Chris Steffanoni - Aligned Sports Therapy

11/12/2025

Non-integrated handlebars and stems are a bike fitter's delight.
We can easily swap out different stem lengths and angles to dial in a position.
Integrated bars, on the other hand, require a few prayers to hope they are the right size or the rider is prepared to drop a bunch of cash to change the cockpit if the sizing is wrong. (Understandably, plenty of riders just opt for a compromised bike fit rather than drop $900 on new bars).

A vast range of variables will determine a cyclist's ideal stem length, and it's always a bit hit and miss if the stock stem a bike is sold with is appropriate for the rider.

Too long and the rider will end up riding the nose of their saddle.

Too short, and the rider will have to brace a whole lot of body weight through their hands and shoulders.

04/12/2025

The 2025 bike fit list is in.

As usual, Giant was the most common brand people brought in for bike fit assessments. Fifty per cent of bikes were from the top 3 brands.
Notable trends for this year were more Merida bikes and far fewer BMCs.
Curve was surprisingly popular with a mix of models coming through the door.
One significant shift I noticed was the presence of far fewer Italian bikes, with only a handful of bikes arriving with Campy. 😭
It wasn't long ago that Pinarello was one of the most common bikes I would see. They are few and far between at the moment.

1. Giant
2. Specialized
3. Merida
4. Trek
5. Cannondale
6. Canyon
7. Curve
8. Cervelo
9. Scott
10. Orbea
11. BMC
12. Felt
13. Focus
14. Time
15. Baum

01/12/2025

Our clinic is running a food donation drive for the Gisborne Foodbank.
Food insecurity is a huge burden on our society, with 3.5 million Australian households struggling to put food on the table.
Every day, parents skip meals so they can feed their kids, kids go to school hungry, and families go without as they try to pay rent or mortgage repayments.

- One in two renting households has experienced food insecurity in the last year.
- Most households that include someone with a disability or significant health condition experience severe food security
- Most single-parent households are now food insecure.

If you can help, feel free to drop off any items at our friendly front desk team at Liberty Health and Happiness

🙏🏻

23/11/2025

Last week marked ten years since I began my work with Liberty Health & Happiness in Gisborne.

At first, I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy working in a town where I grew up, but I quickly adapted to seeing familiar faces from my teenage years and reconnecting with the community.

There's something really special about your local barista being someone you went to kinder with, and many clients ask about our family because they remember my mum as their primary school teacher.

Thanks to the Liberty team for your support over the years, and to all the clients who have trusted me to help with their sore backs, dodgy knees, and tired legs.

05/11/2025

Always looking for dishes that boost veggie intake.
Roughly 5% of Aussies meet their recommended 5 serves of veg per day.
This simple smokey baked bean lunch sneaks 3 serves I to your day.

23/10/2025

Around a quarter of the bikes people bring into the studio for bike fits are gravel bikes. They boomed during the pandemic years and haven't let up.
As always, fits are guided by rider goals. Some want more speed, others better control and many just want to feel comfortable and avoid injury.
It's always an enjoyable working through the process.

22/10/2025

14/10/2025

Is your 2025 handlebar set-up still going to be legal in 2026?

Well, it depends on where you are racing.
have confirmed updated changes coming into effect on January the 1st.

If you're racing the Australian Championships or next year's Amy's GranFondo UCI worlds qualifier, all of these new rules will apply to you. (Unless you are a kid racing J15 or J17 categories).

has wisely made some good exemptions for club and state level racers so you don't all have to go buy new handlebars.

Bar width ✅
Bar flare ✅
Hood angle ✅
Distance between hoods ✅

03/10/2025

Bike fit studio vibes.

19/09/2025

One of the most inconsistent things we see on new bikes is brake hood placement from the factory.

If the hoods aren't set to an orthodox position, most riders can find an ergonomic position in either the hood or drop position, but not both.
Even within the same brand, we see some huge discrepancies in how bikes are put together.

15/09/2025

Last year, the longest stem we used was 150mm for some elite road and track cyclists. The shortest length was 50 mm on some mountain bikers and one tiny road bike.

When selecting stem size, we need to consider bike handling, rider comfort, efficiency, and, for some riders, aesthetics.

If the stem is too long, riders just creep forward onto the nose of their saddle when fatigued or under load.

If their stem is too short, riders tend to brace excessive weight through their arms and shoulders.

Bike fitting is complex and often counterintuitive.

07/08/2025

Evening calm. 🌆