The "bike" fit

 Saturday I headed up the Rev 3 HQ in Manassas Va.  It was quite the day - 8 hours on the road-- ultimately worth the time -- a great fit.  I experienced the exceptional attention to detail from Alex Poon and Tim Andrus of Rev3. 
Growing up sailing really set a high bar for me in the sense that I expect "experts in the field" to be generous in sharing their knowledge and experience.  As a community, we send our seasoned sailors out with the new ones to share tips and anecdotal information to nurture the love of the sport.  Over the years I've not always had the same experience in other fields of sport. 
So for me as an embryonic triathlete this was potentially a nerve racking experience.  I like having my questions answered not sneered at and I am a sponge for details.  Tim and Alex not only took in the information I gave them but they also asked lots of good questions.  Within 5 minutes I felt completely comfortable -- so in the spirit of transparency I took ownership of my ride and gave them as much information as I could so they could make informed decisions and give some solid direction on what choices I need to consider.
I have two big races coming up- Rev 3 Knoxville in May and a 70.3 in June. My current bike is sufficient but not enabling me to perform at my best due to some discomfort in the saddle -- when I say discomfort I mean after 40 miles significant pain -- I get that cycling is not like sitting on your recliner watching Bond reruns but at times this is beyond belief.  

 Alex asked me to bring my pedals, shoes and cycling shorts.  I wasn't strong enough to remove them so I just brought the whole bike.... what a treat for me-they were able to take a look at some of the components and give some suggestions. 


I spent several sets on the bike all hooked up to some technology measuring different angles and pressure points -- these guys want me to ride well!  They don't want me focused on shifting around on my saddle finding 30 seconds of comfort -- they want me looking down the road picking off the next competitor.  When I say attention to detail - they were both genuinely interested in any feedback I gave even when it consisted of "wait, I dropped my chin and now I'm back to the pain spots."  I got fed some yummy Powerbars to keep my momentum up!

After lots of pedaling, measuring, retooling and re-measuring I'm sold on the tri-fit.  A QR is in my near future .. the bigger question is do I get it now or wait for the PINK one.  :)