Going for a fitting
 

I am one of those people who has always believed that I could set up my own bike thank you. But, I finally gave in thanks to my new neck after my C1-C2 fusion. A friend and ex-racer who is currently a rep for a variety of cycling companies suggested a shop that's local to me. So, I spoke to Steve who basically blew me away with his knowledge about bike fitting. So, I made an appointment for Tues and am pumped to see what happens. Steve said the fitting will take about 3 hrs. and will include an interview, body measurement, video of me on my bike, a check out on the fit cycle to see how it all comes together. And, he keeps the stats and video on file for future reference. Cost is $175 which I think is pretty good. He also mentioned "Stack and Reach" as a way of fitting. I tried to get some info via Google and saw how it's figured but am having trouble finding which body measurements relate to Stack and Reach. It's all going to be a trip I think.

Let us know how it goes bruce19; should be fun and hopefully enlightening too.

I've been road cycling (and some off-road) for 46 years now, and like you I've always thought I could set up my own bike, thank you.

And, as I was climbing up some of the 8,000 feet of elevation I rode yesterday (in 66 miles) I was thinking how good the bike felt fit-wise and since I haven't any neck issues like you have, I was thinking I still don't need a professional "fit."

On the other side of the coin (or $175.00) I am always open to learn something new, even if it means correcting something I didn't realize I was doing wrong. So, after all these years, and with all the advances in "fit-ment" I am now considering getting a "fit." Considering but not yet ready to go for it. And that's why I'll be awaiting your post-fit report!

Rick / OCRR

Concerning the part I put in bold, get rid of the aero belly or, at least, suck it in while the camera is on.

Nice that you got advice for a good place to be fitted...at least it sounds like a good one.

A comment from my own bike fit experience, and I'm sure that you'll get an opinion from everyone who's had one, is that your bike fit can be set up for or from a number of perspectives. Ie comfort versus, max power output, versus aero position. Like you I've ridden for a number of years and setup my bikes myself. The result of the bike fit, for max comfort, was a 6mm adjustment to seat height and shortening the stem 10mm. Pretty minor, but noticeable on the bike fit machine. My fit was performed using the GURU dynamic bike fit. If you haven't seen one, Google it. The bike adjusts while you're riding, so no getting off changing bike parts and trying to remember what the other bike setup felt like. It takes approx 2 or 3 seconds for the machine to change setups all while you're pedaling. You can switch between multiple saved configurations for comparison. The GURU setup has video, power meters, the works. I can't say enough about it. For my wife's bike fit, the change in bike setup was dramatic, and I'm embarassed to say that I had set up her bike prior to the fit. She loves riding her bike now - more comfort and more power.

Look forward to hearing of your experience and hope that it works out well!

The key element in fitting a bike successfully is rider input. It is the rider's input that makes or breaks the fit. Specifics that measure knee angle or bar width are static and need no interpretation from the rider, but "do you feel" questions are solely the responsibility of the rider. The beauty of the Guru machine is the automation of movement while riding, which will provide immediate feedback to the rider.

You are going to love it.

Fair warning: Many shops are taught to use the "Professional Fit" as a sales tool to move parts or complete bikes.

Sounds like a first class idea after your accident and the fusions of the cervical vertebrae. Hope to read a good report after your fitting and some riding time.

Bill

This is one of the things I liked about Steve. I told him that although I have always felt that my Masi wasn't the "perfect" frame size for me I wanted to see if I could make it work well for me because it was a 60th birthday present from my gf. That was almost 8 yrs ago and I got a rush just looking at it then and I still do. FWIW it is pretty comfortable as is but I need to make it "right." Steve said we had to try to make it work because it was really important as a moment in our relationship and not just a bike. I was impressed that he was sensitive to that.

Your post turns out to be a timely one for me. I have been considering a fitting and after seeing the dynamics involved with GURU, I searched for a local dealer and found one in Celebration, Fl. Funny thing is we were there last weekend for the Celebration Marathon, saw the store while driving by, but really didn't take notice. I just emailed them for fitting information and will avail myself of their services sooner rather than later.

Having a number of triathlons leading to another Ironman Florida later this year and a possible KONA WC if my lottery entry is successful, a proper fitting is most definitely desirable.

Good luck finding the right settings.

'Timely thread for us as well, as mrs t4mv has joined the 21st century by purchasing an endurance wsd road bike yesterday. After visiting more than enough LBSs and talking with the guys doing the initial fit, it was apparent that making an appt last week for a full fitting was going to be money well spent. Hopefully a week's worth of riding will enable her to really dial in the fit on her new bike come fit time.

'Looking forward to your post fitting report, Bruce.

Or-----------unless you are a dyed in the wool roadie, you could put that $175 toward the purchase of a recumbent bike or trike. Most people with neck or back problems can ride a bent without any pain at all.

