I am interested in the purchase of a new bike. I want to buy a Surly Long Haul Trucker. I have had bikes that did not fit me well and I do not want to make a fitting mistake.

So, I am asking advice on the process I should use to assure a good fit at the end of the day.

1) I and my local bike shop determine the general size that I need.

2) Once that is determined, then the fit can be tweaked to my body using stems, proper seat placement and handle bar positioning.

Is this the general process most use to get a good fit?