Cycling Demystified - Bike Fit, Mechanics and Soft Issues

Think the pros only ride what's best for their bodies? Think again. There is a new dominant saddle company completely taking over the 2026 Tour de France peloton—and the reason behind its dominance might surprise you. Welcome back to another special Tour de France series episode of Cycling Demystified , brought to you by the Foundation Bike Fit team. In this episode, we put on our bike fitter...

The Tour is upon us which means we're going to be very busy over the next three weeks bringing you bike fit insights from the world's greatest race. This episode is going to be our Prologue and you'll see we're going take a slightly more unusual angle to this year's Tour de France - exploring the race through saddle choice, fit, position and what you should do if you're sti...

How connected to your body are you on long rides, or are you just zoning out? In this episode, Coach Deena Blacking shares raw insights from her gruelling first ultra-distance race through the Pyrenees to explain how outdoor cycling can become your ultimate tool for building proprioception (body awareness). We discuss how slow, heavy mountain climbs strip away cognitive distractions, forcing you t...

Did you know the new Sram AXS E1 shifter hood adds almost 20mm of extra reach to your bike position? Were you aware of this before you upgraded from your old D1 Sram shifters? No doubt the ergonomics have been greatly improved in the E1 iteration as well as braking performance, but none of this matters if the shifter hood shape itself throws out the rest of your bike fit. So this week the team sit...

Welcome to a bonus episode of the cycling symmetry series. After some great feedback and questions we thought we would expand the discussion to cover how your mindset can ultimately affect the way you end up sitting on the bike... ...and consequently the greatest change you could make to improving your comfort, efficiency and performance on your bike may be how open you are to change... ...and wha...

Welcome to a brand new series exploring cycling asymmetry. If you've been suffering from persistent single-sided pain like saddle sores on one side or knee or lower back discomfort just on one side, then this series is going to be super valuable for you! The goal is to provide you with knowledge and insight from the 1000s of bike fits that we can done, so you can begin to understand your cycli...

Welcome to PART 1 of our brand new series exploring cycling asymmetry! If you've been suffering from persistent single-sided pain like saddle sores on one side or knee or lower back discomfort just on one side, then this series is going to be super valuable for you! The goal is to provide you with knowledge and insight from the 1000s of bike fits that we have done, so you can begin to understa...

Welcome to a brand new series exploring cycling asymmetry! If you've been suffering from persistent single-sided pain like saddle sores on one side or knee or lower back discomfort just on one side, then this series is going to be super valuable for you! The goal is to provide you with knowledge and insight from the 1000s of bike fits that we have done, so you can begin to understand your cycl...

The bike industry is changing... Chinese brands are growing, Western brands are fading... Whats next for the bike industry as we know it? To help us get a glimpse of the future we've invited Dan Pells of Bespoke Cycling onto the podcast to share his hopes, dreams and ambitions for the independent retailers, bike fitters and frame builders... https://www.overfastbike.com/ https://nminus1bikes.s...

REPOST Welcome to a new 6 part series where we explore the modern bike fit mistakes we see riders making on a daily basis. Listen in each week to discover what each of the mistakes are, why they are relevant to modern riders and how you can use this knowledge and implement improvements to your cycling straight away. If you're a committed cyclist looking to ride at your best, prevent unnecessar...

Canyon have released a new bike... that everyone is going to want... but this bike is going to have bike fitters enraged! 💯 Join Matt and Wei as this dig into the details of Canyon's latest offering and what you need to know before you start dreaming about parting ways with your hard earned cash for this bike... If you have any further questions for us, join the conversation at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Has bike fitting learned it's lessons over the last 20 years? Is bike fitting more relevant than ever or has bike industry lost an opportunity to champion bike fit as a valuable practice? If you are interested in becoming a bike fitter how do you even start? Want to know what bike fitters really care about? And why if you go to see 10 different fitters, you should expect to get 10 different re...

