Bike fitting? should i shouldn't i?

strodey

Hello all,

Have been to three shops looking at road bikes around £1500!
Two told me i didn't need to be bike fitted the other said it would be good to get myself measured then they could set up the best suited bike for me and it would then be super efficient!
Sounds good to get bike fitted but the shop is quite expensive, do i trust them and go for the fitted bike and get less for my money or should i try some bikes in the other shop and just go with gut feeling when sat on them?
Looking at Giant Defy advanced, TCR advanced 3, Specialised Tarmac, Trek Madone, Scott cr1.
I know they are very different geometry designed for different purposes but not sure yet if i'll find the racey geometry too uncomfortable!

Any opnions?

mrushton

Gut feeling can turn out to be quite expensive. the shop that's offered you the fitting (are they charging or does it come 'free' if you buy the bike) obviously want you to be happy with your purchase

badhand

I'm doing exactly the same! Looking at Giant TCR, Spesh Roubaix Elite or something from Ribble. You get no sizing help there really...
My LBS said they would use some fancy computer trickery to get me on a bike and I fell for it, spending a lot of time on a Trek I wasn't convinced about because of the level of service I thought I could be getting. In the end they guessed the size of the bike I needed and sent me out! Size was fine though, just not sure about the bike.

I think there are so many ways to adjust the bike after you've bought it. Saddle, stem etc... that you just need to go for the one that feels right and get the shop to play with it as you are testing.

Oh, one bike shop chap told me the tarmac was set up more for racy action and the roubaix is much more comfy for long hauls. Hope this helps.

weepiglet

I would agree with mrushton. I think getting measured is pretty essential and not just someone who tells you to sit on the saddle and mopves the seat post up and down - which is what I had yesterday!! If you have to pay a minimal amount I would say do it because you might think it's ok in teh shop but after 10 miles you could find that you are very uncomfortable

BazookaMoor

You can spend quite alot of time and money getting a bike to fit you properly. One manufacturers size 56 can feel completely different to anothers size 56. It's all about geometry and how it relates to your various body parts.
If the expensive bike shop has helpful experienced staff who are willing to spend time making sure you are happy it could be cheaper in the long run.
Most important of all is to ride as many bikes as you can before you splash the cash.

8) 8) 8)

badhand

So how do you go about getting that custom built Ribble beauty? Tempting just to go for the Trek, simply because that's at the closest shop and they will provide me with the best support, but why should I have to go with the pitiful choice of my local area?

extremepig

It's all well and good people saying "get a professional bike fit" but no shops anywhere near me do them.

badhand

and the shops that do don't seem to want to...

Pokerface

One other thing to remember - even if you don't get a bike fitting prior to buying - there are still many adjustments that can be made to a bike AFTER buying it that can affect the fit. Simple things like saddle heights, crank lengths, stem angles and lengths, headset height, etc can all go towards fine tuning your ride.

I bought my Trek without ever even seeing one in person - and had the LBS help fine tune it for me and that made a huge difference. Since then I've tried a few other things on my own to get the fit just right.

But if you CAN try before you buy - go for it!

badhand

That's what I said!!

Even the most obvious thing of changing the seat post height makes a massive difference. Everyone on mountain bikes do it all the time. My LBS said that the Trek I've just ordered can be changed around easily at the first free service when I've put a few miles in.

All this has added up to me ordering a bike I am now having second thoughts about. Is it ok to tell them I've changed my mind?

giant_man

You should get yourself measured for any bike you're thinking of. To order online or to choose a bike without even sitting on it or taking it for a test ride, is a fool's choice imo.

Look upon it as an investment, and getting the correct size for you is imperative to being happy with your bike. You will benefit with the right size to be comfortable. The most important thing.

simonaspinall

You should absolutely definitely get a made to measure bike - The gains from having the right frame for you and also the high-quality advice and time spent with you (or should be spent with you) will pay for itself!

I went to Racescene in Barnsley (a gem in a far from luxurious area) and Richard at the shop spent over two hours with me measuring for the perfect frame size, reach, bars, shoes, specifying the drive train, wheel set. They know what they are talking about - An ex-frame distributor agent, pro cyclist and master technician add up to a lot of knowledge to impart! (www.racescene.co.uk)

It's very much a high-end quality race and road bike shop with prices starting from about 5-600 but if you love your cycling, do it everyday, the combination of correct positioning, correct shoes, pedals and so on all add up to a big gain. Also the high-end shops will stock more exclusive and rare frames that you can't get anywhere else such as small production italian exotica.

I would estimate you pay £200-£300 more for the same bike off the shelf but what you'll save in money from advice on maintenance and preventative practice in using your bike and the having a bike customised to what you need it for is well worth the expenditure - And this knowledge won't leave you - Think how much you'll save over time!

I recommend you get measured - It's well worth travelling to a shop out of town.

mrushton

badhand wrote:

That's what I said!!

Even the most obvious thing of changing the seat post height makes a massive difference. Everyone on mountain bikes do it all the time. My LBS said that the Trek I've just ordered can be changed around easily at the first free service when I've put a few miles in.

All this has added up to me ordering a bike I am now having second thoughts about. Is it ok to tell them I've changed my mind?

