So , I'm shopping for my next bike, and I know I need to get a good fitting done. I seem to be developing knee pain on my current bike and that tells me the fit is off, I've never had one before. Hell, it's a 20+ year old $150 japanese steel frame beater I got from a shop, I'm not even sure if it's sized right for me period. So I don't want to get another bike and wind up sidelining myself cause I didn't get fitted right.

I'm not 100% on what bike I even want to get yet. So how should I proceed? Do I find a bike I generally like, and get fitted at time of purchase? Do I get one, get a basic fit, ride for a while and then have a retro-fit done? Or should I get fitted first to find out what bike to buy that fits me right?

Kind of at a loss and like I said, I don't wanna hurt my knees anymore and fitting sounds like it is gonna be crucial.

I just bought a bike yesterday (that needs to be ordered, but they fit me on a lesser-component group of the same frame) and they just sized me based on standover height, and will have a real fitting once the bike gets into the shop and assembled.

Frame fitting and bike fitting are two different things.

The frame fitting tells you what size frame tied to a manufacturer you need. For example, if you have a long torso a Defy or Synapse may not be the best bike for you. The way I do it is to measure leg length, overall height, get a ratio and that ties to the top tube length. I frame fit by top tube length.

Bike fitting is the finalization of everything else...hood setup, seat height and width and fore/aft, and a host of other details. That's a totally different deal.

If you are buying a bike you first need to know the proper frame size. Better than half the people I;ve worked with that tell me "their frame size is" are wrong. Convincing the experts to let me fit them for a frame can be funny.

The shop should be able to show you why a particular frame size with a paticular manufacturer is correct for your body dimensions. The "stick up the crotch" method does not work because I would end up selling the same size bike to everyone with that leg length and the upper body in relation to the rider's overall height has a huge impact on frame sizing.

Have fun.

Let the buyer beware. This, in no way takes your torso length into consideration. About the only time I worry about standover is when I have a tall rider with short legs. He really needs a big bike, but might become a soprano the first time he gets off of it. If you have long legs and a short torso, the standover might be OK, but the top tube might be too long. You have to know this to know that the bike fits properly.

Your proportions, flexibility and intended use for the bike may have large impacts not only on what "size" will fit you, but, also on what "models" and/or "manufacturers" will best fit your needs.

I've used a number of the online fit calculators to assess both myself, my wife and a couple of our friends with some success. None of them are perfect, but, they provide an excellent starting point to get you in the ball park. Competitive Cyclist and Zinn's are two of my favorites. I like the fact that Competitive Cyclist provides three fit options ranging from fairly competitive to fairly comfortable for consideration.

If you take the time to get a friend or realative to measure you, these fit calculators can help identify which parameters may be most important to you and can provide a way to compare frames from different manufacturers whose stated sizes frequently vary greatly from one to the other.

I would love to be able to say that this is an area where an LBS offers great value. But, I can't. So far, the majority of times that I've walked into an LBS looking at bikes for myself or the Mrs. they have proceeded to attempt to sell what they have. Not once has a salesman suggested that we should investigate a brand/model they don't have on the floor. On several occassions, when they haven't had the correct size, they've pushed toward a model we weren't interested in because they did have the correct frame. I've had salesmen attempt to fit me on frames that were competely inappropriate for me.

Once you know what style and size of frame will work for you and have purchased such, the final fit can take place. That's going to be fine tuning saddle height, lateral location and angle, stem reach and height, bar angle, brake lever location, etc. If purchased new, from an LBS, this should be included as part of the initial sales service. Anticipate an hour to two for this.

+1

I just picked up a new bike yesterday. Before I paid for anything, the shop put me on a carbon version of the aluminum bike I bought in the size they felt like I needed. They did quick fit and we all agreed on what size to buy. They made sure I was comfortable and that everything was as it should be before they ordered my new bike. Once it came in we did a complete fitting and I could not be happier with whole experience.

Sizing by standover was almost excusable when bikes all had horizontal top tubes and not much variation between manufacturers in top tube and head tube length at similar sizes, but is sheer incompetence for a modern road frame. Hope they got it right and go find someone competent to do your fitting.

One shop here did a pretty thorough fitting for a test ride. I thought that was pretty cool. Ensured that I was getting an accurate feel for the bike. Other shops do a basic setup or sometimes almost nothing (I won't buy from those shops). As for the actual fit, that usually occurs at the time of purchase - at least if you are buying from a reputable shop - or you might need to schedule it depending on how busy. That fitting though is based on how you sit on the bike. Once you ride for a while you may change your preferred position so it's nice if the shop will let you come back for an adjustment once you get more accustomed to the bike. If you buy used, you may need to pay for a fitting. In that case I'd make sure you are familiar with the bike before going in.

Go to an independent bike fitter who is not connected with any particular bike shop. Go for a consultation with your existing bike. A good fitter can tell a lot just from what you already have and how you are positioned on it and your pedal action. Then the fitter can tell you what you might buy and what size, etc. I know this will cost some bucks, but at least you will know.

Tell him up front that you have pain issues and you want to get a new bike. He'll as a lot of questions and that's good.