Have just seen the GCN video on bike fit.

It’s paid by Selle Italia to punt their new device.

Made me think that I’d want a fit on that machine though…

Have never had a proper fit. A local LBS tried a while ago, but when I had to explain about virtual top tube length on a FS bike, decided to call it quits.

That really put me off, mainly because it highlighted the subjectivity of the measurements and the need for competence of those involved.

So, any more positive experiences? Anyone tried that Selle Italia machine yet?

I’m not sure a fitting to an mtb would be money well spent. You tend to be constantly moving around; seated, stood, dropper up / down etc. The best bit of advice I found as far as mtb fit goes was to measure your RAD.

https://m.pinkbike.com/news/lee-mccormacks-guide-to-perfect-bike-set-up.html

Road bikes however are a whole different animal in that you’re somewhat locked in a position for extended times. Bike fit James is worth finding and watching (if you can get past his arrogance).

As above – road or MTB?

If the former, I’d suggest looking for a recommended local bike fit specialist.

If teh latter, it’s so specific to bike and style of riding that you will be more of an expert on your own needs than any of the snake oil salesmen trying to sell you their system.

Maybe that’s harsh, I’m sure some will be well intentioned but it’s still not something I’d trust anyone else to do.

to me the only key thing is getting saddle height correct. Everything else is subjective

It’s for road (primarily). Looking at a new bike.

MTB I reckon is pretty much sorted now I think. I can go all day without aches and pains.

getting saddle height correct.

I think I’m ok with this too. But will a fit spring any huge surprises?

I just checked my full suss MTB using that pinkbike RAD measurement and it was exactly what they recommended for my height so must be some truth in it, for me anyway. Off to measure my hardtail now….

Really depends what you want from it. If you’re only bothered about saddle height then it’s probably not worth your money.

Think about your goals before you go to a good fitter, and let them know if you have any on bike niggles.

A friend of mine (also Emma Pooley’s coach) does bike fits, we were chatting about it the other day on a ride. He mainly gets people who have problems, eg back pain, on bikes and who have already tried basic stuff like moving the seat about etc. So, he ends up with all the more tricky fits where you’re trying to mitigate pain rather than optimise aerodynamics / power etc. Hence he ends up having to make bigger changes, eg layback seat posts, riser stems, re-drilling shoes / cleats etc. He carries a whole selection of stems, seat posts and saddles which he fits on a try and buy basis when making changes.

https://perfectcondition.co.uk

For a mtb I’d use this and do https://www.llbmtb.com/product/dialed-the-secret-math-of-a-perfect-mountain-bike-setup/.

Interestingly Sam Hill apparently only uses one measurement for his bikes and its the RAD in the dialled book.

Get it as an e-book and you have mtb bike fits for life!

Definitely on a road bike, as you are sat in the saddle much more than off road – I wasn’t far out when I got done in terms of saddle etc, but my cleat alignment was out.

Ended up with enough improvement in comfort and power to make me think it was £65 well spent

RAD is interesting – just for shit and giggles I measured two of my bikes. One is spot on his recommendations and the other that I know is short is a few cm less.

However the one that is spot on is a bit unwieldy in tight stuff and the one that is short is good in tight stuff

thing is surely that only works on a conventional setup – you could have the “right” rad measurement if you have high bars and a really short TT which would be very silly

If you’re not having any aches or pains, and you’re not desperate to eke out a few extra watts or whatever – then there’s probably no need.

to me the only key thing is getting saddle height correct

Hearing from a few well regarded bike fitters it seems that is something most people get pretty wrong and it is very typical for people to have the saddle too high meaning hips moving side to side and over stretched legs.

If you’re not having any aches or pains, and you’re not desperate to eke out a few extra watts or whatever – then there’s probably no need.

Pretty much my take, if I can ride 100 miles pain free, then it can’t be too far out…

I’ve had a couple in the past and they’ve been useful. However, most bike fits seem to be geared towards fitting the rider to the bike, with the aim of reaching performance norms.

Unless you’re racing or have a need to maximise performance, I’d suggest a physio led fit without all the lasers and video capture and just have the bike adjusted to optimise your personal functionality.

If you’re not having any aches or pains, and you’re not desperate to eke out a few extra watts or whatever – then there’s probably no need.

Pretty much my take, if I can ride 100 miles pain free, then it can’t be too far out…

That’s why I’m torn.

Can ride 100 miles (infrequently) OK. But I’ve pretty much only ever ridden a bike out of the box. Maybe a new stem, new saddle, shifted seat back a bit, but nothing more.

