Beginner Friendly - Basic Bike Fitting

Boardman AiR 9.8 in Fluid Platinum - collector's edition

Over the years, I have done fitting on myself and my friends. Armed with knowledge (read: mistakes) and observing pros and elites on how they setup their bicycle. Specialised bike fitting is expensive affair. It can cost anything from RM600 to well over a thousand ringgit. Some fitter allow for 2 bikes, typically a road bike and a triathlon or TT bike. For those asking, a TT and Triathlon bike is "same-same but different". A TT bike rides more aggressively with aerodynamic being the main purpose while a triathlon bike strikes a balance between comfort and aerodynamic. A Triathlon bike has a raised extension arm rest and a TT bike are often slammed all the way down unforgivingly.

Today, I will share what I know about fitting for a a basic road bike and TT fit you can do yourself. This is assuming you has procure a bike that fit your height.

Let's start with this sequence. The aim is a neutral position that is comfortable, stable and lets you produce power without rocking your hips or overreaching. Being comfortable meant you will be able to enjoy the experience better.

1. Set saddle height first

A practical starting point:

• Sit on the saddle with the bike supported.
• Put your heel on the pedal.
• At the bottom of the pedal stroke, your knee should be almost completely straight, without your hip dropping to reach the pedal.
• When you place the ball of your foot over the pedal axle, this should leave roughly 25–35° of knee flexion at the bottom of the stroke.

Signs saddle is too high: hips rocking, pointing your toes excessively, hamstring discomfort, feeling like you're reaching for the bottom of the stroke.

Too low: excessive knee bend, cramped feeling, burning quads, sometimes pain around the front of the knee.

Protip: Inseam method

If you want to get a bit more technical, you can measure your inseam (in cm) and multiply by 0.883 factor.

• Stand against a wall barefoot with your feet roughly 15cm apart.
• Use a book (hardcover) and press it against your groin. Book because it's 90 degree angle between you and the wall, versus using a ruler which may tilt. 
• Measure the distance between the floor and the top of the book. Easier to get another person to help instead of doing it alone.
• Calculate inseam x 0.883. Measure from centre of bottom bracket to the top of the saddle, following the line of the seat tube.
• Adjust from here onwards, dropping or raising 5mm until you get a nice fit.

2. Saddle fore/aft

With the cranks roughly horizontal (3 o'clock position):

• Start with the front of the knee approximately around the pedal spindle.
• Treat this as a starting point, not an absolute fitting rule.
• Then assess whether the front of your knee is over the spindle (move seat behind) or behind the spindle (move seat to front). Aim for the knee right on the spindle.

Protip: Forearm Method

Fist your hand and use the length of your arm from the elbow to fist/knuckle as a guidance distance between the nose of the saddle to the stem/headset.

For a triathlon bike, the saddle will normally be further forward than a conventional road position, expect a tighter fit between elbow-knuckle and consider fist to be on top of the steer tube/headset.

3. Saddle tilt

Most modern phone has a build in level gauge. Start essentially level (0°).

• Road: approximately 0 to -2° nose-down.
• Triathlon: often slightly more nose-down, particularly with split-nose saddles such as an ISM.

Avoid aggressively tilting the saddle down to solve discomfort. You may simply end up sliding forward and loading your arms.

4. Reach and handlebar height

On a road bike, when you're on the hoods:

• Elbows should have a slight bend.
• Shoulders should feel relaxed rather than shrugged.
• You shouldn't need to lock your elbows to reach the controls.
• You shouldn't feel as though you're constantly pushing yourself backwards with your hands.

If you're an endurance/triathlon rider, prioritize a position you can actually sustain for 2–5 hours, rather than chasing the lowest possible front end.

Protip: Sometimes the tilt of the brake hood plays a part in your overall comfort. Some bike come assembled in a way to get an aesthetically pleasing look (brake hood too flat for a clean streamlined handlebar look), so tilting the handlebar up 1 or 2° may help.

Lastly, if you are immediately planning to use a cleat (or clip).

5. Cleat position

Start conservatively:

• Place the pedal axle around the ball of the foot or slightly behind it.
• Set cleat rotation so your feet naturally point where they want rather than forcing them perfectly straight.
• Make sure left/right positions are reasonably symmetrical unless you have a reason for them not to be.

