I have a road bike and a mtb both 2015, I feel fine and comfortable on them but would I benefit from a professional bike fit, do they fit you to your bikes? Or is it a machine bike and then they tell you your perfect height/adjust settings etc.
I guess if I'm comfortable on short mad long rides then I generally won't need a pro fit but asking the question anyway.
Do you use snake oil on your chain?
Mrs had one done [url= http://www.fit-me-up.com/ ]here [/url], really rated it and has changed her road biking no end, bumped up her speed (which tbf was going up anyway) massively improved comfort etc.
My bike felt great to me but I got a voucher for money off a Retul fit with an experienced fitter so gave it a go.
Result: I gained about 3% on my FTP, got a better handling bike and also have a cool slammed stem.
The human element of the fitting is more important than the Retul part - that's just a convenient way to make a lot of measurements. I did mine on my bike on a turbo with a bunch of sensors fitted to me.
If you need someone to tell you how to set up your bike then do it. If you can figure it out for yourself then dont waste your money.
If you do pay for it make sure the person doing it is a physio, rides / races bikes and has been doing it for sometime. Speak to them first or you may end up with a list of measurements applied to your bike with no regard to you.
I wouldn't say it's snake oil, it can be tricky to sit on a bike and measure exactly where you/your saddle is in relation to the BB/handlebars. If you are a patient person then you may be able to get a descent set-up on your own.
Have a look at this – https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/knowledge/bike-kit/set-up/article/izn20160112-Ask-the-experts-How-to-get-the-correct-bike-fit-0
Well a mate (for whom I'd done a bike set up/fit based on basic guidelines and experience) went to some super "expert who works with Sky". She came away with the bike set up indistinguishable from mine, but 200 quid lighter, with all her (internal) cables cut because obviously taking a few seconds to properly de-cable, or re-cabling were beneath him, and a spreadsheet of super precise measurements done with lasers.
Really useful to know your ideal bar width is 423mm. Sounds far moar scienz than saying those standard bars the bike came with were fine...
I'm a scientist by training and I get that there are lots of physiological and biometric considerations that could be used to optimise bike set up. But there's also a lot of BS and pseudoscience and dazzling people with technology, and the post 2012 road boom and the MAMIL phenomena means there's a lot of people out there with deep pockets and wincingly badly set up bikes.
Oh, and about 3 weeks after her fit she rode into a pothole. Her bars rotated about 20 meaning her tri bars were pointing downwards. Continued riding like this for months, wondering why she various hip and back pains until we next met and I pointed it out. If only she rode more regularly with roadies rather than triathletes 🙄
My physio is the old team Sky's physio, during the Hoy, Wiggins era. he fitted me using the same system Sky uses. It wasn't just a normal fit, but one that accommodated for MY range of movement as well as my pre existing injuries and weak points. Mainly to prevent further injury.
For instance my seat is ever so slightly lower and one cleat is offset and I have a shim under it to compensate for a tighter than normal ITB.
Knowing your seat to pedal distance is yxz for instance is so you can keep the data for when you want a new bike. Better than paying out a small fortune again. The guy I went to didnt cut any cables! and he doesnt sell any components to isn't making suggestions to buy new bits from him either.
Thats what a proper bike fitterer should be looking at.
Yes, if you have injury, movement, comfort or other conditions that are impacting on your ability to enjoy you are cycling. If you're not in discomfort and don't feel the need, then why bother? Seems a lot of bike shops offer a 'pro-fit' service for silly amounts of money which just means using some expensive kit to tell you much the same as many time-honoured traditions - to my knowledge, the biomechanical properties of the human haven't changed much in recent years.
I've seen both sides of it.
Some people (riders, especially new ones) seem to think it's an absolute must-have and they'll faithfully listen to anything they're told while paying through the nose for it.
I've seen various different approaches from different companies all claiming their way is best or more precise and the new trick of giving some follow up fits for a discounted rate becasue obviously after a few months you're fitter/stronger/more flexible so you need to come back and be re-fitted (actually I don't disagree with that principle, I do disagree with the way it's sometimes sold).
And I've seen riders who have had a bike fit then promptly changed shoes/pedals/saddle or taken the bike apart for transport, put it back together any old how and then wonder why they're suddenly getting aches and pains again... 🙄
I'm so used to using about 5 bikes (MTB, SS, road bike, CX bike, track bike...) that I can just jump from one to the other without any issues and I'm flexible enough and experienced enough as a bike rider to just adapt to each one.
If you have no idea how to set up your bike, or if you have 'odd bones' or injuries then its worthwhile. If you've been riding for years and delight in honing your position on a new bikes over many rides then chances are its surplus to requirements.
We do an awful lot of fits at our place and very seldom do we see anyone back for alterations, so either I guess it works.
I remember going to North Wales,from Blackpool to be fitted,and all the guy said, he liked the style of compact frames,i.e showing more seatpost,than a traditional frame,i drove home thinking,what a tosser,him for ripping me off,and me for being ripped off,but,if you can find a descent fitter,they probably are worth the money.