Will a fit find me a extra watts? Never been very comfortable in the drops, so could it transform my aero?

I was riding with a roadie friend a while back and I told him his saddle was too high – his hips were moving as he pedalled. He basically said I was talking bollocks.
A few weeks later in the pub he was boasting that he’d spent £120 or so on a “professional bike fit by TdF rider Adrian Timmis”. The advice given: drop your saddle a bit.

Jumping on this thread…
I’ve persevered with my 1990s road bike for a few years, I’ve really wanted it to fit (because it’s pretty?) however I’ve grudgingly come to the conclusion it just isn’t right. Far too long and stretched. Tried an hour on wife’s modern carbon bike this morning without any adjustment other than raising the saddle, much more comfy in the neck & shoulders.
So, do I wait until lockdown is over then get a bike fit followed by new bike? or is there some sort of bike fit I can do during lockdown?
Also, I really don’t want to sell my old bike, but I’ll have to decide whether to sell it or hang it on the wall in the garage…

If you feel like you need to spunk the money then you probably need one. It’s is possible to get a bike fit done by yourself using common sense.

I guess if your racing there may be benefit for getting more aero etc

Hearing from a few well regarded bike fitters it seems that is something most people get pretty wrong and it is very typical for people to have the saddle too high

I was guilty of this until I had a fit. My fitter said he thinks it’s because pedalling with the saddle too high feels like you’re pushing harder but it’s really just stretching the muscles a bit too far.

I found a bike fit to be very advantageous – I don’t think I would have put my saddle at the correct height on my own accord because at first it did feel a bit wrong. I think I would have got the rest of the positioning OK eventually with a bit of thought and trial and error, but that would have taken weeks rather than a couple of hours.

I’d suggest a physio led fit without all the lasers and video capture

Not sure I agree 100% with this. I wouldn’t choose a fitter based on the tech they use, rather on their knowledge & experience. The fancy tech is just for taking the measurements that they’ll base the decisions on.

I had a physio-led bike fit, it was very useful but then I did need a knee problem sorting out.

Funnily enough my saddle height and fore-aft position was perfect anyway, but he helped me compensate for my bow legs and flat feet.

So, do I wait until lockdown is over then get a bike fit followed by new bike?

I’d get the new bike first, then a fit, otherwise you’ll be trying to replicate something on the new bike with different geometry. Some proper roadie bike shops will do a pre-fit when you order a new bike.

I’d get the new bike first, then a fit, otherwise you’ll be trying to replicate something on the new bike with different geometry. Some proper roadie bike shops will do a pre-fit when you order a new bike.

That there Selle Italia machine has a database of seemingly ‘all’ on sale bikes and then recommends which of those fits with least adjustment, based on your metrics and preferences fed into it during the fit.

Trouble is, if I do that, I won’t be able to choose the one I ‘like’ the best…

Probably give it a miss…

I’m going to try really hard to base my next road bike purchase on fit and practicalities, ignoring how it looks, or brand perception. But, then I’ll spot something with a really nice paint colour 🙂

Not sure I agree 100% with this. I wouldn’t choose a fitter based on the tech they use, rather on their knowledge & experience. The fancy tech is just for taking the measurements that they’ll base the decisions on.

Slightly tongue in cheek, but the point is, the numbers are typically about fitting into a bracket that promotes performance. I’d rather have someone watch to see if my feet are balanced, or if my hips rock or pelvis over extends. Now some recording devices might help with that but I’d rather my bike was set by what was good for me, rather than what gave the best power output for a survey of a few hundred other people.

Treated myself to a new road bike about three years ago having ridden my old road bike without any pain and never really considered a bike fit. Didn’t take long to develop really bad knee pain in the my right knee, causing me to almost be unable to ride and feeling like I’d made a huge mistake buying a new expensive bike. I think with a road bike there’s so much you can adjust which will make a difference that you could spend a year trying and potentially not find the solution. So i coughed up for a bike fit by earlier mentioned TdF rider Adrian Timmis which included sidi custom insoles. It was a small price to pay on top of the new bike IMO and has meant the bike now fits me like a glove and I never experience any pain at all. Turns out I have a very high arch so my legs were twisting to compress that arch with each pedal stroke. Along with cleat tweaking and adjusting the height of my bars.

I think like chapaking has said if you get the new bike and experience pain and discomfort then think about getting a proper fit done to make your money well spent. I’ve now measured up my posh bike and matched it on my new to me winter bike and has meant it feels a lot better to ride as well.