ANDREW PRUITT, ED.D
A Lifetime of Helping Athletes Achieve Their Dreams
ABOUT DR. PRUITT
There are, right now, millions of bicycles sitting in garages around the world that have gone unused; they sit, idle, covered in a layer of dust—a faint echo of the freedom that they once offered their owners. Why do so many people stop riding their bikes? The answer, according to Dr. Pruitt, the founder of the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine and CU Sports Medicine and Performance Center, is that they simply aren’t comfortable on their bikes. Cycling shouldn’t be an exercise in pain management (unless you’re a racer!); rather, it should be a healthy, physical outlet to a larger, freer world.
Dr. Pruitt, whose professional legacy includes the pioneering of 3D bike fit, three patents for the development of Specialized Body Geometry shoes and saddles, all of which are designed to optimize performance and comfort based on individual anatomy. Pruitt has spent his entire career helping thousands of riders around the globe, from the Tour de France contenders to local racers, to your average weekend warriors, achieve their own brand of freedom and comfort on a bicycle.
But Dr. Pruitt's career has been about much more than just helping cyclists. He has dedicated his career to helping athletes from all sports, from all walks of life. He started the women's sports medicine program under Title IX at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and served as the director for sports medicine at CU from 1983 to 1985.
Pruitt is also a two-time Paralympic road cycling world champion, as well as a Nordic ski racer. Currently he is pursuing age group time trials and gravel races.
Dr. Pruitt retired from clinical practice several years ago, and he recently retired from Specialized as well, where he served as a consultant on equipment design and bike fit for two decades. Unable to ignore the continuing call to help riders and athletes of all stripes, he has recently taken on an advisory position for iKOR labs, a Boulder-based producer of recovery-enhancing hemp oil/CBD (cannabidiol) products.
He is also working with FastTalkLabs, a virtual sports science/medicine center workshop to help athletes discover revolutionary ideas and evidence-based methods to get faster at cycling, triathlon, running, and other endurance sports.
Most of his time and attention now goes toward being a working member of the Board of Directors for SpokeSafety, which is a high tech company dedicated to saving lives of all vulnerable road users including cyclists, motorcyclists, pedestrians and others.
Dr. Pruitt currently lives in Colorado with his wife Sue, a retired nurse. His son Scott is a professional cyclist and works in the cycling apparel industry.
EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATIONS
EDUCATION
Lincoln High School, Des Moines Iowa 1968
Iowa State University, BS Zoology/Anatomy 1972
University of Colorado, MS Physical Ed and Sports Medicine 1980
University of Colorado PA Internship completed 1985
California Coast University, EdD Adult Education 1990
CERTIFICATIONS
Certified Athletic Trainer #D5-76 (Retired)
Licensed Physician's Assistant Colorado 178 (Retired)
AFFILIATIONS AND SOCIETIES
American College of Sports Medicine 1982-2015 (retired)
US Olympic Sports Medicine Society 1996-2015 (retired)
The American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine 1999-2015 (retired)
Chief Medical Officer USA Cycling 1992-96
Chief Medical Officer for Cycling Venues, Atlanta Olympics 1996
PATENTS
— November 2002: US Patent No. 6,477,793 B1 awarded for a biomechanical cycling shoe design
— April 2020: US Patent No. 10,633,048 B2 awarded for multi-density bicycle seat design
— May 2020: US Patent No. D 847,522 S awarded for a multi-density bicycle seat design
AWARDS
1980, ’81, ’83 — National Athletic Trainers' Association National Service Awards
1991— Who’s Who “Rising Young Americans” Award for “Society & Business”
2004 — Boulder Daily Camera Pace Setter Award for, Science/Medicine/Health
2006 Boulder History Museum “New Pioneer Award”
2010 Bicycling magazine’s “Award for Excellence in Applied Science”
“The design for the first Body Geometry shoe was drawn up on a greasy burrito napkin....
I wish I still had it.”