Anatomy of a Positioning Project
I get so many requests for bike fits from folks that I thought I would share a dialog I had recently with Chuck from Florida. There is a lot of philosophy behind the difference between fitting and positioning and his questions are great ones.
Chuck asked in his first email:
“I am interested in your bike fitting service. I live near Destin, Florida but will be in the Dallas area after Christmas (28 Dec 09 to 10 Jan 10). Will you be performing any fittings in the Dallas area during that timeframe? If so, do you have any available appointments?"
Here is my first response:
Hi Chuck,
Great to hear from you. I have to confess that fittings in Dallas was an abysmal failure from a business standpoint. Over 90% of the folks that I met had recently purchased bikes from Richardson Bike Mart and when I found their real position there was no way their bike would work. I then got to deliver the bad news. "Thanks for the $375, but you need a new bike, or at least a new frame." Ouch.
In the last year I have focused my message to prevent my friends from having to hear that. Here is a better message. I can find your position, but I don't define it as "fitting" you to your bike. Odds are, 95%, to be exact. What this means is, if you are in the 5% that your bike can be adjusted to your real position, you are in luck. If not, getting you closer to your real position without hitting it can create more problems than it solves. Specifically, you will be stronger and more efficient, but your joints and connective tissue will still not be working in the best position and you are more at risk for overuse injury.
If you are in the market for a new bike or frame, your timing is perfect. I work with folks from all over the world and all I need is the time we spend together on my setup bike to derive your positioning data. We can work remotely from that point on.
Since you will be in Dallas, consider hopping on Southwest Airlines for a day trip to San Antonio. I can pick you up and deliver you back to the airport and we can get the job done right, with you having a tremendous experience in the process.
Let me know if I am hitting the target or not. Emails are very cryptic, so I would be thrilled to have a phone chat with you. Give me a call at 210-849-2501 and leave a voice mail if I don't pick up since I let VM take over if I am with someone.
Thanks again for the inquiry!