Photo: Chris WareThis conversation came up on a Saturday ride with some of the members of our race team. In addition to the usual conversation about new, cool bike gear that usually crops up on a ride; one of the members was commenting on the results of the fitting I'd performed for him a couple of weeks prior. We had eliminated his knee pain and increased his efficiency and balance on the bike. He was thrilled because he was able to get in more training miles (after resolving himself to a break from riding) and his bike was feeling faster, more nimble, and yet more predictable.This prompted a response from me that some of my customers have been hearing from me for several years now: Most of us can get greater returns from getting our bike fit, fitness, and fuel (nutrition) dialed than from spending a bunch of money on the newest coolest gear.
["What? I thought this was a product-focused blog. I read this to get real-world reviews on some of the best equipment out there instead of the watered-down drab stuff that comes from the major publications because they're afraid of hurting the suppliers' feelings. Why is Matt telling me not to buy stuff...?]
Well, the above comment is true - I am a "gear geek" through-and-through and I get tempted by all the new cool chi-chi stuff out there just like the rest of you. But, I have seen in the lives and riding habits of my clients (and myself) the difference that the three principles above have and I'm a firm believer. Your riding experience is a multi-faceted product of a variety of factors including these three principles and your gear. When all of them include high-quality, well-selected, properly maintained elements - you can't help but succeed!
