Cycling has been my life and my life’s work for over 35 years. I began road racing at the age of 14 and grew up in the world of bike racing. My twenties were spent traveling around the United States and Belgium chasing the racing dream. It is an education that cannot be purchased; it is an invaluable type of education that must be earned through passion, persistence, one success and one setback at a time. A global college of passion and hard knocks.
Throughout my racing pursuit, I always worked in a bike shop. Growing up in a household where my dad and I the were only repair men, I quickly developed an aptitude for mechanical work and wheel building. I have an unending curiosity regarding the mechanical function of bikes. What did the engineers have in mind, and what was the intended idea? How do we do this to specification? It is the same way I look at human function. What are we supposed to do in the first place? It always felt like a good place to start. Having more passion than talent in racing led to me constantly tweaking my position and shoes looking for that extra bit of “horsepower.”
When I started bike fitting for customers in 2000, bike fitting wasn’t commercially embraced by the industry other than some old rules of thumb that had been handed down through each generation. I feel very fortunate to have started fitting in the “wild west” days of fitting before the bike industry viewed it as a profit center and created multiple attempts at digital scaled solutions. This time was a school of observation and experimentation. What worked, what did not, versus being “trained” to operate a piece of fitting machinery – truly invaluable experience.
In 2010, the last bike shop that I worked at collapsed during the recession, and I found myself out of a job for the first time in my life. I took this opportunity start coaching, focus on fitting and do mechanical work out of my garage. This bohemian experience was long overdue after years of punching out orders in a shop and trying to build a reputation. It allowed me the latitude to experiment, observe and learn. To explore the ideas, I had put on the back burner. I began coaching the University of South Florida collegiate team which became a real-world lab and officially opened my company, Ciclo Sudore LLC, in 2015. I specialize in high-end mechanical work, wheel building, fitting work, and I continue to coach the university to this day. It has been an incredible journey over 35 years, and I look forward to what is next with the same passion and curiosity I have always had.
Footnote: People always ask me what does Ciclo Sudore mean? It is a small road named Sweat Loop that I used extensively during my bohemian period to train riders on. Ciclo Sudore is the Italian translation of Sweat Loop, as I have worked with and been passionate about many Italian brands during my career, the name seemed appropriate. It is a small non-descript road where I contemplated, shaped ideas, and created the Ciclo Sudore concept of multiple service arms. That road runs east to west and many training sessions ended looking west into the sunset. Passion for what you do creates dreams and ideas. Dreams and ideas can take you places you never imagined possible. West into the sunset… One day west all the way to Australia.
Certifications
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- Steve Hogg Approved fitter
- Bike Fit level 1 & 2 certification
- USA Cycling Level 2 Coach
- AMN Level 1 Practitioner
- AMN Corrective Exercise Specialist
- DT Swiss Wheel Building certification (a very challenging pass-fail certification)
- USA Safe Sport training
Accomplishments
Finding the perfect girl in Karin Kramer. We laugh constantly and have had countless adventures over the last 10 years with many more to come. Forever and a Day
18 years of road racing throughout the continental United States and Belgium. I took the opportunity to race way above my talent level. The bike did not pick me… I picked it and refused to go home.
Coached by the late, great Edward Borysewicz. Coach, mentor, friend; RIP Eddie “B”
10 years of mountain bike racing with more to come
Completed three full distance Ironman’s with more to come
I survived and thrived for 35 years in the bike industry; I have seen many faces come and go but I am doing a life sentence in this rodeo
Developed many young bike racers from Category 5 to Category 1/2 over sixteen years of the USF collegiate cycling program. Novelty of stimulus and creating the right environment moves mountains
A memorable dinner with Ernesto Colnago
I survived broken bones, acres of road rash, concussions and a lot of questionable behavior
I have built thousands of pairs of wheels, most of which are still in service today
Converting many riders to Campagnolo
Friendship with Jerry Gerlich. We get on like a hose on fire, and have a lot of weird conversations
Creating Ciclo Sudore with a dream, $300 dollars to my name and growing the business over 10 years.
