ABRT gets PowerFiTTE'd by Cycling Legend John Howard

From Monday to Friday last week a steady stream of ABRT members arrived at Bike Doctor of Annapolis with team kit, cycling shoes and bikes in hand. John Howard and Stu Waring worked with each rider in turn to optimize their bike fit and give them greater mechanical efficiency resulting in more power for the same or lower effort. John, with Stu assisting, and Bobby Phillips offering professional advice, completed a record 21 Power FiTTEs on 29 different bikes in 7 days. The marathon Power FiTTE session was co-sponsored by the Bike Doctor of Annapolis and ABRT. In you are still wondering why FiTTE is spelled funny; it is an acronym for Fitness, Training, Technique and Equipment

Apart from being Bobby Phillips’ lead out man, John Howard is – as Stu describes him – the Lance Armstrong of the 1970 and early 80s. He has won major stage races; won gold in the Pan Am Games road race; won the US elite men’s national championship multiple times; won Ironman Hawaii; is one of the co-founders of RAAM and placed second; held the world bicycle speed record of 152.2 mph and still holds the 24-hour cycling distance record of 593 miles and the list goes on and on...

While John still races as a Cat 1 he is has been fitting since the early 80’s. He has become particularly interested in not just fitting the bike to the rider, but also in helping the rider work on flexibility to be more comfortable and more powerful on the bike. John’s FiTTE System is discussed in more detail on his website: http://www.johnhowardsports.com/.

ABRT members that participated had their bikes set up on a Computrainer by John and Stu. Some chose to be fit on their road bikes, others focused on the TT/tri bike only a few did both. Each bike was carefully leveled fore/aft and sideways and the rider warmed up while the protocol was explained. When ready, the rider completed a baseline test which involved riding hard for a half mile at a level 4 on a scale of 1 to 5. During the test data was recorded and run through proprietary software that John has developed that compares power and torque from each leg defining pedal stroke efficiency. After the test John and Stu went to work taking measurements and began adjusting saddle position, cleat position, bar position, and altering stem length etc depending on the needs of each rider.

The main difference between John’s approach and some of the other bike fits is that John also focuses on the rider’s flexibility and does soft tissue body work on each person to open up joint angles for better leverage of power. After the baseline test John goes to work on the rider showing them some stretches and demonstrating the improvements in flexibility. Greater flexibility allows for more optimal positioning on the bike and increased and sustainable power.

A number of riders using Look, Time, Shimano and even Speedplay X pedals were encouraged to try the Speedplay Zero pedals. These pedals are the number one choice of most fitters as they allow for custom adjustment for each rider.

Some riders had their cleats moved. John pointed out that cleats need to be positioned differently for road races and time trials then for crits and track racing. Some riders switched saddles; several are now trying the ISM Adamo saddle which is now made for road bikes and not just TT bikes. Several riders had their bars adjusted for a more aggressive road position or aerodynamic position on the TT bike. Again it all depended on the needs of each rider.

After all this was done, checked and documented, a second run of half a mile was done with everything being measured again. Nearly every rider saw increase in power with lower HR which is an indication of more power for the same or less effort. This short interval test was designed not to test aerobic fitness test but rather specifically designed to improve mechanical efficiency on the bike. Of course it was not a pure test of overall power since conditioning is a major factor.

Going through the process with John and Stu wasn’t just a bike fit, it was a bike fit, an introduction to what stretching can do to improve performance and an opportunity to learn from a master; imagine asking Lance Armstrong questions for 2-3 hours while he worked on you and your bike fit.

So what is the end result? A number of ABRT riders are going to be a lot more efficient next year on the road and are going to be going faster and harder than ever on training rides and races. But where does that leave you? How do you get FiTTE?

By weeks end John was pleased to present Stu as a certified FiTTE practitioner serving the greater Maryland/DC area. John was “very impressed with Stu's awareness of the basic and advanced principals of fitting and his lightning quick grasp of the physical science of soft tissue mobilization. He will be an excellent representative for the area and will following up with everyone involved in the marathon fitting session this week.”
Power FiTTEings can be booked at Bike Doctor of Annapolis starting the first of the January. John and Stu will be offering a standing exclusive discount to all ABRT members of $250.

Stu is arranging for John to return to Annapolis in the spring to complete the FiTTE program. Part 2 will include Body FiTTE, an advanced session including instruction in a series of stretches and strength exercises that are guaranteed to get each cyclist up the road with greater mobility and power. For a cyclist looking to advance his or her cycling performance this is a must-do session. Date and cost TBD.

John Howard Performance Sports can lay claim to 177 national championship victories, 16 world titles and 2 Olympic golds in Cycling and Triathlon....and counting.