The following email came to me the other day:
Dear Dave,
My wife and are new to triathlons, but we will be doing an Iron Distance Tri in September. In your opinion, is it worth the money to have the bike professionally fitted? I've seen pricing ranging from $100-$300. Is this something that you get what you pay for?
Your turn - what do you say to this question about the value of a professional bike fitting? Comment below.
Comments
To me the most important thing with a bike is fit, doesn’t matter the cost or brand name if it does not fit you good it will hurt you and then riding is not fun. from my experience (about 50 years of riding now) simple little things can really affect the fit, even having the seat set a fraction too far back or forward can lead to knee injuries after long and hard rides so yes professional fitting can be very benificial.
My bike shop gave me a free professional fit, if I bought a frameset from them. So you may want to ask the bike shop if they’ll do the fit for free if you buy the bike from them.
My Tri-bike fits like a glove, and I’m riding more than I ever did with an off-the-shelf bike. An Ironman Distance Ride is now a piece of cake, rather than a Death March.
I bought my first road bike off the rack with a test ride of no more than a mile. My Bianchi served me well over many century rides and more than 30,000 miles and serves my son as a commuter bike now. No fitting involved though I beliee he had some adjustments made at a shop. My wife paid for them.
I feared my lower back would make the bent over position of a road bike impossible for me so I first bought a cross with straight handlebars. Now I find that my back problem doesn’t exist on the bike and I often prefer riding the drops.
My LBS has sold me two road bikes and a mountain bike since the Bianchi and the fitting has been part of the price. Despite his complaints about my stiffness, he manages to set me up comfortably. I sit a little straighter than I did on the Bianchi now–age perhaps. But the bottom line is that I can ride all day without shoulder cramps, back aches, or fatigue (other than the earned and enjoyed fatigue or riding all day).
I suspect bikes are like shoes. Some people are going to be able to grab a standard size off the rack and be fine. Others will struggle with even the best fit. I’d say never buy a bike from a Big Box Store or even a shop without getting a proper fit. If you are sensitive to position changes on your bike, take it to a shop and get fitted professionally. Probably about $100 bucks. Worth it! You’ll notice on your first ride. You may even not like the changes as your body readjusts to them, but you will come to like them.
Always get a professional fitting with a new bike and if you are sensitive to fit, take that ride you bought on eBay into a shop. A new stem, a raised seat, a longer crank arm can make a big difference when you hit the road.
Corrie
I’ve never had my commuter bike fitted – it takes me 20 minutes to ride to work. I’ve had my road bike fitted and refitted, working with my local shop (Vecchio’s in Boulder) adjusting ½ a degree on the seat slope – then off for a 50 mile ride to get the feel. I’m lucky; I’ve tweaked a stock frame and made it work well. My wife got fitted and required a frame built to match her fitting. If you ride for 3 hours or more at a time nothing is more important than fit.
Most LBSs don’t know how to fit. Most bike manufacturers don’t care about fit – that’s why they ship bikes with the steerer tube already cut. Find a shop that sells Moots, Serotta, Waterford or the like (or a local builder like R&E in Seattle) – you’ll see the fitting jig in the store. Pay them to fit you. Get all the measurements and then shop for a frame or a bike that can work with those measurements. For example, you can adjust for up to 3cm of top tube length by changing the stem. Your measurements are in relation to your body and the contact points to the bike – the pedals, the seat, and the handlebars. Aligning the seat to the pedals and aligning the seat to the handlebars matters – the rest just holds the contact points together (and makes the bike handle well, or not).
Yes fit is the most important for you. Many people can get om a bike and get used to it, but that doesn’t mean its right. With a proper fit you can not only be more comfortable but produce more power output. And to the above don’t lump all bike stores and manufactures together.We do care and know how to fit. And please stop asking for everything to be free, we earn a modest living and in order to continually educate ourselves it cost money. Yes I am a fitter and I work in a bike store.
I recently bought my first road bike. I went to the LBS to get a fit. I was surprised to find I should have my seat about 1 to 2 inches higher than I was used to having it. The fitting process was very benificial and I was able to match my measurements up with a great Jamis. I would highly recommend getting a fit.
get a real bike e.g.bmx