Timothy Lim

Coming soon!

Email: tim@louebicycles.com

Ever since my first interaction with Steve in his Sydney studio in 2010, I became obsessed with bikefitting. What Steve did for me worked out pretty well, and I figured I could try to do the same for others who were having issues and seeking answers to their problems.

This started the long process of “figuring it out”. From 2012 to 2023, I attended many other 1-3 day bikefit courses, symposiums and talks, which were insightful but I always left with more questions than answers. I have used most of the technology available in the industry and cannot deny that these tools were excellent (accurate motion capture equipment, pressure mapping systems, EMGs, force pedals, accelerometers etc), but the issue with these systems, is that most of them work around a set of rules to derive an outcome based on many assumptions, and most cyclists are placed within a generalised, theoretically acceptable range. From an engineer’s perspective, I felt that something was missing and validating a positive outcome was not as straightforward. More importantly, I had a lot of questions such as how to manage the human body, resolving asymmetries, or accommodating to the asymmetries. There were a lot of sleepless nights and occasional self-doubt.

During this period, I have asked Steve if he could train me but unfortunately he was unable to.

In 2019, I met Steve again in Thailand at the International Bikefitting Institute symposium Asia conference. It was a great experience getting to see him present and work on a cyclist in a practical workshop. I saw that his methods had evolved in the last decade. In 2020, I booked in a fit with Steve in Canberra just before the Covid-19 lock down. He did some work on my body and resolved issues that I’ve had since 2012 (from cycling accidents), which sparked the interest to want to learn from him again.

In late 2023, I received an email from Steve that I could start training with him. I was delighted, but also divided. How was I going to find one month to go train with Steve, leaving my wife and four young kids behind? It was difficult, but my supportive wife and I decided that April 2024 would be the least disruptive period.

I arrived in Canberra on Saturday, 6.4.2024. Greeted with great hospitality from Margaret and Steve. Even though I felt homesick, they made me feel at home. I had the privilege of also meeting their daughter’s family and grandchildren. Steve and Margaret have a lovely, well-bonded family.

From here on, it was a lot of reading and studying. Steve also sent me notes about his work for reading which was quite intense. I tried to read and absorb as much as possible. I went on to revise on the human anatomy and also the integration of the nervous system.

Day 1 was fitting me and some explanation of his processes, workflow and methods. One of the findings which was particularly hard was discovering that my body rejected coffee (based on Steve’s testing protocol), which is a daily staple for me.

Day 2 onwards, Steve and I would work on clients, and he would guide me through each step and make me do it until I am competent and somewhat confident.

Every day, I would read and re-read his notes, finding its practical application from the day’s client.

Steve’s training does not just require learning, reading and understanding his materials. It also requires a good eye, attention to detail and some amount of intuition. There is also an aspect of his testing methods that require ‘art’. This ‘art’ part of his course was what I found to be most challenging. Some days were good, as I felt that I could test well. Other days, I felt totally defeated. There were no short cuts, just practice and failing, learning from mistakes, asking questions, verifying and moving forward. In the four weeks here, I managed 18 clients with him, as well as seeing Margaret and himself.

Steve is a great teacher and mentor. He gives good instructions, makes sure you understand and apply it correctly. He corrects directly and immediately, and is always ready to answer any questions that I may have. (He has a special ability to ensure that I was doing the right thing by just “staring” at me.) Steve also has a genuine intent to help each and every one of his client resolve their issues and meet their cycling goals/requirements. There was a day when we were supposed to fit a client and thought that he wanted to do a comprehensive fit. He was quite elderly, brought in an electric bike, used it mainly for commuting, and had issues with his hip and knees while cycling. He was worried about Steve’s fees. Steve kindly told him not to worry and proceeded to mount his electric bike on the trainer, observed how the client pedalled, and proceeded to make adjustments for him. He needed to change the saddle as there were limitations in adjustments to the existing one (seat rails too short). In the end, Steve told the client there was no charge, and all he had to do was to pay for a $35 saddle. This shocked the client, and he was really grateful. It was heartening to witness this episode.

Despite having Parkinson’s, Steve does not let it deter him and carries on with whatever he does with pride. He ensures that he still gives his clients 100% attention, effort and focus. His work ethos is admirable. Steve has a memory of an elephant. He remembers everything. In a passing comment in the day where he says he will send me information, he’d send in the evening or sometime after. It’s probably from the meat he eats daily or the chess he plays.

Canberra is cycling heaven. It has good terrain, little traffic, friendly cyclists and patient drivers, almost the exact opposite of Singapore (even though Singapore has friendly cyclists too). I tried to ride whenever I could and climbed some of the peaks here. I also enjoyed the lush greenery around the area. There’s a creek where I go to for morning walks through the bushes. I also spotted lots of different species of colourful parrots and birds. There were also plenty of wild kangaroos.

Margaret ensured that all my needs were taken care of. I never had to worry about anything because she genuinely wanted me to thrive in this learning environment. From daily sumptuous dinner, keeping warm (some nights were as cold as 1 deg), to having some time to unwind apart from learning in the day, there was a good balance.

Leaving my wife and four children behind is the hardest part of this trip. My wife had to selflessly hold the fort and take on daily routine of the kids by herself, on top of a full time job. I cannot be more grateful. It made not drinking coffee for the past four weeks easy.

It’s been a great training experience, even with 13 years of bikefitting, at the age of 37 year old, I’ve gained so much insight, new found motivation for work, knowing that the knowledge acquired can help prospective clients ride better and pain free, and potentially change their life off-the-bike.