How much did you pay for a bike fitting at LBS ?

Ezy Rider

Im slightly confused, I am 5 ft 9 inches and have 29-30 inch inside leg. Ive looked at various sites to ascertain what size of frame I should be buying at the end of the month and have read sizing suggestions that arent at all consistent with each other :?

My 56 cm trek is a bit too long for me and I was looking at 52cm frames, some sites said it would be perfect whilst others said it was far too small for my size. I looked into 53cm frames and the situation was the same. One site said a 56 cm frame would suit heights of 5ft9 to 6ft1, but I know that i definitely need to source a smaller frame for a fit that is right. Im wondering if the 54cm , or bang in the middle is what i should be looking at :?:

Research into bike fitting has ranged from £110 at a physiotherapy center which offers that service to a heart stopping £195 at a bike center ............swoon

Im certainly not handing out anything like £195 , how much did you pay for a bike fit and was it anything you couldnt have figured out for yourself ?

markshaw77

You can often get it cheaper (or free) if you buy the bike from the same place

e.g, I went to Epic cycles (well recommended) and while their fit would normally cost £95 (a bargain IMO), they will refund that cost in full if you go ahead and buy a bike from them.

My guess is that for a decent fitting session including test rides (1-2 hrs), you will probably be looking at £100 or more. You will find cheaper, but the fitting will not be as thorough, so it depends what you want to get out of it

HTH

Ezy Rider

£95 wouldnt be an issue at all, if I just wanted to know what size frame I should buy for a proper fit , I take it a fitting service would be able to tell me this before i spend any cash ?

markshaw77

Absolutely!! Allthough less so if you go to a non-bike shop fitting service as they won't have any bikes to put you on (they are designed for people who already have a bike but want to tweak/check/change their position)

When I went to Epic, I had no idea what size I needed (I knew it would be in the small/medium range simply based on height and a phone conversation with them, but had no idea on 50 vs 52 vs 54 etc) - they put me on various sizes of different bikes (because the geometries of different makes/models are all different) on a static trainer before we narrowed it down to 2 frames

Then, they did a rough set up (15-20 mins) on the trainer before letting me test ride the two bikes out on the road.

From there, I made a choice on which I preferred and they then didi a full fit session (including further test rides on the road) to dial in my final fitting..

As I said, I would wholeheartedly recommend Epic - whether you get the same service from others I don't know - best bet is to ring up and ask - they will (almost) always be friendly if there is a potential sale to be had!!

merak

Ezy Rider wrote:

Im slightly confused, I am 5 ft 9 inches and have 29-30 inch inside leg.

That would be quite short for a 5'9" bloke. Are you sure you've measured it from your pelvic bone to the floor when standing straight on a hard surface?

If you really are 29" inside leg then 52cm frame might be on the big side! I am 5'7", 31" inside leg and I ride a 52cm frame which is perfect for me. The trouble with riding a bigger frame if you are short-legged for your height is that you end up sitting low on the frame so that the bars are too high wrt the saddle even if you have no spacers fitted.

rafletcher

merak wrote:

Ezy Rider wrote:

Im slightly confused, I am 5 ft 9 inches and have 29-30 inch inside leg.

That would be quite short for a 5'9" bloke. Are you sure you've measured it from your pelvic bone to the floor when standing straight on a hard surface?

If you really are 29" inside leg then 52cm frame might be on the big side! I am 5'7", 31" inside leg and I ride a 52cm frame which is perfect for me. The trouble with riding a bigger frame if you are short-legged for your height is that you end up sitting low on the frame so that the bars are too high wrt the saddle even if you have no spacers fitted.

Horses for courses. I'm 5' 11" with a 31" inseam and ride a 57cm frame with 120mm stem. And 30" inseam at 5' 9" seems quite usual to me. I'd suggest to the OP that a 54cm frame would be about right -0 ut as I said, horses for courses.

mostly harmless

Ezy Rider wrote:

Im slightly confused, I am 5 ft 9 inches and have 29-30 inch inside leg. Ive looked at various sites to ascertain what size of frame I should be buying at the end of the month and have read sizing suggestions that arent at all consistent with each other :?

I'm pretty much the same dimensions as you and have a 48,52,2x54,56 and 57cm bike in the stable. The key thing is to disregard the quoted size and look at the top tube length. All of my bikes have the same top tube length (give or take 10mm) and I run a 120mm stem on them.

You have a 56cm Trek. And this feels too long. Measure the top tube length and the stem length. Aim to look at bikes that have a top length that are roughly 20mm shorter than your trek. You can correct +/- 20mm with stem length so something in the 110/120mm would be a good starting point.

LeicesterLad

5'9'' with 29cm inside leg would usually mean a 56 is to big for you, i'd say a 54 would be about right, although at 29cm, you have unusually short legs for someone of 5'9''

geoff93

I would have you on a 54. 52 will be too short on the reach by a good way!

keef66

My bike fit at Epic cost me £1200, but it came with a free bike!

cedargreen

It does sound like you have longer torso and relatively shorter legs. My dimensions are similar to yours and I decided to go for a custom build as I felt I had never really had a bike that fitted. This isn't the cheapest option, though most custom builders will include fitting, and it does mean you get a bike that fits.

However, you say that the 56cm was too long for you- if you're short legged then too high would be more of an issue. My custom build is 53cm seat and 55cm top.

One problem is that different manufacturers measure frames in different ways, with most frames having sloping top tubes. Have a look on websites for their frame geometry and try some bikes out if possible. If you're body geometry is slightly unusual it might take a bit more time to find the right bike, but it will be time well spent.

good luck

Ezy Rider

ill have to get the measuring tape out, do I measure from right beside the nuts and down to the heel ?

Ezy Rider

ok, got the wife to measure me......ooooooooooer and from the crutch to the sole of my foot is 30 inches, reckon a 54cm would be a good starting point ?

merak

Well at 30", I'd go with 54 and you might need a longer stem for reach.

Ezy Rider

on my 56cm trek, i had to get an adjustable 90mm stem and the handlebars are tilted right back towards me. now im even more confused over this sizing issue :shock:

Andydaw

I would seriously consider the bike fit service, but shop around. I was quoted £150 and £65 at local shops - even with a planned £1k bike spend. I have slowly made the transition to road from MTB via a hybrid (commuting) and needed some guidance.

The online size guides all varied and finally I visited Pedal On in Tadley (nr Basingstoke). They include the bike fit service for free and I fell between two frames (Trek 54cm and 56cm). They let me test ride both after a try on a turbo trainer. And once on the road I knew the 54cm was for me.

A few tweaks to saddle and stem all done in store before I headed home. Had the bike less than a month and it is spot on. 57 miles around the Meon Valley yesterday.

I appreciate those offering comparisons, but don't risk buying without trying.

merak

Ezy Rider wrote:

on my 56cm trek, i had to get an adjustable 90mm stem and the handlebars are tilted right back towards me. now im even more confused over this sizing issue :shock:

No offence meant but maybe you're not falling into this road bike position malarkey easily. I am the last person to recommend spending money on a paid bike fit, reckoning a bit of education and trial and error will get usually you there, but in your case perhaps it's the best solution if you have a very unusual set of dimensions. Short legs (for yr height) equals long torso which would indicate longer top tube/stem length than comes standard on a 54cm frame, but you're saying the opposite - maybe short arms? Anyway it's all speculation when it gets as non-standard as this. Get a bike fit.

BTW, since your legs are short, I'd go for 170mm or at most 172.5mm cranks.