simplyred

Ok ok...
So I'm thinking Ti, a new CF, maybe a CAAD 8...
Next I think - Hmm... what wheels to hit it up? Ksyrium ES? SSC SL2? Neutrons?

So I bother my LBS to see what wheels/frame I should get...
Instead of writing down like a waiter what I wanted - my LBS suggested I come in for a fitting & power test..
Not just to determine what geometry fits me aggresive/slack/stretched/compacted - but also what kind of rider I am sprinter/climber/flats/pathetic ...

Now I'm blown away... I should've realized this - but I'm asking everyone here...
Should the rider fit the bike? Or should it be the other way around? Does this even matter?

I mean fit is paramount - but what about bike-rider synergy? Should that play a role in my next weapon?

If I turn out to be a climber - stiff BB, short chain stays, maybe compact frame, stiff handlebars/stem
Sprinter - stiff BB/crank, maybe a more aggressive stance, quick right hand shifter [record/DA], shallow drops
Etc etc etc...

Comments?

timmhaan

are you going to race with it? if it's not used for competition, some setups wouldn't make a lot of sense. for example - a sprinters set up. you probably wouldn't be happy with that on a 100 mile charity ride.

DXchulo

The answer to an either/or question is always "both."

I like the idea that a bike is a tool, and you need the right tool for the job. The perfect tool will fit your riding style, and it makes sense to consider that when you're looking for a new bike. The bike should fit you as much as you fit the bike. We usually don't hear much about it except for frame material and upright positioning, though.

But obviously, if you're a climber and you get a climber's bike, it still has to be the right size. In a perfect world your LBS would have every size of every bike in stock for you to try. In the not so perfect world you have to make some compromises.

simplyred

Well I used those as examples..

A century roadie would be more slack...
Also, Boonen/McEwen/Petachi do century races only to sprint in the last 30 seconds... so... they aren't happy?

To clarify..
Should the bike's setup complement the specific talent I may have? Whether that be sprinting/climbing/randoneurring/etc etc...
OR
Should I just jam whatever seatpost/stem/spacers I need to MAKE any bike fit my physiology?

Sounds rhetorical - but a lot of us buy bikes because they
a/look nice
b/are a good deal
c/are bling
d/are race-oriented - but are you sure that bike is oriented to you - the "racer"?

What happened to buying for specific-application? How come it isn't encouraged at LBS's?

Sorry for the confusion.

timmhaan

well, since it's rhetorical i'd compare it to clothing. all clothing does a certain minimum job - which is to keep you warm. i can do anything i want in any type of clothing (i could jog in a suit if i wanted) but some things are better geared toward certain activities. i'd opt for jogging shorts if i wanted to run a lot.

same is true of bikes. boonen could easily sprint on armstrong's bike, just as armstrong could probably climb well enough on boonen's bike. their particular strengths as individuals won't change (i.e. you wouldn't ever see armstrong outsprint boonen no matter what bike). it's a matter of tweaking and refining. not defining. the bike should be designed to fit the rider.

simplyred

Thank You. Excellent answer...
I was just hoping more people would comment on this..

nitropowered

I think the only way to really find out what type of rider you are, is by going out and riding with a fairly competitive group and ride hard with them. One of my friends just shoots up hills, another will pound away on the flats wearing us out, and I'm a five bike lengths ahead of everyone else every time a green sign pops up.

I personally think the bike should fit the rider, and we do that by buying the right size frame and changing out cranks, bars, stems, and saddles to fit us even better. Then you start to realize what size bike or changes in geometry you'd like in your next bike.

oneponychick

Find a bike shop that does a bike fit using the Serotta Sizing cycle, you won't regret it.

pigmode

If you don't know this, then I can't help guessing that you're over thinking the issue. Too much theory, not enough praxis. What about a good all around frame and build, or maybe you're not ready for a new bike yet?

cs1

You guys place way too much emphasis on getting fitted. I used to believe what the shop said was gospel until I just went with what felt right. According the shop, I won't name it, at 5'9" with a 32.5" inseam I should be riding a 53cm bike with the seatpost jacked up so high I almost slid off the seat. I have 2 56cm bikes now that fit perfect and I'm getting another. Go with what feels right not what the fit guy says.

Tim

FatguyRacer

Holy smoke! 5'9 & a 32.5" inseam. Dood, your all leg up to your neck. Im 6ft with a 33" inseam and ride 56cm frames too. I can take a 58, but i perfer a smaller frame, long seat posts and 172.5mm cranks. I am a sprinter type and my ride is just fine on centurys too.

cs1

It runs in the family, my sister is 5'10" with a 36" inseam. It's almost impossible for her to find pants that fit. My brother is 6" with a 34" inseam. We have longs legs for our height.


