I'm in the market to get fitted to my existing ride (not a new one). So far Signature Cycles is the only place that I've found that 'specializes' in bike fit. Is this necessarily advantageous? Has anyone gone to Signature for a fit (no $ on the website)? Otherwise, what other fitters have people used in NYC or nearby?

Signature is about $375 for a fit.

OK the Signature type.. ? Not sure..... I'm originally from NYC and surrounding area. Serotta is a popular bike there and everywhere. Shops that had not only Ser. but other bikes offered the Serotta fit kit. I don't recall the exact price but as of 2 years ago it was nowhere NEAR 375; often times I'd heard of places that would credit at least some of the cost towards a purchase. other types/ brands of custom fit procedures are out there, thats all I know. I'd look around. 375 seems hefty. My guy here does it for free, not Serotta but it takes a trip ror so, each time he spends close to an hour if needed.

I had my fitting done at Signature. They use the Serrota Fit Cycle method. The whole process took a little over 3 hours. I bought a custom built bike from them. The cost of the fitting was included in the cost of the bike. If you don't buy a bike from them they can make recommendations on bringing your existing bike closer to your body geometry, or recommend a brand that will come close. Another name I have seen recommended is Mike Sherry of Performance Labs. He's located on the UWS.

Thanks for the help guys; i'll check them out. Any other opinions?

I'll bet that your bike fits just about perfect.

+1 on the Signature Cycles. Top notch operation. As dendawg says, plan on spending 3 hours on a fit. They don't shortcut anything. As I recall, $375 and $175 or $200 rebated if you buy a custom frame from them. In reality, that is a small component of the cost of a Serotta --as least it was in the case of my Legend Ti . . . .
Signature will also do a fit check on an existing ride and make necessary recommendations as OP requests for a lesser fee.
A number of NYCC folks speak well of Mike Sherry. I don't have the contact, but maybe track that one down.

www.performancelabshc.com
Contact: Michael Sherry
23 West 89th Street #1G NYC, NY 10024
t: +917.406.5982
e: mjsherry@gmail.com

Mike's Great, They do not sell bikes, this is what they do and they do it well. They also do training and lab tests.

I've had my fitting done there and have always been pleased.

Good luck,

Robert

What do they charge?

A Comprehensive Fitting Analysis generally takes 2 hours, and as such, is available by appointment only. Cost $250

You can also try Felix at R&A in Brooklyn. He has his own website here:

When I bought my bike at R&A a few years ago, he did the fitting and he did a great job. I could ride that bike for hundreds of miles and not feel it, and I'm not a youngster any more.

It depends what you're looking for. Signature Cycles is probably the best in town, really a first-class operation. They will spend 3+ hours with you, use cool high-tech equipment to measure your stroke, and really help you optimize your ride. But they also charge over $300.

Felix (noted above) is a terrific guy, will help get you fitted and give you honest, practical advice. But no high-tech wizardry, just a knowledgeable guy in his apartment.

I have used both and was really happy in both cases.

A

I don't mean to be snide, but, what percentage of (non-professional) bicyclists are the sort who purchase a $300.00–$400.00 fitting? For many people, I'd imagine, that's the budget for the entire bike...

I would just expect one with a purchase of a higher end bike. The more you spend, the more time they spend with you. After I rebuilt my bike I thought about paying for one and when I saw the cost I said I'll figure it out on my own.

It depends on the riding you do, because if you're an avid cyclist and spend a lot of time on the saddle pushing your limits then addressing fit is a good idea because a poor fit can cause physical injury in the long term.

I'll grant there's something to that, but, on the other hand, I feel the "professional fitting" is purchased by a number of people who don't need it (walking into a bike shop, one sometimes sees persons not even sure what kind of bike they want, talked into putting down a bunch more cash because they're successfully persuaded it's "worth it" to be fitted "correctly"). For most bicyclists, my feeling is, the "common-sense fit" is perfectly adequate.

I'd hate to start a flame-war, so I'll move away from this digression, here.

The "common sense fit" can work for a lot of people because professional fitting or not your body will always tell you when something's wrong, so the best thing is to take that cue and get some help if you feel you can't sort it out on your own. If you're riding a hybrid and just ride around casually with platform pedals then there's often less fit issues, but once you're clipped in there are other factors to consider which is why in a professional fitting makes sense.

Out of curiosity (not to instigate), who — say, just in this thread — rides with clip-less pedals? Myself, I use platform ones.

I use clipless. I first went clipless on my MTB even before I owned a road bike. I found it made a big difference, especially in climbing. Also it helped alleviate some knee pain I was having due to drifting into poor position on my platform pedals on longer rides. FWIW I have since switched to a combination platform clipless pedal on the bike I sometimes use for commuting. This saves me having to use bike shoes when I ride to work ( a short ride) but allows me to clip in for longer rides where it will make a difference.

I use clipless. I started using them about 25 years ago, or however long the original Looks have been around. Everyone thought I was nuts to ride that way in NYC.

I use clipless and it is a noticeable difference in regards to pedaling efficiency. Being clipped in makes it much easier to "pedal in circles" as opposed to mashing which is what you end up doing with platform pedals. Most commuters I see just have platform pedals or toe-clips (metal cage which hold foot in place) which serve a siimilar function to clipless. Another benefit of going clipless are the shoes which have stiff shoes, which makes the power transfer to the pedal more direct since your foot isn't bending or interfered with by excessive padding. There are of course other options like the platform/clipless pedal dendawg mentioned, or MTB pedals which have recessed cleats thereby making it easier to walk with than road shoes.

i use clipless

Well, sure, I think it's almost axiomatic that anyone who spends $300-$400 for an entire bike will not spend $300-$400 for a fitting. But I suspect anyone who spends $300-$400 for an entire bike won't even realize such a thing as a bike fitting exists in the first place, or perhaps doesn't do enough riding to value a bike fitting. Yes, it's a rarefied breed who can appreciate the benefit of a professional bike fitting...but NYC is a big city, with plenty of fringe groups who take their hobby seriously. Just look around Route 9W on a sunny Saturday mid-morning and count the >$3,000 bikes. Every one of those riders probably can (or did) benefit from a good fitting.

I do fits out of Roy's Sheepshead Cycle in Brooklyn. It's the BG Fit method as designed by Andy Pruitt. I charge $250 on a road fit. It takes how long it takes. 2-4 hours is the usual range depending on the bike and the athlete. Tri fits can take a bit longer due to the number of parts needing adjustments...

As far as fittings go, it's a complete top-to-bottom fit. Cleats and all. Being a knee-pain sufferer for 10 years, legs and feet seem to be my strong point on the fits.

There's no smoke or mirrors. It's a straight up bike fit that measures the body, its limitations and adjusts the bike to work with the given specifications.

How are the bike fitters at Ride Brooklyn? They only charge $100 or $160.