[Closed] This (new?) trend of people paying for bike fitting services

[quote=xiphon]Go for a long ride and take some tools with you

You are suggesting an STW group ride, no? 😉

Why not just pay somebody to do it? They will be better qualified than somebody who read lots of spurious advice from the Internet, and its easier for them to see you pedalling and your cleat set-up.

Why will they be better qualified? There are umpteen different fit methods and bits of kit out there, which one is right? The person doing the fit likely had one or two training sessions on how to use the equipment and has now been left to get on with it.

One mistake from them and your fit could be miles out but you'll go with it "cos the professionals said so"

Google "bike fit" and you get thousands of hits all with slightly different methods of getting saddle height set - then factor in the thousands of different ways that people want to ride bikes (plus their ability/flexibility/strength etc) and the makes/models of bikes available and the geometry variations and I'm not 100% convinced that a fitting service is any better than trial and error. Which method is right?

Where it does come into its own though is in the ability to try out loads of different stem lengths, bar widths, saddles etc without having to pay money for any of them!

You are suggesting an STW group ride, no?

😆

if you are new to the sport you won't be used to sitting in a proper road bike position (whatever that is) and over time, what is comfortable on a bike will change. the risk with this is that you might end up spending money on 3/4 bike fits as you get used to the position.

I might just be lucky, but I bought a second hand road bike about 4 years ago and haven't adjusted it at all compared to the guy I bought it off apart from dropping then raising the saddle a bit.

I can do 7/8 hour rides on it and not feel any discomfort... apart from slightly tired arms. do I need a bike fit??

There is fit and fit...
Riding my dutch roadster into town fit - saddle about right height
Riding my mtb - saddle and bars about right
Racing my road bike for an hour on the drops - exact fit required.

I paid for a Bike Fit fitting a few years ago. I'm median proportions in all dimensions except shoulder width, according to their database. I still use the data for frame selection (ETT of 55.5cm, 11cm stem). I didn't buy a bike from the shop, but they wuld have refunded the cost if I had.

I had another fit when I bought my recent road bike, but didn't agree with the saddle height recommendation - and it has an ISP so needs cutting, but everything else was spot on, including reach.

I've posted on fitting already, set the saddle height and fore and aft, then worry about bars. It's pretty easy to achieve a good starting position for most people. A fit for cleat angle, wedges etc may be useful, but I just put an extra washer under the inside cleat bolt instead.

Racing my road bike for an hour on the drops

😯

You can use your drop bars for an hour????

See posts passim regarding fit and bar drop. Yes I can. Shorter reach and a shorter drop... I'm not fantastically aero but saddle to drop is about 8.5" (21cm).

You can use your drop bars for an hour????

why not? i would quite happily spend that long in the drops (though in reality i would change back and forth between the hoods/drops) but then i'm reasonably flexible, dont have a beer gut and had a bike fit 🙄

thats unheard of

why not? i would quite happily spend that long in the drops (though in reality i would change back and forth between the hoods/drops) but then i'm reasonably flexible, dont have a beer gut and had a bike fit

Nah, it's cos your bars are way too high. 😉

thats unheard of

Not if you read my previous posts 😉 . Most likely, failure to use drops is because a stem is too long. May also be too low, but long is my first bet.

Mind you, I just lowered the bars another 0.75cm for this evening's race, so all bets are off!

When I was a complete novice moving from a BSO to a 'proper' drop bar road racer, I went and got professionally measured for £25 at a shop using this system [url= http://bikefitting.com/English/Systems/Introduction.aspx ]bikefitting[/url]. Used the output to guide me on what size bike to buy and as a starting set up for riding. I didn't want to drop three weeks wages on a bike when I had really limited experience and test rides where limited to riding round the block at the bike shop. Been riding that ever since, in the last 9 years I've just reduced the stem length as I've got older and more inflexible.

