I am a multi sport athlete, an expert climber and skier, and a 50+ masters Cat 4 cyclist. I met Chris Balser this February after my wife signed me up for his Introduction to Ashtanga Yoga class at the Yoga House. I was trying the class as part of my rehabilitation from a Total Knee Replacement surgery in October of 2009. The surgery was to replace a worn out knee joint which was the result of a number of accidents in my reckless youth. In addition to the bad knee, I had a ¾ inch leg length discrepancy, a pronounced bowed tibia, and a partially torn posterior cruciate ligament. The surgery not only replaced the knee, but also corrected the leg length discrepancy, straitened the tibia, and tightened the posterior cruciate. That was the good news. The bad news was that because of all this work and changes to my body structure the rehab was hell.

I met Chris when I was three months into the rehab, past the worst of the pain, and done with my formal physical therapy. I was already telemarking skiing and cross country skiing, rock climbing and ice climbing, far exceeding my original rehab expectations. However, my cycling rehab was lagging. My left pedal stroke was uneven and resulted in a “hitch” in my hip, my lower back ached, and I had too much weight on my arms. This was after I had just been fit by another professional bike fitter. Chris refitted me on my bike with great care and insight. The result is the hitch is gone and I am in a much more comfortable riding position. This has enabled me to focus on my pedal stroke and rebuild my efficiency and power.

Anyone can be fitted to a formula. The problem is the human body is so complex and cycling biomechanics are so precise that we may not necessarily fit the formula; especially those of us that are older riders or have some type of imbalance or injury issue. Chris brings a higher art to the science of bike fitting. I would recommend Chris to anyone looking for a superior fit or to correct chronic problems. I especially look forward to recommending Chris Balser to my 50+ Master competitors once I am back in full form and have crushed them on the course. How discouraging to be beaten by guy coming off a full knee replacement.

Thank you Chris and I look forward to working with you on my bike fit and in the Yoga class.