Page 10 - July_2014

JUST A CASUAL RIDER? WHY YOU NEED A PROFESSIONAL BIKE FIT

I By Ian Buchanan

oftenhear from people that they likelihood of repetitive use injuries and ice rider, I’ve met few people that did Also, if you are thinking about get-
don’t think of themselves as “real” muscle imbalances.
not want to ride better and enjoy cycling ting a new bike, consider getting a profes-
cyclists, and thus they put minimal • IMPROVED PERFORMANCE — more. A comprehensive bike fitting is sional fitting first. Ideally, you should not
thought into their equipment or When your body is set in a position one of the best starting places to riding have to accommodate to your bike, your
bike set-up.
that encourages a full range of balanced to your potential and enjoying each turn bike should instead fit your needs as well

This thought process is a signifi- muscle engagement, you will produce of the pedals as much as possible.
as possible. If you have a bike already,
cant limiting factor when it comes to better power (ride faster) and have bet- “The best you’ve ridden is the best search out a good bike fitter and find out
many riders enjoying their bike as much ter endurance.
you know.”
what “the best you know” can be.
as they should. You do not have to aver- • TECHNIQUE & POSTURE — Cy- This means that your riding perfor-
age 18 mph or ride over 100 miles a week cling is as technique based as any sport mance, comfort and enjoyment of your
to be “good enough” to benefit from a and the better your posture the easier, bike is only as good as how well your

bike fitting or properly matched equip- faster and more comfortable riding is. A equipment has been set-up and your Ian Buchanan is the founder of Fit Werx, a
ment.
good bike fit has a heavy coaching and technique has allowed. Riding a bike bike shop and bicycle fit studio with loca-
To benefit from a professional bike visual element and can help you learn is supposed to be fun, riding a bike that tions in Waitsfield, Vt. and Peabody, Ma. Fit
fitting, all you have to do is ride, or want techniques in a matter of hours that can does not fit well holds the rider back and Werx can be reached at one of their locations
to ride, a bike. A comprehensive bike fit- take years to learn otherwise. This helps makes it less comfortable than need be.
or through the Web at www.fitwerx.com.
a newer rider avoid developing bad hab-
ting is an investment in yourself and in
your cycling. The investment is one that its and it helps an experienced rider gain news briefs
you will not find for $100 or in 45 min- a better understanding of how their bike
utes, but it is one that will pay off for as and body interact.
long as you ride bikes.
• BETTER EQUIPMENT SELECTION
What are some of the primary ben- — Many riders buy bikes and compo- OGE grants tally $4,000 for initial round
nents many times over- searching for
efits a professional bike fitting offers a
recreational rider?
something that works better. A proper BURLINGTON — Outdoor Gear Exchange (OGE) in Burlington, Vt. will be
• IMPROVED COMFORT & bike fitting helps you find a well-suited accepting its first round of applications for a new grant fund. The OGE Charita-
LOWER CHANCE OF INJURY — A bike and components the first time and ble Grant Fund was started in October 2013 and will offer $4,000 in this round.
comprehensive bike fitting takes into thus can save significant money in the Consigners of gear or clothing at OGE are given the opportunity to donate
account your individual biomechanics long-term; a proper bike fit not only
up to 100 percent of their share of their consignment payout when they drop
and makes sure that your joints and helps you find the right products now, it off gear. When the gear is purchased that portion of the consignee’s payout is
muscles are supported in a biomechani- also helps you buy with confidence in the automatically kept in a fund administrated by OGE and its staff.
cally “friendly” position. This results future.
Applicants must be a non-profit organization looking for funding for tangible
in greater comfort and minimizes the
• ENJOYMENT — Olympian or nov-
assets needed for conservation or access work in Vermont. OGE will request

applications twice annually.
The amount and number of grants awarded in each round of funding will be
determined by the amount of money collected in the six months leading up to
the grant date. For this round of funding OGE will award two grants of $1,500
A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE, WORK & PLAY
from The Fund along with an additional OGE funded grant of $1,000.
“We’re excited about this opportunity to support the community that sup-

August 2nd ports us,” said OGE Founder, Marc Sherman. “For years we’ve been supporting
local non-profits through our Nickel Bag program. Since that program began
in 2007 we have donated almost $11,000 by setting aside a nickel each time a
customer opts out of using a bag. We also estimate that this has kept upwards of
3:00-7:00pm
a quarter million bags out of our landfills.”
“We are committed to the environment, as we believe are our customers,”

added co-owner Mike Donohue. “And we feel this is another way that we can
connect our customers to our greater community and what OGE is all about.”
middlebury vt
Prospective grantees can find the online application at gearX.com/about/consignment.

marble works
Mad River Riders earn Model Trail award

by the falls
Contributed by Mad River Riders and John Atkinson
THANK YOU SPONSORS
WARREN — The International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) has beer, wine
awarded Model Trail designation to the Blueberry Lake Trails in the Green
Mountain National Forest. The network, a result of collaborative efforts among cider & spirits
the Mad River Riders-Vermont Mountain Bike Association (MRR-VMBA),
Sustainable Trailworks LLC. and the United States Forest Service, received a
cheese & other
“Gateway” rating, meaning that they are ideal for entry level riders.
The routes were designed by Sustainable Trailworks with guidance from MRR- local food samples
VMBA and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). They were built by Sustainable Trail-
works and supported by the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps, Green Moun-
tain Valley School and MRR-VMBA, with funding from several sources, including live music from
the USFS, Winthrop J. Smith Foundation/Sugarbush Resort, and other supporters.
Harpoon Two Brothers Tavern • Starline Rhythm Boys
Phase 1 of the network officially opened a year ago with two loops totaling Citizen Cider Fire & Ice
more than four miles of beginner-intermediate trails. Experts also appreciate the Little Pressroom
National Bank of Middlebury
• Seth Yacavone Blues Trio
network’s fast flow, making it great for mixed-ability groups.
Phase 2 trail development started this summer with an official groundbreaking
on June 8. Phase 2 will add a gentle beginner loop with views of Blueberry Lake PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT Addison County Firefighters
Sampling tickets $20/early, $25 at door,
Addison County River Watch Collective Non-sampling tickets $5/each, age 6 & under free
and a half-mile intermediate connector trail into the existing network. Phase 2 fun- The Better Middlebury Partnership tickets on sale now online at
draising is close to completion, but help is still needed. Tax-deductible donations to HOPE
www.middsummerfestival.com
MRR-Blueberry Lake-Phase 2 can be made at: www.vmba.org/donate.

EXPERIENCE MIDDLEBURY IS AN INITIATIVE OF THE BETTER MIDDLEBURY PARTNERSHIP

10 VTSPORTS.COM
JULY 2014