Eric offers both Basic and Advanced bike fits at the Precision Physical Therapy clinic in Clayton, MO. Fitting in a clinical setting instead of a bike shop gives riders a more comprehensive and convenient way to address both equipment adjustments (bike and kit), and physical adjustments (injury, mobility, asymmetries, and strength), all in one place. Sometimes, there’s a limit to what bike adjustments alone can do to solve discomfort. That’s when Eric refers you to an in-house physical therapist who understands cycling and can evaluate you to help you feel better on the bike. They may give you exercises and stretches to improve your fit along with consultation with Eric to help you better mesh with your bike.
Basic Bike Fit
This visit is for cyclists with a new bike or for those seeking more performance or efficiency on their current bike. No major discomfort or injuries currently.
Includes a physical mobility and range of motion evaluation, then a fit evaluation on your bike.
Advanced Bike Fit
This visit is for cyclists that have considerable discomfort on their current bike. They may have been fitted professionally elsewhere and still have unresolved issues or they may have new issues that affect their riding enjoyment.
Includes a physical mobility and range of motion evaluation, then a fit evaluation on your bike with a focus on the specific discomfort you have.
Why a custom bike fit?
Matching an asymmetrical human to a symmetrical machine is not always easy to do, and a bike shop is often limited to what they can sell: stock bikes where most frames come in four sizes and the stem and handlebars are set sizes. Getting your saddle height in the ballpark is often good enough for most people. We are incredibly good at adapting to positions and equipment, especially when we enjoy the activity, but sometimes there's a limit. That limit could be immediate discomfort, or pain after four hours of riding. Or more often than not, it shows up after many weeks of regular rides, when that little twinge eventually becomes a scream.
Weekend warriors hitting the trail on the weekends may never need a custom bike fit. But when you ride several hours each week, the need becomes greater because overuse injuries from a poor fit can take their toll and eventually keep you off the bike you love. For riders and racers concerned about performance, a poor fit costs you power and efficiency.
In order to address the needs of the whole athlete, Eric has partnered with Precision PT to provide custom bike fits inside a clinical setting. Sometimes the problem isn't the bike at all. It could be a physical asymmetry, a mobility restriction, or a muscle imbalance that no amount of cleat shimming or saddle adjustment will fix, and that's the limit most fit studios run into.
When a fit turns up something clinical, Eric can point you to a physical therapist in the same clinic for a full evaluation. After that, Eric and the PT compare notes, often with exercises from the PT to move you toward a better position, and he adjusts the fit around what they found. So solving pain on the bike isn't limited to what can be adjusted on the bike. It's a real match between rider and machine.
FSE is a dealer for Lake Shoes, SQ Labs Saddles, G8 Insoles, and Profile Design cockpits, among others. Any needed parts that we carry are installed free of charge and the same day if they’re in stock. Eric fits all bikes including road, gravel, mountain, time trial, track, and cyclocross. He’s an experienced mechanic and torques all bolts he touches back to spec, a very important step when working with carbon frames and parts.
Eric is bike fit certified by the International Bike Fitting Institute (IBFI), and the Institute of Clinical Excellence (ICE). He is certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), as well as a USA Cycling Level 2 Certified Coach. With his background in performance coaching, he understands the demands of riding and how those loads affect fit, power, and efficiency.