http://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/lifestyle/fitrecord.html

(www.slowtwitch.com) April 04, 2006 -- A moderately busy tri shop will execute 50 full-blown expert-level tri bike fits in a year. A serious shop will perform 50 fits in half a year. The marquis shops in North America will do twice that many, that is, 50 fits in a quarter.

How long does it take SBR Multisports, Manhattan's busiest tri shop, to perform 50 fits? It varies, of course, but last weekend SBR was bustling. It performed 57 fits over the weekend, one hour per fit, one fit at a time.

Yes, the math makes this problematic. There are only 48 hours in a weekend, 72 hours if you count Friday, and 60 hours if you start at Friday noon. New York is a 24-hour city, to be sure, but who's coming in for a bike fir at 3AM? Followed by another prospect at 4AM? And do you rise early for a fit session during this time, or stay up very late?

SBR's intention was to set a world record for bike fits and, no evidence to the contrary having been produced, it seems to have succeeded. These were tri bike fits, conducted in accordance with F.I.S.T. principles (Fit Institute Slowtwitch).

These fits were not performed for free. Everyone who was positioned was asked to donate a minimum of $100, the proceeds going to the Veterans of Foreign Wars. The VFW is close to the heart of the owner of SBR, Belgian-born Christophe Vandaele, himself a veteran of oversees conflicts. On this same weekend, 12 years ago, Vandaele lost his entire platoon in an ambush during the Rwandan genocide. He and his staff seargent were held captive for the succeeding two weeks.

Over $5000 was raised during this record-setting venture, certainly a win for everyone involved and worthy of notice here on these pages.

Will Vandaele and his shop (three of whom are F.I.S.T.-certified fitters, always be this busy, doling out take-a-number, get-in-line repositions Soup-Nazi style? Probably not. Adding last weekend's total to the year-to-date tab, however, this shop has probably executed more tri bike fits in 2006 than any other worldwide.

Keep up the good work, SBR. (But make sure and get some sleep.)