Originally Posted by
mike868y
It isn't necessary to work with a fitter, but if the OP has to ask about fit on BF, a good fitter may be in order - it will certainly be better than asking for advice on bike forums.
You're right as far as frame size goes, but generally, STAs get less steep as sizes increase, which is why a lot of smaller sized bikes have very steep STAs.
That being said, I still think it is wrong to look at how "pros" setup their bikes to figure out how to set up yours.
I agree that trying to duplicate a "pro" fit will not work for most, as it will leave most casual riders who lack the flexibility and core strength of the pros in pain from being too low / too stretched out. However, I also think attention needs to be paid to the setback used by most pros because there must a good reason most pros choose to have a decent amount of setback, which based on my understanding is to achieve a balanced position allowing them to generate most power over a long period of time. This also implies that having the right amount of setback will help any rider, pro or not.
Let me share some of my personal experiences on this subject, for what it is worth. Like many beginner riders, I started road cycling on a cheap, used road bike that was too big for me, resulting in reach issues. Not knowing much about bike fit, and not really having the time and desire to look too much into it, my solution to this problem was to get a shorter stem (80mm) at first, but when that didn't alleviate the reach issues, I also switched to a zero-setback seatpost. I was now happier on the bike, and assumed my positioning was pretty good because I had no major discomfort and was able to take part and keep up with most fast local rides.
After getting out of grad school, I decided to get a nicer bike which fit me without having to resort to a 80mm stem. This time, I ended up choosing a bike with an aggressive geometry (I didn't really know any better) and put my zero-setback post on this bike as well (really liked the Thomson post, what can I say). This bike had a decent amount of saddle to handlebar drop, which in turn caused some neck pain. When the pain never really went away, I decided to get a fit for the first time. The fitter ended up going from the ~2cm of saddle tip-BB distance I came in with to ~7.5cm by the time we were done. And with that simple change, the saddle to handlebar drop was not an issue any more. I also realized I was able to utilize my hamstrings much better in this laid-back position. Now, I attribute having the right setback to allow me to ride with this fairly large drop comfortably (and I am not a very flexible person):
Your experience may vary.