Hi all,
so, my cycling buddy and I are keen to get fitted properly. That being said, there’s no decent options that close to us. Especially as we don’t want new bikes. When i’ve had fittings in the past you take your bike and they make it fit recommending any changes needed.
Now it seems they plonk you on their adjustable machine and send you off with a printout of results (of course there’s a bit more to it than that but not really what I’m after)
I’ve seen the thread on velofit, which is something I’m considering but wondered if there’s better/alternative/additional options.
I’d like to do it properly, or at least learn to do it properly, so i’m somewhat put off with velofit as I’m not sure that’s going to allow me to critically asses my own issues i.e. “oh that feel’s off, that’s likely to be xyz”
Any books worth reading? or just stick to youtube? any tools recommended?
I mean I’ve got 2 bikes, mate has two too, the options we have locally are around £300 for the fitting, then taking those results to somewhere to adjust the bike to suit - having relooked they do offer this as a post fit service for an additional £80 per bike! that’s nigh on £1000, it’s simply not worth it for our level. I feel confident we can and should be able to make our own adjustments and make improvements. Of course, I’d expect all the £££££’s that specialized have spent on their Retul setup will further improve but we’re just average blokes, I’d hope we can do well enough without it
For £300 I’d expect the fitter to make the adjustments, though obviously if you need to swap any parts out like stem then they’ll either charge you for them if they sell parts as well (many do as a nice side business) or send you off with a shopping list and then you come back and they fit them. Wouldn’t expect that adjustment to extend to recabling so if you had an integrated front end that would be extra or you’d have to take it elsewhere. But swapping out stem on a standard non integrated front end, changing saddle, adjusting saddle positive, bar height, cleat position, etc should all be part of the fit. Usually including one or two follow ups once you’ve had a chance to ride it a few times.
I’ve played around with my own fit over the years with various online tools, setting up cameras to film myself on the turbo and then trying to figure out angles, etc. Personally I think going to see a good fitter is money well spent in terms of how much time you save getting to a good position, and how much you learn about fitting in the process. Having got that fit (I’ve done it twice at 10 year intervals) I then feel much more confident in making small adjustments, setting up a new bike, etc.
Is there a reason? Pain somewhere? Lack of power? Just because?
If you are not experiencing any problems why change?
There are different types of fits.
A complete fit involves analyzing you off the bike and on the bike. A bike is symmetrical and people are not. This is an all day event and costs a lot. Includes follow ups. Might require new parts and a mechanic. Plus an exercise and stretching program.
Then there’s the retul type fit. This gets you close to perfect but doesn’t take in to account things like leg length discrepancies, past injuries etc,
The do it your self is ok. Gets you close.
It comes down to your reasoning for the fit. As you age the fit will change.
As stated above a proper fit is well worth the money. Not only for the fit but insight’s into your biomechanics.
Let me add if you do make a change do it one thing at a time. And don’t go ride 100. Right after. Your muscle memory needs to learn the new position.
Here’s something worth reading
https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/blog/
I’ve had good results with myvelofit personally. Same issue - being about 2+ hours from the nearest “professional” bike fitter.
Interestingly enough, myvelofit recommended a lower saddle than I had been running, and a more fore saddle position. Nearly eliminated all of my lower back pain on longer rides.
I agree in that it is not perfect, but should get the big pictures stuff very close.
Bike fits are not an exact science, and unless you already know what you like and what it is supposed to feel like, I doubt you’d be able to do one yourself.
You’ll hate me for saying this, but I think getting a proper bike fit once every blue moon is absolutely worth it. I got three bike fits, and they really made a difference on the bike.
One by a good lbs owner, one by a former world tour team mechanic and one by a former world tour pro. The last one cost me $300, and I have gotten the “quick” package without the outdoor ride.
The cleat adjustments by the pro were the icing on the cake. He just eyeballed them, he looked at my pedaling technique and simply dialed it in by feel. I overrode one of his suggestions, my seat height, because my knees interfered a bit too much with my elbows. Upping my seat post by 5 mm or so solved that.
Also be prepared to spend money to attain the fit: I tested shorter 165 mm cranks, so I knew those were the ones I wanted when I got my new bike. But you might have to change some of your contact points. Again, I think this is money well spent, a much better investment than going Di2 or upgrading from 105 to DuraAce.
Take this as info from a fitter (11 seasons doing it part time) that DIY can work, while it also misses the mark plenty of times. I fitted 2 riders in the last 2 weeks that spent LOTS of time doing research, watching videos and still struggling. Our initial discussions showed that each one had done great work on info as well as live changes. However, each one got stuck between some competing fit concepts as well as not getting the expected results to some changes.
Around an hour fit for each and they were both shocked at the improvements we made. We covered the how’s & why’s of what I saw and my reason for choosing X over Y. Some comes from my training & experience, as I shared changes they expected but also some they have never even heard about or considered before our session. Another key aspect is the outside perspective as a 2nd person entirely. Even I struggle with fitting myself using only a camera and my knowhow, so recognizing that self-fitting can be it’s own limiter is worthwhile too.
