Real Rider Stories: Haley Batten Climbs to the Top

Kicking off the cross-country mountain bike race season with a second place win at the world-renowned Super Cup Massi is just the tip of the iceberg for this U-23 rider. Having just recently signed on with the Specialized Racing team at the young age of 21, Haley Batten is definitely showing the world she is here not only to compete but to win. 

Growing up in Park City, Utah there was definitely no shortage of outdoor activities for Haley to participate in, especially biking. “Mountain biking has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. My family would travel to great riding destinations to camp with friends and to explore new areas. This gave me an appreciation for the accessibility and freedom that cycling provides at a young age.” We can all agree that there is something to say about the feeling a bike gives you when exploring your surroundings. There really is nothing else like it.

But her love for mountain biking didn’t stop there, and eventually grew into something more than just a fun pastime on family vacations. “When I was nine years old I started joining in on the local bike races that my Dad was competing in and by 13-years old, I was absolutely in love with the sport. Since then, cycling has provided me with the opportunity to travel around the world, while connecting me with a community of incredible people.”

And as they say, the rest is history. For Haley, her racing career is just getting started, and this past weekend was definitely a testimony to the great things we can expect from her this season.

After being signed on to the Specialized Racing team, and receiving all her sweet new gear, it was time to get her bike position fully dialed for training and competing.

“I had heard great things about Jason Williams and the Retül bike fit experience in Boulder [Colorado] and it worked out extremely well that I would be in Denver when I needed to get a fit on my new S-works Epic Hardtail. I was absolutely blown away by the entire Specialized Boulder Experience Center. There is so much passion for innovation and the team values giving every rider the best bike fit possible.” stated Batten.

Haley and her support team arrived at the Retül Fit studios in Boulder with her new S-works Epic Hardtail AXS ready and eager to get the fit process underway. “I have had quite a few bike fits throughout my cycling career, but more recently I have realized how incredibly important it is to have the right fitter and to pay attention to every detail.” Haley has some big goals this year setting her focus on the Mountain Bike World Cup and World Championships. Which means there is no better time than now to get into the proper riding position.

“This year I’ll be racing my final season in the Under 23 category. I want to be consistently racing at the front of the field throughout the season. To be that consistent, I need to be the best rider that I can be throughout my preparations. This Retül fit is a crucial component of that. Not only do I want to reduce injury and pain, but I also need to be as efficient and comfortable on my bike as possible. For me, being one with my bike is key to being focused and giving my all on race day.”

Knowing what her goals are for the year is just one part in the complete Retül Fit process. The initial conversation with the rider is really the starting point to help the fitter understand what direction they need to take the fit session, and how to improve upon specific areas of focus. Retül Sports Scientist Jason Williams took Haley through a complete physical assessment to understand her range of flexibility and motion to determine what her limitations might be on the bike (if any). Combining this with her goals on the bike is a crucial step in the fit process.  “As an elite athlete, Haley has excellent range of motion and joint stability. That said, there were a few elements of the physical assessment that Haley was keen to improve on and we discussed a strategy to work on some targeted exercises with her team support staff.” Explains WIlliams. She is also on a new race bike, so it is important to get her into a position that she can begin comfortably and efficiently training in. 

Williams reviewing Retül real-time data with Haley.

This next part is where everything from the initial rider interview and pre-fit physical assessment come in to play as the fitter starts to capture real-time dynamic data using the Retül motion capture system. “We always connect specific observations from the rider and the pre-fit assessment to data points in the Retül motion capture. If there is a problem area and the data confirms that the position is "out of range," the motion capture can guide us to a more neutral and balanced position. All athletes appreciate the peace of mind associated with knowing that their position is properly set up for their body.” Informed Williams.

Williams setting Haley up with custom footbeds.

Haley and Jason spent a lot of time tailoring the fit and support of her S-works Recon Mountain bike shoes with Retül custom footbeds. In addition to that,  “We fine tuned the saddle height and position including switching to a Women's S-works Power Saddle with Mimic and making sure the width was appropriate for her.” Additionally, they worked on the handlebar position and some very specific details pertaining to the placement of the controls like angle and width of the brake and shift levers.

“These adjustments straightened my back, reduced knee lateral movement, and gave me a better “attack” position. I immediately felt less upright than I did before the fit, and the adjustments absolutely customized the bike for my body.” Having a good rider and fitter relationship is really key to obtaining a position on the bike that works best for the rider. “Haley has excellent body awareness and was very tuned in to the incremental improvements. The bike began to feel more like "her" bike as we moved through the adjustments - and for her that felt like a fast, efficient race winning machine!” 

The only step left is to go out and ride! Trying the fit and getting used to all the changes that have been made is definitely the most important part about a Retül Fit. That is when you can provide feedback to the fitter, and maybe make additional adjustments if something is not quite working. And, as your body and goals on the bike changes, so does your fit. Fortunately for a rider like Haley she was able to immediately get out there and try everything out after her fit session with Jason.

“The bike is amazing!! I have had a chance to get out on the bike for both challenging workouts and trail explorations. I can definitely feel the difference between before the fit and afterward. Now, when I am out riding I have absolutely no knee pain and feel that I am capable of anything.” 

Ultimately Haley had this to say about her experience, “Overall, I was extremely impressed with my Retül fit experience. I know that every detail was taken into consideration and I left feeling confident and ready to ride! I’ve learned how important it is to have a bike fit because they can reduce small injuries that can keep you off the bike for longer than you expect, but also because a good fit can make riding so much more enjoyable. The bike is more reactive to your riding style and makes you a much more capable rider. A Retül fit is so precise and can highlight small imbalances or improper motion that can be adjusted. I would absolutely suggest this for any athlete or rider!” 

Haley at team camp getting fit with Waylon on her S-Works Epic AXS.

Following her Retül fit in Boulder, Haley jetted off to Spain for the Specialized XC racing team camp where she also received a Retül Fit on her S-Works Epic AXS mountain bike with Waylon Woolcock, Retül Fit instructor for Specialized in South Africa. More to come on her second Retül fit experience, but I think it is easy to say that the results speak for themselves. Next up for Haley is the Cyprus Sunshine Epic, one of the most historical mountain bike races in the world, and we can’t wait to see what this young racer does on race day.