This bike fitting case study follows three years of work between Matt Hallam, founder and WorldTour bike fitter at Crimson Performance, and Fin Pickering, a WorldTour rider now with Team Jayco AlUla. It explains how saddle pressure mapping, in-shoe pressure mapping, crank length testing and cockpit adjustments were carried out across three fits, an example of the level of detail behind every professional cyclist bike fit at Crimson Performance.
Fin doesn't need much of an introduction, he is one of the brightest talents in British Cycling and rides for the WorldTour Team Jayco AlUla. His breakthrough ride at the 2025 La Vuelta Ciclista a España demonstrated how he can compete with the world's best climbers and GC riders. Fin recently finished 5th on stage 2 of the 2026 Tour de Suisse beating none other than Tadej Pogačar. It is safe to say that it is a matter of time before Fin picks up a big WorldTour win and we can't wait to see it!
I started working with Fin back in 2023, he had just signed for the WorldTour team Bahrain Victorious and joined as a neo-pro. Fin needed support with confirming frame size, finish kit specification and components for his new Merida Scultura team bike. Fin was also experiencing soft tissue discomfort with his saddle setup; this had led to the development of sores in the past which had resulted in time off the bike.
In this first session the goal was to achieve a solid foundation. We went back to basics, optimising saddle height, setback, reach and bar drop. Fin was a front-loader as you can see from the initial pressure mapping shots below.
My goal was to reduce the pressure at the front of the saddle and reposition the load onto a more stable part of the saddle. You can see two high pressure points through both Pubic Rami and a blanket of pressure on the soft tissue which was leading to compression of the perineal nerve. The Pubic Rami are the bridges of the pelvis and can take higher load vs the perineum. Finding a Prologo saddle that was able to reduce overall pressure was also a goal and after multiple tests we landed on the Prologo Scratch M5 CPC PAS 140. Bahrain Victorius is sponsored by Prologo so we had to stick with their road range for testing. The final pressure mapping result is below.
We finished with a 52mm saddle setback which was a big reduction from his start position, this setback worked well at reducing forward movement on the saddle and helped maintain a more open hip angle when holding a more aero attack position. After finishing on the Purely Custom jig, we collected all the data and decided on a small Scultura 10K frameset with an inline seatpost, Vision Metron 130mm / 36cm cockpit and zero stack under stem.
The next session with Fin was exactly a year later. Fin had some specifics to cover after using the Merida team bike for a year. Fin wanted to test shorter cranks, a different Prologo saddle and in-shoe support. We reset the Purely Custom jig with the data from 2023 and started with a 5mm reduction to crank length. Fin was running 170mm cranks after his initial fit but felt that his hip angle was compromised during longer efforts in the saddle. As such he was falling back into old habits and front loading the saddle to open the hip angle in seated efforts. We dropped the crank length to 165mm (increased SH and BH by 5mm) which resulted in a 5deg increase in Fin's hip angle at the top of the pedal stroke. We used in-shoe pressure mapping to validate the crank change with the force pressure time plot. This data showed less of a drag at the top of the pedal stroke and a smoother power delivery with the 165mm cranks.
We also tested 160mm cranks, but Fin's feedback was better with the 165mm cranks. Bike fitting is a balance between feedback and data. The 160mm cranks showed a marginal difference in the data and Fin felt that the circumference of the pedal stroke was too short especially when climbing out of the saddle. Giving the rider time to develop feedback during the fit process is important to develop a feel for changes. This testing is easy to do on the Purely Custom jig and very difficult to do without it.
The introduction of shorter cranks also helped with Fin's saddle pressure, the 165mm cranks allowed Fin to sit back further on the saddle which reduced the pressure through the front. Another big change was the saddle, after using the Prologo Scratch M5 CPC PAS 140 for a season Fin was keen to try something different. After multiple tests we landed on the Prologo Nago R4 3D 137. Fin liked the 3D construction, and the textured upper seemed to help reduce forward movement.
I also made a set of Sidas Custom Ultra insoles for his new Nimbl Ultimate road shoes. Alongside the 165mm cranks and Prologo Nago R4 3D 137 saddle, I also pulled Fin's reach out by 10mm resulting in a 140mm cockpit for the 2025 season.
My next session with Fin was at the end of 2025. Fin had some big news to share; he had just signed a contract with WorldTour Team Jayco AlUla. We had to confirm frame sizing for his new Giant Propel as well as finish kit specification. With the change of team Fin was also able to explore other saddle options outside of the Prologo range. I reset the jig to the optimal fit data from the 2024 fit. This gave us a good benchmark for testing; we decided to start the session with the new Selle Italia SLR 3D Carbon in S3. I wanted to test a narrower saddle with Fin; this wasn't possible with the Prologo range but the S3 SLR offered a 7mm reduction vs the Prologo Nago R4 3D. I wanted to create space through the centre of the saddle, so Fin had no barrier to use the back of the saddle. The SLR also offers exceptional soft tissue relief with its big cutout. I felt that we could help stabilize Fin's pelvis with more tuberosity contact compared to pubic rami engagement. Fin excelled in the high mountains and was able to produce world class power numbers in a seated position. The sustainability of power in these seated efforts is the difference between winning or losing a WorldTour stage. Any small improvements can unlock a potential stage win. It's important to keep a check on the sacral angle when pushing a rider further back on the saddle. I wanted to achieve an anterior rotated pelvic position which would encourage more gluteal engagement especially with the forward saddle setback and 165mm cranks. The Selle Italia SLR 3D Carbon in S3 ticked both of those boxes.
The Propel offered an opportunity to lower Fin's bar height, we decided to make the most of this. We ended the jig testing with a 15mm bar height reduction. The reach remained the same as our 2024 fit. After finishing on the Purely Custom jig, we collected all the data and decided on a small Propel frameset with a Cadex one-piece cockpit measuring 130mm / 36cm and zero stack under stem.
Working with a WorldTour pro is always a rewarding experience, gaining trust is a big part of the process and we are grateful that Fin was so open to changes. Our process of testing, analysis and validation is one of the reasons why we work with so many pro riders. Being able to see results real time is such a massive confidence boost for riders who are looking for the small 1% gains. We wish Fin all the best in the upcoming 2026 La Vuelta Ciclista a España.
