Cyclefit - worth the money??

PaulJHart

I'm buiding up a new bike and having always suffered from stiff shoulders/neck after a long ride so I was giving www.cyclefit.co.uk consideration - especially as i now seem to be getting sore knees too! However I'm a renowned tight wad and 150 quid for two hours seems a bit steep - even plumbers charge less than that - and the entire bike I'm building is only going to come in at around 400.
Can anyone recomend or discourage me going?
I'm concerned that all they;ll do is recomend some custom built exotic frame that will cost more than my car.

Fab Foodie

Hi
I had a basic-bike fit at AW Cycles when I bought my TCR, this involved a good measure-up, feeding info into a computer model which predicted optimal bike sizing, Top-tube crank length, stem length seat height and fore/aft position etc. Have to say the bike fits me very well and have never had any discomfort.
The £150 jobs will more than likely get you on a cycle jig and watch how you pedal etc and will thus likely be more exacting. and fine-tuning especially with specific problems such as lower back or knee pain. For me, comfort on a bike is #1 and you cannot get that ifd the basic sizing is wrong.
Maybe the £35 basic session might help at least get your build size right?

portuguese mike

i think so. i too baulked at the cost so put it off for ages and ages despite not being at all comfortable on my bike. suffice to say that it was well sorth it and i wish i'd done it sooner. i have to say, though, that your concern about ending up with a very pricey bike may be a valid one. although my LBS did not try and sell me a new bike when it transpired that mine was way too small for me i did convince myself that i needed a custom build which i couldn't really afford (not that i really regret it, i've ended up with a very comfortable lovely bike that i'll have for years).

sylvanus

I'd say you should throw away your fears and go for it as soon as you can. The cyclefit fee I paid was the best money I spent in cycling. Imagine you lose the pain, gain power and avoid a long term injury. Isn't that worth £150?

The genuine "cyclefit" is streets ahead of what you'll get in other places and no they won't even suggest you buy an expensive bike but they will adapt you old one.

PaulJHart

Thanks for the advice - all sounds very positive so I may well give it a go.

sylvanus

Good - I did buy a Serotta after my fit but only because I wanted to and I had to suggest it several times before they seemed comfortable talking about it!

They now have a full range of lower cost "Glider" bikes they design themselves in steel and alu. However in almost every case they will fit your existing bike to you by raising / shortening the stem or moving the saddle back etc, I think they also check your cleat alignment and wedge them if necessary.

Everyone I know who has tried it has thought it very worthwhile. To be honest, given the time we spend on our bikes and the stress we put on our bodies, I think anyone who doesn't do a proper fitting is perfectly bonkers!

giant_man

Because of the fact your complete bike is going to come in at 400 quid then No I don't think you need a fitting from Cyclefit, as you say 150 quid seems steep compared to the cost of the bike. if you were going for a Serotta or similar exotica, (very nice they are of course) for instance then the money would be an investment.

You could try someone such as Paul Hewitt in Leyland who, I think for 25 or 35 quid (please don't quote me on that!) would get your size and position spot on. Personally, in your situation, I would go for this route.

Cyclefit seems to be, in some cases, for people with more money than sense, who are looking for a bike to go alongside their Ferrari in the garage, and are willing to pay 6 or 7 grand for a bike.

mrushton

giant mancp wrote:

Because of the fact your complete bike is going to come in at 400 quid then No I don't think you need a fitting from Cyclefit, as you say 150 quid seems steep compared to the cost of the bike. if you were going for a Serotta or similar exotica, (very nice they are of course) for instance then the money would be an investment.

You could try someone such as Paul Hewitt in Leyland who, I think for 25 or 35 quid (please don't quote me on that!) would get your size and position spot on. Personally, in your situation, I would go for this route.

Cyclefit seems to be, in some cases, for people with more money than sense, who are looking for a bike to go alongside their Ferrari in the garage, and are willing to pay 6 or 7 grand for a bike.

If you have access to C-fit then do it. I've met numerous people who have it done and all say iy was worth it. The shop won't sell you a bike unless you want them to. they give the data and it's up to you what you do with it. But they may highlight problems such as foot position, incorrect knee movement etc P.Hewitt has a jig to size you on and it probably isn't as scientific but he has a great reputation.

top_bhoy

I'd say the only reason for going down the Cyclefit route on a 400 quid bike is that you will have the info should you wish to upgrade the bike in future and will know what it is you need. On the other hand, IMO, a decent bike shop should be able to fit you to a bike without charging - that after all is why you would want to pay a premium.

