First a little background. I was post fit by John Cobb 2 1/2 years ago. Since then I’ve done 2IMs and many other shorter races. Over time I have been feeling less and less comfortable on my bike. In fact, that could have been one of the causes of a recent problem I’ve had with prostatitis. I’ve been off of the bike for 3 months because of it and just got back on 2 weeks ago. I am doing IMUSA in 11 weeks. I needed to find a position that was powerful, aero and most importantly, relieved pressure from my perenium as much as possible.
I took a day off from work and drove 290 miles to see Paul. When I arrived, 20 minutes late (sorry Paul), I was welcomed in to his house/office. You should also know that I drove in with my yellow lab and that she was also welcome. Paul even gave her water - no charge!
For 3hrs, I was measured, stretched, measured again, put on the bike, taken off of the bike, measured again, asked detailed questions about my sporting background, my strengths, weaknesses, goals, future races, problem areas, etc. I was constantly asked for feedback as he slowly tweaked my position which is great because no matter how good I look to a fitter, if I’m not comfortable than it doesn’t matter.
Paul even called an MD friend while I was there to talk about some of my unusual muscle imbalances.
Ultimately, my seat was raised, my stem changed, my arm rests moved further out and more. The coolest thing were these lasers that were pointed at me to see where my arms were in relation to my thighs. I think the point being, the arms can be as far out as possible for balance and stability, as long as they don’t go outside of the thigh line for aerodynamic sake.
Paul also suggested I get rigid sole orthotics for my cycling shoes as I pronate. He uses them and noticed an immedite 20 watt improvement. Needless to say, I’m getting them.
I left feeling much more comfortable and much more powerful. I rode for 3hrs on the CT the next day with no discomfort. Tomorrow will be my maiden voyage outside and I can’t wait to test it out.
This guy is the real deal. I think you’d be hard pressed to find someone else who knows more about bike fit and can articulate it as well as he does. Plus he’s a nice guy. I highly recommend Paul Levine. God, that sounded like a letter of recommendation. Paul get’s along well with others and shares his toys…
. Aside from his bike fitting, he is also an amazing human being who truly wants you to be happy with not only the fit of your bike, but the overall outcome of that bike fitting in all areas: comfort, speed, aerodynamics for you as an individual, and the hard to wipe off your face smile that comes while riding any bike that Paul has fit you on. When I went to see Paul, I had only one bike in mind to buy, a Quintana Roo Typhoon. Paul put so much care and time in fitting me (including listening to me whine about all me previous bike experiences) and never once mentioned Serotta as an option. His main focus was on what position was going to make me a great rider with ultimate comfort on whatever new trusty steed I chose. I actually went home from the fitting and received a detailed fax from Paul showing all the measurements of the Quintana Roo Typhoon, and yes, it was going to work for me. He had even called the company to ask some very specific questions about the geometry to make sure it was definitely the bike for me. In the end, I purchased a Serotta. I really came to trust Paul, what can you say about an individual who just wants the best for you and never once tried to pressure me into buying a Serotta. I figured the closest I could ever come to perfection on a bike was one that was built just for me. So I am extremely happy with my bike, you will know me if you are in my area riding, I am the one charging up the hills whooping and shouting out for joy because I just can’t control my happiness on my beautiful new bike! There is only one word for Paul “guru” Levine - amazing! So what are ya’ waiting for - go and see, “the man.” 