Hi forum!
So I picked up my bike this morning from my LBS. Last night I was stressing about picking up my bike and not knowing anything about fitting, what questions to ask or what to look for.
Firstly, having a good LBS is invaluable! I posted on this forum and got some great advice. But at the end of the day, the guys at the LBS were excellent. They had me stand by the bike, sit on the bike, go for a quick spin and come back for more tuning.
"Fitting" is actually a very simple concept (although doing it properly would take years of experience). "Fitting" simply means setting up the bike so that you are comfortable and efficient in your peddling - That's it, simple as that!
I spent a good 30 mins getting fitted, plus they showed me a little about maintaining the bike (tire pressure, etc). Its not rocket science but still good to get a walk through.
After picking up my bike, I rode it home (a good 15km). It gave me the opportunity to work through the gears and get used to the bike. Now that I have done that I am going to take my LBS advice and go back in a couple of days to get it fine tuned. Simply adjusting the bike a cm here and cm there can make a world of difference. Now, remember I am a newbie, so I don't know what needs to be adjusted, but I know how I felt on the ride. My LBS told me to make note of how my body feels during and after the ride. When I take my bike back, I am going to let them know that there felt like a fair bit of weight on my arms and changing gears was a little uncomfortable. I have no idea what adjustments they will make, but I know they will fix the issues, and talk me through what they are doing, so that I am learning at the same time.
The point I am trying to make is that "fitting" is a work in progress and a good LBS will help you through it. Just let the person know how you are feeling on the bike and how you would like to feel, and a good LBS will take care of the rest with your input.
TAKE THE STRESS OUT OF FITTING AND JUST ENJOY THE RIDING!
I hope that helps a little and please feel free to add to this. The more us newbies can learn the better
