Bike Fitter Recommendations

[tombiowami]

I am considering getting a professional fit done and would like any recommendations or fitters to avoid. Thanks.

Tommy

[KarenG]

PM sent

[chaproc]

If you have never had a fitting session, it's a good idea. I think Serotta and Specialized have pretty good systems. There are also some systems available to shops and individuals that do a good job. Look for someone that has been doing fitting for sometime and that rides a lot.
The important thing to keep in mind about any fit is that it is just simply a starting point. Nothing is caste in concrete. A good fit should give you a range of adjustments and/or dimensions (seat height vs crank length and/or stem height, stem length/angle vs seat position, etc.).
Bike fit depends a lot on your personal condition, how flexible or fit you are at the time. It changes as you become more or less limber/fit. Injury will cause fit to change either temporarily or permanently.
I usually tweak my road bike once or twice a season based on the above. I fiddle with my TT bike monthly or more often depending on use since position comfort is critical for me. I bought a do-it-yourself (almost - it helps to have a cooperative significant other) fit kit that I use.
If you're an experienced rider with no problems/issues I expect you will find your bike is probably pretty well dialed in within reason for you. It's good information to have if you're thinking about a new bike. If you're a newer rider that had a sales person recommend a bike (frame, stem length/angle, hb width/drop, etc.) you may find room for some changes.

[Erica]

as Jay would say, Charlie Storm is the man! hes out in sanford, but completely worth the drive. i went up there per jay's recomendation and charlie fit me perfectly in one shot. took care of my saddle soreness and numb hands and arms, too! :) here's his website
http://www.stormendurance.com/

[NealH]

I had a fit done at Bicycle Lab in Carrboro, based on recommendations of our Sunday Touring group riders. I thought it was too expensive but, it was informative and, some adjustments were made (mostly for the better).

I like what I read about Storm Endurance and, Matt at the Spin Cycle is another quality option. Matt rode last Thursday with us on the "C" group ride. If you plan to ride this Thursday, you might want to speak with him.

[tombiowami]

Hey, I was on last Thursday's C ride...what were you wearing? Did not recognize you. :)

We ended up with a 17.5 average, got a bit of rain. Great ride as usual though.

T

[NealH]

I guess it was the prior Thursday ride. Come to think about it, I missed last Thursday since I was getting ready to head to the mountains. Anyway, hope to see you this coming Thursday.

[Pugslyyy]

I like what I read about Storm Endurance and, Matt at the Spin Cycle is another quality option. Matt rode last Thursday with us on the "C" group ride. If you plan to ride this Thursday, you might want to speak with him.
+1 for Storm Endurance.

Also, get a dynamic fit. All those fancy gauges, plumb bobs, etc have their place but let's face it - you move when you cycle. A fit should be based on what your body does when you are actually riding the bike. The best fit comes from somebody watching you ride your bike.

[Zonda]

The best fitters I've found are:

Matt at the Spin Cycle (Serrotta Fit Certified)
Steve Levine at Cycling Spoken Here
Carolyn Gentry at Inside Out Sports

Someone else to consider, but I haven't used is:
Bill (Spoke (http://www.trianglecycling.com/sendmessage.php?do=mailmember&u=70))(Serotta Fit Certified) Click on his screen name to send him an email.

[KarenG]

Bill (Spoke) is VERY good. very knowledgable as well.

[Erica]

lol hes not the guy that left you with the wonky fit, is he? :-O

[KarenG]

he is, but that's not really his fault. there wasn't anything wrong with the fit as i had it, but some of the guys on the mtn ride suggested i have it checked. when he set me up in december, it was great....i still think he's good. charlie is good, but just too far to drive.

[Erica]

lol aint that the truth. $4 a gallon for gas is going to keep me from seeing charlie any time in the near future...unless i ride my bike there lol!

[BigBoy]

lol aint that the truth. $4 a gallon for gas is going to keep me from seeing charlie any time in the near future...unless i ride my bike there lol!


well yall do ride bikes... that equals 0 $ a gallon... lmao.. ride ur bike up there and get it fitted!:cool:

[Erica]

mine fits like a glove ;) dont know that id want to ride a poorly fit bike all the way to sanford, LOL!

[Bob]

It's only thirty miles...besides, we can show you the hills here, just for entertainment!

Bob

[tombiowami]

I ended up going with Matt from Spin Cycle due to the recommendations here and the fact that I have been riding their shop rides and like the personell.

I set up the appointment via email, ~2hrs; $125.

