This is a primary thread to discuss Bike Fitting methods and issues. I will edit this lead post with useful links for starters. Feel free to post your questions and issues, and we will do our best to address them. A bit about me: My bike fit interest started back in 1997 with the Fit Kit Systems which was based in my home town at the time. I started learning about saddle setup, cleat alignment, and front end settings. I used that info to experiment with my fit and those of a few friends. I am now a part-time fitter at my local bike shop. I have completed the Specialized Body Geometry Fit programs, Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 (2014-2016). I have performed around 100 fits and assisted others in around 50. My personal fit philosophy is that every fit is unique. The most important tools of a fitter are the Ears (listen, hear and understand what the rider says) and the Eyes (watch for every detail possible and look at the situation in total). There are no rules that fit all situations or riders. Every “rule” is meant to be broken, but the key is knowing when to do that. Disclaimer: All advice provided and discussed here should be reviewed before implementation. Fitting is complex and it is not always possible to cover all the possible variables that may influence overall results. Reference Links: General Fitting: https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/faq/ https://blog.bikefit.com/how-to-fit-a-road-bicycle/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr43Lgwqryq_QM00L1xJb4A/videos https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuz6lDv5S0cD7opWOjgYdDg/videos Bike Fit Measurements and Charts: Road Positioning Chart | Park Tool Saddle Height: https://www.slowtwitch.com/Bike_Fit/General_Fit_Articles/Your_Seat_s_Too_Low_Good_For_You_6229.html Misc: https://www.velonews.com/2018/07/bikes-and-tech/why-does-chris-froome-look-so-bad-on-a-bike_473417

Happy holidays @mcneese.chad! Update on my fit questions from a few weeks back: Knee pain: I went with moving the saddle aft about 7mm and also moved my cleats aft (shoes forward) about 5mm. My knee issues started getting better almost on the first ride, and have been gradually improving since :slight_smile: Saddle: I was concentrating on the knees first. But now I know I still have the saddle issue. Today, after finishing Avalanche Spire with significant right-only sitbone pain I got out the video camera to take a look - from memory I didn’t quite get the angles you were asking for, instead this is looking down maybe 20-30º. But I’m shocked and appalled :face_with_hand_over_mouth: to see just how far off to one side of the saddle I’m actually sitting. Not sure what to do about it. Here’s a view (goes slow-mo about halfway through): 191226 Saddle view from rear, looking down a bit - YouTube

Good deal on the saddle and cleat position adjustment. Yes, you do seem to be very off center to the left. Your whole hips and lower back are quite shifted. Possible causes I can think of without more info: When standing, you may have a pelvic tilt left to right, instead of being “level”. Based on the bid, my guess would be right side hip is high. You may have a lower back alignment issue that leads to the offset when placed on a saddle. You could have a large leg length discrepancies that leads to you shifting left to compensate. That might be a shorter left leg. And there are likely others, but those are the first that come to mind. In a perfect world, you want even placement of your sit bones centered over the wings of the saddle. That is not always possible for everyone. But it seems it may be worth some deeper looks to see if there is a better solution for you.

First discrepancy thing that comes to mind is I severely broke my right tib/fib just above the ankle in 2016. Since then that ankle’s flexibility (dorsi flexion and plantar flexion) is markedly reduced compared to my left. Wonder if that’s related?

Sure is possible. Any asymmetry in shape or function could be a contributing factor. Would need good vids from both sides to judge the leg motions in the stroke.

Not sure if this has already been covered in the thread, only got through the first half of the thread. I am new to structured training and I am having some numbness issue with lil Tim and the Boys. Outside on the road I often do 3 to 4 hour rides with out any issues, but 30 to 40 minutes into a trainer session and things go numb. I am heading to the LBS this morning to start demo’g some new saddles, something with a cut out or pressure relief channel. Anything else I should take into account?

Here is a dedicated thread on the topic. [image] FAQ: Saddle Pain, Soreness, Numbness on the Trainer Training This is a summary post to capture some of the common problems and proposed remedies for Saddle Pain, Soreness, Numbness while riding on the Trainer. Initial info was sparked & pooled from this thread. Considerations: Is this the same bike and saddle setup that you use outside? Do you experience issues with this setup outside as well? Or, are your issues only apparent while riding inside? Possible Solutions: Is your bike properly fit for your needs? Consider a professional bike fit. Th…

My hip/groin has been causing me problems for months. I can do Zone 2, but I can’t produce high power for very long, so I had to kill my CX season early and it’s not really getting better. Closed hip angles make it worse, so I was thinking I might try the recumbent trike I built years ago on the rollers (with my P1 pedals). Is there any fit wisdom I should be aware of for recumbents? I’m not planning on riding it outside much (it weighs as much as a small elephant), I just want to see if I can ride properly with my hip angle as open as possible.

Not sure if this is the right thread but can anyone recommend a bike fitter in Georgia, USA?

Fitter crew: Why do all MTBs have 175mm cranks? I run 170 on all my bikes per my fitter’s advice.

Like so many other things in cycling life… because that is the way it has usually (always?) been. MTB follow the typical approach of spec’ing the 170mm for bikes on the small side the size range, and 175mm for those on the large side. Since there has not been a 172.5mm option, that means a more black/white (long/short) setting. There is no magic to it than the overall concept of using longer cranks for taller riders, who generally have longer legs (and femurs as the common driver of old-school crank sizing). However, with the move towards full suspension, and adding in the long/low/slack trend in geometry that gives us lower bottom bracket heights… we see a trend of people (and bike companies) starting to use shorter cranks for more ground clearance to reduce pedal strikes to the ground. As with anything crank length related, some people feel strongly about one or the other. The ground clearance issue is the most practical reason to go shorter and makes a ton of sense to me. MTB’s lack the issues of flex and body limitations we see in aggressive road and triathlon setups, so that is a non-issue here since the upper body is far more upright.

TrainerRoad

The Bike Fitting Mega-Thread

Equipment

mcneese.chad December 27, 2019, 1:49pm 267

Here is a dedicated thread on the topic.

Topic		Replies	Views
2 bike fits and now I'm really confused Equipment	60	2031	August 2, 2026
Bike Fit - Setback for race Equipment	14	5027	December 15, 2022
Bike fit question- weight balance on bike Equipment	62	5462	April 13, 2021
Lower back soreness Equipment bike-setup	27	3103	March 4, 2021
The rabbit hole that is finding a comfortable saddle Equipment	52	4786	February 6, 2023

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