400 quid is at the low end of the bike scale but even so, its still a reasonabley sized investment and if the bike shop wants to have your repeat custom, then they should make sure the product they sell you that its suitable!!

I'd be reluctant at this stage until your a bit more sure as to how much cycling your going to do to spend the 150 quid on cyclefit.

mrushton

Top_Bhoy wrote:

I'd say the only reason for going down the Cyclefit route on a 400 quid bike is that you will have the info should you wish to upgrade the bike in future and will know what it is you need. On the other hand, IMO, a decent bike shop should be able to fit you to a bike without charging - that after all is why you would want to pay a premium.

400 quid is at the low end of the bike scale but even so, its still a reasonabley sized investment and if the bike shop wants to have your repeat custom, then they should make sure the product they sell you that its suitable!!

I'd be reluctant at this stage until your a bit more sure as to how much cycling your going to do to spend the 150 quid on cyclefit.

i've bought numerous bikes over the years and if I was starting again I would definitely spend the money on a correct fit to save lots of money in the long term. I've found out the expensive and painful way what works for me and would advise anybody who is keen on cycling to get measured up by a reliable dealer, not 'well a 55cm looks about right'

Eurostar

Cyclefit helped me set up my 23 year old bike - i wish i'd done it 23 years earlier! It was originally set up by Condor but really it was the wrong size in the first place. Cyclefit never tried to sell me a new bike. Brilliant service, which I'm quite sure doesn't make them any money - unless you happen to be seduced by the fantastic bikes in their shop. But it's your lookout!

mea00csf

If you've suffered with it for along time an tried tweaking to get rid of it hasn't worked and are developing sore knees i'd say go for it, no matter what the price of your bike is.

When/if you do get an injury, (and the developing sore knee would worry me a little) a good sports physio is going to cost you £50 just for the consultation, never mind treatment/time off work etc so £150 to avoid that is a bargain imho

top_bhoy

mrushton wrote:

would advise anybody who is keen on cycling to get measured up by a reliable dealer, not 'well a 55cm looks about right'

Exactly my point - a reliable dealer, which doesn't neccessarily mean that it takes a 150 quid fitting session. A good dealer should spend some decent amount of time with a beginner in setting the bike up as part of the basic service. Even if it means that the purchaser has to go back at times when the shop is having a 'quieter moment'.

I am not saying that the cyclefit is necessarily a bad thing - I just think that a good dealer should be able to have a bike setup to give a good starting position for the user. I would think that cyclefit will also only give you a base position and some minor tweaks may still be required later. No system is infallible.

giant_man

mrushton wrote:

giant mancp wrote:

Because of the fact your complete bike is going to come in at 400 quid then No I don't think you need a fitting from Cyclefit, as you say 150 quid seems steep compared to the cost of the bike. if you were going for a Serotta or similar exotica, (very nice they are of course) for instance then the money would be an investment.

You could try someone such as Paul Hewitt in Leyland who, I think for 25 or 35 quid (please don't quote me on that!) would get your size and position spot on. Personally, in your situation, I would go for this route.

Cyclefit seems to be, in some cases, for people with more money than sense, who are looking for a bike to go alongside their Ferrari in the garage, and are willing to pay 6 or 7 grand for a bike.

If you have access to C-fit then do it. I've met numerous people who have it done and all say iy was worth it. The shop won't sell you a bike unless you want them to. they give the data and it's up to you what you do with it. But they may highlight problems such as foot position, incorrect knee movement etc P.Hewitt has a jig to size you on and it probably isn't as scientific but he has a great reputation.

I'm not saying the money you're paying at CycleFit isn't worth it and i do agree if you have an injury or you think your cleat positioning needs to be looked at then fair enough of course, but if your complete bike is going to come in at 400 quid then i can't see the point. Yes you should be comfortable and yes the bike should fit you of course, but at this kind of budget buying, i wouldn't.

portuguese mike

Top_Bhoy wrote:

mrushton wrote:

would advise anybody who is keen on cycling to get measured up by a reliable dealer, not 'well a 55cm looks about right'

Exactly my point - a reliable dealer, which doesn't neccessarily mean that it takes a 150 quid fitting session. A good dealer should spend some decent amount of time with a beginner in setting the bike up as part of the basic service. Even if it means that the purchaser has to go back at times when the shop is having a 'quieter moment'.

I am not saying that the cyclefit is necessarily a bad thing - I just think that a good dealer should be able to have a bike setup to give a good starting position for the user. I would think that cyclefit will also only give you a base position and some minor tweaks may still be required later. No system is infallible[/b].

