Self bike fit. Yes or no?

bluedoggy

Ok, so should I watch a YouTube video on how to self fit my bike or pay my local £50 per hour? Im a 30 mile a day round trip commuter.

lincolndave

My advice for what it’s worth, set the bike up yourself and see how you get on, and tweek things as necessary ( there’s plenty of information on the net) if it’s still not comfortable after say 4 weeks , have a bike fit

kajjal

I would try yourself and take your time as it can take several rides to get it spot on.

Start with getting the saddle the right height and also fore / aft position. When the pedal is down and in line with the seat tube you need enough bend in your leg so you are not rocking or stretching on the saddle straining to reach the pedals. You want to feel in the bike not perched on top of it, best to be a little to low rather than too high. KOPS gives a good starting point for the fore aft position which you can then adjust. Also make sure the saddle is flat based on manufactures setup instructions. Remember saddle position is to get your legs in the right position not to adjust reach.

After that use spacers and even flip your stem to help find a bar position that suits you.

Main thing is not to make too many random changes at once so you give yourself time to see what effect changes have.

surfercyclist

I did my own bike fit, as others have said there's plenty info on the web. I reckon if you do your own and it feels right and you can ride with no pain/discomfort then you're sorted. Personally I don't see any reason to pay £50-£150 or whatever for a bike fit unless you really think you need it or find that whatever adjustments you make you can't ride any distance without pain etc.

pblakeney

A professional bike fit - A professional putting you in the position they think you should be in.

Matthewfalle

do it yourself - its not that difficult.

any difference length stems or bars you need to try just borrow them off friends or order cheap ones and return when you know whats what

norvernrob

I spent the same on a saddle as a spent on my bike fit with Adrian Timmis, and I know which one actually made a difference! It’s amazing that people will shell out a grand on a set of ‘faster’ wheels but baulk at paying for a bike fit.

defever

Hello Bluedoggy,

First question: Do you ever get uncomfortable whilst cycling?

I've contemplated on getting professional bike fit, too. My commute is just under 30miles round trip. With that sort of commuting distance I got to know pretty quickly my bike, my posture, when discomfort starts to build up, and what to alleviate, etc. Would you agree? Like others have said, and quite possibly that you’ve already done some experimentation, you can try and tweak few things yourself to get comfortable on your bike.

I watched few YouTube videos (there are some excellent super techy & serious bike fit videos, some very simple & basic video, and some completely inappropriate ones; you’ll soon notice which one is which); GCN has couple of videos on bike / saddle fit and Bike Fit Adviser is very professional (but can be a bit techy). There are plenty of others on YouTube with consistent advice.

I then tweaked a few settings, replaced stem, saddle, drop bar and now the bike feels much more comfortable. Though it can be a gamble what / where / how much to tweak, but with your mileage I’d say go with your feel and instinct and you'll soon feel what adjustments to make.

Keep us posted on how you get on!

Happy cycling!

cgfw201

Definitely have a go. So easy to video yourself, move things up and down. It should be pretty obvious if it either hurts or looks stupid.

I paid for one 4 years ago and was glad I did for a new bike having had issues with the old one, but don't think i'd pay for one now with what I know now.

If it's comfortable, it's a good fit at the end of the day. Unless you're looking at spending on a wind tunnel to make final adjustments for a crack at the hour record, you should be able to do this by feel.

Always remember that it's never normal for something to hurt. If your arse, neck, shoulders, arms, back, legs, knees or ANYTHING hurts then get it sorted.

paulwood

pro bike fit for me with a new bike. Worth every penny. At first i thought the measurements made everything seem far too cramped but having had it for a couple of years of soreness free riding I have realised how far out my previous bikes were. And yes, I did try the youtube DIY method on various occasions.

tonysj

I've been road cycling for about 14 months now and 2000 miles tops. I tried to sort the fit myself with research and although I was not very far out I found the £50 I spent on a bike fit with Andy Bishop at Worksop the best money I've spent on the bike.
I had a painful right knee after cycling and it was identified by Andy that the Giro shoes I was wearing that the cleat markings were out, I always ride them fully back in the cleat slots, and Andy identified this on the shoes partly through my knee height to the top of the bars when peddling. He checked everything and explained everything he was looking at, what he was doing and why and guess what no longer get the pain in my knee so worth it.
I think its worth it but not sure I would have one too often, every other year or new bike, as after the first fit you have your baseline measurements that wont be far off for a general recreational cyclist.
All I did afterwards was measure my summer bike that I had the fit on and transferred those measurements to my winter bike. Got to say no issues after this even on a very cold 100km ride last week.
They identify things and you pick up some of their knowledge on what does what and how the effects of changing 1 part affects others and the feel on the bike.

Thats my thoughts but depends on how experienced you are.

Good luck either way.

redbikejohn

I used a combination of a book and YouTube videos to set up my new bike. It's a two man job though so I got my Mrs to help out for an hour while we set everything up. Turns out Ive had my saddle way too high for ages. Also moved my cleats to try angle my feet more like my feet are when walking - I have duck feet. Knee isn't perfect but better than before.

jameshulsk

Self-set up is always the best place to start. Get your saddle height right and the rest will follow from there. I was comfortable on the bike and foolishly had a proper Retul fit, and my stem was slammed so much that I ended up with shoulder problems! As someone else said, a pro fit is a person putting you in the shape that the numbers say, but there's no substitute for how you feel.

bluedoggy

Thanks guys for the advice. Will try it myself with my wife on hand and see how i get on. Will keep you posted...

jollygiant

DIY it.
When I bought one of my bikes I had a free bike fit and 30miles later I was adjusting stuff myself. As when you have a fit is done on the spot with you feeling fresh and is one thing but say 50 miles into a 100 miler and your comfort position will change.

Best thing to do it get it fairly close in your garage then take some tools and go for a long ride and tweak things as needed.