesis.
The solution for the chronic knee problem seemed simple. I had to reduce patellofemoral compression and address tracking issues if indicated. Reducing compression required increased setback saddle and cleat positions – shifting recruitment from quads to glues and improving knee, ankle and hip ranges of motion. I observed my position riding rollers in a mirror, and while my knees did not track poorly, I noticed slightly everted feet when pedaling. I also noticed that my feet slid laterally while pedaling, so that my foot was no longer under my thigh. I made my first pair of custom insoles using duct tape and moleskin and bought time shoes (designed to work with time pedals). My symptoms eventually resolved, and I had the best race season since moving to Pittsburgh.
After relocating to Minneapolis in 1999, I started Erik’s fitting program. Winters were long and slow, so I spent all-day, every-day studying bike fitting (not a large body if information then), neurology, biomechanics, and physics. Business swelled in the warmer months. We were the only show in town and many considered me to be a leader in the field with 10+ years of experience.
The Lyme had progressed to the point that I required 1000-4000mgs of Ibuprofen for every 3-hrs racing. My handling skills improved and I did everything possible to stay off the brakes to no avail. I adjusted every moveable component including cleats, shoes, insoles, wedges, in every possible way without significant impact to my condition.
Desperate for endorphins, I discovered yoga in 2003, and started practicing 2-3hrs daily. This hurt less than cycling. Each posture presented challenges incorporating physics, neurology, biomechanics, etc. I did not focus on the spiritual component, but it developed naturally with the progression of my practice.
I started teaching Ashtanga, and then Philosophy at the Yoga Center Teacher Training program. I attended numerous teacher trainings, Body Mind Centering, Reiki, etc. because it helped integrate my research findings with movements.
One of my teacher trainings was “Gentle Hatha Yoga”, which I hated. It appeared nothing was happening, standing in a very moderate version of a posture, with eyes closed thinking blissful thoughts. Returning home, my first practice was amazing, and I completed the first of several Ashtanga Intermediate Series’. I was so excited to tell my teacher, I called her right after Savasana. She explained that the gentle yoga taught my body not to fear me/my yoga, and that pulling and twisting towards a specific physical objective is a form of physical abuse from which the body will recoil and tighten. I use this philosophy in fitting and it holds true that a body forced into a state of tension will fight to relieve that tension; a body in a state of ease will release into deeper states of ease, which translates into a longer, lower and more effective cycling position.
From 2003-2008, my family and I spent more than 150k seeking a solution to my physical issues. Interventions included: 27-Rolfing sessions (standard, advanced and more), Body Mind Centering, Physical Therapy, Chiropractic, Deep Tissue Massage, Acupuncture, Prolotherapy, Nerve Block techniques, Postural Restoration, Hands on Healing, etc. This provided an expensive yet quality education in the healing arts and western medicine, though it did remediate my condition. In 2007, I met with my family physician in NYC who identified nerve conduction problems. He referred me to a neurologist in MN, who in turn referred me to the Mayo Clinic for infectious disease testing. Mayo diagnosed my problem as somatoform. What a relief. I was nuts! These problems were in my head – no wonder nothing helped.
By 2008 I could no longer do yoga without severe back pain. I returned to NYC for assessment, more nerve conduction testing and extensive blood screening. I was diagnosed with Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyradiculoneruopathy (large fiber predominantly left-side) and Lyme Disease. The treatment plan included intervals of IV-antibiotics and Immunoglobulin for two-years.
I decided to leave Erik’s that year. They wanted to add more fitters and implement the Specialized BG Fit program, which I would not endorse. I could not find a job at another bike shop despite the fact that I fit 300-clients annually from these shops. That is when I decided to start my own fitting business.
The name Bicycle Fit Guru was my wife’s idea. She is smart one and extremely supportive. I struck a deal with Penn Cycle to do fittings in the Minnetonka basement, secured a large loan to buy equipment and learned to develop and maintain my own website.
I dedicated every non-working hour to the research and development of fitting protocols based on neurological and musculoskeletal function in the context of a quadruped orientation and fixed/symmetrical movement patterns. Cycling assessment through the lens of optimal human function is illogical as cycling, although exhilarating, is an unnatural activity. Optimal function when the spine is shifted from upright to horizontal, legs locked into a rotational movement pattern that does not include full extension or heel-strike, with a saddle imposing pelvic symmetry and arms supporting ballast is complex at the lest and may lead to long term dysfunction of done too much or for too long.
I developed a number of ideas that required testing, so I started working with BTS Bioengineering in Italy. I invested heavily/personally built a fit studio above my garage in 2010 and installed the BTS Sports Lab. I learned how to program software and designed custom integrated 3d/sEMG protocols for testing on my sponsored riders.
