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Best Bike fit for FAI issues
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I have my wife with FAI (Femoral acetabular impingement) problem. She rides a Cervelo P2 and we are wondering what kind of important settings can be useful to prevent FAI worsening.
MRI done by a good doctor reported not a serious FAI situation (not to be necessarily operated asap) and she is doing triathlon anyway. Swim and Run are ok but cycling sometimes is bothering her hip.
The current setting is not aggressive at all, in order to keep the leg/torso angle as open as possible but I am not sure for example if a road bike can be better fitting for a FAI problem. She should avoid more than 90 degrees angle, according to the doctor. Anything smaller than that is great.


I wonder if here there is any bike fitter reading who faced somebody with the same problem.


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Re: Best Bike fit for FAI issues [Plissken74] [ In reply to ]
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I have many clients per year come through the stand with FAI both pre and post surgical. Not that it matters much for my recommendation but it is good to know is she Cam or Pincher? Is it Bilateral or just one side?

The most important thing when fitting either FAI issue is to keep the hip angle open, so sometimes a higher handlebar position is the answer, sometimes a shorter crank length is better, sometimes both. In any case a standard back angle of 45-47 degrees (Retul method) is generally fine for a road bike and 25+ on the tri bike. The drops or aerobars will be more difficult to set up for, but if she can run and swim I would not be too worried about being able to achieve a position that can work for those. The bike may however pose a problem.

With my FAI clients I do the fitting on a sizing cycle first to be able to manipulate all the relative angles and find a position that relieves the hip impingments, then we go back to the bike and see if it is possible to achieve her workable position with the current equipment or if new stuff is in order. My guess is that she would most likely be better on a road bike or a much taller (stack) and shorter (reach) Tri bike, but it is impossible to say without seeing her and working with her. There are a number of questions that an experienced fitter would be asking in the interview and the pre-fit asessment would be looking for range of motion and just how the impingment is effecting mobility.

FAI is really not that big deal if the doctor is not recommending surgery. And even then the majority of the surgeries are common and recovery is pretty quick.

If your in California feel free to give me a look up. http://www.hypercat.com

Retul Certified Master Fitter, FIST certified fitter, Owner of Hypercat Racing http://www.hypercat.com, and friend to the animals.
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Re: Best Bike fit for FAI issues [Philip Casanta] [ In reply to ]
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Well said Philip!

Jonathan Blyer,
ACME Bicycle Co., Brooklyn, NY
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Re: Best Bike fit for FAI issues [Philip Casanta] [ In reply to ]
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If she is not able to find a ridanle position in a stock frame set custom may be the answer. A talller then conventional stem a shorter the normal top tube Try a ful fit with some one who will use a sizing bike to find out her funcital range of motion on both hips. and some one who will allow her to see how long she can maintain her riding posture. I would consider using a pt who fits to get a proper evaluation.
Happy Freedman

Happy Freedman
Prosthetics and Orthotics/DME
Hospital for Special Surgery
510 East 73rd Street, Suite 201
New York, NY 10021
212-774-7842
646.797.8343 fax

Happy
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Re: Best Bike fit for FAI issues [Plissken74] [ In reply to ]
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I had scopes on both my hips for FAI, the right in 2007 and the left in 2009. I would second the recommendations above, and also add that if you can find a saddle that she's finds comfortable that promotes forward rotation of the pelvis that may also help. I ride Selle SMP saddles on both my TT and RB because I find the hip rotation to be beneficial.
Cheers,
Nate

Nathan Berg
F.I.S.T. Certified Road Race and Tri/TT Bike Fitter
Albuquerque, NM
http://www.fit2wincycling.com
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