FWIW I did a 34 mi. road ride in November after my July 29th surgery. I felt OK on the bike and since then my neck is probably better than it was before the accident. Really. The impetus for the fitting is for a variety of reasons including a check to see if I need to accommodate my neck in some way.

Had the fitting this afternoon. It was really thorough. After an "interview" about my cycling goals and how I currently ride, he started at the feet measuring all kinds of things. Then he watched me walk and measured the placement of my cleats. I ended up buying new Speedplay cleats which makes sense since mine were 7 yrs. old. It took the imperfections out of cleat fit to pedal. He also video'd me pedaling on a trainer and showed a variety of fit angles. From there it was about seat height & setback, stem length and drop and a bunch of other things. It took about 3 hrs and was totally worth it. I am very impressed. I should note that the feeling on the bike is much more comfortable and I'm looking forward to getting out on the road.

I have odd body proportions, but have been my own bike fitter and adjuster.
a couple years ago, had a fitting that lead to a new custom bike - probably one of the
best cycling expenses I've ever made.

That's a great price - it sounds like you got the results you needed.
And it's really fantastic that your neck is better now than before your dreadful accident.
Now all you need is better weather!

Had a fitting when I bought my newest bike as part of the purchase, otherwise would have cost me $200. Took a little over 2 hours and really helped to get the maximum amount of comfort and efficiency possible. In addition to the interview, measuring, video and adjusting, they also measured all the angles/distances of my final set up. Well worth it.

Had my first bike fit this week, after over thirty years of serious riding. I had always been my own fitter and never seemed to have any pain issues. He raised my seat about 5mm and moved it back about 3mm. He also rotated upwards my handlebar but didn't raise it. No major change but this seems comfortable. We will see how it feels after a 1000 miles or so. But I am now feeling reassured as to my subjective fitting skills.

Now to set my cyclocross bike up with the same measurements.

If it's small for you I've found that you give up some handling when you go to a longer reach stem....At least out of the saddle on hills. Had that problem on my old Italvega that was too short for me.

I've found my own stem creeping up in height as well, as I got older myself, and I have no neck injuries. Had to go to a taller Nitto Technomic stem on both my bikes which fit me but a little borderline on the small side.

I had a Retul fitting after I bought my first road bike almost four years ago. It was the best money I have spent on anything cycling related, except the bike of course. A few weeks after getting the fitting, I did an MS 150 and had zero issues related to fit. I bought my Colnago two years ago and they set it up according to my settings in the computer (from my original fitting) and when I picked it up, the fit was perfect. I put 9,000 pain free miles on my bike last year because the fit was dead on. I would definitely recommend a fitting that uses a 3D real-time capture system (Retul, GURU).

The bike is actually too big. When it was purchased for me by my gf it seemed like it fit OK thanks to the sloping TT. I had no experience with anything other than the traditional steel frame and hadn't ridden in 10 yrs. So, it was all new to me. I did buy a shorter stem and rode it for 7 yrs without major issue. Felt comfortable no pain or discomfort but it always felt a bit big. Maybe long is a better word. It actually measures at 58 C to C and the TT virtual is close to 59. My ideal frame is really around 54-56 C to C and a 55 TT.

Just a quick update. Yesterday I geared up and went for a 14 mi. spin. I was focusing on the effects of my new fit on the bike rather than speed. I found that I was really comfortable on the saddle and also on the hoods. I could even ride in the drops but my neck wanted me to limit that to a couple minutes. My pedaling was a bit slower I think as a result of raising the saddle. I was cruising at 85-90 rpm rather than my usual 90-95 rpm. But, when I intentionally spun it up I was doing 110 rpm without bouncing. I also noted that I was a lot faster on hills and inclines and I attribute that to a 12 lb. weight loss as well as better pedaling efficiency and comfort. Without trying, in fact trying to be consistent rather than fast, I still managed to average 14 mph. It was very encouraging. Can't wait for warm weather.

My riding buddy has been riding for years and has always done his own fitting. He could ride a 60-70 mile ride without any problems but would have some pain in his shoulder and some posterior, lateral right knee pain on the longer rides. I've been after him to go and get a pro fitting but he kept saying that he's always adjusted his own fit and didn't need one. His wife heard that I kept telling him about getting a fit done so his daughter gave him a gift certificate for a BG bike fitting for Christmas, which he finally got around to using on Friday. We rode 51 miles on Saturday and after the ride he said he was much more comfortable during the ride and that he felt like he just rode around the parking lot. He also said that after all the tweaking he did on his bike before the fitting, the saddle was too low and too far forward, the stem was too long and did not have the right angle and they moved the stem up two spacers. They also put a shim in his right shoe and adjusted his cleat position, which was the cause of his knee pain. I guess that after all those years of thinking that he had his adjustments just right, he found out just how far off he really was and how much more comfortable he was after a fitting by someone who knew more about it than he did.