Differing bike fit results?

Quizmate

My current road bike has Shimano SPD 2 bolt pedals as they were an easy intro to clipless and I was fitted to the bike using traditional tools e.g. plumb line, jig, knee angle tool etc. I've just been fitted to a new bike with Time RXS Firsts using a Retul Computerised bike fit and they've put me a whole 2cm higher on saddle height. I realise that proper road cleats perhaps sit alot prouder from the ball of the foot than mtb systems so this might account for some of the difference I suppose. Anyway just wondered if anyone thought this might be odd or could lead to problems. I'm beginning to wonder if the whole bike fit business is marketing BS that can't be trusted.

rudivoller22

could be right. My MTB shoes have the cleats recessed while on my road shoes the cleats obviously sit on top of the sole of the shoe so that is probably about 2cm give or take.

I have had 3 fits in total over the last few years and they have all given slightly different results. Suppose riding style / flexibility / aims etc change over time.

t4tomo

Quizmate wrote:

I'm beginning to wonder if the whole bike fit business is marketing BS that can't be trusted.

^^ this to some degree. at the end of the day a bit fit is a trial and error process, there is no balck and white as everyone is different. so differnert methods of "fit" just give you different starting points to experiment from.

at the end of the day only yoy after trying it for a while can know whether whether each adjustment is positive, negative or even necessary.

just remember there wasn't a financially sustainable bike fitting industry before overweight BMW driving dentists* starting buying road bikes.


*no offence is intended to any fat dentists who drive BMWs (or Audis)

Diamant49

t4tomo wrote:

Quizmate wrote:

I'm beginning to wonder if the whole bike fit business is marketing BS that can't be trusted.

^^ this to some degree. at the end of the day a bit fit is a trial and error process, there is no balck and white as everyone is different. so differnert methods of "fit" just give you different starting points to experiment from.
ther whether each adjustment is positive, negative or even necessary.

+1 Don't forget that your position when cycling isn't entirely static, so for example some movement back or forward on saddle will increase or decrease effective saddle height. All that is needed really is getting within +/- 1cm or so - there is no single magic figure. Hence two fits could give different numbers, but both are right....

Eddy Merckx used to change his saddle height on the fly - there is a video on U-tube of him doing this at speed in a world championship after he comes to the top of a climb.