PistolSlap

I need a fitting on my bike and it's really expensive some places. One place said they'd do a fitting for $80, another said $60, another said $1 a minute, but then another place said $25. But the problem is, I was asking around, and the guy who charges the $1 a minute said
"how do you know what kind of service you are getting for the $25? There could be a lot of work required or not very much -- without looking at it I wouldn't be able to estimate. It is like if you got a dent in your car and the guy said "I'll fix it for $100" without even seeing it, it might end up being a really bad job done, and you're $100 out and no farther ahead. Charging by the minute could take five minutes or it could take an hour, you never know, it depends on the job"

So now I am thinking, is the guy who charges between 1/2 and 1/3 the price of the other guys going to do a good job? I'm not sure if this guy is just giving me a line or not -- what if it just 'happens' to take an hour and I'm paying $60 plus tax? That is exactly what I wanted to avoid.

What should I do?

bigfred 

Welcome to the board PistolSlap,

Without knowing anything about you, where you're located or what you hope to achieve with rhe "fitting" its difficult to really answer your question with anything other than, "it depends".

How experienced are you? What are you riding? How much do you ride? What results are you expecting from a fitting? What problem(s) are you currently experiencing? Etc.

Some shops will use fittings as a loss leader toward selling parts to improve your fit. Others will price fittings as a product in their own right.

Is there a budget to your fitting and any associated purchases?

PistolSlap

I ride every day, at least i have been for the last 6 weeks or so until shoulder and back pain forced me to stop. What I want from a fitting is to be able to ride again -- to allow me to ride my bike without getting back pain, primarily. The shoulder pain is something I think I can control with a shift in technique but the back pain is pervasive.

no1mad 

I take it that you already own the bike and that wanting to 'dial the fit in'? If you are just needing basic help with adjustments (which a good LBS should have helped you with as part of the sale), check out our newest forum- https://www.bikeforums.net/forumdispl...ting-Your-Bike.

FYI, it costs upwards of $200 around here for a 'pro' fitting, but then they are doing body scans, motion analysis, and measuring limb with tape and calipers. Roadies and wanna be racers are the usual clientele.

rydabent

Paying a high price is no guarantee that the fit is done right. The lowest priced guy may be the best one. It just depends on knowledge and experience.

cny-bikeman

I would suggest you do some online research about fitting - you'll find a variety of opinions about how to do it as well as what factors are considered and what adjustments are typically done. Then choose 3 services from shops that have a good reputation in the community and ask what specific things they do as well as how in general they would approach your problem. Actually you may find you can self-diagnose some of the issues after you learn some ore.

stonecrd

The place I went to charges $150 and spends about 2-3 hrs on the fit. They have a Serotta Fit Bike and use the Retul computer system to measure angles and pedaling motion. They will adjust the bike and then do computer angle measurements until they get everything right. They then take the measurements from the fit bike and setup your bike to match. Hook you up to the retul system and remeasure the angles and pedaling motion. Note, in some cases the geometry of your current bike may not let them set it up to the perfect fit. The best time to do this is prior to buying a bike or frame so they can select the correct geometry to match. The LBS I went to throws in the fit if you buy a bike or frame.

So bottom line is if your paying >$100 for a fit you should be getting that level of service. If it is just a guy with a angle gauge tweaking your seat and stem you should be paying way less.

mikepwagner

Aroud here (Raleigh. NC), when I looked last year $1 minute seemed pretty common. I'm not a pro, so a $30 fitting that coincidentally took about 1/2 hour worked just fine for me.

TiHabanero

bigfred has it right. Some shops profit from fittings others use it as a selling tool. One thing I would look for is follow up service or a guarantee comfort from the fitting. Your satisfaction then becomes something they have accountability for, ie, skin in the game.

Personally, I would stretch daily with yoga thrown in, do it for 2 weeks and see if that helps the back/neck/shoulder. If it works for some pains, but not all you will have more knowledge of what you need.

There are shops that offer money back guarantees with their fittings. That is the place I would go.

Wilfred Laurier

i would call the shops and ask what is included
if one says
we watch you ride around the parking lot and adjust your seat height
and another says
you start with a consultation with our physiotherapist...
then your question is answered

of course
it is pretty likely all the shops will be somewhere in the middle of those extremes
but if you dont ask
youll never know