I don't see what the problem is - if someone wants to spend £80 getting a professional opinion of their riding position then its their choice, same as if they decided to buy a new saddle for £80 or a new seatpost, etc.

Yes you can try to work it out yourself, but not everyone has different stem lengths, top tube lengths and seat tube angles, etc.

If you find that you have an ache in the small of you back, your knee, or you left eyebrow, its not always an intuitive step to work out that your seat is slightly too far forward or your stem is 10mm too long.

If you've asked around and no-one else can help out then sometimes carrying out a mechanical assessment of you on your bike is the only way.

And no, I haven't had one, I much prefer to keep tinkering with the set up of my bike every year.... 😕

I'm generally a cynic about such things, and I've not yet paid for a fitting...

But having faffed about recently (still faffing TBH) with my Road bike to get it to fit better and work more efficiently, having actually taken some proper measurements to try and figure out what I need to adjust, and started reading far too much on the topic, I can certainly now appreciate the benefit of someone else (knowledgeable) aiding you with bike fitting, even if you are familiar with bikes and how to set them up generally, are you an "expert" on biomechanics / and avoiding injuries etc?
Can you hand on heart say you know every possible thing about bike fitting and how to do it optimally for yourself?

How many people who think their bike is set up well are actually just accommodating a poor setup?

If you actually do know it all already, why not set up shop using that wisdom to fleece the rest of us idiots...
Remember to be condescending and abrupt when taking our money please...

🙄

You've only got 3 contact points; the pedals, the saddle and the bars.

Cleats go forwards and back wards and side to side.
Saddles go up and down and backwards and forwards.
Handlebars go up and down and forwards and backwards by changing stem size.

There are a number of more subtle tweaks, but sort the basics out first.

It's not hard, it's not tricky, it's not complex, it's not an exact science. It's about thinking it through and trying stuff out, and teaching yourself about how you fit on a bike.

Sweet Jesus, cycling really is the new golf...

You've only got 3 contact points; the pedals, the saddle and the bars.

5 contact points. 😉

👿 😆

6 if you're chewing the stem. 😀

This thread seems to wave wildly from people who've had experience by having a fit done and finding benefits to others that have no experience of the process claiming its all snake oil and completely useless.

Most of the bikefitters I know are experts in the field and have a long history of improving performance via diet, training and, as painful as it may be, fitting people to bikes. If you are looking to improve, then this forms another part of the puzzle to extracting the best from your body. If you visit a proper fitter, they will change your bike and how you interact with it but they should also give you the info on how you can continue to change it as your body changes.

Remember, this is all optional, you dont have to buy it. But because someone else decides thats what they want, its not your place to tell them they are wrong.

But because someone else decides thats what they want, its not your place to tell them they are wrong.

What?! I thought that was a Basic Human Right On The Internet™

others that have no experience of the process

Do give over.

I've been riding and racing mountain bikes, cyclocross bikes and road bikes for 26 years, fitting them all to me.

I've taken the books I mentioned out of the library, studied them and put what I learnt into practice. I've looked to see which pro riders were the same height as me and looked at their positions, worked out by measuring photographs to see what size frames they rode, how long their stems were, what changes they made through their career.
I've spent time reading on the net, learning what people think works and what doesn't, learning what people regard as good, what people think is rubbish.

There are some people who have taken much of this information and use it in an intelligent way, but none of it is secret, none of it is a black art and all of it is available to everyone to learn for themselves.

I've been riding and racing mountain bikes, cyclocross bikes and road bikes for [b]26 years[/b], fitting them all to me.

Well done, you're very experienced and know what you're doing.

For the rest of us isn't it reasonable that we go to someone, well like you, for advice, and pay for it accordingly?

I dont care that you dont want it done, I just can't understand your desire to prevent other people from the benefit.

There are some people who have taken much of this information and use it in an intelligent way, but none of it is secret, none of it is a black art and all of it is available to everyone to learn for themselves.