I arrived and he started off just sitting and talking for 30 minutes or so. Going over goals, injuries, issues, questions, etc. He is very friendly and knowledgeable. He went into typical ride time, speed, other activities as well.

For the fit he starts by taking the basic body measurements as well as measuring and documenting flexibility.

Then starts with reviewing a few spins of the crank to get an idea of one's current position and cycling style. From there he checks the cleats/pedals and moves up to the seat, and then to the handlebars/ reach.

I had originally been fitted for more of a tri/TT position with aerobars and wanted to get a pure road fit. I ended up with the seat going up about an inch, and then back an inch. This is a huge difference and am very interested in how this will affect my speed. I would imagine it will take a few rides to get used to but then increase a good bit as I am using more muscle in pedaling.

For reach he recommended raising my bars about an inch, and then either getting a shorter stem or handlebars with shorter reach as I was a bit too stretched. My seat/bar height ratio stayed about the same.

I typically have lower back pain after about an hour of riding, but also have arthritis, stenosis, and disc degenerative disease so that is not suprising. The new position has me a bit more upright.

One thing I was impressed with is that there was no pressure to by a bunch of components there at the shop based on the fit change recommendations. He offered to look at some handlebars in a catalogue if I wanted but that was about it. They even noticed my tires had cracks in them and recommended new tires but no pressure to get some there at the shop. I think they probably should offer a 10% off type deal if you do get components, but it was nice to not even have that as part of the discussion to me.

He had all of my body and bike measurements written down in a shop form along with the results, he kept a copy for future reference and gave me one.

All in all I would highly recommend him to anyone needing a fit. If anyone has any questions feel free to PM.

T

[NealH]

I have a lot of respect for Matt's abilities. I know he is a certified Serotta fit technician. It sounds like he has you dialed in pretty well now. I think I need to pay him a visit.

[RickF]

II think they probably should offer a 10% off type deal if you do get components, but it was nice to not even have that as part of the discussion to me.I believe they do offer 10% off if you are a member of NCBC.

I am glad to hear that you had a good experience. My daughter has an appointment with Matt while she is down visiting in July.

I, too, have spinal stenosis and arthritis, which is why I bought the Specialized Roubaix instead of the Tarmac or any of the Felts. Jason (also a certified Serotta fit technician at The Spin Cycle) fit my bike, and I have never had a problem with back pain while cycling. He did steer me towards the Roubaix, Specialized Sequioa, or Trek Pilot. The Tarmac, Allez, Trek Madone, or any of the Felts that were available in 2006 were not going to fit me.

[RoverDave]

I have an appointment with Matt for this Thursday! :D

[ilivestrong]

RoverDave - give us all an update as to your fitting. Question: will they do the fitting process on a bike you purchased from another shop? or do you have to use or buy a bike from them? Can you advise as to what the cost is - just an approximate, you don't have to give the actual amount. Just wondering. Thanks

[RickF]

They will do fits for bikes that are not purchaced from them. I think the cost is ~$125. When I bought my bike from them (August, 2006), the fit and any tweaks in the first six months was included in the price of the bike.

[RoverDave]

RoverDave - give us all an update as to your fitting. Question: will they do the fitting process on a bike you purchased from another shop? or do you have to use or buy a bike from them? Can you advise as to what the cost is - just an approximate, you don't have to give the actual amount. Just wondering. Thanks

Yes, as Rick said, they fit you to your bike, regardless of where you bought it!
and the cost is $125 for a 1-2 hour session for the fitting. You have to set it up by either calling or emailing Kevin.

I will post my experience on Thursday night!

Cheers!

[RickF]

Yes, as Rick said, they fit you to your bikeIt is just a semantic thing, but as someone who spent half of my career fitting mathmatical models to data, I know that they can fit the bike to you, but they cannot fit you to the bile. No matter how good they are, they cannot change your size, shape, or flexibility to fit you to the bike ;) It is the bike that is going to have to change.

[skiffrun]

Yes, as Rick said, they fit you to your bike

It is just a semantic thing, but as someone who spent half of my career fitting mathmatical models to data, I know that they can fit the bike to you, but they cannot fit you to the bile. No matter how good they are, they cannot change your size, shape, or flexibility to fit you to the bike ;) It is the bike that is going to have to change.
People getting "fit to the bike" is the cause of a lot of rider discomfort, and the good "bike fitter" types have no use for "rider fitters". And, if after you've been "fitted", if you develop discomfort, the good "bike fitter" types would class that outcome as unacceptable.

