Bike fitting increases the efficiency of every cyclist. Unfortunately, the setting cannot simply be transferred from the road bike to the track bike because it requires different settings. I had heard a lot about Marcel Wyss beforehand and wanted to have the bike fitting done by him. For this reason, I made my way to Thömus.
Thömus AG, Niederscherli
When the navigation system told me to turn right about a kilometer after I left the freeway in Bern/Niederwangen, I paused for a moment. I was supposed to turn onto a small road that was just as wide as my Opel. After thinking back and forth, I followed the little road across fields, through forests and over the rolling hills. After passing through a forest, the wonderful view of the mountains and a small village opened up and I discovered a super modern building surrounded by greenery, sorry in the middle of the white snow. I was delighted to have found Thömus, as I had been worried that I would miss the appointment with Marcel Wyss.
I was super impressed, because I hadn’t expected that. A bike store far off the beaten track, but more modern than I’ve ever seen. I was sent to the oven house, where Sylvain Fragnière and Marcel Wyss were already waiting for me.
The fitting
After a few chats and a coffee, we got down to business. First I was measured, then my track bike. The saddle and handlebars were mounted on the measuring machine with my settings. Then I was wired up.
Marcel explained to me that the optimum saddle height is determined by taking the rider’s leg length and the optimum bending of the knee during the pedal stroke into account. An incorrect saddle height can lead to inefficient power transmission and injuries.
But before I was allowed to get on, the position of the cleats on the shoes was checked and the pedals adjusted. These influence the alignment of the knees during the pedaling movement and misalignments would lead to muscular imbalances and discomfort.
I was finally allowed to get on this great machine and pedal. It was exciting to follow the geometric lines on the screen and how all the angles shifted with the slightest change in position. Marcel said that my position was already very aggressive. In particular, the aerodynamic efficiency is not given with a too aggressive position with the sprint handlebars. If the head has to be lifted too high, this leads to turbulence which worsens the aerodynamics.
Then it went quickly. Marcel turned his cranks while I pedaled until I found the optimal riding position. This includes the inclination of the upper body on the bike, the position of the hands on the handlebars, the height of the saddle, crank length, etc. and consequently the angles of the extremities to each other and to the torso and back.
I needed a shorter stem. Unfortunately, they didn’t have the right stem for my “non-Thömus bike”, but by the time I got home I had already received the link from Marcel where I could get the part. It was already there on Friday and I was able to install it for Saturday training.
The result
And now I’m sure you want to know how I fared on the track. First the bad news: it’s unbelievable how much of an impact a few centimeters can have on the geometry of the bike. I’m sitting in front of my laptop now, a few hours after training, and I can feel muscles that I haven’t felt in this “intensity” for a long time… In other words, I can feel the sore muscles of tomorrow!
The good news is that I’ve never put so many watts on the pedals during my intervals as I did after the change! Really! Actually, we only raised the saddle by one cm and moved the handlebars up by 1.5 cm and three cm backwards. The efficiency gain, and I dare to say this after just one training session, is enormous.
Another great side effect is that my hands have hardly fallen asleep today. Marcel also gave me a few tips on what else I could try.
Conclusion
Apart from the fact that I learned a lot and it was fun, I can recommend bike fitting to anyone who has never done it before to increase their personal efficiency. The bike fitting is worth every franc!
Thank you Marcel, thank you Sylvain, thank you Thömus!
Hashtags: #thömus #bikefitting #trackbike #trackcyclingchallenge
Left: WYSS-TRAINING THÖMUS