Over 7 years ago Roger, my colleague and a fellow Director at Mosquito, travelled to Saratoga Springs in upstate New York to learn the (then fairly new) art of bikefitting. At the time Mosquito were Serotta dealers and it made sense for one of us to learn the necessary skills for using the Serotta built and designed Sizecycle.
Well, things have moved on since then, we no longer stock Serotta, but Roger has performed countless fits with many satisfied clients utilizing his knowledge and expertise, to ride longer more efficiently and more comfortably.
Although we no longer work with Serotta we still believe the system originally devised by Ben Serotta to be the best system available. The course for training bikefitters using this system is now run by the Serotta International Cycling Institute (of which we are members) who say of the system.
“The SICI methodology is a systematic, repeatable and scientifically sound approach to positioning a rider on a bicycle. That does not mean that every fit will have the same outcome, only that the process will be the same. Every individual has characteristics that will define how he or she moves and their optimal position on a bike. For example a history of musculoskeletal injuries will affect how a rider’s body moves and what position is comfortable while riding a bike. The SICI methodology combines a client interview with physical measurements and assessments; resulting in what we beleive is an optimal cycling position for that individual”

In other words just taking your inseam and doing a rough calculation on frame size and saddle height doesn’t cut it!
With the range of custom bikes we now have to offer at Mosquito we are making increasing use of Roger’s extensive fitting knowledge. But he can’t do it all; and so I found myself at 7am on a very cold Sunday morning in a converted farmhouse next to the Serotta factory with 20 like minded souls at the start of a 3 day intensive course in the art of bikefitting the SICI way. It was a fascinating experience and there was a lot to take in - functional anatomy, biomechanics, bike design and theory and lots of hands on use of the Sizecycle.
Well, aided by many American sized cups of coffee, I got through it and (hopefully) passed the exam at the end! It was all very sociable,one of the great things about the bike trade is that by and large you spend your time with like minded souls - a particular highlight was an evening as the guests of Ben Serotta and his wife in their home, American hospitality at it’s best.
Now I just have to find ten lucky souls to perform my pratice fits on and i’ll be a fully certified SICI Bikefitter - Mosquito staff are lining up allready!