DesnaePhoto

How often do you get fitted to your bike? What is a significant enough change to justify another?

2 years, and over 30 pounds ago, I had a professional fit by Nate Loyal. LOVED the bike even more afterwards. Been racing and doing a solid winter training program. The top, front of my thighs get sore when doing drills that are supposed to stress the glutes. Do I start messing with my seat myself or just go for another pro fit?

Note: I am no longer in SoCal, or I'd go see Nate in a heartbeat. No clue who is the best in the Indianapolis area.

Thoughts?
Suggestions?

thirdgenbird

never, but i have a set. wait...

lazerzxr

Once then never again. Once is enough to get you about right and then adjust as and when you feel you need to. If you were heavy on your first fit you would likely have been set up with the seat high and pushed forward to open the engle between your torso and thigh. This would have the effect of putting more weight on your hands and would tend to make extra use of your quads for pedalling.

If I were you id mark everything so i could put it back if required and start moving the seat back and down. You have lost weight so you can close up the angle between torso and thigh a little and your quads are sore so going back and down will cause you to tend to use you H/strings a little more. You need to go down very slightly as you go back as going back means you have further to stretch.

Move about 3mm at a time and judge height based on feel

Just my opinion. Of course you can pay someone to do that for you but it wont be any "better"

johnybutts

Once a year is about what I'm looking at. I'm in my first few years of cycling and my body seems to be adapting a bit, and my goals change a bit. A good fitter will address your physiological changes and your goals together.

Of course you could spend several months fine-tuning your fit yourself, but why risk the time and injury if you're comfortable shelling out $200-300 a year? Compared to what I spend on maintenance and supplies, it's a bargain.

Start asking around your group rides for recommendations on professional bike fitters in your city. I see Tad Hughes in Houston, but doubt that helps you.

Caracalla.

once to set the proper benchmark settings, then self-adjust accordingly as time goes by.

StanSeven

[QUOTE=DesnaePhoto;11866068]How often do you get fitted to your bike? What is a significant enough change to justify another?

2 years, and over 30 pounds ago, I had a professional fit by Nate Loyal.

Been racing and doing a solid winter training program. The top, front of my thighs get sore when doing drills that are supposed to stress the glutes. /QUOTE]

You are the same as you were two years ago except 30 lbs heavier. Fitting isn't magical and most people can get it right all by themselves. Sometimes an expert is needed but not every couple of years.

My question is how did you gain 30 lbs, racing, and doing a solid winter training program?

johnybutts

He lost the 30 pounds.

pdedes

a cycling coach showed me how to figure out how to fit myself to a bike many moons ago. even if i don't reference my measurement sheets, i can dial myself in pretty quickly to a new bike.

StanSeven

Oh, thanks.

To the OP, you should still be fine unless you find you have much greater flexibility. Then you might want the bar lowered and perhaps a slighly longer stem to get a more agressive position. It's just a matter of how you feel that way.

thesmoothdome

I was pro fit in January and dialed in perfectly. When I brought my new bike home in November I set it up as close as I could to the measurements my fitter had provided. Even though I was 35 pounds lighter, I was able to dial it in close to perfect. I still had my fitter come to the house and check everything over. About the only change we made was changing the angle of my saddle by 1 degree because it is slightly cupped. After a few rides on the bike, I did raise the stem by 2cm, which allieviated the tightness in the back I was experiencing on rides over 50 miles.

kleinboogie

One time as I got the numbers (power, angles, distances). I change parts a lot between my road, mountain and TT bikes/setups so a quick fit is important. Like I said, get all the measurements and then make tiny adjustments over time as your flexibility, strength and technique improve. I've gone to using video with Dashware and MaxTRAQ when I'm working on something new or want to know if my power would improve with a different position or technique. GL

Nachoman

+1

slowandsteady

An allen wrench and some common sense really shouldn't cost $200-300. Just because they have a bunch of lasers and protractors and plumb bobs doesn't mean it is complex. It isn't.

I could make a box of Kraft macaroni and cheese using a computerized heating element, a team of engineers, a graduated cylinder to measure the milk, a calibrated balance that goes out to micrograms for the butter, and cut open the bag of powdered cheese with a laser guided, diamond tipped blade, and it would still just be macaroni and cheese.