If you've been struggling to get comfortable in your cycling shoes, then it probably isn't your fault. Cycling shoes are confusing - there's no consistency in sizing across brands and even when manufacturers offer a wide fit option... is it actually a wide fit? Join me on this weeks exploration of shoe sizing, what you need to know to choose a pair that actually fits and our breakdown...

Repost of one of our favourite episodes - Wei and Matt fail to restrain master bike fitter, Tony Corke, from unleashing his knowledge and fears about the future of the custom bicycle industry. Settle in for a lively conversation with Tony and Jon Wild (Pedalling Perfection) as four bike fitters try to reconcile the difficulties of how to actually make a really good custom bike. If you've got a cus...

How did Parlee Cycles become one of the world's finest builders of custom carbon frames when it was never their intention to build custom frames in the first place?  Join me for this weeks fascinating discussion with Tom Rodi, one of the masterminds behind Parlee Cycles and their current production manager. Tom's been there for every step of Parlee's journey including their recent roll...

If you want to improve your power and comfort on the bike, you have to build strong foundations to support the performance. This starts from the feet upwards and last weeks episode explored how insoles can be a critical piece in building your foundations. But insoles are just the beginning... Matt the elder returns to explain how to make the most of this opportunity... The difference between just...

Left unchecked cycling can really ruin your feet. The simple fact is that humans are not designed to ride bikes, we’re born to run and walk so cycling actually proves to be a challenge to our biomechanics. Thankfully there are solutions to preserve good movement and stability when riding in the form of insoles. But what type should you use, custom moulded, proprioceptive, off-the shelf or none at...

This week I have something a little different for you, an interview with Olly Moore, founder of Chase the Sun... Which is now a series of rides around 200 miles long where you start at one side of the UK at sunrise and attempt to ride across the country and finish at the opposite coastline by sunset. I chatted to Olly about cycling, art, creativity & meeting his hero, artist Richard Long... th...

Welcome to an international women's day episode where I sit down to talk with Nic Roberts the Velophysio.  Nic has been a friend and colleague I've worked with for many years and it's a privilege to be able to have her knowledge and expertise on tap for this podcast. So join us for a conversation about the unique opportunities we have as bike fitters and health practitioners to better...

Bike fitting is often seen as process driven by technology, precise measurements and a scientific doctrine. These CAN be part of a bike fit experience but it's all for nothing if a bike fitter fails to communicate the meaning behind the methods, findings and results to their rider in a way that resonates. This week I chat with fellow bike fitter Jon Underhill from Core Bike Fit, about the litt...

The most confusing thing about a bike fit is knowing what to change in your setup and when to change it. So this week we’re going to give you a breakdown of a bike fit session we did recently, walking you through the decision making, the low hanging fruit, the marginal gains and why we did everything backwards! Show Links: Cleat Positioning 101 Why insoles work for cycling Ep 68: Foot & Shoe F...

2025 was the year when we saw the AI market explode and offer some genuinely innovative products and services.  If you're a committed endurance athlete trying to balance a demanding work life, busy family and an ambitious training programme, maybe you've turned to AI for some coaching advice.  So what does this mean for human coaches and practitioners - is AI coming for our jobs? I turned...

 It is no secret that every rider, whatever level they're at, can benefit from a bike fit. But when is the best time to seek out a professional bike fitter? And if you've had a bike fit in the past, what are the clear signs you could be benefiting from a refit or reassessment? Join the team as they explore the 5 most common reasons for a refit. And is there a time when you should be seekin...

Over the years, bike fitting has managed to create an expectation and desire from riders that it is a one-and-done process. Many riders, after they have had a bike fit will rigidly stick to that position and are afraid to change their fit no matter what. Even though they recognise that their body, goals, and skills will change over time... So this week the team explore how we can take the concept...

Should indoor riding be more painful than outdoor riding? And if you're in pain, what you do about it? Has indoor riding become a game for most riders? What are the benefits of indoor riding over and above it simply being a time effective way to build aerobic capacity? Do you even enjoy it? If you don't why are you doing it? Inspired by last weeks learnings from the spin shoe guru, this we...