For long-distance triathlon, I generally prefer a slightly more rearward cleat position as the starting point rather than an aggressively forward one. Be warned though, that a slightly more rearward cleat position will take considerable effort to clip in due to the stiff sole that doesn't allow for flexion to clip more readily than the frontward position.

Protip: Setup a camera to record you from the back wheel, so you can see the movement of both left and right foot as you pedal down. Check to ensure your knee is tracking straight, and not flare-out. Adjust your cleat to enable a more neutral position of leg movement. 

6. The ride test is important

After initial adjustment, ride 30–60 minutes and pay attention to where discomfort appears. These discomfort however may not manifest immediately in the first ride. Do bring a bike tool for minor adjustments as you ride. Even for experience fitters, they will offer a follow up readjustment based on your feedback. Do bear in mind that some of us do have imbalance torso (leg, hands, longer body, longer legs) that may throw some of the fitting off - especially when you attempt it yourself the first time.

Symptom	First thing I'd investigate
Front of knee pain	Saddle potentially too low/forward
Back of knee pain	Saddle potentially too high
Hips rocking	Saddle potentially too high
Numb hands	Excessive reach/drop or too much forward weight
Neck/shoulder fatigue	Reach/drop
Saddle pressure	Saddle shape, position and tilt
One-sided knee pain	Cleat rotation/alignment or asymmetry
Sliding forward	Saddle tilt/reach/position
Can't comfortably stay aero	Aero reach, pad width/stack, saddle position

Don't change several things simultaneously. Measure your starting position, change one variable, typically 2–5 mm at a time, and retest.

Do try the tips above - see you on the road!

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Rebuilding from the Inside Out: What My Blood Work Taught Me About My 2026 Races

Photo by Samuel Wee - KLSCM HM 2026 KM19

If you've been following my recent posts, you know that 2026 has been a humbling year of rebuilding. Turning the big 5-0 while working through calf and glute rehab completely rewrote my training playbook. I shifted my focus heavily toward rehabilitation sessions and deep muscle release by my Rehab Specialist which has greatly helped a lot, reducing my mileage by almost 50% even on my daily runs, cutting down interval workouts and having only 12km as my longest "LSD. Doing all these just for chasing smooth, pain-free movement.

But as any endurance athlete knows, what happens on the tarmac is only half the story. The real engine baseline is written in your biology.

After a gruelling season crossing finish lines at the Twincity Half Marathon, Score Half Marathon, the punishing Men of Steel 123, and most recently, the KLSCM Half Marathon, I noticed my pacing and recovery felt unusually heavy. To find out why, I went in for a comprehensive health and a complete blood screening. The results were eye-opening, perfectly explaining why my racing performance felt like an uphill battle. 

What started as the "never recovery" post Twincity HM, which I thought was just jetlag (I returned from US hours before gun off), triggered the year of staggering fall of fitness in all sense, to accepting that even my A-race (KLSCM HM) has to be adjusted to just a "fun run" pretty much sum it all up. 

A year where I thought turning 50 would meant a rebirth, has pretty much turned into a year of rehab. 

🔎 The Blueprint: The Numbers Behind the Kilometers

When the lab report came back, it wasn't all bad news. In fact, a massive relief was seeing completely clear, negative cancer markers across the board, great (good) cholesterol readings, and a stress test to Level 7 giving a good snapshot of no blockage in the system,  proving that the foundation is solid. 

Of course there were not too great numbers as well where the sugar marker is on the higher side and the Creatinine numbers may raise the eyebrows of some doctors not familiar with your diet and regime. Thankfully, the Family Doctor that attended to me know of my creatine dosing regime and how I take high-sugar spikes for races.  

True enough my fasting sugar level was exemplary, my historical (HbA1c) shows I am at the high side - in my doctor's friend word "you are walking to the door of pre-diabetic, not there, but a bit more". If you wonder, HbA1c is the sugar marker in your blood that stays up to 120 days - a reminder that what you take in the past 3-months pre-complete health and blood work will reflect. Thankfully This knowledge was useful to provide a full context on this "walking to the door, but not yet knocking" analogy.

However, a few critical bio-markers immediately jumped off the page, highlighting why I've been hitting a wall:

• Iron Level: 3.1 µmol/L — Crucially low and deeply deficient.
• Hemoglobin: 135 g/L — Hovering at the lower baseline for active males.
• Homocysteine: 18.5 µmol/L — Elevated well above optimal levels.

"Are you undergoing some menses or bleeding as we speak", my doctor friend asked me.  He wondered how I am still standing and not fainted with that amount of low iron or ferritin level in my system.

