Whats stopping bike shops from adopting a more nuanced approach to assisting heavier riders in selecting the right components, one that prioritizes individualized assessments of strength, flexibility, and riding style over blanket weight limits and generic heavy-duty product recommendations?
Its long been acknowledged that the traditional approach to bike fitting prioritizes aesthetic considerations over actual rider comfort and performance, with heavier riders often being relegated to beefed-up versions of standard components that may or may not be suitable for their specific needs. Meanwhile, the increasing availability of advanced computer-aided design and manufacturing techniques has made it theoretically possible to create highly customized components tailored to individual riders unique characteristics.
So, why do bike shops continue to rely on such a primitive, one-size-fits-all approach to component selection for heavier riders? Is it simply a matter of cost and convenience, or is there a deeper, more ingrained bias against heavier riders thats driving this lack of innovation and progress? And what would it take for bike shops to start taking a more proactive, forward-thinking approach to serving the needs of heavier riders, who are presumably just as deserving of high-quality, tailored components as any other segment of the cycling community?
Its long been acknowledged that the traditional approach to bike fitting prioritizes aesthetic considerations over actual rider comfort and performance, with heavier riders often being relegated to beefed-up versions of standard components that may or may not be suitable for their specific needs. Meanwhile, the increasing availability of advanced computer-aided design and manufacturing techniques has made it theoretically possible to create highly customized components tailored to individual riders unique characteristics.
So, why do bike shops continue to rely on such a primitive, one-size-fits-all approach to component selection for heavier riders? Is it simply a matter of cost and convenience, or is there a deeper, more ingrained bias against heavier riders thats driving this lack of innovation and progress? And what would it take for bike shops to start taking a more proactive, forward-thinking approach to serving the needs of heavier riders, who are presumably just as deserving of high-quality, tailored components as any other segment of the cycling community?