RETÜL

When did you get into the sport of cycling and how did that lead you to where you are today?

The bike has always been a tool of exploration for me. As soon as I was old enough to leave the house on the bike by myself, I began exploring the neighborhood seeking out fun things to jump my bike off. Eventually, I found trails and quickly became hooked on the thrill mountain biking provides. My Aunt was racing mountain bikes at the time and introduced me to cross-country racing at the age of 13. I quickly realized how much I loved the sport and feel incredibly fortunate to be able to call it my profession today.

What are your goals on the bike and how do you think a Retül Premium fit would you help reach those goals?

Historically, I’ve focused on racing 1.5 hour cross-country’s. Over the last couple of years, I’ve started dabbling in the longer endurance events and feel those races suite my skill set and abilities quite well. For 2022, I’ve decided to go all in on this type of racing and my primary focus will be the Life Time Grand Prix. The series is unique as it incorporates multiple disciplines and time spent racing on the bike. As I will be spreading my time across several different bikes, a Retul Premium fit will allow me to know that all of my bikes are set up consistently. This makes it easier to jump from one to another and instantly feel comfortable as well as prevent injuries.

Was there anything specific that you wanted the fitter to focus on before coming into the session?

Going into the Retul fit, I was looking for confirmation that my current fit is still suiting my needs on the bike. It had been a few years since my last bike fit and even though I am no longer growing, the body is still something that is constantly changing. While the changes we ended up making were relatively small, they have made a sizeable difference in terms of comfort on the bike. It just goes to show what a difference a change of a couple millimeters can make. 2022 will be my most demanding in terms of hours spent racing on the bike. It’s nice to go into the season having the confidence that my fit is fine tuned.

Do you think a bike fit is important as part of an overall training strategy?

I do believe a bike fit is something that should be incorporated into an overall training strategy. Throughout my junior and U23 years, I historically got a bike fit before each race season. A proper bike fit can help identify any sort of bike setup issues before it’s too late. Once my growth slowed down, these began to be spaced out more, but I still firmly believe a good bike fit is something that should be done regularly as a form of injury prevention. I know several people who have decided to get a bike fit once they’ve started experiencing some sort of pain or discomfort on the bike. A good bike fit can identify any red flags and help set you up for a successful and injury free season so I certainly encourage incorporating a routine fit into your annual training strategy.

What did you find most interesting about your Retül Premium fit session? Did you learn anything new about yourself?

The most interesting thing I took away from the Retul Premium fit was the ability to fine tune your fit to the discipline and type of riding you are accustomed to. We all know the fit of a mountain bike is going to differ from how you may ride on the road bike. The Retul premium fit allowed me to dial in my mountain bike fit even more to the demands of the sport. Additionally, we were able to take the numbers from my mountain bike fit and find overlap on my road fit to ensure I had a fit that is both road suitable but also similar enough to my MTB fit that there aren’t any drastic changes between the two bikes, making it easy to cross over between the two and feel at home.

What were the changes made to your bike and how did those changes affect your position?

The primary change we made to my bike setup was dropping my saddle height 2mm. I know this doesn’t sound like much, but the change has been noticeable on the bike. In general, the position feels more comfortable, but the benefits on the mountain bike also include lowering my center of mass which should help in technical riding. We also rolled the hoods back on my road bike. This allows for a much more comfortable position as my wrists are no longer bent. I feel I’ll really notice this change at the end of a race such as Unbound!

How was your Retül Premium fit experience overall and would you recommend a Retül fit to other athletes/ riders?

The entire Retul experience was neat to see. The amount of technology and accuracy behind a premium fit is extremely impressive. I was very impressed with how dialed everything was.

I would absolutely recommend a Retul fit to other athletes. It’s a relatively cheap insurance policy to make sure you are setting yourself up for enjoyment on the bike. Bike fits are an excellent way to prevent injuries and ensure you are getting the most performance out of your body on the bike.

Real Rider Stories: Premium Fit Edition - Russell Gets Race Ready