...how do I navigate the overwhelming entry phase as someone who is about to change careers? I felt the need to write a bit more here because there's just so much going on in my head, so it may take a few minutes. Bikefitting is one of the most delicate and difficult unoffical crafts imho. On one side it's fairly easy to call yourself a bikefitter. On the other hand, you're responsible for other people's health and fun on the bike. You need to know both bike mechanics as well as human anatomy/biomechanics and have a VERY good eye for it. Here in Germany it's super hard to get into the craft the right way (learning directly from a proven expert who actually knows about the human body), because little to no bikefitters want to train newbies. The amount of lone wolves is huge because everyone kinda fears competition. I'm exploring the scene here for around a year now and it seems there are two sorts of fitters: those who fully rely on their eye of the human body and adjust bikes from there with a lot of gut feeling and those who are super into measurements and data. One side says 'the less someone knows about the craft the more data he has', the other side says 'without data it's all just guesswork'. Now, I would get the chance to start out working and learning as a bikefitter in a local bike shop. They primarily use Smartfit for bike sizing and some old-school-ish saddle pressure system. I'm still on the fence whether or not I should start there. In my mind I feel like I need to learn from someone who is far more advanced. On the other side, I need to actually start DOING it, because I'm looking for opportunities for a whole year now. Also, starting out very small and low-level could be a great opportunity to grow and evolve, bring new tools and knowledge into the studio etc. Problem is, and this overwhelms me a lot, that by starting out with real people, there is so incredibly much knowledge and experience that I'm still missing that it just feels WRONG on so many levels to even take on clients. They pay good money and expect a certain service. I have huge respect to the craft and don't want to harm anyone by overlooking important biomechanical aspects. I don't want to become one of those fitters who claim they are highly experienced but in reality do a shitty job. However, not starting means getting stuck in theory forever, and starting out means probably making horrible mistakes.

Our next Premium Bike Fit Academy webinar is live TODAY at 4pm BST 🚴‍♂️ What Different Lower Back Pain Patterns Usually Mean We’re following on from our recent lower back webinar and getting much more practical. We’ll look at different patterns of lower back pain - including one-sided symptoms, pain that builds over longer rides, discomfort in aggressive positions and pain when climbing - and discuss what they might suggest and what I’d actually test first in a bike fit. 📅 Today ⏰4pm BST 👉 Join live via the Calendar tab at the top of the Skool page. Bring your questions - we’ll have time for Q&A at the end.

Thanks to everyone who joined us for Why Your Lower Back Hurts on the Bike 🙌 If you missed it live, or want to watch it again — the full recording is now available FREE for the next 7 days. We covered why lower back pain isn’t always as simple as “your bars are too low”, and how things like saddle position, pelvic movement, hip function, riding posture and fatigue can all play a part. 👉 Head to the Classroom tab at the top of the page to watch it now. 🟢 FREE for 7 days After that, the recording will move into the Premium Webinar Library. And next up, we’ll take things a step further with What Different Lower Back Pain Patterns Usually Mean — getting much more practical with what different symptoms might suggest and what I’d actually test in a bike fit. 🚴‍♂️

Hi everyone, I was wondering if you happen to know if it is possible to order a pair of Lake shoes of different sizes, since a friend of mine measures 305 mm in one foot and 312 in the other. He is thinking of buying the CX333 model and he would need a 49 and a 50, I guess. He prefers the Race last. The width of his foot is 120, medium everything in the fit calculator. Any further insight is welcome. Cheers from Athens, Greece

Dan, I was looking forward to your class tomorrow to hear about your experience. however, I have the opportunity to ride 100 miles and I’m going to jump on that. Where can I find your blog or can you reply briefly with how the Badlands went. I’ve tried looking online.