When they say 'can be changed around easily' that would mean at your cost I presume? If you take it back and say the seat-post/bars/stem are all wrong and the steerer is too short so can I have a new fork as well, I think that the free service won't be free. As most of us know, just swapping stems can be an expensive business so the more you get right the 1st time the better

nickwill

mrushton wrote:

badhand wrote:

That's what I said!!

Even the most obvious thing of changing the seat post height makes a massive difference. Everyone on mountain bikes do it all the time. My LBS said that the Trek I've just ordered can be changed around easily at the first free service when I've put a few miles in.

All this has added up to me ordering a bike I am now having second thoughts about. Is it ok to tell them I've changed my mind?

When they say 'can be changed around easily' that would mean at your cost I presume? If you take it back and say the seat-post/bars/stem are all wrong and the steerer is too short so can I have a new fork as well, I think that the free service won't be free. As most of us know, just swapping stems can be an expensive business so the more you get right the 1st time the better

Agreed, and the basic frame dimensions and geometry are fixed, so you are already limited to how much can be changed.
Better a lower spec bike that fits properly than the other way round. It amazes me how many people come on to the forum, state their height, and ask which size of expensive bike to buy. It really doesn't work like that!

keef66

I went to Epic because they sit you on the bike on a turbo and fine tune it one bit at a time, measuring distances and angles, swapping components if necessary. Chris even took a video clip of me pedalling so I could see what I looked kike. Then you get to test ride as far as you like (they ensure you have their number on your mobile so if you puncture you can call them to come and collect you)

You also get to choose each and every component. I was there 3 hours on my first visit!
There was no charge for the fitting.

OK, so they are 200 miles away, but with a bit of skulduggery that was combined with a business trip. Well worth the detour.

I'm certain I wouldn't have been happy spending in excess of £1k on something I hadn't been properly fitted for

strodey

looks like i'll get myself measured then!
The £50 gets knocked off when i buy and all other adjustments are made when setting the bike up.
My only concern will be if the bike can be bought much cheaper elsewhere (pedalon.co.uk will give me lots of goodies on top) in which case i'm assuming they give me the details of the fitting and i'll lose the £50 but gain with other bits. Don't like doing it but want to get the most from my money!

Underscore

strodey wrote:

looks like i'll get myself measured then!
The £50 gets knocked off when i buy and all other adjustments are made when setting the bike up.
My only concern will be if the bike can be bought much cheaper elsewhere (pedalon.co.uk will give me lots of goodies on top) in which case i'm assuming they give me the details of the fitting and i'll lose the £50 but gain with other bits. Don't like doing it but want to get the most from my money!

I don't know where you are based but, if you're within spitting distance of Saffron Walden (in Essex), I would recommend visiting Liam at Newdales - the Giant dealer there. I bought a Defy 1 from him after he put a couple of different frame sizes on a turbo and fitted me to the bike. All done for nowt and with no guarantee of a sale. He then sourced a demo bike from Giant and sent me out on an 18 mile test ride - after which I place the order.

HTH,

_

badhand

mrushton wrote:

badhand wrote:

That's what I said!!

Even the most obvious thing of changing the seat post height makes a massive difference. Everyone on mountain bikes do it all the time. My LBS said that the Trek I've just ordered can be changed around easily at the first free service when I've put a few miles in.

All this has added up to me ordering a bike I am now having second thoughts about. Is it ok to tell them I've changed my mind?

When they say 'can be changed around easily' that would mean at your cost I presume? If you take it back and say the seat-post/bars/stem are all wrong and the steerer is too short so can I have a new fork as well, I think that the free service won't be free. As most of us know, just swapping stems can be an expensive business so the more you get right the 1st time the better

So I've been totally mislead then by my freindly local bike shop. They basically weren't prepared to get the gear out and measure me properly because I was 'only' spending a grand. Maybe if I'd been looking at the high end carbon...

simonaspinall

Strodey - See past the 'free gifts' - And also, contemplate how easy it will be to return any items and negotiate with a website if you needed to claim on warranties etc i.e. sorting out returns and couriers - People are better than websites - Maybe not in a how much you will pay for each part but for the right product at a fair price the LBS will always beat a website.

You can also physically feel the frames, width of the bars, saddle etc. whereas a net site will have at best an 'enlarged image' of the product.

Napoleon called Britain a nation of shopkeepers for a reason - Cos shops, in this case are better than the web.

Use websites for homogenous goods - DVDs, CDs etc - Things that really can be bought anywhere.

DaSy

I have had a BikeFit done in the past, and can safely say that I ended up on a bike that was really unsuitable for me and being pretty uncomfortable. It was also virtually out of the range of adjustment that could bring it back into line.

My subsequent bikes have been sized by me, using my experience of what does and doesn't work, and what particular measurments were most important for my personal comfort.

The bike I now mainly ride is smaller but with more drop to the bars etc, and is a more comfortable and also faster position.

The BikeFit took a about 2 hours and measured just about every conciveable part of my body, had me on jigs, all then put into a computer program and the relevant measurments transposed to give the perfect bike position and the new bike bought on the strength of this and setup using the recommended positions of bars. stem etc.

