Bike Fit.

[simmi]

I have now been riding for a few months and am in general happy with my Ribble 7005 bike.

I have tweaked the saddle height, changed the cassette, changed to a compact crank, changed the cassette back again and so on.

In short I have set the bike up the best I can myself.

I find I still get a numb bum, which I thought was just a matter of time but now having done over 600 miles am beginning to think a new saddle might be needed.

I seem to spend all my time riding on the hoods and very little on the drops.

I get a little discomfort from my back if I spend any time on the drops, and find it hard to put the power down or get into a rhythm.

I am not sure if this is to do with my flexibility (or lack of) or my frontage (amount of) slimmer now at just under 14st but am still carrying a bit compared to some of you racing snakes on here.

I was wondering if a proper bike fit would help this and also maximize my comfort and potential on the bike.

What parts on the bike are covered with a bike fit?, which are simple adjustments and which will need whole new parts?

How much would I expect to pay for this?

Would my LBS be the best place to go or would it be worth my while even as a newbie finding a specialist?

Is the bike fit taylored to you so it can be applied to any Bike or is it Bike specific?

What do you get out of it? do you get a written report with recommended changes or do they do the work and sell you a load of parts?

I live in South Yorkshire, can anyone recommend a place?

Some very naive question I am sure but it is something I know nothing about.

 

[smokeysmoo]

I've never had a 'proper' bike fit so can't comment on that, but if you haven't seen THIS site it might help before you spend a wedge on a fitting.

 

[DiddlyDodds]

There is a few discusions on this , have a look in "General Cycling topic"
http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/retül-3d-level-2-bike-fitting.112515/

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Bike fitting is specific to each bike. I was fitted for my tourer and you can tell the difference instantly.

You can replicate some of the parts, but as I have just found out fitting a new seat post not everything is easy to replicate: I did a test ride up & down our track/lane whilst in my ordinary trousers then decided to go out for a longer ride when I was happy I had it where I wanted. Within 250m I had to stop and drop the height of the seat 1-2mm. What was the difference? simply my padded cycling tights... that pad took the stretch too far, so seat needed dropping. But also sorts of things affect setup - different saddles have different profiles and that has to be taken into account with seat post height because it is the combined overall height you are after...

also little things like my tourer having an eccentric bottom bracket which when I need to tighen the chain, moves the position of the pedals so I have to compensate by moving the seat by the same amount forward and altering the height of the seat post as well (the Eccentric BB moved in an oval shape).

Top that off with the fact that riding position is different for different styles of bikes and you are looking at a bike fit per bike style...

For my tourer, the bike fit was part of the purchase of the bike (as was maintenance 'classes') provided the part changed was not more expensive than the standard part, it was changed free - for us that was fine, and on some items I did get a refund (I prefer the XTR brakes but not the levers that go with it, so had cheaper levers fitted). I would imagine that you will have to pay for any parts changed/swapped out such as stems or narrower bars and I would imagine that there would not be anything written either, but I may be wrong on that.

The only thing I can say is make sure you go in whatever you cycle in, clothing included if it includes a pad - from experience though it was highly beneficial and I have been able to replicate it on a similar style bike, but had to start again from scratch with road bikes - shorter stem & narrower bars were needed for me.

 

[bainy16]

J e james do the bike fit I think but i dont think its cheap, are you wearing decent padded shorts that made hell of a difference for me I also changed the saddle

 

[simmi]

There is a few discusions on this , have a look in "General Cycling topic"
http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/retül-3d-level-2-bike-fitting.112515/

I see from the other thread you were thinking of having a bike fit yourself, was anything said on the other thread that made your mind up one way or another?

 

[DiddlyDodds]

I see from the other thread you were thinking of having a bike fit yourself, was anything said on the other thread that made your mind up one way or another?

One of the posters on the other thread was going tomorrow , so i am awaiting his responce.

I get worried that the current fad of the bike fit is the Kings new clothes, selling you nothing for a lot of money , but on the other hand i have heard very good stories to say yes they are well worth the cost.

A lad i did the London to Paris with last year said it made a massive difference, saying that i have done several doing 100+ mile rides last year with no real aches or problems so who knows if they would change anything.

 

[simmi]

One of the posters on the other thread was going tomorrow , so i am awaiting his responce.

I get worried that the current fad of the bike fit is the Kings new clothes, selling you nothing for a lot of money , but on the other hand i have heard very good stories to say yes they are well worth the cost.

A lad i did the London to Paris with last year said it made a massive difference, saying that i have done several doing 100+ mile rides last year with no real aches or problems so who knows if they would change anything.

I play quite a bit of golf(not as much as I did with all this cycling)

Last year for the first time ever I went for a fitting for some new irons instead of just picking the ones I fancied off the self.

Iron play went from one of the week parts of my game to the strongest and I would never buy a club again without a fitting.

I know I am now talking cycling and not golf but I would think the same basic rules would apply.

This positive experience is steering me towards doing the same with my bike.

The golf fitting only cost me £20 but the new clubs were about £600 so I guess you could say the fitting in fact cost me £620.