thesmoothdome

I used Eric Bowen at BikeFit. He's runs a mobile fit service out of Carlsbad. He brings everything he needs with him, makes immediate changes that are needed and then reviews the video he shot and provides written and video analysis of the fitting after the fact.

During my fitting, we changed the saddle height about half a centimeter, moved the saddle slightly (I don't know how much off hand) and leveled it out (I swore it was level before, but it was tilted about 4 degrees down). He also corrected my cleat position and provided cleat wedges to properly align my lower body. My 56" Fuji Team was pretty damn close to a perfect fit for my frame after I changed it to a 100mm stem (110mm came with the bike), but I knew the real issues would be my hip and leg alignments. They were easy fixes, but not ones I would have been able to figure out to do on my own.

garethzbarker

in korea fitting is 40$ max. The guy I'm going to see is highly recommended and doing it for like 18$ another 18$ if I want a full tuneup. He will probably just do it for free if I buy some gear. If it was 165$ I swear to god I'd figure out how to do it myself. If you buy a helmet or something these bike shops will work on your bike for free forever.

bmxsykes

I'm going for a RETUL fit today. My fitter said he will be waving his WAND over my bike to put its geometry into the computer and not to wear lotion because he will be placing pasties on me for the video analysis. Does this sound right? Am I in for much more than I am expecting?

zerocool33

I really don't know of anyone who does bike fitting except a Trek dealer in Door County, WI. They use some sort of fit system and it takes at least 2 hours. I think it was like 200 bills if you hadn't bought your bike from them. Kind of sucks my LBS doesn't do them. I bought a $1900 CX and a $1400 29r and wasn't fitted for either of them. Not sure if they think I know what I'm doing enough to figure stuff out, but I was never offered so I'm sure they don't do them. My friend who is the manager had done some trouble shooting on my fit a few years ago but he had just got back from a fitting school and was/is very new to it. I live in between Milwaukee and Green Bay and have never heard of bike fittings done anywhere. I have been to a few big shops in Milwaukee but didn't hear/see anything about pro fittings. Oh well.

clausen

IMO
Pasties $
Computer $
Video $
Strapped to a trainer not actually riding on the road.

Waste of $

Experienced coach watching you on the road making small adjustment is allot better

Nachoman

Wow. I'm moving to Korea.

robncircus

For those questioning the price.... Nate is considered one of the "go-to" guys in So Cal. As mentioned, I have several friedns who have used him and been very happy. It's more than a few measurements. FWIW, I checked a few other fitters too and it's not hard to reach the $400 range here for a fitting. I'll report back as to how it goes.

Rob

DesnaePhoto

The good news for you is Nate flies through MSP quite often. The bad news is he flies through MSP, which is a drive for you. Though he is worth the drive. Any future purchases I make WILL be fitted by him.

zerocool33

Thanks for the info!

MUZE

Yes, but on a good way.

MUZE

Each technique has it's plusses. If you have an experienced fitter using the Retul system you get the best of both. The system also provides you with a measurement record of you and your bike for information on future purchases.

Guillotine007

Big whoop. You can also pretty much buy your own 18 year old female domestique who will rub you down, cook you food, and....you know, for like $75. SO I'VE BEEN TOLD

clausen

Record $

With time things change, flexibility, type of riding, form, equipment. So your fit will change as well and is not necessarily transferable.

MUZE

Agreed, but with a written record you do have a baseline to begin with. I would think that either way is, in most cases, better than nothing.

Cleave

Hello clausen,

Glad to see that you noted your post as your opinion.

My opinion: eyeball fits = big waste of time.

I've had more eyeball advice and fits than fits with some type of technical aid. My observation is that eyeball fits are based on what has worked well for the fitter personally and for some small number of riders with whom they've had great success. If you happen to fit within the parameters of their success then you are lucky.

There is no 100% works-every-time fitting system, but a system with an experienced fitter will get you pretty close and a good record of where they put you and what they tried will give you a much better basis for fine tuning your fit.

Regarding your "time changes things" view, sure, things change over time that will affect your fit. I'm riding a position that I documented in the late 1980s. I have an irrational fear that I will wake up on each birthday (especially since turning 50 a couple of years ago) and I will suddenly be much less flexible than I was in my early 30s (when I finally honed in my fit). So far it has remained an irrational fear and nothing has changed. YMMV.

