wrote:
> Thanks for your reply. Sounds like I better get down to my LBS!
It's true that the biomechanics of injury on a bike are pretty
complicated, and it's difficult to get good advice from a rule of thumb,
but I'd say by the same token to be wary of the LBS for the same reason.
A lot of them have staff who aren't experts in injury mechanism or
correct setup (naturally... they are salespeople or mechanics). They are
often able to do a 'close enough' setup that feels comfortable to start
of with, but this isn't good enough if you ride at high volume (serious
roadies, MTB), very high stress/force/torsion (serious trackies and some
roadies), or have an underlying problem that needs to be 'babied'.
Consequently, it pays to appraise carefully the expertise and experience
of whoever works out your setup. If you are having real trouble, Emma
Colson, a physio at Olympic Park Sports Med Centre, does video analysis,
but it costs big bucks ($160 for an hour I think). She also puts
together strengthening programs and stuff like that to help sort out
underlying weaknesses and imbalance - a real expert in the area. Other
sports physios should be able to help too, but be wary of the advice of
physios and medicos who aren't well experienced in this area - I
personally have had some terrible advice in this area from physios who
didn't understand the mechanics of pedalling. Bike setup is quite a
specific skill.
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