Providing a fresh perspective on one of the oldest sports in the world, the affable crew over at Elite Custom shares its American expertise on the importance of a perfect fitting bike to our Singaporean riders.
Elite Bicycles, a Philadelphia-based bike company, has always prioritised the importance of a bicycle that fits its rider perfectly to enhance performance. A key ingredient to achieving this, which is often overlooked by other bike companies that mainly offer mass-manufactured and off-the-peg bikes, is taking the time to understand how every individual body works. A lot of bike fitters approach bike customising by only fitting them to the closest customizable option; this often fails to address the different body specificities of each and every rider.
Bringing over his own experiences as a professional triathlete, Director of Elite Bicycles David Greenfield felt that not only top-level cyclists but casual riders and cycling enthusiasts alike here in Singapore should be granted the chance to experience the comfort, pleasure and performance of riding a bike that fits their body perfectly and uniquely. That’s part of the reason why he decided to personally come down to our tropical metropolis to set up his latest branch.
After David left the world of professional racing to pursue what he felt was a void in the bicycle industry, he went on to learn more about sports physiotherapy and biomechanics, and eventually developed his own technique of understanding how a cyclist’s body works, namely Bike Fit Acupressure. By using this technique, he and his highly trained crew apply the unique measurements and dynamics of a rider to building a fully customised or, more appropriately, a fully ‘personalized’ bike.
“What Elite Bicycles offer to our riders is a bike that can match their own distinctive riding style while offering the space to adjust between levels of how aggressive you’d like to ride. We accomplish this by teaching you, the rider, how your own body works and the natural way it moves, and building the bike proportionally to your needs to maximise performance as well as comfort.”
The magic happens in a modest but cosy shop in Balestier. “We chose this area because it’s a great neighbourhood, and with the dedicated sports mall Novena Velocity just around the corner, it’s a good place to position ourselves in this area where sports enthusiasts and serious athletes would often frequent,” says Max Hamalainen, Fit Specialist of Elite Bicycles.
Placed across the walls is a sparkling display of the well-crafted Elite bike frames, as well as a collection of equipment from brands that are chosen only because they believe in their quality; many of which are seen on these shores for the first time. They also carry Cycle Soles technology in their shop, providing fully customisable footbeds for better contact of your feet’s engagement points. As a matter of fact, they’ve even tried using this technology to create a customised saddle before!
Equipped with a therapy bed, a fitting bike and a fully mirrored wall for customers to get a better view when David coaches them on their own biomechanics, there is always an amiable and laidback ambience in the air. “The key is not to let anybody who steps into this shop feel intimidated or belittled. We will treat anyone who walk through those doors with respect, and will try our best to answer any and every question they may have about cycling. We’d even entertain guests if they simply just want to drop by to hang out!” Greenfield quips.
The main difference with Elite Custom is that the man behind the bikes himself is behind the shop as well. This offers a more direct interaction, and helps to foster a stronger relationship between the brand, the team and the customers. But of all the other countries in the region; some with a larger cycling population, why Singapore specifically?
“The other reason why we chose Singapore to set up a branch of Elite Custom is of course that I just simply love it here. Other than the climate, the order of things in this city is a comforting element to me; I like playing by the rules. What’s wrong with playing by the rules?” Nothing at all. Especially when David as well as the rest in Elite Bicycles has boldly stepped forward to establish a brand new set of them in the world of bike fit.
Find Elite Custom here.