That said, from conversation / comments my wife was making recently, I realized that she needed her saddle slid forward. Of course, it had been about three or four years since Matt fitted her.

[RoverDave]

It is just a semantic thing, but as someone who spent half of my career fitting mathmatical models to data, I know that they can fit the bike to you, but they cannot fit you to the bile. No matter how good they are, they cannot change your size, shape, or flexibility to fit you to the bike It is the bike that is going to have to change.

Indeed, definitley a semantic thing...I was meaning to say they use your bike in the fitting.

I know that my "fitting" will change as time goes on, my fitness continues to improve, and i meet and exceed my weight loss goals. I am beginning to find some things that are starting to hinder by riding and hope that a professional fit will help tweak out some of those and give me a good base and guidelines to go from as my body changes as the years go on...

[Zonda]

There are three types of fit available at the Spin Cycle:

Shoe/cleat fit $50 – to adjust your cleats to the proper location

Existing Bike Fit $125 – to adjust your existing bike to the proper fit.

Full Custom Fit $225 – for purchasing a new bike or custom Serotta. I think you get this amount credited toward the purchase of your bike. Or at least I think they did that when I bought my custom bike in 2005.

I made an appointment with Matt for an existing bike fit to see if my bike can be tweaked a little and to buy a new saddle. I’m having back and neck pain on short rides, so something needs to be adjusted.

[RoverDave]

I got my fit today with Matt @ TSC and it WAS AWESOME!!!:hyper:

I must say, my expectations were blown away!!!

Matt was excellent and very thorough. The total time for the fit was 2 hours and worth every penny. We sat and talked for a while about what I was experiencing on the bike during my rides and got some back ground info. Once we were done talking Matt took some measurements of me and the bike. We then did some flexibility tests. I then got on the bike and Matt watched me spin for a bit. We then started making adjustments. Matt did a great job of explaining everything he was doing and making sure it was right. After every adjustment I would spin for a bit to try out the new adjustment and we would tweak accordingly. I was very pleased with the entire experience and very glad I did it.

The major changes that Matt made today: (sorry I don't have exact measurements)

1. Raised my seat about 2 inches and moved it forward just slightly.
2. Adjusted my cleats for better clearance (Tim - the move forward was perfect, we just brought them back slightly)
3. Having bought an "off the shelf" model of bike (with no proper fit at the time), my stem and handle bars were not an exact match to me. So we talked through options of handle bars and stems based off of the adjustments made and I ordered a new stem and handle bars that are a much improved fit over the ones I currently have. Matt never pressured me into any sort of purchase at all at anytime during the fitting. I pursued the purchase based on his recommendations of what would make the bike fit me better!

There were a few things we figured out during the fitting about the problem I have been having with my feet falling asleep on longer rides. My shoes are too narrow. So I will be looking into getting a wider shoe to ease that.
The change in handle bars and stem will make a major difference in my posture on the bike and should reduce the tense muscles in my shoulders / upper back on long rides. My current set up has me stretched way out and reaching too much, causing poor posture. My rear brake was dragging so Matt fixed that for me, adjusted my cleats and tried to figure out why the left cleat wouldn't engage. We couldn't figure it out, so he is calling SpeedPlay to see what our options are.

Overall this was an outstanding experience and I definitely recommend Matt at TSC to anyone who is on the fence about a fitting. A++ for a great shop and great guy in Matt.

[Zonda]

I got my bike adjustments Friday afternoon. It wasn’t a complete bike fit, just adjustments that are allowed since I bought a custom bike. I haven’t had any adjustments since I bought my bike 2 ½ years ago other than minor repairs/adjustments after my crash last year.

Saddle Positioning
Matt put on a different saddle that I’m trying out. He moved the new saddle forward 3-4 mm. He observed my previous saddle was tilted up a little and that may have caused discomfort on longer rides.

Stem
He suggested a different stem to help with the neck pain. My current stem has an 8 degrees rise and I feel like I’m reaching too far forward. He tried a stem with a 16 degree rise and that felt much better. He will order one and I’ll get it put on next week.

No changes to cleat positioning. This was a quick visit and I was in and out in 40 minutes.

[shams42]

Tamara at The Clean Machine in Chapel Hill did a great job fitting me to my bike. I got a clean alignment, fit, and aerobar fit. I also got a new saddle. I was having cramps in both calves, pain behind my left knee, and some numbness in various areas before the fit after 40 miles. Now I'm riding centuries very comfortably.