03/08/2026
What a weekend at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, watching both the athletics and the track cycling.
It was fantastic to see Neil Fachie recover from a crash in the final leg to become Scotland's most successful Commonwealth Games gold medallist. A remarkable display of resilience and determination.
The track cycling also highlighted just how demanding—and unforgiving—the sport 3 rider suffered a broken collarbone, another was stretchered from the track, and officials were even searching the velodrome for a rider's teeth. It takes a special kind of commitment to race at over 70 km/h, putting everything on the line for a chance of standing on the podium.
From a bike fitter's perspective, it was fascinating to study the wide variety of equipment and bike setups on display. You could clearly see the different approaches taken by various nations, no doubt reflecting different resources, philosophies and rider preferences. Some of the chainrings being pushed from a standing start were absolutely enormous—a real testament to the strength and power these athletes possess.
One of the most interesting observations was how riders' pedalling dynamics changed depending on the intensity. Under full race effort, many adopted a pronounced toe-down position with a relatively locked ankle. Yet during warm-up and cool-down laps, the same riders naturally transitioned to a much flatter foot position, much closer to what we typically see in endurance cyclists. A great reminder that pedalling technique is often task-specific, changing with the demands of the effort rather than following one "perfect" style.
And finally... the race walking at Scotstoun Stadium never fails to raise a smile! 😄
Weekends like this are a great reminder of the incredible skill, dedication and biomechanics involved in elite sport—and why I never get tired of studying how people move.
