Chris Steffanoni - Aligned Sports Therapy

05/09/2026

One of the most satisfying parts of my work is helping para athletes prepare to represent Australia. The work is complex and rewarding. The athletes are some of the most inspiring.
Best of luck to the whole team at the World Championships. 💚💛

03/09/2026

Bike Radar has just announced its bike of the year winner. The new 525R from Eddy Merckx Cycles is one of a small number of next-generation geometry race frames. Frame design is essentially catching up to modern-day racing positions. We've been waiting a while, but it's finally happening.
Riders with aggressive race positions can expect a bike that offers more room to adjust the saddle position and better handling thanks to a lower centre of mass and more balanced weight distribution.
BikeRadar

02/09/2026

Endurance road bikes are designed for comfort, but manufacturers take different approaches to achieving it.
The Merida Scultura Endurance has a typical frame stack height for an endurance bike, but models like Trek's Domane and DeRosa's Idol sit at opposite ends of the stack height scale.
The DeRosa endurance frame brings a rider's hands approximately 80mm lower when compared to the Trek when you factor in the 20mm riser bar on the Domane.

26/08/2026

My take on the new Trek Domane Gen 5.

The typical riding position will be profoundly different from the previous Domane. Higher handlebars, saddle closer to the bottom bracket: narrower hoods, shorter cranks and a slightly longer cockpit.

Trek Bicycle

25/08/2026

I’ve broken down the geometry changes on the new Trek Domane Gen 5 — why the saddle moves forward, why the front end gets taller, and what that means for real‑world fit.

If you ride endurance bikes, this one’s worth a look.

https://www.alignedsportstherapy.com.au/post/geometry-update-trek-domane-gen-5

Trek has launched its new endurance bike, the Domane Gen 5. The Domane range has been around for years and has traditionally prioritised rider comfort over climbing speed or aerodynamics, unlike some of Trek’s other models.In this post, I’m going to give you the rundown on the new Domane Gen 5 f...

20/07/2026

10/07/2026

Forearms off the bars, boys!
The UCI technical regulations make it clear that riders aren't allowed to ride with their forearms pressed against the handlebar.

It seems like a silly rule, but what's sillier is writing rules into the rulebook and never enforcing them.

The UCI gave everyone a warning last year that they would be paying more attention to this rule.

It might be time for a bike fit tweak for this Soudal rider.

03/07/2026

The new Specialized Tarmac SL9 has dropped. There are a few tweaks to component sizing, but overall it's business as usual with this updated frame, with the geometry remaining unchanged.

02/06/2026

French classics 💙🤍❤️

29/04/2026

Are deep drops going to make a comeback?

Traditional deep-drop handlebars began to disappear from road bikes about 20 years ago, when brands like FSA & Easton introduced the modern compact drop bar shape, which has become almost universal.
These new bars, which had a shorter reach and drop than traditional and "anatomic" bars, promoted a more comfortable position for most riders at a time when slammed stems were commonplace, and coaches would yell "get in the drops" to any athlete spotted off the front or back of the pack.

But are we about to see a return to deeper handlebar drops?

The current trend is for riders to have higher bars, with most positions optimised for aerodynamics in the hood position.

The potential downside of this change is raising the centre of gravity in the drop position, which can theoretically negatively affect bike handling when cornering, descending, or sprinting.

If deep drops return to the market, riders might have the best of both worlds: higher hood positions for comfort and aerodynamics, but low drop positions for those aggressive moments like bombing the Poggio or Alton Rd hairpins; times when a low centre of gravity for handling can make a real difference.