April 15, 2015
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| Dave Ripley - 51 Speedshop |
I am SO looking forward to purchasing my first tri bike!
I decided to do a pre-purchase bike fit to help me figure out which triathlon bikes to consider for purchase. I wanted to make sure that I purchased the brand, model and size that could be most easily adjusted to fit me.
Based on the recommendation of a local triathlete who has raced Kona several times, I made an appointment with Dave "Rip" Ripley at 51 Speedshop in Indianapolis, a relatively new full-service bike shop in Indianapolis. I had also heard Rip speak as the expert guest on a Triathlon Training Podcast. He used to work in the aerospace field and was at ZIPP for several years before joining 51 Speedshop. During the podcast, seemed passionate and knowledgeable. I could easily envision him talking about bikes with top pros as well as beginners. I sent him an email to tell him a little about me and see if he would do a "pre-purchase" fit and recommend bikes. He agreed.
In my email, I explained that I was 61 years old and had a lost a lot of weight. I didn't want him to be expecting a 20-year-old super athlete. I told him that I had excess tummy skin that might play a part in my fit. I hoped that if my tummy skin were something that we needed to take into consideration that he wouldn't be embarrassed to talk about it. Rip wrote back, "First off, congratulations on taking charge of your life! I would be more than happy to help you continue your journey into triathlon. . . I am genuinely excited to meet you!" Perfect words. Amazingly, he understood that I was on a journey. I was excited to meet him too.
I decided to do a pre-purchase bike fit to help me figure out which triathlon bikes to consider for purchase. I wanted to make sure that I purchased the brand, model and size that could be most easily adjusted to fit me.
Based on the recommendation of a local triathlete who has raced Kona several times, I made an appointment with Dave "Rip" Ripley at 51 Speedshop in Indianapolis, a relatively new full-service bike shop in Indianapolis. I had also heard Rip speak as the expert guest on a Triathlon Training Podcast. He used to work in the aerospace field and was at ZIPP for several years before joining 51 Speedshop. During the podcast, seemed passionate and knowledgeable. I could easily envision him talking about bikes with top pros as well as beginners. I sent him an email to tell him a little about me and see if he would do a "pre-purchase" fit and recommend bikes. He agreed.
The fitting was interesting. The first thing Rip did was look at my bike shoes. He explained why my cleats needed to be in a different position and adjusted them. Then, he measured my road bike and entered measurements into a computer that was connected to a bike fit machine. As Rip entered data into the computer, the bike fit machine changed its positions to match the geometry of my road bike. How cool is that? I sat on the machine (which now had the same geometry as my road bike) and Rip asked me to note the pressure on my hands. I could tell by the pride in his voice that something miraculous was about to happen. He made some adjustments in the computer and the mechanical bike on which I was sitting started moving! I was now on a bike with a different fit and considerably less pressure on my hands. Amazing. We fine-tuned the fit a bit and when we were finished, Rip adjusted the fit of my road bike to match the fit on the machine. Cool!
We talked a bit about my goals. I told Rip that my A race was USAT Nationals in August. I shared with him how much I love powering my bike - feeling my muscles. I can't put how I feel about powering my bike into print words. It's an interesting relationship between man (or woman) and machine. There's just something about joining forces with a high-quality precision machine and using my muscles to produce power. It's a true team. The bike brings engineering and precision to the table. I bring determination, fitness and muscle to the table. Although I know a bike is an inanimate object, I think we both bring passion. Maybe it's the passion of the bike and wheel designers that I feel within the bike. It's a sweet, sweet partnership. And I love how I feel when I'm connected to that fine machine and we are both humming. I try very hard to be worthy of my bike.
I explained to Rip that I've had a huge urge to lay down on my road bike when riding. I seem to want to get my feet behind me so I can drive down and back with the pedals instead having my feet and knees in front of me. I felt pretty clumsy with my explanation, but Rip seemed to know what I was feeling.
It was about this time that I started to feel a HUGE appreciation for Rip's understanding of me. When I talk about triathlon with a lot of people, it's hard to get past their perception that a 61-year-old should be taking it easy as a recreational triathlete, just trying to finish. Rip seemed to understand the beauty I feel when I'm using my muscles to create power and my innate desire to race. I think he saw me as a athlete.
