Why Comfort Beats FTP in Long Distance Cycling — With Phil Burt
About this episode
Phil Burt discusses the importance of bike fitting and position over FTP in long distance cycling.
Phil Burt has fitted Chris Froome, Bradley Wiggins, Chris Hoy and Geraint Thomas. He designs saddles for Physique, runs his own clinic in Manchester, and has spent two decades at the sharp end of bike fitting in elite sport. He also wrote a LinkedIn post recently that got a lot of people talking — and that's where this episode starts. Phil's argument: FTP is overrated. Not useless, but overrated. From there we get into why 165mm cranks are worth serious consideration for a lot of riders, why a bag full of expensive saddles is almost never the answer to the problem people think it is, and why after five or six hours in the saddle your position matters far more than your power numbers. We finish by talking about MyVeloFit, the app Phil has developed with a Canadian tech team that lets you access his expertise from anywhere in the world, without leaving your house. If you ride a bike for any serious amount of time, this one is worth your full attention. 5 KEY POINTS FTP is the engine but the chassis matters too. The right position, crank length and body robustness matter far more than power numbers beyond the five-hour mark. Asymmetry is normal and usually not a problem. British…
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