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You and your bike are an integrated system – a holistic union of human and machine. Not surprisingly, our approach to bike fitting is also holistic. So you get a ride that’s fast, comfortable, and uniquely yours. Three things distinguish the bike fitting services at Whole Athlete:
Three Contact PointsWe can simplify the fitting process to three contact points: pedal-shoes, saddle and bars. Yet while simple in concept, the integration of these points requires precise adjustment and placement to optimize your body-bike biomechanics. We understand feet. We evaluate your foot-pedal connection from a three-dimensional standpoint. Our expertise includes the application of shims, varus/valgus wedges, insoles, spacers, and other tools necessary to optimize biomechanics. We've successfully helped clients with significant leg length discrepancies, knee and hip replacements, numbness, hot foot, and a variety of discomfort and injuries such as tendinitis and low back problems. Even if you have no such limitations, you can still benefit from a well-adjusted foot. Choosing the right saddle can be a pain in the... We understand saddles and have a wide range of saddle options among our fitting tools. Looking for a better saddle? Or perhaps your current saddle simply needs repositioning? We can help. We know handlebars. Whether it's road, MTB, track, cross or a time trial machine, the front end of the bike is a fundamental part of an optimal fit. Handlebars can vary considerably in their dimensions and shapes, and the right bars and lever orientation are key elements in the fitting process. We are well-versed in handlebar selection and have used a variety of options ourselves. Check out this article to learn more about our fitting philosophy. Are you are looking to purchase a new bike?
The best new bike for you is the best fitting bike, determined first by optimizing your position on your current bike or with our fully adjustable size-cycle. With your unique contact points defined, we can model any new bike option for you and make recommendations based on your position, budget and preferences (brand, frame material or favorite bike shop). Whether you ride road, mountain, cyclocross, time trial, triathlon or track, come see why our holistic approach to bike fitting is a good fit for you. Meet Our Head Bike FitterWhole Athlete founder, Dario Fredrick brings a unique blend of experience and well-rounded qualifications to the bike fitting profession. With over a decade of experience fitting a multitude of cyclists, a Master's degree in applied exercise science including formal training in biomechanics, 13 years teaching Iyengar Yoga and an accomplished cyclist himself, Dario is uniquely qualified in the fitting world. His fitting philosophy is to work with each individual in a holistic fashion without limits or confines of any one fitting system, formula or tool. What to Bring to a Bike FittingBring your bicycle and equipment (shoes, clothing) ready to ride. If you are doing a custom fitting or do not currently have a bicycle, wear clothing appropriate to be measured on a bicycle, and if possible bring your cycling shoes and the clipless pedal system that you plan to use. If you do not yet have clipless pedals, we can help. Pricing
Cancellation PolicyWe have a 24-hour cancellation policy for testing and fitting appointments. The fee for canceling within one business day is $75. Because multiple appointments are commonly scheduled in succession, clients arriving more than 15 minutes late will be rescheduled.
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You and your bike are an integrated system - Don't just take our word for it..."Thank you for the amazing experience yesterday during my bike fitting -- for the abundance of information, your expertise, and all the time you spent with us. I took my bike out for a ride this morning and was really amazed how good I felt. My upper body felt sooo relaxed. I think I have been fighting with my positioning on my bike (straining to conform to the wrong position). I had relaxed shoulders, chest felt more open and did not have to constantly try to settle my shoulders as they were already down. I am certain my neck and shoulder discomfort will go away because of this. Also, I didn't need to adjust my body position at all. I just sat in the right place and pedaled on without any readjusting - amazing. I don't think I realized how much I was fighting with my bike. Feet felt good, less knee inwardness while riding. Noticed I was able to handle road bumps more effortlessly and comfortably as well. I'll be going for a longer ride this weekend and am really looking forward to the new found comfort and efficiency! Thanks again!" -- Sonja, road cyclist "After months of knee problems on the bike I sought out experts in the field of bike fitting and sports medicine. I was fitted and treated by three different, well-known professionals throughout the country. While I respect their experience and knowledge, none were really able to help me with my knee problems, and I never felt quite right on my bike. Finally, I was referred to Dario Fredrick of Whole Athlete. His no-nonsense, practical approach to bike fitting made him my last stop. Dario was able to fix my position and help my knees! I have been pain-free and loving the bike since. Thank you!!" -- Ken, road & MTB cyclist "I just wanted to send you a quick thanks for doing such a great job on the bike fit. I appreciate that you listened to my need for increased comfort on the bike. The result has been a much more fun and painless ride and greatly increased performance too. Within a couple of weeks of the fit, my sustainable power for an hour increased by over 10% and has continued to move upward since then. From a performance standpoint, the benefit