I am sure there are plenty of people who succeed and I never hear from them because of that. But these 2 recent ones are similar to those I’ve had over the decade where people can get close but still miss out on one or more changes. Most fit customers (these included) were shocked by how small the changes I made were compared to many they had tried. I like to say that fitting is a game of small millimeters & degrees. The key is getting them in the right measure. Doing that starts with the known aspects of what happens when we shift any single dimension, but also knowing that there are no absolutes either. I had lunch with a fit guru and he said one of the most important things to know in fitting is when to NOT follow the “rules”.
Long story short, it is potentially worth the DIY and Velo options but keep an open mind and recognize that as simple as fitting may seem, it’s anything but easy in many cases.
good advice as always from the forum. I think I’ll give myvelo a try and see how we get on.
If there were a fitter a bit closer by all means I’d use them, but travelling well over an hour to pay £300 and still not include modifying my bike (even the labour - of course parts not included) just feels alot. Last time (before the LBS stopped offering them) I paid £200 and that included adjusting my bike and £50 for any additional bikes.
I think i’m just cheap lol
You can also post pics / vids here and ask for advice on the Bike Fitting thread. Plenty of knowledgeable people can help adjust your fit and probably get you 95% of the way there.
Yeah, to the point of the fit on one of those sizing bikes and such, I appreciate what they offer but using one essentially results on 1.5 to 2 fits. Nailing the “perfect” fit there will not always be possible on any give bike due to changes in components & geo. That is unless the fitter is extremely precise and only offers exact setups that mimic real options directly. IME, that is nearly impossible with the massive range of differences that can come from something as different models of hoods from the same maker. Amazing tools, but one I’d never spend money on.
Getting legit experience with the currently owned & used bike is my focus and literally the “rubber meets the road” aspect that leads to faster results IMO. And the basic component swaps are included with that, but excludes the more major service issues like dealing with hydro hoses or complex cabling that is becoming more common. I am capable of all that, but the time to do those usually exceeds the 2 hours I set for a typical fit. In those cases, we decide on the final goal and then I hand over to the techs to finish the job.
yeah see i’m not really expecting it to be perfect, as I’m not in perfect shape either so i’m somewhat expecting a bit of a change over the coming months as I get fitter and more flexible again. I had a hip replaced a couple of years ago and have only just returned to cycling. I’m older, slower, fatter and less flexible. I might get back to where I was before, I might not. But in the meantime i’m really just hoping to get a little comfier as I get a little fitter.
- This is key, because proper fitting needs a goal. Comfort (or lack thereof) is the reason people come to me. Give the tools or forum thread a shot and hopefully something will get you into that range that is workable at your current state.
grand, I think i’ll go with myvelo, and perhaps report back here.
Of course, this doesn’t sort cleat alignment (which is a bit of an issue for me on my right foot) but hopefully I can just get a little closer to comfort
Since you mentioned it. My right leg has turned a bit outward because of an injury. I use a longer axel on that pedal. It allowed me to angle my shoe more without polishing the crank arm. Not that this is your problem. But just something to think about.
tldr - if you have a problem and are thinking about a bike fit, find a recommended fitter and get it done. Don’t waste time trying to figure it out yourself.
For a bike fit, definitely have a problem to fix…like tired shoulders, hip pain, knee pain, saddle sores, etc. Otherwise, your bike fit is likely good enough.
I’m a big fan of in-person bike fits where the fitter adjusts your cleat and bike such that when the fitter is done, your bike feels incredible. Then after a few weeks of riding, if anything’s off, the fitter comes back to make final adjustments. Even though a high quality bike fit can cost $300+, to me, it’s money well spent. Small here and there across my bike, which I could never figure out on my own, have made incredible differences in comfort.
Translating measurements from a fitting bike to your actual bike is typically a wasted effort.
About myvelofit, it’s worth doing the free assessment to see if anything’s off. I used it to assess the bike fit of my trainer setup with a permanent road bike. It said everything was in range. That’s true, but I can tell my saddle setback and angle aren’t perfect yet and I know my reach is at least 1cm too short.
I was also a bike fitter and cannot for the life of me fit myself.
I’m too way too reactive to nocebo and psychological pain that I really need an independent second set of eyes to guide me as I can’t trust my own body.
However, I can also see your point of view as I have had some bike fits I really was not impressed with and ultimately the changes they make are very simple to do.
Steve Hoggs DIY method is pretty good and will be the best way to get started. It’s also worth doing the joint angle measurements just to see what you look like and how different angles feel.
If you are a ‘fussy’ person I’d look for a good fitter. The good ones understand the body and also give you a bit of a physio check over and you’ll have some exercises to do. It’s also really nice getting reassurance off someone that has seen people with the same pain or issue as you.
If you are a normal person and can jump on a holiday hire bike and have fun then you can fit yourself. If the idea of hiring a bike on holiday feels you with dread with a million adjustments then still have a go at fitting yourself but also book a good bike fit.
So yes the answer really is yes, no and maybe 