Bike fit

Ferrals · December 2014

I am wondering about having a bike fit. I know the general consensus is that it's not relevant for mtb, but I tend to sit to pedal a lot and for road biking it's suggested that a proper fit can remove it band pain which I'm suffering a lot with at the moment. Therefore it's potentially worth doing given that physio is £40 a pop.

Has anyone had a bike fit for mtb and what was your opinion on it?

Does anyone know somewhere (close to South Wales) that specialises in mtb fits?

booldawg · December 2014

I've not had it done but think its a good idea. I've recently made up a new bike with bits off an old mountain on a frame I had hanging around the garage.

Was fine on the 5 mile ride to work, did my first 20 miler on it last week and had lower back pain at about 15 miles (bearing in mind I've often done 50/60 milers off road with no pain) Also woke up next day with neck and shoulder pain.

I put the original stem/handlebars that came with the frame back on. Did 16 miles yesterday and was fine.

Just something simple like an inch of stem height and wider bars made all that difference.

kajjal · December 2014

You may find a bike fit useful as you have a clear idea of a problem you are trying to resolve. MTB injuries except from crashes are often due to over exertion without giving the body time to rest and recover. The type of injury you suggest is more common on road biking due to the fixed position on the bike.

Have a read up on bike setup and see if you can help yourself. I found after spending a few weeks tweaking my road bike it was a lot easier to get my mountain bike setup right.

I would try :-

Set Saddle to correct height, not so low it puts pressure on your knees but not too high so you rock in the saddle when pedalling due to over stretching.
Set the saddle horizontal and then look up KOPS to set the saddle fore / aft position on the rails. Once done you may need to move it slightly to get the right position for you.
Next check the reach and drop to the bars. Is it too far / too close or too high / too low. You can move the spacers to adjust height and also flip the stem for a more significant change.
If you have flat pedals for most people your feet will find the right position automatically. If you have clip in pedals then they need to be accurately set or you can get all kinds of pain.

Ferrals · December 2014

Cheers, I've dropped my saddle a touch actually, think I was just rocking as I was pedalling.

supersonic · December 2014

Unless you have a specific injury or problem then I'd avoid them. A good bike/sports physio can help with unique set ups pertaining to an injury or physical problem, but for the vast majority of us it is trial and error to get what works right for us. I say right, but there isn't no right really. Even with road bikes, they don't agree - you could get 5 different fits and I'd assure you they would all be different.

Sure take pointers, but is all roughly ball park stuff.

rockmonkeysc · December 2014

A bike fit can improve comfort for pedalling in the saddle but as you will be having it done by someone more used to dealing with road bikes they could potentially screw your bikes handling by giving you a riding position which puts you less in control of the bike and move the C of G to the wrong place.

Ferrals · January 2015

I tweaked the bike a bit, dropped the bar and put the saddle forward a touch, and managed to ride longer without knee pain which was good. One thing I noticed is that if I try the elbow on saddle finger to bar thing, my finger doesn't even reach the head cap of the stem. I don't get any back pain, and obviously I can't change it anyway, but what effect does having a longer than recommended reach do. The only time I feel like the bike isn't handling that well is on really steep descents.

rockmonkeysc · January 2015

Ignore the elbow finger thing. It doesn't work for everyone.

kajjal · January 2015

For really steep descents best to drop the saddle a bit before going down so you can get over the bike better without the saddle being in the way. Also practice helps as you get better idea of braking and how the bike balances / handles.

Bike fit

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