is two-fold: 1. Mechanical efficiency has increased which has led to greater sustainable power AND 2. Being comfortable on the bike has made it much easier to train near threshold pace for long periods of time which also has lead to greater sustainable power. Thanks again. I couldn't be happier!" -- Harold, multisport athlete "Let me just say....Holy Crap! It feels like I'm riding a whole new bike. The hamstrings at the tops of my knees don't burn anymore and I actually feel all the leg muscles engaging. Funny how that works when fitted properly...I also tried some short distance with higher power to see how my body would feel. My legs wanted to keep going and didn't feel tried. My heart was done though. I just need to get my fitness back and I should be stronger than last season. Once again, thanks for the fit. I should have come to you the first time...I wish I would of known about you then!" -- Aaron, road racer "Over the winter, Dario and I decided to really fine-tune my Time Trial position. After several sessions of working with my inflexible body, we were able to get my position dialed in. For years I struggled with saddle height and bar drop, both of which were causing me great hip pain. We developed a position that is powerful and fast, and most of all pain-free. Having a position that works with your body but still allows you to be as aero as possible is key. Maybe we could have made me even more aero but then I would have not been able to produce as much power as I am capable of. There is definitely an ideal balance between comfort, power and aerodynamics. To find this perfect position without a wind tunnel is difficult. Fortunately, Dario has wind tunnel experience and knows what works and what doesn't when it comes to hand, arm, head and torso position. With my good form coming I look forward to trying out this position over and over again this year against some of the best time trialists in the world." -- Steven Cozza, professional cyclist "I wanted to write to check in via my bike fit I did with you about one month ago. It's really making a difference. I feel comfortable and powerful thus far and the watts are coming back up after several months of little or no riding due to a hamstring issue. Anyways, I'm very happy and confident in your fits and I just want to say thank you again." -- Nate, multisport athlete "I just wanted to say thank you again for all your help fitting my TT bike. All your efforts set the stage for a great bike leg at the World Triathlon Championships. I had the fastest bike split in my age group and I had the third fastest bike split out of all the women, 630 of them! My sincerest gratitude for all your help. It's made a huge difference in my cycling performance. Thank you very much!" -- Pam, triathlete "The new position is giving me an extra 10-15 watts right out of the box. Efforts in the flats feel wonderful and i'm naturally gravitating into the drops now. Back/ hips need a little time to adjust, but I think there's no doubt that this new position will ultimately be more comfortable, aero and more powerful. Nice work!" -- Mark, road, time trialist, MTB cyclist "I wanted to say thanks for the yoga poses, they're really helping and the bike fits are working out great. I thought I was pretty dialed in before, but pleasantly surprised what a difference your recommendations made. The changes were instantly recognizable. My pedal action felt more fluid and on the road/trail my comfort, power and speed are up. I appreciated your honest opinion, attention to detail and that nothing was rushed or overlooked. Its reassuring to have a contact who clearly understands the body, on and off the bike, and how to integrate the two with great accuracy. I wish I had come to see you earlier!" -- Greg, road & MTB cyclist "I can't thank you enough for this bike fit! I took an extra long way to get back home -- and this is after riding over the Marshall Wall -- because I can't believe how good it feels to ride that bike! I had banished it to local trips only because I was so uncomfortable on it. Now I think I may put the dirt tires back on it and go have some fun!" -- Katie, road, MTB cyclist "Dario was recommended to me this winter when I was in the Santa Rosa area for some winter training and was having some knee problems. He did a great job assessing my position on the bike and addressing my knee injury. His wealth of knowledge coming from many angles allowed him to isolate my positioning problems resulting in a proper bike fit. A few weeks later I brought the TT bike in. Although it wasn't immediately apparent on the trainer while we where doing the fit, once I got out on the road I was amazed how well-adjusted he made things for me. Instead of having multiple changes to make, I didn't feel like I needed to change anything. After one ride I was out performing hard workouts without making any adjustments. For a professional cyclist who targets GC finishes in stage races, this is a huge burden off my shoulders and allows me to progress more quickly. I recommend working with Whole Athlete to stay ahead of the curve, preventing injury and just feeling solid on the bike. Their experience and wealth of knowledge has allowed me to focus my training and racing with confidence." -- Anthony Colby, professional cyclist "On sunday I did 3.5 hrs z1/2 on mostly flat roads. The bike fit is so much more comfortable and safer with handling being a dream. For the first time ever I can comfortably sit in the drops for long periods. Further, while in the drops I can get out of the saddle and push and I feel like my whole body is working in concert with the bike. Great power transfer. And the best measure is that after 3.5 hrs of steady riding I pulled into my driveway and felt refreshed and not all beat up. Very nice!!" -- Bill, road, MTB & cyclocross racer "I'm