Originally Posted by
habals
I also think fitting is overrated, but I just wanted to have a basic fitting because I have a back pain after an hour ride.
From your other threads it sounds like you're new to cycling. Is that true? What are you riding?
Originally Posted by
Llamero
I disagree. When I bought my first true bicycle, the bike shop spent a good two hours adjusting everything, including swapping out the handle bar for one that had a more comfortable angle, and testing a wide variety of headset extenders and raisers. I wound up with a completely different handle bar, and the headset extended about 4" up and 2" out all with parts that were free (the shops philosophy was that the fitting and any necessary parts for the fitting were to be included in the sticker price of the bike).
However, not algorithms were used, just gradual tweaking until we achieved optimal comfort (much like the optometrist, no algorithms, just "which is better one, or two...two, or three").
The end result is a bike I can ride in centuries and up mountains with feeling like the bike is propelling itself and I'm not having to push it at all. A good fitting is everything in a bike purchase and critical to being able to truly enjoy your bike, and ride it to it's true potential. I wouldn't buy a $900 suit without expecting it to be perfectly custom tailored, and the same is true for a bike.
Eh, I guess. That's not what a lot of places do though. Plus like I said, your ideal position on the bike will change, and rapidly when you first start riding. I just don't feel like fitting is some arcane art.
As far as having a bike you can ride in centuries and up mountains, anything that is even close to the right size can do that.