Business & Tech

Getting the Right Bike for Your Body

Park Slope's newest bike shop helps folks figure out what kind of bike to buy.

Many folks hop on a bike and ride until it hurts. But it doesn't have to be that way —unknown to many, there is a bike for every body size.

But a new bicycle shop in Park Slope has a goal: to make riding on two wheels more comfortable (and safer) for its customers.

Bicycle Habitat, which opened its doors in May and is located on Fifth Avenue between 10th and 11th streets, offers a unique bicycle fitting service, "Body Geometry Fit Integration Technology." The fitting, developed by bike producer Specialized, is a “comprehensive fit philosophy” with that aims to reduce the risk of injury, create a more comfortable ride and enhance over-all riding performance. 

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“There are people who think riding a bike is supposed to hurt. I hear that all the time. Riding your bike is not supposed to hurt, it’s supposed to be fun,” said store manager, Libby McComb. “I think we can get anyone on a bike that is comfortable.”

Essentially, most riders do not realize that they are riding a bike that is either too big or too small for them. Many, for instance, ride on seats that are too small or the handlebars or are too wide, which can cause numbness or pain in the extremities.

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Bicycle Habitat, which sells Trek, Specialized, Linus and Pashly brands of road, mountain, fixies, town and cargo bikes, philosophizes that your bike should match your body’s geometry.

If you purchase a bike at the new store (or the flagship in Manhattan) you get a complimentary fit, which makes adjustments to your bike according to your body’s specific needs. This process analyzes and measures the width of your sit bones (to get the right sized seat), leg length (to make sure you get the correct seat height to ensure the best torque for pedaling), shoulder width and arm length to ensure the handlebars are the correct size.  

The  fitting service is one of a kind—not one of Park Slope’s six other bike shops offer fittings as thorough as Bicycle Habitat .

“I don’t think anyone offers a bad fit, but we offer a professional fit, and no shop to my knowledge offers a professional fit,” said Bicycle Habitat owner Charlie McCorkell, who was the executive director of the bicycle advocacy group Transportation Alternatives from the late 1970’s through the early 80’s. 

McComb and Coy Derbogen, who is the other store manager, have received advanced level training from Specialized and have already successfully fitted over 100 customers each. 

“Any one can benefit from a fit, whether you ride a 40-year-old Schwinn three-speed Cruiser to work or you ride a $10,000 road bike for fun on the weekends,” McComb said. “Anyone can hope to greatly improve their performance or reduce their risk of injury.”

McComb says many women ride with handlebars that are too wide for their shoulders, which can result in numbness or pain in the arms, and can easily be corrected with measurements and the right handlebars.

Another common mistake is that many men ride on seats that are too low or are completely the wrong width, in effect making them experience numbness or discomfort. Fitting also helps people who have preexisting injuries. 

If you buy a bike from Bicycle Habitat, you’ll receive a free fit, but you can get a more thorough one by spending more time and money with a specialist, like McComb or Derbogen. Sizing starts at $25 and a Basic Fit at $75 for non-purchase consultations. For the serious cyclists out there, a Pro Fit will run you $225 and help optimize your performance.

McCorkell said that Park Slope (which with Bicycle Habitat, now has even more bike shops than Williamsburg) is the perfect spot for a serious cycling store like Bicycle Habitat, thanks to an increasing number of riders, the attention the Prospect Park West bike lane received in the press and community, and the fact that people in his neighborhood spend money on bikes.

“I am not hoping to detract from the other stores, but rather help build a real biking community. How many restaurants are on Seventh Avenue?” asks McCorkell. “The reality is that people eat and people bike. The bike has arrived and it is not going to go away at this point.”


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