Getting a fit based on riding on the road instead of a trainer is most probably a better way to go but how you measure the changes that go along with how you feel is difficult. I heard that Retul is coming out with a system where you can ride on the road and tracking devices that are mounted on a car can collect that data while you ride. It will be interesting to see if it really works.

Hi Rob,

I've heard good things about Nate too. I did a Retul fit in San Diego last year on my road bike and my TT bike. I posted some photos last year after I did it. The reason why I went the Retul route was I wanted a better tool to allow me to see how I was pedaling in my current road bike position and to confirm that my road bike position was reasonable. Also my TT position was not working for me and I was so lost on where I should be I figured I needed a good fitter with good tools to get me where I needed to be.

End results, confirmed road position and got a TT position that is allowing me to set PRs on the local TT courses. Mind you, my PRs are not that good.

Looking forward to hearing how your fit works out for you.

umd

Were you also on Piuma changing a flat or something?

robncircus

Haha yeah that was me.

umd

I figured... I was going to ask you bu I forgot until I saw this thread. One of the guys I was with slowed down to ask if you had everything, and when I zipped by I saw the Lagrange kit and yellow TCR and figured it was you and waved.

2runco

Any idea what they did to solve the heal rub problem? I have this same quirk. My right foot pronates more than the left when I run, so I suspect that is the cause. But not sure if a shoe change, a shoe insert, or a cleat position change will be the fix.

calamarichris

Another Loyal customer and fan here.
My fitting with Nate was a last-ditch effort to dodge knee surgery, and it worked!
It does indeed sound silly to pay that much for someone to shift your saddle, seatpost and cleats a centimeter or two, but it transformed my riding.
Before the fit, any rides over 30miles caused knee pain. Now I'm averaging 500+ miles a month with no problems.
I also went back for a spin analysis, and he noted the weak point in my spin (11:00 TO 1:00) and prescribed some hip-flexor exercises.

Worth every penny, and maybe more. I didn't tip Nate after my fitting, but when he helped me carry my bikes out after my spin analysis, there was a 20 dollar bill laying on the sidewalk, so I gave it to him. Judging from his reaction, I think he won't be hurt if you don't tip him.

Prepare for great things.

thesmoothdome

He adjusted my cleat slightly and added 3 wedges to the cleat.

I emailed Eric last night because I'm concerned about some strain on the outside of my ankle now. He emailed me that same evening, explaining the possible causes and asked me to send me a picture of my cleat and that I should call him this evening. He has a few suggestions, but wants to talk it over before making a determination.

bobthib

I got a RETUL fit from John at Racer's Edge in Boca Raton, FL last year. It took about 2.5 hrs, which included a 20 min interview so he could understand my riding habits and goals.

Bottom line: BEST $100 I've spent on my bike. IMHO. And I had "fit" my bike using the online videos and Sheldon Brown, etc. I didn't tell him, but John said my bike was "very close" compared to what he sees. I did have to change my seat post to get a bit more set back, and a shorter stem. I brought a bunch of spare stuff I had, so he was able to use my spare seat post, but I bought a 90mm stem for $49.

I found I was a lot more comfortable after 25 miles, and I had more power in my stroke. WELL worth the price.

Road bikes are amazingly adjustable. It takes a real pro to do it right.

nitropowered

I am a big advocator of getting a good pro fit. Best way to find a good fitter is by word of mouth, see who everyone is going to.

All too often, I see people with horrible fits, the ones you can tell off the bat that something is not right. They either complain they have pains, just look like they are fighting the bike when they ride, or you realize, man this guy is fast, I bet he would be faster if he actually set up his bike correctly.

Another thing is, stay with the fit for 3-4 weeks. It takes time for your body to readjust to the new position. Too many times, I see people revert back to their old position after a few days because "it didn't feel right" Of course its not going to feel right if you rode in one position of X amount of years.

rangerdavid

CTS charges $250 for their 3D fit. I was looking at that since they have a place close by in Asheville. I wonder if that is worth it?

crhilton

I'm disappointed. I thought this thread would be about sexual harassment by a fitter. I say no tip, surely the shop is making it up to him: Possibly by paying for his fit certification, or if he owns the shop he's making that nice high profit fit.


Edit: If the fit is helpful to you, come back a few weeks later and give him a six pack. I believe that's the industry standard tip.