Becoming one of only a handful of Steve Hogg Approved fitters worldwide
Comprehensive Fitting – $500
- Pre Fit Questionnaire
- Intake Interview to discuss specific concerns both on and off the bike
- Pre-fit shoe and bike measurement markings and notes
- Assessment with detailed notes on symmetry including foot-leg lengths, posture, function and daily shoes, off the bike
- Assessment with detailed notes on symmetry, form, technique, tendencies and cycling shoes on the bike
- Detailed notes regarding your feet including length, toe, arch positions and injury/surgery considerations
- Detailed notes regarding your cycling shoes pre-fit including cleat positions/type, insoles, shimming and/or foot correction wedging amount and placement
- Assess and address your pelvic alignment using Steve Hogg’s Intellectual Property (IP) and equipment (Zapper)
- Address your body with Steve Hogg IP to optimize proprioceptive feedback (brain’s ability to accurately determine where the body and limbs are in space) with techniques to improve neural communication between the peripheral and central nervous systems
- Facilitate muscle activation and function with Steve Hogg IP
- Assess and address apparent differences in leg length with Steve Hogg IP to determine the specific stack height of a heel lift and/or cleat shim
- Determine specific amounts of arch support per foot with Steve Hogg IP
- Determine specific amounts/placement of foot corrective wedging with Steve Hogg IP
- Find through experimentation cycling cleat placement based on foot measurements, feedback from previous rides, your pedaling form/technique and tendencies and on the bike assessment
- Determine if one hip is dropping down and forward as a leg descends and discuss ways to mitigate the issue long term
- Experimenting with saddle height and saddle setback to provide optimal extension, with minimal bouncing, and/or the need to move fore/aft when accelerating and with just enough hand pressure on the handlebar for nimble handling
- Post Fit shoe and bike measurement notes
- Determine placement/amount of a right/left heel lift or arch support in daily shoes
- The Comprehensive fitting includes a 90 day money back if not happy guarantee and a 45-60 day follow up session to make small changes as needed, sooner if needed
- The fitting fee covers services on the day of the session. All adjustments during the 90-day post-fit are free of charge. Often, clients benefit from different parts/accessories such as saddles, crank lengths, pedals, stems, handlebars/aerobars, bar wrap, corrective insoles, cleats, wedges, shims, pedal axle spacers and pedal axle extenders. These items are not included in the fitting fee. Any items you consider purchasing are to improve your cycling experience and come with a 100% money back if not happy guarantee.
Foundation Fitting – $380
- Pre Fit Questionnaire
- Intake Interview to discuss specific concerns both on and off the bike
- Pre-fit shoe and bike measurement markings and notes
- Assessment with detailed notes on symmetry including foot-leg lengths, posture, function and daily shoes, off the bike
- Assessment with detailed notes on symmetry, form, technique, tendencies and cycling shoes on the bike
- Detailed notes regarding your feet including length, toe, arch positions and injury/surgery considerations
- Detailed notes regarding your cycling shoes pre-fit including cleat positions/type, insoles, shimming and/or foot correction wedging amount and placement
- Assess and address your pelvic alignment using Steve Hogg’s Intellectual Property (IP) and equipment (Zapper)
- Assess and address differences in leg length with Steve Hogg IP to determine the specific stack height of a heel lift and/or cleat shim
- Determine specific amounts of arch support per foot with Steve Hogg IP
- Determine correct amounts amount placement of foot corrective wedging with Steve Hogg IP
- Find through experimentation cycling cleat placement based on foot measurements, feedback from previous rides, your pedaling form/technique and tendencies and on the bike assessment
- Determine if one hip is dropping down and forward as a leg descends and discuss ways to mitigate the issue long term
- Experimenting with saddle height and saddle setback to provide optimal extension, with minimal bouncing, and/or the need to move fore/aft when accelerating and with just enough hand pressure on the handlebar for nimble handling
- Post Fit shoe and bike measurement notes
- Determine placement/amount of a right/left heel lift or arch support in daily shoes
- The Foundation Fitting includes a 90-day money back if not happy guarantee and a 45-60 day follow up session to make small changes as needed, sooner if needed
- The fitting fee covers services on the day of the session. All adjustments during the 90 day post-fit are free of charge. Often, clients benefit from different parts/accessories such as saddles, crank lengths, pedals, stems, handlebars/aerobars, bar wrap, corrective insoles, cleats, wedges, shims, pedal axle spacers and pedal axle extenders. These items are not included in the fitting fee. Any items you consider purchasing are to improve your cycling experience and come with a 100% money back if not happy guarantee.