And this is the scary part - human body is highly adaptive, and the fact I am still functioning says a lot about how I have it all compensated - but at what cost. He went on to say since the rest of the marker is good, it is likely a sports induced anaemia. A condition where the body is even drawing iron from the bone marrow; not a great sign, but it is what it is. 

For comparison, a normal male iron level runs between 11 and 30, and a female 9-28. I was 3. 3 times lower even than a healthy woman on regular menses. 

Not a brag!

📉 Connecting the Dots: How It Impacted My 2026 Races

When you are training for half marathons and multi-sport triathlons, these aren't just minor data points—they are systemic bottlenecks. I am human, and these systemic bottlenecks usually surface itself as frustrations, demotivation and overall $hitty feelings. 

Your easy runs that you used to do at pace 5, within Zone 2 HR now shows up as pace 6-7 and Zone 3/4 HR. Any slower would meant it's a briskwalk. Swimming meant taking more breath than usual per length, and cycling meant the same hill you climbed all your riding life felt like a massive task. 

And there is the indicator that your VO2max starts to drop point-by-point even when you are putting in the work. I lost 8 VO2max points in up until Score Marathon - a short 6-months post Twincity! My Resting HR went from 40 to 52 upon waking up. HRV were all over the place, rest was never restful.

The Oxygen Bottleneck (Twincity & Score Half Marathons)
My iron levels sitting at a severe 3.1 µmol/L meant my body's iron stores were heavily depleted. Iron is the foundational core of hemoglobin, which carries oxygen directly to working muscles. With a hemoglobin reading of 135 g/L, my oxygen-carrying capacity was highly restricted. During the uptempo stretches of the Twincity and Score Half Marathons, my aerobic ceiling felt artificially capped. I was working significantly harder just to maintain baseline cruising paces.

The Heavy Legs Syndrome (Men of Steel 123)
Moving into the grueling volume of the Men of Steel 123 triathlon, the combination of low iron and an elevated homocysteine level of 18.5 became fully apparent. High homocysteine is often a cellular warning flag for suboptimal B-vitamin methylation, which drastically impairs tissue repair and cardiovascular efficiency. It explains the intense, chronic fatigue and why my recovery between the swim, bike, and run legs felt drastically slowed down.

The Rebuild Phase (KLSCM Half Marathon)
By the time I stood on the start line at the KLSCM Half Marathon, in 1 hour and 49 minutes for the 21km course, I had already begun adjusting my focus. Knowing my internal engine was running on low cellular fuel, I relied entirely on structural efficiency and pacing via power metrics rather than forcing empty anaerobic adaptation. Calibrating my expectation from A to Fun Run helped a lot. But that also meant I had to let my aim of breaking PR to another year, and for the first time in the past 5 KLSCM HM, not running a sub 100minutes HM.

Looking at the data post-race, my Stryd power metrics showed that my structural efficiency paid off, bumping my estimated FTP up to 265W. Despite the low internal fuel tank, my resting heart rate (RHR) at 52 bpm post race and Heart Rate Variability (HRV) at 68 ms tracking stayed within stable, safe parameters, proving that my pacing strategy kept me from completely redlining the engine. It was a race about survival and smart execution rather than chasing raw PRs. Those rehab sessions and exercises has further strengthened my glutes, quads and calves to the extend I did not have cramps - the limiting factor was my lack of mileage and muscle fatigue resistance to continue to push past 11km at pace 4:30. 

🛠 The Game Plan: The Recovery & Dosing Strategy

You can't fix a cellular deficit with sheer willpower. Since the bloodwork and consultation with my doctor friend,  my recovery and performance strategy is shifting focus to a targeted nutritional and supplemental protocol to bring down my homocysteine level from 18.5 and restore my iron reserves.

Homocysteine is an amino acid. It need to be broken down to other chemicals the body need. It is a marker of vitamin deficiency - in this case Vitamin B-complex (basically all the Bs). Elevated homocysteine increases the risk of blood clot, heart disease and stroke. This one was the biggest revelation to me, and honestly, scared me a little more than my low iron.