By 2012, I developed a 27-marker, 860-operater integrated 3d/sEMG program that at the time was the most advanced cycling assessment protocol in the world. The day of completion, I sat at my desk wondering if anything was missing, and decided it might be smart to program for marker accuracy. 30-minutes later, I realized all 300+-data captures were flawed as a component of marker error. Accuracy varied between 2.5mm – 40mm, with variability largest at the trunk, C-7-AC, and tibia. I instrumented a device to improve precision in these areas only to identify variability in bone length between sides, and significantly greater distances between the spine and right side bony landmarks. These findings rendered my program effectively useless for symmetry analysis. It also seemed strange that I would divorce myself from direct observation of a subject in favor of observing a bunch of dots. I learned the hard way (as in my early days of “fixing” stuff) that Kinematic analysis has weak utility for bike fitting. Joint angles mean little without understanding how muscles, fascia and connective tissue move limbs and how different body parts stabilize.
Shifting focus from kinematic to kinetic analysis using sEMG protocols rocked. I developed a biofeedback protocol to reduce counterproductive pedaling techniques and sold the patent to an Australia company. My athletes loved the protocol, which increased power significantly with virtually no impact on heart rate or perceived exertion. I discontinued using the protocol in 2015 after learning that coaches were teaching it to clients without the biofeedback component. I then developed a symmetry protocol for BTS but decided against endorsing the product due to the same variability observed in my 3D studies. I still use sEMG, but almost exclusively for biofeedback for over-trained athletes, rehabilitation, and to support findings.
Dynamic fitting cycles were gaining popularity in 2013 when I collaborated with a company called Biobike to design an automated fit bike superior to anything on the market. I ran double-blind trials with clients using the Purely Custom Size-Cycle and the preferred position (riding outside) was always the trainer-fit condition. I attributed this to altered nervous system function in the absence of “sway” – the same way a bike feels different outside than on a trainer. We installed rubber machine casters under the Biobike chassis and ran trials until two-conditions – Size Cycle and Trainer – produced similar outcomes. The new/final version went into production in 2015. That severely flawed design was due to the company sourcing inferior parts. Biobike shipped me a production model in 2016 rebuilt with better parts, but it failed to produce similar results as my prototype. The only significant difference between the two bikes is that the prototype has an adjustable stem vs. the production fixed handlebar mount. This seemed logical because deep spinal stabilizers act on trunk rotation (among other things).
Sadly, technology was not proving to be a viable tool my business. I invested heavily high-definition 60fps video cameras. These were also problematic for the same reason people look 10lbs heavier in movies. Saddle pressure analysis was nice, but using it for pelvic symmetry introduced joint compression, etc., in my trials.
I concluded that my experience, eyes and ears were the most reliable tools for fitting but doubted this assessment in light of the apparent success other fitters were having with technology. My annual fittings numbered 540-that year, all positive outcomes but for two-people, who received a refund for services rendered. Of course, I focused only on those two-clients, and how I could get that number to zero.
Jerry Gerlich called me for the first time in 2015, in response to an article on my website called: “Fit Bike of Size Cycle?” He and Steve Hogg experienced similar results using size-cycles. We talked for about an hour, and we have spoken nearly every day since. Steve Hogg does not accept students for trainings that use primarily high technology for fitting, and his crew is famous for resolving complex issues that persist despite numerous (failed) fittings. The majority of my clients have also been fit before seeing me, to the degree that I can tell who did the work when they start pedaling.
Happy Freedman introduced me to Medicine of Cycling that same year, and Curtis Cramblet invited me to speak regarding Triathlon vs. TT Bike Fit and Yoga for Pre-Fit Assessment. I enjoyed being a part of something so important, but I realized taking time from clients who are booking 3-months in advance is simply not fair. I no longer accept speaking engagements or attend bike-fitting conferences from early January through early November.
I opened a studio in conjunction with Odom Health and Wellness in 2017. John Odom is a great guy, has experience with triathlete and worked with the U.S. Olympic team for 10-years. I really wanted it to work, but my clients were more guarded visiting me in a sports medicine clinic. This arrangement also reduced referrals from other doctors/sports medicine facilities.
My relationship with Penn Cycle was deteriorating before they closed in April, 2019. We had agreed that my business was entirely independent and brand-agnostic, but seeing hundreds of competitor bikes come through the door each year was hard for both of us. I wanted them to succeed but not at the expense of my clients, who frequently had brand/shop loyalty elsewhere.
I decided to consolidate everything from Penn and Odom into one-independent location. I love having my own larger space, inventory, bathroom, shower etc., and my clients love it too! 2019 was tough for sure, moving during the busy season, but I’ve managed to see 812 clients, which is only down about 100-from 2018.
Lyme disease is still an issue, but not compared to the many people I know who still struggle more. My CIDP responds positively to Immunoglobulin but my face does not, breaking-out in large open sores that make interacting with clients feel awkward. Riding is difficult, but I manage 45-60-minutes, 4-6x per week for product testing and fitness.
My professional success would be impossible without the support of my wife Amy and our awesome two kids, Owen and Zoe. I love these three with all my heart! My unending obsession with research now focuses on primate vs. human muscle, spine and morphology to understand why physical therapy and traditional medical interventions fall short for cycling related symptoms. I continue to speak daily with other passionate fitters including Jerry Gerlich, Tad Hughes, Greg Choat, Steve Carrie, Chris Richardson, Paraic McGlynn or Happy Freedman while walking Louie, the happiest Lab in Minnesota.