Comprehensive Shoe Setup – $200
- Measure feet to assess length, MTP separation, width, and foot alignment.
- Resolve pelvic obliquity and innominate rotations.
- Assess and address apparent differences in leg length with Steve Hogg IP to determine the specific stack height of a heel lift and/or cleat shim
- Determine the correct amount of arch support required for your feet and setup insoles accordingly.
- Determine the exact degree and correct placement of wedging required for your feet utilizing the Internationally Patented Steve Hogg method.
- Determine the correct cleat position for your feet and cycling type
- On bike assessment of saddle height, medial-lateral cleat position and float adjustment
- Record final position and adjustments
- The shoe fitting fee covers services on the day of the session. All adjustments during the 90 day post-fit are free of charge. Often, clients benefit from different parts/accessories such as saddles, crank lengths, pedals, stems, handlebars/aerobars, bar wrap, corrective insoles, cleats, wedges, shims, pedal axle spacers and pedal axle extenders. These items are not included in the fitting fee. Any items you consider purchasing are to improve your cycling experience and come with a 100% money back if not happy guarantee.
Postural Fatigue Testing: PFT
- Pre Fit Questionnaire
- Intake Interview to discuss specific concerns
- Assessment with detailed notes on symmetry including foot-leg lengths, posture, function and daily shoes
- Assessment with detailed notes on symmetry, form, technique, tendencies
- Detailed notes regarding your feet including length, toe, arch positions and injury/surgery considerations
- Assess and address your pelvic alignment using Steve Hogg’s Intellectual Property (IP) and equipment (Zapper)
- Address your body with Steve Hogg IP to optimize proprioceptive feedback (brain’s ability to accurately determine where the body and limbs are in space) with techniques to improve neural communication between the peripheral and central nervous systems
- Facilitate muscle activation and function with Steve Hogg IP
- Assess and address apparent differences in leg length with Steve Hogg IP to determine the specific stack height of a heel lift
- Determine specific amounts of arch support per foot with Steve Hogg IP
E-mail: brian@ciclosudore.com
Website: www.ciclosudore.com
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/brian.mcguigan.568/
I began fitting in 2000. What began as a search for ways to go faster on a bike turned into a search for how we should interact with this odd contraption that we all love to ride for endless hours. Formulaic bio-metric solutions, tech gadgets, tools that had to be the answer… came and went from the search. The obvious answer emerged that the human sitting on top of the bike was the issue, the bike was simply a piece of machinery. A bike is a simple machine… paradoxically the human is not.
In 2020-2021, I was teaching methodology for BikeFit.com when I first began to research Steve Hogg’s massive body of work. Compared to other bike fit education courses that were available, what we were teaching in the BikeFit.com courses encouraged the fitter to look at the rider, not the bike. While the course was better than most, there were still many issues that our process did not solve or left many critical variables in limbo. Comparatively, every other course available is HEAVILY reliant upon the technology employed and NOT on educating the fitter. The “student” purchases expensive equipment and is awarded a certificate to go along with the package. If you know how to turn the thing on, you are now a master fitter.