Here is the nutritional and supplemental approach integrated into the daily routine to build the engine back up:

• Sangobion: Utilized to target iron deficiency and support red blood cell production.
• Vitamin B Complex: Included to support methylation and help manage homocysteine levels.
• Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10): Incorporated to support cellular energy production and cardiovascular stamina.
• Fish Oil: Utilized to help address inflammation associated with heavy training loads.
• Probiotics: Included to support gut health and nutrient absorption.
• Magnesium Glycinate: Taken to assist with muscle relaxation and sleep quality.

🗒 The Verdict: Listen to Your Body

Data doesn't lie. Whether it's the power numbers flashing on your Stryd pod or the biochemical data printed on a lab report, your body always tells you exactly where it stands. This blood work wasn't a setback; it was the missing piece of the puzzle. It gave me the precise blueprint needed to fix my foundational health so I can return to the tarmac stronger, healthier, and fully energized.

Until the next run—keep showing up!

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Fiio BTR11 + KZ Castor - The Ultimate Budget Audio Lifeline

Preamble

If you've been following me and my reviews on audio tech, you would know I had been the Shokz ambassador for the past 5 years. I have reviewed almost all the products with the last being OpenFit 2+. 

However, some good things does come to its end; As of October 2026, Shokz Malaysia has not renewed my collaboration with them. Don't get me wrong, I am still running in open-ear gear like Shokz for situational road safety, I still highly value standard in-ear setups for pure, focused listening when I'm away from the tarmac. 

Lightweight BTR11

KZ Castor Harman packing real simple

3 sets of memory foam buds

Often it’s easy to drop thousands on top-tier audio gear, but as I am all for circular economy (aka cheap), I love finding incredible value at price brackets that don't break the bank. So, I put together a personal daily listening setup—the FiiO BTR11 DAC/AMP paired with the KZ Castor Harman edition In-Ear Monitor (IEM). Bonus, I got a set of large memory foam earbuds for better sound seal as well.

To give this combination a real stress test, I compiled a massive 11.5-hour (and growing) "IEM Tester" Spotify playlist filled with everything from deep sub-bass tracks to crisp vocals. After days of testing this budget rig across all my devices, here is my brutally frank review. 

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🔎 The Tech Stack: The Budget Giant-Killers

Before we talk about how it sounds, let's break down the technical blueprint of this under-RM200 combo.

Specification	FiiO BTR 11 Details	KZ Castor Harman Details
Device Type	Ultra-compact Bluetooth DAC/AMP	Dual Dynamic Driver IEM
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.3 (LDAC, AAC, SBC support)	Detachable 2-pin 0.75mm cable
Driver Tech	Independent Amp Chip Architecture	10mm + 8mm Stacked Drivers
Key Features	Built-in mic, USB-C, multi-color indicator	4-level tuning switches (Bass/Treble)
Estimated Price	~RM 99.00	~RM 65.00

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✅ The Pros: Rich, Scaled-Up Sound for Pocket Change

1. The FiiO BTR11 Cleans Up the Signal
If you stream directly from a basic phone headphone jack or cheap wireless adapters, your music gets heavily limited by low-end audio codecs. Flipping the BTR11 on and at Spotify highest streaming (HIGH) brings you to SBC codecs and immediately widens the soundstage. It bypasses cheap internal device audio chips and pumps out clean, hiss-free power that lets the IEMs actually stretch their legs. 

I found out that the BTR11 works better with Android system and it actually stream at LDAC when I transmit from my Android Tablet. There are slight differences between iOS SBC and Android LDAC as the instrument isolation was better. 

No frill

Pendrive small

2. Dual-Driver Muscle on the KZ Castor
The Harman Edition of the Castor relies on a stacked dual-dynamic driver design. When playing bass-heavy tracks on my playlist (think Queen's Another One Bites The Dust, Metallica's Enter Sandman), the low end doesn't just buzz; it slams with deep, tactile authority without muddying the vocal tracks. Being spoilt with sub-bass sound of my car system, it does sound not as deep, but deeper than my Bose QC35 headphone with ANC on. Where this setup really shine was at vocal range. Norah Jones' Come Away With Me and Tsai Chin's Forgotten Times brightens up with a nice soundstage.

4-switches to control the lows (1-2) and highs (3-4)

Dual drivers at cheap

3. Tailored Sound with Physical Switches

On the back (or actually top) of each KZ Castor earpiece are tiny physical tuning toggles. If you find the default Harman target curve a bit too lean in the mid-bass, a quick flick of switches 1 and 2 adds an instant physical lift to the low end. It organically adapts to your music preferences without needing complex software EQ apps. Likewise if you need brighter more crisp sound, flipping switches 3 and 4, which turning 1 and 2 down brings very decent highs into your listening. On mine, I set it to 1-2 on and 3-4 off. I appreciate a meatier bassline.

