Mountain Biking - Bike fitting, who has done it and is it important for Mountain Bikes?

What we do on trails is different than sticking to a position on a road bike for a few hours. We are always in and out of the saddle. I know that getting the frame to fit is HUGE, but what about stem, seat position and top tube length?

Who has been "fitted" and has it helped. Curious here. A local shop charges $65 for a fitting, does it help?

What exactly are they charging the fee for? Just to see if the size of the bike suits/fits you,or are they swapping parts to help tailor the fit? Either way,that's pretty damn cheezy of em (assuming you're buying a bike from them;)). If you're buying from them,making sure the bike fits you is part of the selling process (you aren't buying a blender,afterall),and even if they have to make some minor parts swaps,so long as you aren't moving into a different pricerange of parts to swap on....you get the idea. Otherwise,you're just as well off ordering mail order (and I have actually told that to a LBS as I walked out,looking online on the cell :roflmao2:).

I have and will bought offline before,but I know what I need/how to size myself to a bike for proper fit after all these years,but a LBS should assume a new customer wouldn't,you know?

Yes,it's just as important for mountin biking as for road riding...maybe moreso. Yes still are off the saddle lots,but for different reasons (and the same ones,LOL). For eg: what if your bike doesn't fit you so well,and you hit a tree\rock\etc or go off a cliff (it could happen :notamused:) because you didn't fit the bike (brake levers outta reach,handles different because you're trying to fit the bike insteada vice versa,etc).

Are there any other shops locally or within reasonable distance you could check out? If not and before I bought there (given they want to charge for what quite frankly is a freebie),I'd also check what's included as a new-bike-checkup after a month or so (as most good shops give you a free once over after a short time as well).

Just my 3 1/2 cents,anyways. Hope it helps :)

What kind of fitting are we talking about? The shop I bought the Yeti from "fitted" me, in that they changed the saddle fore/aft position and angle, messed with the bars, and played with the suspension settings. They didn't charge me, but it was when I bought the bike from them. I also got a full blown, two-hour long fitting on one of those Serotta fit cycles when I bought my tribike ($200, but since I bought the bike from them I got it for free), but never got that done with a mountain bike, and doubt it's necessary (at least not for my purposes).

I picked up an XL Scott last Fall, used! It was a 3rd bike a local racer kept. So while it was raced, it wasn't pounded like his 1 and 2. The Scott is a huge upgrade from my old Norco HT. But the Norco fit me better. After an hour my wrists and hands are fatigued. Never had that problem. As Captain of the Tight Wad Squad I recognize that something needs to happen. A fitting by some pro's will probably be cheaper than me buying and trying parts just cause it seems to make sense.

Can you get someone to take a good clear in-focus pic of you sitting on the bike (as you would be riding it),side veiw,so maybe we could get a visual on what might be the problem? It might be better to get some other's thoughts on what your problems are than paying for that fitting or trial and error,or at least give you an educated trial and error...

I got "fitted" for a my first road bike back in '98. Paid something like $75-$100 range but was creditable towards the eventual bike I bought. The two mountain bikes I got prior to that were off the suggestion of the sales person at the shop which worked. Since then I've bought several other bikes and never been "fitted". I know the frame specs that are agreeable with me and stick to that when searching for a new frame.

Can anyone answer a question for me. I've measured myself and from everything I've looked at, it appears I need either a 52cm or 53cm road bike. But, the sizing calculator I looked at that corresponds to 52/53cm gives me 16 inches as a size for a mountain bike. That seems a little small to me. Can anyone confirm if that makes sense? Maybe 17 inches perhaps? I know 18 inches is a tad big.

Can anyone answer a question for me. I've measured myself and from everything I've looked at, it appears I need either a 52cm or 53cm road bike. But, the sizing calculator I looked at that corresponds to 52/53cm gives me 16 inches as a size for a mountain bike. That seems a little small to me. Can anyone confirm if that makes sense? Maybe 17 inches perhaps? I know 18 inches is a tad big.

That makes some sense. It's in the ballpark.

For instance: I am 5'10", 30" inseam. I ride a 55cm roadie and 17"/18" MTB's.

Just make sure you look at all the numbers, not just seattube length. My road bike is a 49cm I think. One of my mountain bike is like 15" or something and the other is 14", but the 14" actually feels like the bigger of the two. Pay attention to reach and stack...those are going to be your important measurements. Or better yet, sit on the bikes and try them out. Nothing will give you a better indication than that. Try the recommended size, one size up, and one size down.