I completely agree, but then a lot people earn money specialising in a field. Just because the info is there doesn't mean most people can interpret it to apply to them.

For the rest of us isn't it reasonable that we go to someone, well like you, for advice, and pay for it accordingly?

No, it's not.

It's reasonable to learn about it and teach yourself, it's part of being a cyclist. If you have a problem, if you are strangely shaped, then maybe you could ask for advice, but otherwise it's something you should know, just like fixing a puncture or being able to ride up or down a hill.

I suggested in my first post that it is a feature of the way cycling has become an aspirational activity; it's people trying to throw money at an issue that they can deal with perfectly well on their own, and they will learn and use and keep that information and use it again and again and become better cyclists as a result.

It's not complicated, it simply requires a bit of commitment which appears, on the strength of this thread, to be sadly lacking.

Presumably people aren't allowed to pay other people to build wheels, service suspension, bleed brakes or any of the other myriad of mechanical jobs that might be required on a bike? After all, it's not complicated. Might put a few bike shops out of business though...

Don't quite know where to start with all that....

*facepalm

I give up.

I compare it to buying a pair of shoes and having to pay extra to have someone tell you the right size.

It's not complicated, it simply requires a bit of commitment which appears, on the strength of this thread, to be sadly lacking.

So you'd never employ the services of a physiotherapist, surveyor, financial advisor or any one of the other myriad of people providing "expertise"? I'm sure all of these and more could easily be learnt by someone with a bit of commitment.

You're the one treating cycling as if it's some kind of special club. If you haven't been riding for over 20 years, hand brazed your own frame out of iron you mined with your bare hands or some other nostalgic bullshit then you're not worthy.

It's just riding around on a bicycle. If people want to spend their money on it and it makes them happy what does it matter?

I give up.

I compare it to buying a pair of shoes and having to pay extra to have someone tell you the right size.

You really should. That's the stupidest analogy I've heard in a long time.

I've never paid for a bike fit but then i spent years of trial and error to learn how to do it myself. However, with the current prices of bikes as high as they are I would still encourage people who are new to the sport to pay for a good bike fit to save time and money.

Some right old tosh being spouted here tonight.

If folk are happy to part with their money for something that you dont feel they should - well, whats it got to do with you? It is their money.

Some of you need to get over yourselves, seriously....

Do give over.

I've been riding and racing mountain bikes, cyclocross bikes and road bikes for 26 years, fitting them all to me.

I've taken the books I mentioned out of the library, studied them and put what I learnt into practice. I've looked to see which pro riders were the same height as me and looked at their positions, worked out by measuring photographs to see what size frames they rode, how long their stems were, what changes they made through their career.
I've spent time reading on the net, learning what people think works and what doesn't, learning what people regard as good, what people think is rubbish.

There are some people who have taken much of this information and use it in an intelligent way, but none of it is secret, none of it is a black art and all of it is available to everyone to learn for themselves.

I've never paid for a bike fit but then i spent years of trial and error to learn how to do it myself

i earn enough and value my free time highly so i pay somebody to do all that for me.

i earn enough and value my free time highly so i pay somebody to do all that for me.

problem is, your fit is wrong.

The fit will be one persons idea of what is right on one day. Your fitness, your flexibility and the reason you ride all determine what your fit should be, and it changes!

Learn what to look for and you can understand how and why to tweak the fit.

If you want to pay someone to fit you to a bike feel free, but unlike many things, which are right or wrong there is precious little point beyond a quick fit to get you to a starting point.

If only there was a cycling magazine that did proper journalism.
They could send a secret shopper to several bike fitters and see what each one recommended.
It would be interesting to see if there's a standard formula they all work to, or if they've all got their own ideas

[quote=techsmechs ]This thread seems to wave wildly from people who've had experience by having a fit done and finding benefits to others that have no experience of the process claiming its all snake oil and completely useless.
I've carried out bike fits and, judging upon results, still wouldn't recommend it.