not a competitive cyclist, so I was a bit apprehensive about going to Whole Athlete for a bike fitting. All those racer types who are young and strong don't quite match with a middle aged female. A cycling friend recommended Dario, so I decided I'd spend the money, even though I had previously paid for a professional bike fit elsewhere and still had lots of discomfort on long rides. Dario made some simple, subtle changes in the fit of my bike and with my shoes that have made a big difference in my comfort level, such as trading my handlebars in for a narrower version. No one had ever measured my shoulder width or suggested this to me. I also received some great tips on improving my cycling. Dario and Peter also referred me to a prosthetic specialist, Brett VanNatta, for some challenging cleat placement on one of my shoes, which involved moving a cleat to the heel portion of the shoe, due to orthopedic problems. Wow! My power and endurance have significantly improved! I plan to return to Whole Athlete when I purchase a new bike next year. With my meaurements and Dario's notes already in his computer, he'll be able to direct me to the best bike for my needs. Definitely money well spent! " -- Judy, road cyclist "My road bike feels great. The knee pain I was beginning to have is completely gome. My back and shoulders feel more comfortable and supported. My saddle height feels so much more comfortable and efficient. The cleat positioning is more comfortable for my ankles and knees. All in all, I love the fit. I feel more confident, powerful, and comfortalbe on the bike." -- Christina Yglesias, junior road & track racer "Just wanted to give you an update on the bike fit that you
did for me on my road bike and mountain bike...Everything is terrific! -- Tim, road, MTB, cyclocross racer "It's absolutely amazing. I feel so much more comfortable... feels like a new bike. Everything feels better...the seat, the pedals, and handle bars. For one thing, I was putting a lot of the weight on the handlebars before....now I'm in perfect balance...like you said.."neutral". I'm sure my power on the pedals has improved with the change in seat height and cleat position. I didn't realize how much energy I was wasting before. What a difference! I couldn't believe how effortless it was going up Camino Alto in zone 1. I definitely should have had the bike fit before I got tested...I bet I'd have higher power numbers now. Thanks a lot." -- Victor, cycling enthusiast "I wanted to write to you and tell you how things were going with my knee and new fit. After our last session, I took almost two weeks off the bike to let my knee heal. After that, I eased back into riding and liberally used the anti-inflammatory massage oil. That was back in January. At first the knee was still a bit tender, but I have now been riding and racing for the last few weeks, and I feel great. The knee feels strong, and I feel comfortable and powerful on the bike. Thanks for taking the extra time with me to ensure that I could find a cure for my knee problem." -- Matthew, road racer "A million Thanks. I rode today after my bike fitting from yesterday. There was a bigger, better improvement than I could have imagined. I actually felt comfortable for the first time in a while on my bike. I planned on taking it easy, staying in zone 1 for 2 hours. I ended up feeling so good that I pushed it for 2.5 hours. I felt great. The bike handles and rides much better, my body feels great and I am so grateful for your help. I also found that I can spin between 110-110 rpm much easier and also effortlessly. I am excited to gradually start my training back to race condition over the next few weeks. I was surprised by how much difference the right fit can make. I should have been to see you last year. Thank you again." -- Christopher, road racer "I was introduced to Dario and Whole Athlete when I moved to California to join ProMan Women's Professional Cycling team. I had heard rave reviews about his bike fitting and their holistic approach to coaching. Having been a cyclist for three years, I suffered from various degrees of knee pain, which I thought to merely be just part of the game. Dario showed me that I was wrong, utilizing minor (but crucial) adjustments to damaging attenuate movement and increased my efficiency. Once I made the trip to The Whole Athlete studio to get my road bike fit properly, I immediately saw results; I felt more comfortable and my upper body was more relaxed. Just as importantly, my knee pain has completely disappeared. Dario had everything necessary in his studio to ensure that I had an improved bike fitting, the results of which not only felt more natural, but increased my power output as well. Dario understands all the nuances of bike fitting and equipment technology, and he can identify which stems, saddles, handle bars, pedals, and yes, even the type of helmet that will help to make you faster on the bike. Dario takes an earnest interest in each athlete who reaches out for his support. Last year, I was offered an opportunity to ride on the US National team for the Spring Classics in Europe. A week before I left for Europe, I received my new team bike, and I was not confident in my ability to transfer the measurements from the bike he previously fitted for me onto my new bike. Dario went above and beyond his call of duty; with very short notice he made time in his busy schedule to work with me, ensuring that my new bike fit properly, as to not re-create any knee pain. Dario's bike fitting resulted in a position that eliminated pain and increased power. I am extremely grateful that I have had the opportunity to work with him, and to be able to take advantage of his remarkable knowledge and attention to detail." -- Megan Guarnier, professional cyclist |
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