Difference between $100 bike fit and $400 bike fit?

When I first started riding I got a basic ~$100 bike fit. It was KOPS (knee over pedal spindle) and some basic angle measurements for hip extension and knee extension. I’m still friends with the guy and he’s great, but he isn’t steeped in cycling biomechanics. I would say it was a 90-95% solution. I did another follow up 5 years later and made some minor adjustments. Each of those sessions was probably 60-90min and I don’t regret having them done.

About 1.5 years ago I went to a get a ~$300 fit with a guy who is really a practitioner of the fitting ‘arts’. My first session was about 3hrs and I had 2 follow up sessions that ended up being 90min each, but could have gone longer. There was much more evaluation of my body off the bike, and more sophisticated on the bike analysis with motion capture and saddle pressure mapping. In retrospect, I would be happy to have payed $1000+. It seems silly to say that I payed $300 to move my saddle 1cm up and 1.5cm back, along with some minor handlebar adjustments, but the comfort benefits were huge. I had just accepted dealing with on-going ischial bursitis flareups (I didn’t even realize what it was called until last summer) and some shoulder discomfort, and those were pretty much eliminated. Its crazy that in 3hrs I learned more about my body than I had learned in 15 years of riding and 40 years of living.

My general advise to people getting bike fits is:

  • This whole process is to make you comfortable, not to make your position fit the parameters of their fit system. You are the customer and if your comfort isn’t the end result of your fit there is a problem.
  • Communication is very important. If you feel discomfort or aren’t happy with the adjustments or position you are in, you need to make sure the fitter understands that. And your fitter should try to address those issues. They can’t read your mind.
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