seaniccus

Hey 'yall,

On the advice of friends, I was planning to get a bike fit before I went on my first tour -- but when I started looking at pricing online, I was surprised at the prices: $150-$300 for a professional fitting at Mike's Bikes, $200+ at another bike retailer (a website I found, not a local store)...are bike fittings always this expensive? I imagined something like a $30 / 30 minute consultation with a bike trainer at a local shop.

I know a good fitting is important, but in complete frankness, I can't afford a $150 fitting. That's just directly out of my budget, I don't make that kind of money. If that's the going rate, I'll have to just read the forums and experiment and hope to get it right.

If I'm lucky, my locally owned family shop might be affordable. Going to ask them about it this weekend.

tedder

The numbers you gave are the going rate.

That's the price of a decent seat or a fraction of a new bike. But if it isn't worthwhile to you, that's fine.

fietsbob

If you don't pay for it, the fitting session, is less than professional.. You can get fitting Opinions here for Free .
and they're worth what they cost


In small town Bike shops for customers we have the trainer - stand and talk to you and ask how it feels ..

the fancy shops have a higher end customer and so buy Fitting system hardware and Programs ,
and that has to be paid off by the fee charged .

seaniccus

I totally understand the higher cost for the crazy ones where they use weird 3D scanning and computer modeling (surprised to find this was a thing to be honest), that makes sense...but the local shops just doing measurements and adjusting the seat while attached to a trainer...?

Either way, those prices aren't something I can afford. I've been reading up on fitting yourself, with the focus on "the most important thing is to be comfortable" and I'm going to try and see if I can't work out a comfortable fit on my own.

Thanks!

ESTrainSmart

I have a love/ hate relationship with the 3D fit systems. On one hand, they're good for business because I get clients from failed "high tech" fittings, but on the other hand, they're often a waste of money/ time. The technology makes customers perceive that they're getting what they paid for. Many shop fitters don't have a background in anatomy and corrective exercise, so they simply make adjustments to your current limitations. This means they're only prolonging the point until you get uncomfortable or injured again. I charge my coaching rate for bike fittings ($200/ 4 weeks) because no matter what, bike fitting is a trial and error process. Every adjustment changes the number and degree to which you recruit your muscles, so a theoretically optimal fit can still cause issues. I recommend studying peer-reviewed bike fitting articles from Sports Medicine, Orthopedic or Physical Therapy journals. You'll find great information there because it's all evidence based.

-------
Vincent Vergara
Personal Trainer/ Coach
B.S. Kinesiology (Indiana University Bloomington)
www.EatSleepTrainSmart.com
EatSleepTrainSmart@gmail.com

seaniccus

I didn't know there were peer reviewed bike fitting articles! Do you have any suggestions on where to start?

ESTrainSmart

Google Scholar has some good articles. Your public library is also a great source to access articles that you'd otherwise have to pay for.

mtn.cyclist

I had a professional bike fit for the first time in my many years of cycling. The resulting bike set up I did on a new bike was a life changer. I can't recommend a professional fit highly enough.

TheLibrarian

Should be free with purchase. Put your foot on one pedal and you should comfortably sit on the seat and have your other foot a little bit on your tip toes. $300 please.

dksix

Does anyone know of occasions when someone pays for one if the more expensive fittings only to be told that they had their bike spot on? I don't know if I'd feel the reassurance was a value or feel short changed when nothing was moved (not that I think I have my setup dead on).

Hermes1

I am scheduled next week for a bike fit on my new bike, and as I recall my LBS normal cost is around $125. I have received quotes anywhere from $125.00 to $250.00, so yes your quote is about the going rate. Luckily because I purchased the bike their and they were offering a deal if done within 30 days of my purchase, the cost is $35.00. A deal I could not pass up and will be my first professional fit, as I have always done it myself. Their are lots of good videos on YouTube on bike fitting you might try, one that comes to my is GCN network.

tedder

No. I was close but had a couple of things wrong. And then, later, when I started getting a really weird pain (knee or hip, I can't remember, only time in my life I've had that pain), I had been dialed in with all the notes written down and we were able to resolve it.

Drew Eckhardt 

I'd expect to spend whatever 3-4 hours of professional (mechanic, CPA, hair stylist) labor runs where you live.

Around me auto mechanics get at least $100 an hour and fits are $250 - $350.

I spent $250 in an expensive downtown location, plus an extra $100-$150 markup on parts so I could immediately be riding my bike with the fit I got, perfectly in-line with three hours at the $110 rate I pay for auto repair.

It's more like three hours assessing riding requirements, flexibility, leg length differences, how your body parts are angled; then alternately riding on a trainer looking at pedaling dynamics/angles/posture and making adjustments.

oldbobcat

It's about how deep you want to go. If your needs aren't complicated and you're pretty good at working things out for yourself, then a full workup might not be necessary. For instance, last year I got the basic $350 Retul workup just to find that my hips were stable, my knees were tracking straight, and my body angles were all within the recommended ranges for comfortable, efficient cycling. One foot is smaller, though, so I wasn't extending my knee, articulating my ankle, and possibly generating as much power on that side. I corrected that with an extra layer of thin flat insole material. If you're ready for this kind of detail, then by all means go for it. If you're just trying to find a way to keep your arms from getting tired, a one-hour basic to get yourself oriented on the bike might be plenty.

High tech tools can be helpful if you know what to do with the results. Some people are pretty good at reading their own bodies. Give them a few indications and they can come up with their own solutions and take it from there. The rest of us need to follow through with more professional help.

jfries

I'm a noob cyclist, only been riding for less than a year. Around here a basic fitting (including a cleat fitting) cost about $160 for two hours. I wasn't sure it would be worth it and did my own reading/youtube watching to try and fit the bike myself. Finally I decided to break down and spend the money. It was well worth it. It feels like a completely different bike. I don't feel like I am fighting against the bike, instead it feels like the bike is a part of my lower body and I can just focus on enjoying the ride. All the aches and pains I had before are gone. I would totally recommend a person getting a professional fitting.