skydive69

I had my bicycle professionally fitted last week by someone who specializes in said fittings. People come from great distances for a good fitting. I felt perfectly comfortable on the bicycle prior to the fitting, and I feel the same now even though substantial changes were made. I got to watch myself on video prior to the fitting, and I was really askew on the bike, and my right leg was much closer to the top tube than my left when I pedaled. My seat previously was full back, and now it has been moved quite a bit more forward and higher. I also have a shim in my right cleat due to a measured leg length discrepancy. I also went with considerably less rise in the stem than previously, but went from a 100 mm to an 80 mm stem.

It is said that when down in the drops, when you look down, the hubs should be obscured by the handlebars. Prior to the fitting (probably because my seat was well back), the hubs appeared aft of the bars. Now they are forward of the bars.

After all of this BS, what I am trying to get around to is my question, to wit: How important do you think it is to be in a position in which the hubs are obscured when on the drops?

alanbikehouston

Whether or not I can "see the hubs" depends on how much I flex my elbows and arms, and how much I lean my torso forward. I don't think the "see the hubs" test is very useful.

The ultimate test of "fit" for me is comfort. When I got my bikes set up right, I can ride as long as I want, and come back feeling better than when I started. No neck pain. No hand or wrist pain. No crotch pain. Finding that "best fit" involved a lot of "trial and error". The "fit" that works for me would not work for the guy next door. Each rider has to work it out for his or her own needs.

skydive69

Of course I understand that, but interestingly, my bike was quite comfortable before and after. After, however, I can generate a bit more power. I'm a bit anal, and like everything to be as precise as it can be, and that was the only "standard" fitting rule my bike seems to violate.

LordOpie

Are there "rules"? I thought everything was a guideline? Sounds like the shop you went to did a great job if you lost no comfort and gained power.

skydive69

Good point.

Avalanche325

I thought the "can't see the hub thing was on the hoods"????

skydive69

Not according to a treatise I read on bike fitting - it indicated that it was on the drops.

Flaneur

You've read the treatise, had the fitting, written in the forum.........

now go ride your bike.....as long a ride as you'd normally enjoy without excessive fatigue or pain....and report back!

Proper fit is an investment. Part of the investment is riding, fine tuning, comparing notes.....

Don't rush to judgement- but get some miles in! (I bet your weather is 30 degrees better than mine today;-))

skydive69

I've been riding my butt off! I ride virtually everyday, and the least amount I have ridden in many weeks is 27 miles - that is a short day. I also hammer a lot, and sprint. As I mentioned, the bike feels great, but then again as I mentioned, when I was fitted completely different to the bike, I felt great also.

The place I was fitted of course realizes that things change, and they are always prepared to do follow-ups at no additional charge.

jazzy_cyclist

I bought my bike back in July 500 - 1000 miles ago. For the most part, it's been pretty comfortable, although with the cold weather I've started using a trainer some, and I notice that I get some crotch numbness when I ride in the saddle for extended periods (I probably stand more in a real life ride, so I tend to not get numb). So this has led me to wonder whether I am leaning too far forward, or whether my stock saddle just isn't a good fit for my "sits bones". Inasmuch as I was supposed to get a "professional fitting" as part of the purchase, I am probably going to do this as well. I'm hoping that I don't screw anything up, but I'm hoping to do a few centuries this coming season.

So - SD - was it worth it in the end?

By the way, I definitely used the "bars obscure the hubs when riding in the drops" test, but I'm not sure if that's supposed to be a ballpark view or nirvana...

skydive69

Absolutely, it was more than worth it! The triathlete across the street from me who has completed two full Ironman events arrived in pain, and was pain free after the fitting at this place. My knee pains immediately disappeared after the fitting, and I was much stronger on my sprints.

I dealt with the sitbone issue by buying a Specialized Alias saddle that comes in three sizes to fit your sit bones. Expensive, but then again 100 bucks for comfort seemed to be well spent.