Tim

mingsta

Well the fitting is only as good as the fitter, so its not necesarily a golden bullet to cycling bliss. For what its worth, I had a serotta size fit performed by CycleFit in UK and the changes that they proposed worked wonders.

I don't think that what feels right necessarily IS right - I was very inflexible so chose a position that accomodated this - seat too far forward and nose pointing down. Cyclefit identified this and gave me a load of excercises to increase flexibility. This allowed me to achieve a more efficient position, which is more comfortable in the long run, but it would have seemed uncomfortable if they hadn't made me do the stretches first.

webist

On the first bike, I think you need to listen to the experienced fitter and generally follow the advice. However, I would also recommend you question the fitter on each component of the fit recommendation. I don't believe the novice actually knows how much time they might eventually spend on the bar, in the drops or on the hoods. I also don't believe the beginning rider is aware of the physiological changes they will undergo as ride time increases, fitness level and flexibility change, or adjustments to the entire approach to riding manifest themselves. Questioning every aspect of the fit though at least forces consideration of such aspects of riding and may result in a better or at least more personalized fit. The education can't hurt.

By the time one is ready for a second bike purchase (and that time comes for all of us doesn't it?) recognition of a good fit based on what the rider wants to change or adjust should be much easier.

ImprezaDrvr

I just had a fit done last weekend. I've been moving my saddle all over the place and felt like I was moving around a good starting point and not to a good starting point. Going in, my assumption is that a fit will get me close to an ideal position in terms of efficiency, but it's not the gospel. It's not the end of my fit concerns. But it's a far more educated place to start than where I was before. With as many different theories and takes on bike fit, paying a few bucks for the opinion of someone with experience doing it that can see you on the bike doesn't seem like a big deal to me.

And the bike should fit the rider. But it's easier and easier to do that without having a frame with perfectly dialled in geometry numbers.

EURO

Sounds like a fantastic idea.


Nooooooooooooo!!!!!!! (slow motion, diving to save a child in a buggy rolling towards a cliff edge).

Never compromise on fit!! If your local bike shop doesn't have the size, then get it elsewhere!!! This is the 21st century!


YES!


Your definition of 'fit' is 'feels nice'. My definition of fit is 'most biomechnically efficient'. How do I determine my 'fit' from feel? I need to be tested.

mingsta

I'd also add that with a correctly sized frame, whether stock or custom you should only need to tweak the important fit parameters - saddle/bar drop, stem length, saddle fore/aft by a centimetre or two. If you're normally proportioned and need to go beyond that, you've probably got the wrong sized frame.

I also think its not really for the LBS to tell you what kind of rider you are. Sounds like a clever marketing trick to me. Sure they should be able to watch you pedalling technique and comment on your biomechanics, but surely its up to you to decide what characteristics you want in a bike. The idea of some LBS telling you that you're a climber or a sprinter just seems weird to me. I think that if you're not racing or specialising (e.g. TT, hill climbing etc) then you'd be better served with a bike that can do everything well rather than one that plays to your alleged strengths at the possible detriment of others.

DXchulo

I agree. My compromise would be buying online (no big deal to me, but some people are uncomfortable with that). Others might compromise by spending more money for their LBS to order something (why?) or to go full custom. Some people do compromise on fit, but that's a bad idea. Maybe some people get lucky and find the perfect bike in the limited LBS selection, but I never have. Then again, there aren't a lot of shops around here.

cs1

If you aren't confident in your own ability then maybe you need someone to tell you what to do and think, I don't.

Tim

fmw

I think some folks here are confusing fit with geometry. The right size frame is one that can be adjusted to fit you. The right type of frame is another thing altogether. I've seen road bikes that look like TT bikes and I've seen some that look like tourers and everything inbetween. Get the geometry right first and then you can worry about the size and the fit. None of this is as complicated as the bike industry and the bike shops would like you to believe.

Bikes should fit riders, by the way, not vice versa.

fmw

There are some tradeoffs between comfort and efficiency. Personally, I think the rider needs to make those decisions. A test and a tester can only define the tradeoffs. And, unfortunately, they can only define them in the short term. Fit is a longer term process than a session on a fit bike. The rider has to ride the bike in the end, not the fitter.

I think you and CS1 probably get to the same place using different methods - even if the parameters you seek are different. I have a tendency to fit myself for comfort over efficiency to a degree. I know that I'm doing it and why I'm doing it. I think CS1 probably does the same thing.