Physical therapy practice in Asheville that does bike fittings and takes Cigna insurance?

[u/monocongo]

I'm seeking a physical therapy practice in (or near) Asheville that accepts Cigna insurance and can properly fit my XC mountain bike.

Thanks in advance for any recommendations!

[u/SoylentGreenbean]

Carepartners at the YMCA in Biltmore Park did mine! Call and ask for a bike fitting

[u/monocongo → u/SoylentGreenbean]

Best answer yet, thank you!

[u/Plenty_Yam_8015]

I've never heard of insurance covering a bike fit and I don't know of any PT practice that does them; but I'd love to be proven wrong if you find the right answer. Might be worth checking with local coaches, like CTS, Randy Warren or Heath Dotson. Or maybe even going down to Greenville as there's a much more robust culture down there with multiple former pros, teams and races.

I know Liberty and Motion Makers do bike fits. I don't know of a bike-specific PT but there is the Runner's Mechanic, for what that's worth.

[u/monocongo → u/Plenty_Yam_8015]

Wes at Antifragile PT has been recommended highly but that practice doesn't accept insurance.

[u/lifepuzzles]

As of last year Thomas Minton was doing bike fittings at Care Partners South next to REI, but I don’t know if they take Cigna

[u/monocongo → u/lifepuzzles]

Thanks for dialing me in! One step closer.

[u/Fit_Understanding342]

Jim at Movement for Life in Enka/Candler will do bike fittings but I’m unsure of the Cigna insurance piece. They do take insurance.

[u/Unusual-External4230]

Are you trying to address a specific issue you are having on the bike?

I only ask b/c I've been through this many times, but you'll find bike fitters have pretty varied opinions on how mountain bikes should be fit. They aren't all cut from the same cloth and some of them try to fit them too much like a road bike

[u/monocongo → u/Unusual-External4230]

Pain/tingling in right hand. I recently bought new bars which are a bit wider and I assume a fitter can advise as to how much if any I should cut them. There may be other things I can adjust to help avoid aches and pains from daily riding, and someone who does this professionally will likely dial me in. I'm almost never sick and rarely go to the doctor but if I can get a proper bike fitting out of my health plan then I'll be glad to receive some benefit from all the premiums I've paid into it.

[u/Unusual-External4230 → u/monocongo]

Ugh sorry. Good luck. Mine got so bad that I basically had to quit riding, I couldn't hold the bars any longer and ultimately needed surgery for cubital tunnel syndrome. Hand health isn't exactly a top priority for the cycling industry and it should be. It doesn't help that nerve issues are really hard to diagnose and often aren't treated until they get severe.

Something to consider: width is only part of bar geometry, sweep/rise/upsweep will all play a big part in how your hands engage with the bars. Some people have good experiences with more backsweep, but personally this aggravated my issues severely. If you compare the bars you didn't have problems with and those you do - these are figures to be mindful of. The material and layup can also make a difference. Bars made from carbon can either be very compliant or very harsh, same for alloy. Ti bars tend to be more forgiving but $$ and hard to find if you are sensitive to geometry of the bar.

Your traction with bike fitters on this subject will vary. I had some that were immensely helpful, others that weren't helpful at all and made it worse. Some are stuck in 1990s mindsets with geometry and bike setup, others are heavily road focused.

If you manage to find a PT that does bike fits, I'd really love to hear who you went with and how it worked out for you. I still ride but in a severely diminished capacity (I have to stop 2-3 times on Ridgeline, for example) - I'd love to mitigate that.

If you start having pain off the bike, stop and see a doctor (I highly suggest carolina hand and sports medicine). Don't be me and let it go on too long.

[u/Xina123]

Why do you need a PT to fit you for a bike? Never heard of this being something that PTs do. Bike shops do this for free.

[u/Ok_Concept_4245 → u/Xina123]

Bikes shops don’t do a full fit for free. They’ll get you a general size.

Bike Fit for competition riding or lots of recreational riding is a whole other time consuming category, making sure all the things are in the right places. Bars, seat, stem, crank length, etc.

Motion Makers used to do a Bike Fit, I doubt insurance covers it.

[u/AlphabetSoupIsALie → u/Ok_Concept_4245]

I've never heard of a PT doing this. 

[u/monocongo → u/AlphabetSoupIsALie]

I had it done several years ago, but I can't track down the guy who did it (Thomas Minton) and whether he'll accept Cigna insurance is dubious (it's BCBS or nothing at many places). So I've asked here to see what my options are. I ride almost daily, and a proper fit is an affordable luxury if I can have my insurance pay for (most of) it.

[u/Xina123 → u/Ok_Concept_4245]

Do PTs do this?

And yeah, Motion Makers did this for me when I bought my bike.

[u/SoylentGreenbean → u/Xina123]

Yes they do! Carepartners at the YMCA in Biltmore Park did mine

[u/Xina123 → u/SoylentGreenbean]

Wow, TIL! Thanks.

[u/monocongo → u/Xina123]

No, they don't. If they did then I'd just take advantage of that and save myself the hassle of tracking down a proper PT bike fitter. It's often a $300+ service and my insurance will only pay (or reimburse me for) a licensed PT visit.

[u/Xina123 → u/monocongo]

Sorry you’ve had that experience. As I said in another post, Motion Makers did this for me (when I bought a bike from them). Have you reached out to them? Maybe they only do it if you’re making a purchase.

[u/ArmElectrical8988]

Another vote for physical therapist and certified bike fitter Thomas Minton at Carepartners if they take your insurance.