BIKE FITTING SERVICES
Serving the unique needs of cyclists of all abilities has been a specialty of our clinicians for many years. Most of these services can be covered by insurance if they are included in a course of physical therapy dealing with pain, injury, or injury prevention. We created a sister business in 2012, R2 Bicycles, to make cycling solutions more comprehensive, faster, and more efficient for our cycling clients. R2 Bicycles works in tandem with Prevail PT on fittings and offers select equipment and bike sales. Our clinicians have extensive training in bike fitting, cycling biomechanics, and personal riding experience.
What to Expect/Bike Fit Protocol
A standard bike fit consists of the following steps. Note that the full assessment process requires at least two to four hours of time, which can be done in multiple, one-hour visits (required if using health insurance) or in multiple-hour blocks of time if the client is paying out-of-pocket.
Step 1:
Client interview, intake review, & cyclist physical exam.
Time: 30-60 min
Step 2:
Bike mounting on trainer and initial measurements of bike geometry and fitting data.
Time: 15 min
Step 3:
Cycling motion video recording, review, interpretation, and documentation of video analysis. Correlation of findings with exam & case history.
Time: 15-30 min
Step 4:
Development and implementation of Action Plan with report of all findings and recommendations, which may include:
- Cleat adjustment
- Adjustment of existing positioning equipment (saddle, handlebars, etc.)
- Test positions using fitting stem
- Test positions using Guru mechanical fit bike
- Saddle testing with SwitchIt saddle quick change device
- Saddle and/or shoe insole pressure mapping
- Corrective exercise for mobility and strength/control necessities
- Training modifications
- Skill drills
- Equipment and mechanical recommendations
- Referral to additional help (physical therapy, diagnostic imaging, coaching, medical consultation, personal trainer, etc.)
Time: 1-5 hours
We have a rich history of supporting cycling organizations and events. Contact us if your organization is interested in sponsorship.
Services Include:
- Cycling-specific movement retraining and rehab
- Computrainer pedaling analysis
- Guru DFU (Dynamic Fit Unit): the most advanced bike fitting system in the world
- Foot-pedal interface assessment and correction
- Clinical and Adaptive bike fitting
- Video motion analysis
- Collaboration with custom bike builders and retail shops
- sEMG testing and training
- Pedobarography
- Custom orthotics
- Training consultation
- Educational seminars for your organization: injury prevention, performance, training principles
Bike Fitting Payment Options
There are three main options for payment for bike fitting services- medical bike fit covered by insurance, non-medical bike fit paid for out-of-pocket, and a hybrid option.
A medical bike fit means that the fit is meant to address pain or injury, prevent injury, or develop an accommodation for an existing musculoskeletal problem. A medical bike fit is basically physical therapy that addresses your cycling position and biomechanics. We must first perform a Physical Therapy evaluation to establish you as a patient, and more importantly, identify a neuromusculoskeletal issue that would indicate that a medical bike fit would be justified. The upside of this is that the fitting process is billed as part of your physical therapy care and is typically covered under your standard health insurance benefits. Note that there is a wide range of insurance coverage variability for PT with different health insurance companies and plans. This may create a lower out-of-pocket expense for you and allow us more time/visits to work through any potentially complex fitting issues. The downside is that we must then operate under the constraints of insurance company coverage, which means in part that we can only work with you (i.e., bill your insurance) for an hour per day. Since a bike fit typically takes 2-5 hours, that would mean scheduling multiple appointments, in addition to the initial evaluation appointment.
We also do non-medical bike fits, with out-of-pocket patment, and we can schedule as much time as we see fit for it on any given day. We perform the same interview and “cyclist evaluation” that we do for a medical bike fit because it does provide critical information for any bike fit, so there is no difference in the bike fitting procedure or time required. This requires at least a two-hour session to start. An initial fit is usually 2-4 hours and often requires some follow up to assess response to changes or obtain parts, etc.
There is also a hybrid payment option where multiple hours are schedule on one day, the first hour is billed to insurance, and the remaining hours are paid out of pocket at the time of service.
To help make the most of visit time, we appreciate receiving any treatment notes and imaging reports in advance of your visit.