If you want to pay someone to fit you to a bike feel free, but unlike many things, which are right or wrong there is precious little point beyond a quick fit to get you to a starting point.

Really....

I dont think you know as much about as you think you do.

If what you say is true then why do pros spend so much time & effort on bike fit, when if as you say its not necessary???

[quote=mrlebowski ]
If what you say is true then why do[b] pros [/b]spend so much time & effort on bike fit, when if as you say its not necessary???
🙄

Go on routes, elaborate, Share your wisdom..

Or do you think correct bike fit is only the realm of pros?

Seriously, my money, my choice - wheres the issue??

If what you say is true then why do pros spend so much time & effort on bike fit, when if as you say its not necessary???

Do they really? Spending time in a wind tunnel getting a position tweaked isn't really relevant to the average rider.

Do they really? Spending time in a wind tunnel getting a position tweaked isn't really relevant to the average rider.

You seriously think someone whose livelihood depends on being the best he/she can be will put up with "That'll do...."?

problem is, your fit is wrong.

The fit will be one persons idea of what is right on one day. Your fitness, your flexibility and the reason you ride all determine what your fit should be, and it changes!

Learn what to look for and you can understand how and why to tweak the fit.

If you want to pay someone to fit you to a bike feel free, but unlike many things, which are right or wrong there is precious little point beyond a quick fit to get you to a starting point.

You presume a lot and know very little about my bikefit.

First one I had when buying my first roadbike at condor was rudimentary and did need further correction with an extra 1cm on the stem, the second at sigma Kingston after riding a lot more on the road was needed after having physio for issues with knee miss-tracking/weak glute medius and overdeveloped vastus lateralis. This was all sorted with a proper bike fit where saddle height was changed slightly custom footbeds formed and fitted with cleat shims and an insole wedge and the cleats positioned correctly. Previous to this I could only ride for an hour before knee and ITB pain and had to wait for 3 days before riding again. The fit, footbeds and 1 visit to the physio alleviated all issues virtually overnight once the underused muscles had developed.
Yes I'm aware fit changes, I notice its more comfortable the more I have been riding as core strength drops while off the bike (though I'm still happy to use the drops all day and have a daily 'racey' position)
In short 2hrs and a bit cash means I can ride all day with no issues which I would gladly have paid double for.

So don't be offended if i ignore your opinion, to me it's not worth a toss.

[quote=MrSmith ]
So don't be offended if i ignore your opinion,
🙄

MrSmith's bike yesterday

[img] [/img]

It looks a lot better now it has white bar tape.

You seriously think someone whose livelihood depends on being the best he/she can be will put up with "That'll do...."?

They will be fitted but it is not an exact science, any fit is no more than a starting point. Hence the point about wind tunnels, fit depends on purpose there is no right position. With the wind testing there is always compromise between what is right and what a rider can actually use. Why do so many pro road bikes have a slammed stem? surely it suggests that bikes are made with headtube's that are too long.... or maybe it is a compromise on what is rideable and mechanically sensible....

Have a read about the Lemond and Hamley fits, then tell me why they are different if there is one magic fit?

What is the "correct" bar width, what is the "correct" crank length. Now go to a velodrome and look at a track bike, or go to a cross race and tell me the bikes are right, or maybe go to an Audax, a pro road race, etc.

It is your money to spend, it gives you some ideas, but it is not an exact science and you would be better off getting some information on how and why. So you can get the position right, can understand what may be niggling. A decent fit will get you so far, it won't be perfect, whatever that is!, but beyond that there are no quick fixes.

A few years ago one of the French? pros had to change position because of arterial problems where his thigh hit his torso. (i think iliac Arteriopathy) so again i ask if there was one answer why did he have to change?

You can't buy real fitness, you can't buy skill, you can learn, and you can be given advice, but the rider has to put the time and miles in and to a certain degree experiment.