If the bike fits, ride it.

I've discovered yet another great cycling blog, written with flair and humour. The Fat Cyclist recently won and award of some kind for general cleverness and from a brief trawl through his archive shows it is well deserved. His article on trash talking is a great laugh.

In an entirely different spirit, one of the riders I was with on my 300km Audax ride, kindly pointed out a couple of peculiarities of my riding style which I'd pushed to the back of my mind. Chief amongst my sins, I ride with my knees splayed out and my hips rock a bit much. He recommended a bloke who does bike fittings. It took me a while to get an appointment, as bike fitting gurus are apparently in high demand. Yesterday I wheeled my trusty green Cross Check into the chap's office and he gave me the once over, tut-tutting as I pedalled gently on a wind trainer in front of a mirror.

When I first started cycling seriously as a young lad in the early 1980s, bike setup was a bit of a hit-and-miss affair. If you were lucky someone at the bike club might tell you your seat was too high or low and the rest was a matter of best guess, comfort and personal preference.

Happily, my best guesses weren't too far off being right. I had my seat raised about 3mm. I had my handlebars turned a few degrees upward. And I had my cleats turned so my toes (and hence my knees) point inwards a bit more. The new setup felt odd at first on this morning's commute, but my knee pain seems to have vanished. I think it will take a bit of getting used to but on the whole it seems to have solved the last few niggling problems I have with my setup. And what luxury to have it all sorted by a pro.

773km so far this year.