Don't want the expense of a bike fit.

[Drago]

But we aren't random people. We are strangers!

 

[sevenfourate]

…….. it seems many bike 'fitters' either don't ask what sort of riding you're aiming for, or just set you up for 'racing'

You know people who put up with and accepted this ? I’d have questioned the fit, told the fitter what I wanted - or simply walked if he hadn’t taken into account ‘My riding’.

Anything else is pointless, worthless and a waste of his time and mine.

 

[N0bodyOfTheGoat]

I always think my cycling could improve if I lost a bit of weight 🫣

I'm definitely on that bandwagon, inclines were an awful lot easier by choice if I wanted when I was ~80Kg rather than 92-95Kg for almost last four years!

 

[Ming the Merciless]

After a couple of hours on the bike, my neck and shoulders hurt.

Have you just started riding that duration or is it new to you?

 

[cyberknight]

agree with the general rule of thumb of too much weight to far forward either from being to long or too low assuming your saddle height and setback are right 1st .

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Have a look at this for a basic guide for setting up your bike.

https://wheel-easy.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/bike-set-up-2017a.pdf

 

[slowmotion]

I found this video to be dead handy for a complete bimbler such as myself.

[media]
]View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAl_5e7bIHk&t=10s[/media]

 

[PaulSB]

FWIW I think (from what I've seen) having a bike fit may well be a waste of money. I don't have first-hand experience (never having tried one), but it seems many bike 'fitters' either don't ask what sort of riding you're aiming for, or just set you up for 'racing', which in itself can be quite varied....... compare a 200m sprint with a 12 hour time trial and the aims are very different.
Stretching movements (moderate) before and after riding have reduced any pain I have experienced over the last few years (I'm 67)
Good luck with your quest, and I'll add I agree (from my own trial and error/experiences the advice above about reach and bar height seems spot on!

Then it's probably not a good idea to comment on a topic you have no experience of.

A good professional bike fit by an experienced fitter will address the issues relevant to the individual rider. A good fitter will understand the rider, his/her objectives, any current issues and adjust the bike accordingly.

 

[PaulSB]

75 if you don't mind.

I'm 72 and recently had my third fit six weeks ago. I've had fits for the past 12 - 13 years. My position and set up has changed significantly in that time, as have my objectives. At our age correct fit is far more important than in, say, our 30s and 40s when the body is more forgiving of poor position. If you can I would urge you to have a professional fit.

If you wish to do this at home I suggest starting with your foot position and build up from there. I had begun to have the shoulder and neck issues you describe plus very real foot discomfort. My immediate thought was overreaching and a shorter stem should fix it. My fitter changed my foot position, saddle height, saddle position and bar width. The song stem remains the same.

Changing from 100mm to 60mm is a big step. I think you'll find the bikes behave very differently and could feel quite twitchy.

 

[Fastpedaller]

Then it's probably not a good idea to comment on a topic you have no experience of.

A good professional bike fit by an experienced fitter will address the issues relevant to the individual rider. A good fitter will understand the rider, his/her objectives, any current issues and adjust the bike accordingly.

Point noted, .... Of course even without first-hand experience we can learn from the comments of others. As an example (if one is needed) I've never felt the need to try cigarettes or drugs . Maybe I could have added a rider wanting a bike fit is best advised to only go to someone recommended by a trusted friend who's used the fitter?

 

[Webbo2]

When I bought my last bike a couple of years ago, the only the thing the fitter he might change from the measurements I’d taken from my bike at the time was to put my cleats back a bit.
I don’t think I’ve changed my position much in the last 20 plus years.
I’m 71 and yes sometimes I finish a ride like I’ve been beaten up but that’s because I still try and push myself.
So I will either do 2 100k plus rides and one interval session or two interval sessions and one 100k plus ride. Also I will indoor rock climb 3 times a week this is on a 40 degree overnight wall, I will do some weights at least once a week and some fingerboarding. I will do some stretching and walk the dog about 4 miles 5 days a week.
Mrs W was making me go to Pilates which was on a long ride day. I’ve managed to dip out of this due to shoulder issue.
As I’ve said before it’s about running as fast as you can to stay where you are.

 

[cyberknight]

bike fit is also an ever evolving issue as your body changes !
over the last 5 years my saddle has gone down 1 cm and i have now put a 10 mm shorter stem on , in the past i could comfortable ride in the old position but now i cant .

 

[wafter]

FWIW I think (from what I've seen) having a bike fit may well be a waste of money. I don't have first-hand experience (never having tried one), but it seems many bike 'fitters' either don't ask what sort of riding you're aiming for, or just set you up for 'racing', which in itself can be quite varied....... compare a 200m sprint with a 12 hour time trial and the aims are very different.

While bike fit itself is intrinsically very important I can see the argument for how some fitters might miss the mark by catering for one specific part of the market to the cost of others.

I suspect most prepared to pay for a bike fit are competitive (literally or motivationally) road riders; after all fit becomes increasingly important the longer / harder you're riding, while paying for such a discretionary service has to be the preserve of those who chuck a lot of money at their gear so again are likely chasing goals and invested in going fast.

While I'm happy with my fit and far too tight to pay someone to critique / alter it, I would be interested to try a fit to see just how much better (if any) it could be improved.

It's also worth noting that my current fit has been hard-won after thousands of miles of trial and error, driven by a lot of pain and discomfort. If you're totally new to the sport the prospect of a shortcut to getting things even 90% sorted without all the grief has to legitimately be very appealing.

I found this video to be dead handy for a complete bimbler such as myself.

[media]
]View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAl_5e7bIHk&t=10s[/media]

Some good broad-strokes rules of thumb to get started there

I also like the way the video begins shot in the style of a mild acid trip on a cross-channel ferry before relaxing into a more chilled ASMR vibe

 

[slowmotion]

Some good broad-strokes rules of thumb to get started there

I also like the way the video begins shot in the style of a mild acid trip on a cross-channel ferry before relaxing into a more chilled ASMR vibe

Yes, Christopher (the presenter of the video) doesn't exactly have the grim-faced presentation of a Lance Armstrong wannabe, does he?

Good for him!

 

[wafter]

Some good broad-strokes rules of thumb to get started there

I also like the way the video begins shot in the style of a mild acid trip on a cross-channel ferry before relaxing into a more chilled ASMR vibe

Yes, Christopher (the presenter of the video) doesn't exactly have the grim-faced presentation of a Lance Armstrong wannabe, does he?

Good for him!

Indeed; and all the better for it