mtvelo39

Does anyone have any experience with the Specialized BG Fitting process at PV Bicycle Center or any other Specialized dealer. Is it worth the extra dollars over a standard fitting?

Thanks in advance.

TrojanHorse

I'm also interested in any feedback.

mtvelo39

Well, I guess I'll be the first. I just scheduled my appointment for this week.

Durockrolly

Please keep us posted. I too am interested!

TrojanHorse

Where are you getting it done and which "level" of fit are you getting?

Rock and Road had a sale on BG fittings back in Feb - if they do that again I'll be all over it like a duck on a june bug. I spent today testing saddles. Fizik arione for the first 25 miles or so, and then a specialized toupe for the next 25. Arione was OK, Toupe was great for about 2 miles and then just not good.

/gratuitous saddle report over.

mtvelo39

I've been fitted by Nate Loyal at Helen's/Santa Monica, and he is great. But I'm still having trouble with knee pain on the bike and I think it had more to do with my feet and my pelvis. I'm doing the 3 hour laser fitting at PV Bike Center.

TrojanHorse

Is that the one where they measure your power output & video you riding on a trainer? What's the laser for, zapping you when you slow down too much?

Jed19

No, zapping you when it (the laser) receives a feedback from your brain waves that you are thinking the fit session might be too expensive

TrojanHorse

Too late!

I am curious as to how this is any different from what Nate Loyal does for roughly half the price.

cdp8

Speaking of high end bike fitting services in SoCal, I saw this at Wired today:

https://www.wired.com/playbook/2012/05/bike-fit/

TrojanHorse

Nice find, thanks for sharing... I guess the real problem is knowing who's going to get you set up right and who's just selling an expensive conversation. It sounds like the specialized BG fit is trying to systematize the fit process and make it less dependent on the experience & expertise of the fitter. That's great (in theory) but I don't want to spend $1200 trying out 4 different fitters to see who's best.

I can't wait to hear mtvelo's report back.

cdp8

Fit also seems to change over time. My road bike is from 2004. I had a professional fitting done at the time. I didn't ride at all for four years before dusting it off last September. Now it causes low back pain on any rides over 50 miles, or shorter if there are steep pitches. I'm sure I lost a lot of what little flexibility I had while I was off the bike. I finally put a higher rise stem on for Heartbreak and it made big difference. I figure I'll work on my flexibility for a couple of months and go back in for another fitting. So I also await mtvelo's report and Caliwild's report on Nate Loyal fittings.

The 2004 fitting was at Helen's Santa Monica, but I don't remember who did it.

PlanetU

We did bike fits at PV Bicycle Center with Steve Bowen. BEST bike fit experience; definitely worth every penny. We both ride way stronger and are more comfortable on our bikes. Steve is a pro and does a first class job. He also did a re-fit when we bought new bikes; and saw me again when I needed some tweaking. Worth it! Go for it!

JTGraphics

Let us know how it works out for you at PV Bicycle Center I had Nate Loyal also fit me @ Helen's in Santa Monica had the shoe insoles made also that was a great choice for me also.
My fit went very well and and very happy with the out come of my fitting with Nate Loyal.

Mugre

I've known Steve a long time--since way before he was a shop owner. I routinely go to P.V. from Culver City to give him my business but not because he's a bud from the old days or I get a hot discount (I don't) but because he's a person of knowledge, experience and integrity.

Mugre

vertical bob

I drove from the Valley to have Steve do a bike fit before I bought a new frame. An old friend from the Wheelmen days, Steve did a great job. I highly recommend a detailed fit before buying a new frame. He gave me a print out of the measurements that I could use to judge if a frame was the right size and to also aid in the setup. Crank length, stem height and length etc. Tell him hi for me.

Surfer34

I have had Steve from PV Bike Center do two bike fittings and I highly recommend it. He is super nice and attentive and takes alot of time doing the fitting. You wont be disappointed.

mtvelo39

Sorry for the delay guys. Work got away from me. I will give you all the details shortly.

mtvelo39

Ok, here it is... Sorry this took so long to post.

First a little background. I'm a former football player and work as a trainer/strength and conditioning coach. I've had plenty of injuries(6 shoulders scopes to be exact) and I got back into cycling 2 1/2 years ago as a less impactful way of exercising. I also understand the value of having your kinetic chain properly assessed. I have also done 3 fittings on 2 bikes with Nate Loyal at Helen's/Santa Monica and feel Nate's work was great and I recommend him highly. That being said, after some serious time in the saddle and some small equipment changes, I started to develop some sharp pain in front of and to the inside of my left knee cap. I've never had a knee problem before and this concerned me, I spoke to Nate about the knee pain, he gave me some good suggestions, but unfortunately the knee pain continued. So I decided to investigate alternative forms of fitting. That is when I came across Steve Bowen at PV Bike Center. I watch some of Steve's videos on you tube and gave him a call.
After I arrived for my appointment Steve promptly set my bike on the trainer, hooked up all sensors, we spoke in depth about the issues I was having, then he proceeded to take some video of me pedaling. Steve, then started assessing my frame, flexibility level and any deviations around the feet, ankles, knees, and hips. He made adjustments, put me back on the bike, took more video, over and over, being extrememly thorough, measured, remeasured, made adjustments until he felt he had me in the right position. He also fitted my shoes with a shim to correct a leg length discrepancy, and footbeds for correct arch support, he also switched out my seat that was a bit to wide for my sits bones, after measuring my sits bones!!! This fitting took 3 full hours... I've never been that thoroughly assessed in my life and I've been an athlete basically since I could walk. I go out on my first ride, taking it easy as Steve suggested, and although the pain was considerably less I still got a couple of sharp stabs of pain. I emailed Steve, he told me to come back in immediately, I did, he put me back on the trainer, made some further adjustments and I am happy to say, putting in about 100 miles since the last adjustment I'm completely pain free. The cost of the fit is a bit more expensive, but to be out of pain and not constantly worrying about my knee is worth every penny.
So to finish up, I highly recommend Steve and his fit services at PV bike center. Steve also does a basic fit, which I'm sure is more than enough to get you comfortable on your bike, but if you are having any issues or are dealing with any pain or injuries, I highly recommend his advanced fit, which incidently comes with a follow up appointment about a month after your first appointment to see how you've settled into your new riding position. I'll post up how the follow up goes at the end of June.

A+ for Steve at PV Bike Center...

TrojanHorse

So did he do the specialized BG fit thing or does he do his own thing? PV is a tad inconvenient for me (I'm on the east tippy point of LA county) but there are other BG fit locations closer; ergo, the question. What was the bill?

Either way, sounds like you got full value if you're pain free. Thanks for the write up.

mtvelo39

He did the specialized BG advanced fitting.