4. Lightweight, Invisible Comfort
The BTR11 is ridiculously small and clips onto a shirt collar or disappear into your pocket effortlessly. Combined with the ergonomic mould of the KZ Castor, the physical lockdown is good and comfortable. Swapping the earbuds with a memory foam (T500 size) shuts out a massive amount of surrounding ambient noise via natural isolation and good sealing without feeling like the ear canal has been poked or expanded. I tested it on whole day at work, streaming music and attending to work calls without any discomfort. A definite differences when compared to headset where it gets warm due to the cup around the ears.

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⚠ The Caveats: Things to Keep in Mind

1. The Stock KZ Cable is Basic
To keep the entire package well under a double-digit budget, the included rubberized cable is prone to tangling and retains kinks out of the box. It works perfectly fine for what it is, but if you're like me and prefer gear built to survive anything, you might want to swap it out for a cheap aftermarket silver-plated option later. However do take note that changing the cable itself would not do anything to the sound quality in this settings. 

2. BTR11 Power Limits
While the BTR11 drives high-sensitivity IEMs like the Castor beautifully, it lacks a balanced 4.4mm audio output. If you intend to plug in massive, high-impedance studio over-ear headphones, this small amplifier will start running out of juice. Keep it paired with efficient IEMs, and you won’t have any issues. I run the BTR11 on my JVC earphones as well, which brought some life back to an already 10 years old IEM.

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🗒 The Verdict: Who is This Combo For?

The FiiO BTR11 and KZ Castor Harman setup is an absolute masterclass in maximizing performance per Ringgit. If you love listening to highly detailed music but find high-end audiophile gear completely uninspiring due to eye-watering prices, this sub-RM160 layout completely solves the problem. You can get it even cheaper from Pinduoduo as long as you buy them from the official store. My set was from PDD and this cost me less than RM80 in total - half the price of the usual online store based in Malaysia.

It strips away unnecessary lifestyle marketing fluff and delivers an energizing, sort of heavy-hitting sound that makes you want to keep scrolling through your favorite tracks. It's a comfily balanced, cheap layout that simply lets you enjoy a rich audio experience anywhere.

Until the next review—keep showing up!

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Headphone Paracord Hack

My Bose Q35 headphone has travelled the world with me. It was a gift from my wife and it has sentimental value. Often it's easy to replace material things, but as I am all for circular economy (aka cheap), I tend to use my gears until it expire. If luck has it can be fixed, I will fix them. While the earpad is easily replaced with aftermarket units often available for less than RM20 (good quality), the headband is more expensive, and require some risk in removing a few screws and sometimes getting a band that doesn't fit as well as it should.

The best way, is to use paracords and wrap it. Not only it changes the look of the headphone, it adds some individualism into it. I have done it with a dessert pattern paracord and it has served me well for 4 years. Time to change it again, this time with a blue-red cord, as it gives a little more subtlety into how it look overall.

It's easy to do, and it will cost you less than RM10 (for a total paracord length of 100feet) and you only need maybe 10 feet of the cords, model of headband depending.

Pictorial of how to do it, below. Comments to lend some description and guidances.

Here we go.

Dessert cord has seen better times and changing it is a hygiene decision

Removed the old cord, and this time around, i use a cloth tape to wrap it around as the sponge/original headband has greatly disentrigrated and sticky due to the faux leather

The first step is to leave sufficient length of rope at this end that starts the wrap. This is important as you will be pulling this end at completion.

As important, ensure the leading cord overlap the tail at this part. You will need to wrap or start wrapping from here. Pull firmly as you go around the headphone band, ensuring a tight and close cord position.

On the other end, its a loop that you will thread the end of the wrap into. Try to keep this length of loop on the side of the headband as much as possible so you don't have an uneven surface once you are done wrapping.

As you finish off and reached the end of the other loop, thread the end through and continue to hold it tight here while you pull the other end (the start) firmly

Pull the starting end and it will close the loop on the other end!

Tightly wrapped on the starting end

Tightly secured on the loop end

Trim off the excess an use a lighter to terminate the endand press it against the paracord

Do the same for the other end

Looked better than the dessert paracord colorway yes?

Happy trying and leave a message below if you need additional instructions!

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