It was about this time that I started to feel a HUGE appreciation for Rip's understanding of me. When I talk about triathlon with a lot of people, it's hard to get past their perception that a 61-year-old should be taking it easy as a recreational triathlete, just trying to finish. Rip seemed to understand the beauty I feel when I'm using my muscles to create power and my innate desire to race. I think he saw me as a athlete.
Based on my road bike fit and using his expertise and years of experience, Rip made an educated guess about what would be a good fit for me on a tri bike. He put areobars on the bike fit machine and entered measurements into the computer. Once again, the bike moved underneath me. OH MY GOSH! It was EXACTLY what my body had been wanting to do. I was laid out with the power behind me. It was SO comfortable. I felt like I was lounging on my couch. It was that comfortable. What a GREAT feeling.
The next part of our conversation made me so proud. Rip told me several times that I was strong and that he had given me a somewhat aggressive fit. He kept telling me that it would be an "injustice" to me to give me a less aggressive fit. I asked him how he knew I was strong and he said that he had done many bike fits and he could tell from the way I moved on the bike that I was strong and could handle a more aggressive fit. Those words made me so proud and filled me with confidence.
Note 1: When I raced my first triathlon of the season (see Carmel race report), I wore my black 51 Speedshop t-shirt to the race as a reminder that I was strong, and used Rip's words, "You are strong. It would be an injustice," as a mantra to help me build confidence prior to the start of the race. I've thought of Rip's words several times since then in hard workouts. I always find it interesting that people touch other people without knowing it. I wonder if Rip knows how much his words impacted me.
Note 2: I later took Rip's bike fit specs to a bike shop where I asked the shop's fitter to set up two bikes that I was considering purchasing (Cervelo and BMX) so I could compare the two bikes. The fitter looked at the specs and said, "He really slammed you down there!" His tone wasn't disrespectful of Rip. It was more like he admired Rip but couldn't understand what Rip was doing with me. The fitter asked if he could measure me and I agreed. With every measurement, he said, "Huh!" or "That's perfect." That certainly made me feel good. But the fitter still felt like I was slammed down, so he asked if he could watch me ride. When I had, he said, "That's just right for you. You really look good slammed down there." Ha! Maybe I am strong!
When Rip was satisfied with the fit, he researched bikes that would be a good fit for me and gave me a list of about six bikes that would work.
- Cervelo P3
- Specialize Shiv
- BMX Time Machine
- Trek Speed Concept
- Felt
My next step is to buy a bike and then bring it back to Rip so he can set it up based on the fit data that is now in his computer.
What a GREAT day! So pumped!
The next part of our conversation made me so proud. Rip told me several times that I was strong and that he had given me a somewhat aggressive fit. He kept telling me that it would be an "injustice" to me to give me a less aggressive fit. I asked him how he knew I was strong and he said that he had done many bike fits and he could tell from the way I moved on the bike that I was strong and could handle a more aggressive fit. Those words made me so proud and filled me with confidence.
Note 1: When I raced my first triathlon of the season (see Carmel race report), I wore my black 51 Speedshop t-shirt to the race as a reminder that I was strong, and used Rip's words, "You are strong. It would be an injustice," as a mantra to help me build confidence prior to the start of the race. I've thought of Rip's words several times since then in hard workouts. I always find it interesting that people touch other people without knowing it. I wonder if Rip knows how much his words impacted me.
Note 2: I later took Rip's bike fit specs to a bike shop where I asked the shop's fitter to set up two bikes that I was considering purchasing (Cervelo and BMX) so I could compare the two bikes. The fitter looked at the specs and said, "He really slammed you down there!" His tone wasn't disrespectful of Rip. It was more like he admired Rip but couldn't understand what Rip was doing with me. The fitter asked if he could measure me and I agreed. With every measurement, he said, "Huh!" or "That's perfect." That certainly made me feel good. But the fitter still felt like I was slammed down, so he asked if he could watch me ride. When I had, he said, "That's just right for you. You really look good slammed down there." Ha! Maybe I am strong!
When Rip was satisfied with the fit, he researched bikes that would be a good fit for me and gave me a list of about six bikes that would work.
- Cervelo P3
- Specialize Shiv
- BMX Time Machine
- Trek Speed Concept
- Felt
My next step is to buy a bike and then bring it back to Rip so he can set it up based on the fit data that is now in his computer.
What a GREAT day! So pumped!
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