Bike fit is the prerequisite to cycling improvement and enjoyment.
Having successfully performed bike fits since early 1995 to varying levels of recreational riders, racers and Ironman triathletes, it was not until 2016, that I received the inspiration for the Veloharmony Custom Fit Studio and its accompanying Veloharmony YouTube Channel.
The creation of Veloharmony as we know today, begins in the Summer of 2016, during a group ride with a local Houston area club called UMC. A cyclist named Paul Ilunga, joined our group on one of the Saturday rides.
I was introduced to him by Alain Didkain and the three of us hung at the rear of the group and chatted.The pace picked up and I noticed Paul was struggling to hold the pace. Alain offered to stay with him and so I rode on and caught up to the group.
After about 10 kilometers (6 miles) or so, we stopped at the Local gas station, since the actual ride start was earlier than where we joined the group on the route and the earlier starters needed to top off their fluids.
At the stop, Paul told us that he had been off the bike for a year. Intending to encourage him and being truthful, I said “if you can stay with us after taking a year off, then we should not be riding bikes”.
I think it worked and he received the comment well.
Later during the next week, I received a message from Alain that suggested that since Paul lived relatively close to me, I should contact him so we could do some rides together. I did and the rest is history.
Our first ride, Paul could barely hold a straight line while riding and bumped into me a few times. I mentioned that his fit needed to be examined.
At the time neither he, nor Alain were aware that I was adept at bike fits among other things.
Set a goal
Paul had mentioned that he observed how easily I moved through the bunch and said he wanted to ride like me.
He asked questions and I answered as best as I could, sometimes talking with him for hours. We adjusted his saddle height immediately after that first ride.
His saddle was a full 5centimeters (about 2inches) too high and I was amazed that he was able to ride the bike.
I told him this was the primary reason he was unable to keep up and it must be impossible to ride this bike. He then told me that after every ride “everything hurts”.
I let him ride with his new saddle height for about a week and then we changed his cockpit, stem was lengthened, lowered and viola he had the perfect road position for his body.
Consistent Training helps you accomplish your goals
As time progressed, during one of our lengthy discussions, he mentioned that it would be great if everything I knew was someplace that he could refer to, because he was overwhelmed with the volume of information I was giving him, while answering his questions.
It was at this tine that he suggested that “with everything you know, you could help a lot of people out there”.
A week later the Veloharmony Channel on YouTube was born.
This was late October 2016. Shortly after that, the website went up to support the channel and as requests for fit both remote and locally increased, I started the Bike fit Studio out of my downstairs work area.
It has been a labor of love since then, because I love cycling and I love helping others.