The client issues that we could not solve began to bother me immensely, the same complex human problems could not be fully addressed. This continued quandary led me to digging into Steve’s vast library. Initially I had no idea what he was talking about, but it did not take long to recognize that he was correct! The man challenges convention and has a habit of ruffling feathers, which to me, meant that he was right over the target. I thought, “This is where I need to be” and my long journey began.
I poured over the Steve Hogg website… I read and re-read posts. I bought “The Lot,” Steve’s compilation of past Q&A… I read and re-read. As I read through those notes, I saw the evolution of his thought and process. Never rest on your laurels and never stop learning. That mindset is a cornerstone of what Steve wants his team of talented fitters to practice. As a prerequisite to train with Steve I needed to take and pass the Applied Movement Neurology, AMN, Level 1 certification. I took my time with the AMN course. I did not want to just collect a certificate; I wanted to learn these concepts.
In 2022, I booked a fit with Jerry Gerlich in Texas. That’s right, after 22 years of fitting experience and multiple certifications, I paid for a fitting. If you endeavor to be great at something, your ego needs to be put in a box. Jerry accepted me so long as I followed some basic rules, and I was not there to steal IP. Since that time, Jerry has become a mentor and very good friend who has been pivotal in this journey. I look forward to working with him in the future.
When I felt I was ready, I submitted my information and request to train with Steve… At the exact time that he announced his retirement. My morale sank as I thought “the dream is over.” As fate would have it, In October of 2024, Steve reached out and gave me the call up to train in late 2025. The dream was back on. Over the next 54 weeks I read, I researched and completed more AMN courses. I bought a detailed anatomy skeleton and studied it in detail. No stone unturned, this is training.
When I arrived in Australia and finally met Steve in person, it was a surreal experience. A four-year journey had become reality. Training with Steve for four weeks is an immersive, life-changing experience not to be taken lightly. Steve does not teach you a formulaic protocol, he teaches you to draw on your intuition, to assess; to see the client’s needs and limitations. The Postural Fatigue Testing method must be learned in person, through repetition each day and changes you as a person along the way. It is an intersection of science, art form and intuition. His patented method for foot correction makes it obvious that there are two types of foot correction: 1. The bang-on Steve Hogg method and 2. Commercially available types of poor and incomplete foot correction. I have heard it said that Steve is a tough taskmaster but in reality, he wants you to learn, he is challenging you to learn.
Steve Hogg Approved is not given, it must be earned and that is the way it should be. His very advanced methods have been painstakingly developed over 40 years of research, trial and error. Everyday you train, review your notes, sleep and reset in the morning. At the end of the workday, you are more advanced than you were 24 hours prior and that is what Steve wants to see. Everyday you need to be advancing. Each day was a new challenge, and the learning pace moves fast. Some days I finished mentally and emotionally drained. Many days ended on a total high. Every day ended with a sense of satisfaction, I was learning from Steve Hogg and keeping pace. That feeling was completely surreal at times and gave me the confidence I was going to make it to the finish line on Friday night, Dec. 12, 2025.
To be given the invite to train with Steve was an honor. To have earned the certification of Steve Hogg Approved is an even greater honor and a responsibility. I am being entrusted with 40 years of knowledge and trusted to keep learning, to keep searching for answers for improved outcomes for clients. Steve has Parkinson’s but after you are with him for a while you do not notice it. What you do see is a man with a sharp mind who keeps searching, weighing, contemplating and executing. He never says, “That is good enough.” While his voice or balance can be affected on occasion, the searching mind that led him down this path and encouraged me to follow is as sharp as ever.
A special thank you to Margaret for your gracious hospitality and care that allowed me to focus each day. I thoroughly enjoyed our late-night conversations about everything under the sun. Thank you for sharing so much of your life. Thank you to Josh Bilski for all your help. Watching you bicker with Steve added a lot of humor to each day. You have a bright future ahead of you, and I look forward to working with you again. Thank you to Erica and Blake for some great conversations. Thank you to Australia for welcoming me in to experience the land down under. To experience similar and dissimilar views, ways of life. I look forward to seeing all of you again.
