Book Review - Bike Fit by Phil Burt

I have met a lot of riders that complain of aches, pains, and sores when cycling; I believe a better bike fit could have cured 95-percent of those problems. Phil Burt's book 'Bike Fit - Optimise Your Bike Position for High Performance and Injury Avoidance' is undoubtedly the best written advice that I have come across on the subject.

I met Phil a few months back, on a business trip to Italy. His expertise was immediately obvious, and his list of past and present clients is a great accolade for the quality of his work: he is the Lead Physiotherapist at British Cycling, and also the main consultant for Team Sky, with riders such as Sir Chris Hoy, Ben Swift, Geraint Thomas, and Chris Boardman all praising him for his work.

The human body is a difficult being. Every one is different, and every problem is unique. Optimising your bike position will not only make you more comfortable while cycling, but it will also likely make you faster and more efficient.

Phil's book 'Bike Fit' is not just about angles and measurements; the two things that the majority of bike fitting literature focuses on. Instead, it looks at the human anatomy, and how that interacts with the bike. From here, you can identify problem areas that might occur, and the solution to fix those.

The potential difficulties with fit and form change depending on the cycling discipline you are engaging in. 'Bike Fit' considers these differences, and how to accommodate them. Whether you are a time-triallist, triathlete, road cyclist, or mountain biker; there are changes that can be made to your fit that will improve comfort and performance.

The book also looks at conditioning exercises off the bike; exercises that can go a long way to preventing injury, and make you more comfortable when cycling. Phil has a new book coming out imminently, which goes into more depth on using the gym to increase performance; but the 'Bike Fit' chapter on the subject is a useful and interesting introduction.

To fully understand the optimal bike fit for you, you need to understand how your body interacts with a bicycle, and what it means to be 'Bike Fit'. This book clearly conveys the knowledge you require to master that understanding, and in doing so it creates a unique prescription of how to rectify discomfort and inefficiencies.

A better bike fit will lead to better comfort. Better comfort will lead to greater efficiency. Greater efficiency will lead to improved performances. Whether you are looking for one or all of these benefits, Phil's book is the best-written knowledge base that I have come across on the subject.

Bike Fit is available from Amazon.co.uk