It is not something I can say I am very impressed with, but getting your bike size right is difficult and does require a lot of trial and error.

giant_man

Well all I can say about your experience for a Bike Fit is people do vary and maybe they didn't know what they were doing. Experience of bike fitting of the individual goes a long way imo.

In the right hands, it's an invaluable exercise and very necessary!

Jez mon

I would really recommend going for the bike fit, it won't get you in exactly the perfect position, but it will get you in a good position which will easily be in a few %age points of your perfect position! Setting up a bike from no starting point can be a headache, and unless you have someone on hand who knows what they're doing, you can just find yourself getting in a mess!

Furthermore establishing a good relationship with your LBS is generally a good thing to do, although I Wiggle etc are very good at quick delivery they can't offer the same level of service as a friendly LBS.

DaSy

I agree that setting up a bike from no stand point is very difficult, but I am not convinced by the BikeFit/Cycle Fit systems, a knowlegable shop with staff that know what they are doing will do just as good a job without the need for jigs and computers...

nickwill

Having recommended having a fitting, I wouldn't necessarily recommend a computer based system.
I've been fitted for my bikes by Paul Hewitt, and he uses a jig, some measurements and an experienced eye to get the right position. The process also involves questions about the sort of riding you do and how the position feels. I don't think any computerised system can beat the knowledge and understanding of a good experienced bike fitter.

giant_man

+ 1 for Paul Hewitt!

badhand

I've just come back from Evans, where the really funny and nice chap got me to put my elbow on the saddle and stretch out to the bars. Then add extra hand and with that he determined I needed a slightly smaller size. Brilliant!!! Then he got me on a Cannondale Six costing a grand more than the Synapse I was after and said they were basically the same bike whilst telling me he didn't like Specialized so I shouldn't bother with those.

Who needs to spend £200 on a fitting service when you have that level of expertise available?

dombo6

I recently got a Cyclefit done and was very impressed. Cleats were set up correctly, seat height and reach all adjusted and as each change was made I could see the results on the computerised power meter display. Cost was £150 for two hours of very detailed advice, taking into account flexibility, goals, fitness levels etc. The resultant measurements can be used to have a bike custom built by them or elsewhere, so well worth it in my view.

giant_man

[quote="badhand"]I've just come back from Evans, where the really funny and nice chap got me to put my elbow on the saddle and stretch out to the bars. Then add extra hand and with that he determined I needed a slightly smaller size. Brilliant!!! Then he got me on a Cannondale Six costing a grand more than the Synapse I was after and said they were basically the same bike whilst telling me he didn't like Specialized so I shouldn't bother with those.

Who needs to spend £200 on a fitting service when you have that level of expertise available?[/quote]
Wonderful! Good to hear Evans are continuing their usual high level of expertise in bike fitting! lol

BikeDynamics

I wholeheartedly agree you should get yourself a bike fit, but then I would as I have spent the last six months setting my own fitting business, http://bikedynamics.co.uk/ in Warwickshire.

Sorry for the blatent plug, now it is out the way I can contribute to the discussion.

Seeing a number of customers recently I am alarmed at how many come in with new bikes that do not fit them properly, and they would rather come and see me than go back to the LBS.

If buying a new bike and being set up in the shop, just ask them what criteria they are using and expect some sort of flexibility assessment. If you don't get either, go somewhere else.


Mike
BikeDynamics.co.uk

on-yer-bike

Nickwill wrote:

Having recommended having a fitting, I wouldn't necessarily recommend a computer based system.
I've been fitted for my bikes by Paul Hewitt, and he uses a jig, some measurements and an experienced eye to get the right position. The process also involves questions about the sort of riding you do and how the position feels. I don't think any computerised system can beat the knowledge and understanding of a good experienced bike fitter.

Same thing at Downland Cycles in Canterbury. BikeFit.com takes in too many averages and doesn't take into account flexibility.

I get numb left toes and bad neck and shoulder ache. The toes are cured and hopefully in the not to distant future the neck will be.

They also confirmed that my bike is the right size for me I just need a longer and higher stem.

dilemna

There's no substitute for test riding a generic off the shelf bike before deciding to buy it. Where bikefit or measuring you up is vital is in a bespoke bike. Presumably if you are going bespoke you will have had some riding experience and recognise what position you body is most comfortable in......on a bike. Just because a computer tells you this is your ideal frame size doesn't mean this will be the case. Everyone is different. You will need to make adjustments with your riding position from time to time anyway but getting a frame that is the right size is so important if you want to avoid pain or injuries. Would you buy a pair of shoes without trying them on first and walking about or have a bespoke pair made without measuring your feet and gait properly? Like wise a tailor made suit. An experienced and patient bikeshop shop that sizes you up properly is far better than an el cheapo pile ‘em high sell ‘em fast outfit. If buying on line solely to get the cheapest you have to know exactly the bike spec that fits you. Guessing without any idea is just foolish. You get what you pay for. You have ultimately to decide whether you purchase a bike. If it doesn't fit say so and if a shop can't/won't put it right go somewhere else. Buy in haste reflect in pain.