I don't know about cyclefit specifically but if it's anything like the fitting session i had (£120) then it'll give you far more than just a basic position and minor tweaks. I had things such as knee alignment and posture corrected and my pedalling stroke analysed with a computer which, on top of a perfect position on the bike, has improved both the comfort (immesurably) and efficiency of my riding (esp. up hill).

it shouldn't really be discussed in relation to the purchase of one bike but as an investment in a lifetime of more comfortable and therfore more enjoyable cycling with, as others have mentioned, a reduced risk of injury. In that context i don't think it's that much money as you'll never have to do it again

Eurostar

Top bhoy, have a look at the detail that goes into a Cyclefit fitting. They use a Serotta Sizecycle, lasers etc. The fitter has to go on a course at Serotta to learn how to do it. Every Serotta dealer offers the same services as Cyclefit. Even the best LBS won't take a fraction of the measurements that a Serotta dealer does, unless like Mosquito bikes they happen to have poached a trained staff member from a Serotta dealer!

Yes, a good LBS should get the position about right. But the Serotta approach is a lot more involved and takes ages. I don't think you can appreciate the difference unless you've tried it. Unfortunately you don't know what it's going to do for you until you're committed - but i reckon £150 is a reasonable gamble, so long as you're the sort of person who thinks £1000 is a reasonable price for a bike. Of course, if you have to travel a long way to get to a Serotta dealer it's a much bigger ask.

portuguese mike

Eurostar wrote:

Top bhoy, have a look at the detail that goes into a Cyclefit fitting. They use a Serotta Sizecycle, lasers etc. The fitter has to go on a course at Serotta to learn how to do it. Every Serotta dealer offers the same services as Cyclefit. Even the best LBS won't take a fraction of the measurements that a Serotta dealer does, unless like Mosquito bikes they happen to have poached a trained staff member from a Serotta dealer!

Yes, a good LBS should get the position about right. But the Serotta approach is a lot more involved and takes ages. I don't think you can appreciate the difference unless you've tried it. Unfortunately you don't know what it's going to do for you until you're committed - but i reckon £150 is a reasonable gamble, so long as you're the sort of person who thinks £1000 is a reasonable price for a bike. Of course, if you have to travel a long way to get to a Serotta dealer it's a much bigger ask.

My LBS was until recently a serotta dealer so it sounds as though my fitting was probably very much like a cyclefit session, it went in to so much detail it took 4 hours!

Eurostar

Brilliant, so you got the best of both worlds! What's the shop called?

portuguese mike

Eurostar wrote:

Brilliant, so you got the best of both worlds! What's the shop called?[/quote]

It's Rock n' Road in Southampton - they're dealers for Parlee, Moots and Waterford and very helpful/knowledgeable

giant_man

Ahhhhh Parlee ....... mnnnnnnnnnnn ........

andyp

Eurostar wrote:

Yes, a good LBS should get the position about right. But the Serotta approach is a lot more involved and takes ages. I don't think you can appreciate the difference unless you've tried it. Unfortunately you don't know what it's going to do for you until you're committed - but i reckon £150 is a reasonable gamble, so long as you're the sort of person who thinks £1000 is a reasonable price for a bike. Of course, if you have to travel a long way to get to a Serotta dealer it's a much bigger ask.

I still think the £125 or so I spent at Cyclefit was one of the best performance enhancing purchases I've made. As Eurostar says, it takes 3-4 hours and I didn't go anywhere near the bike for the first half of that. The pedal stroke assessment and correction alone was worth the money.

I remain somewhat dubious of the art of cycle fitting as I'm sure if you visited four different experts you'd get four different positions but if you go in with an open mind I'm sure you'll get some benefit. That said, I still found the money I invested at cyclefit well spent.

bikeit65

Has anyone above who got the bike fit done also bought the footbeds, if so are they worth the money.

mrushton

Bikeit65 wrote:

Has anyone above who got the bike fit done also bought the footbeds, if so are they worth the money.

i have the Sifas f/beds. Well worth the change as you can feel your foot fit exactly into the shoe. The new ESole system is supposed to be much better. I know a couple of people who have them (but they also got the Rocket 7 shoes) and say that the ESle is an improvement over the Sifas - however, they do ride at a competitive level. Specialized do a cheaper insert that's supposed to be quite good, but obviously not an exact mould of your foot. Shimano do the new thermoform shoe which also have had good reviews.