Bike Fitting Loosing Popularity?

[addictR1]

I'm so glad to have found this post. Was really thinking about getting fit with retul, but $300 is a bit much for me.

Previously I've been fitted by my friend who's a PT and avid cyclist. That worked out well, no numb nuts or anything.

Recently I've been trying the GCN inside leg method. Still can't say if that works or not but trying it out on my indoor train bike first and see.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[tymon_tm]

1. There's no perfect fit
2. Humans are quite adjustable. Bodies get used to things (that's a very good thing).
3. There's hardly any research on "fitting"a bike.

absolutely this. anyone who rides long enough, and has had at least few different bikes in his 'career' will tell you that. of course there's this percentage of riders who actually need help, as they have health issues limiting their flexibility and in general making it harder to ride a bike. but the rest of us - it's more of a trial-and-error game than anything even remotely scientific.

[otoman]

Previously I've been fitted by my friend who's a PT and avid cyclist.

This has worked best for me as well. Bike shops utilizing the “dude squinting with a plumb bob” method have gotten me very close most of the time. A few overuse injuries over the years have been sorted out with a combination of PT and a subtle tweak or two on the fit by my PT friend.

[TheKaptone]

This had been a great read for me. I have had to replace my bike due to broken frame and was wondering if I should disappointed the cash on getting a fit. Was thinking I would ride for a good few weeks before deciding if it needed to be done (unless if course it is unbearable).

Have had a good physio who dies it recommended here is Adelaide so may still go that route if necessary. Although the money not sure if on this will be great for new bike gadgets I guess. Silver linings and all that

[dim]

Recurring theme is always that people are surprised that fitters are just con-artists and seldom lead to success... and if they do they won't lead to success for someone else.

Well, a few facts are always missing:

1. There's no perfect fit
2. Humans are quite adjustable. Bodies get used to things (that's a very good thing).
3. There's hardly any research on "fitting"a bike.

This makes every fitter just someone who does what he thinks is best.Even Steve Hogg just wings it on the basis of what he likes.

Lastly:

Retul is nothing more than a marketing tool to sell bikes. This is no slam, it's how they present themselves.

- The naming "University"is utterly misleading considering the lack of any scientific basis of their ideas.
- The "mm perfect" measurements are just plain idiotic. Hint: A human shrinks 1-2 cm during a day. People have days where they are flexible, days where they are a bit stiff. People are fresh and people are tired. A mm perfect measurement is utterly nonsense.

Retul? Avoid at all costs.

Dunno ....

I've been speaking to people who have paid and who have had a professional bike fit .... every person has said that it was well worth the money paid

you get hooked up to a computer .... you pedal, and the geometry of the bike changes (longer stem, higher saddle, tilt of the saddle etc ) .... the computer measures the power you produce at different settings, etc and determines which dimensions will give you your best performance

the bike fitter then asseses what sort of riding you prefer (endurance, time trials, etc), and tweaks the settings

at first, you struggle with the new fitting, as your muscles are not used to the new settings, but after a few hundred miles, it all comes together

after 3 months, you go back to the bike fitter, he rechecks you on a computer, and tweaks the settings to give you even more gains

sounds like money well spent to me if you are serious about cycling?.... I will pay my £200 for a pro bike fit

[dim]

Recurring theme is always that people are surprised that fitters are just con-artists and seldom lead to success... and if they do they won't lead to success for someone else.

Well, a few facts are always missing:

1. There's no perfect fit
2. Humans are quite adjustable. Bodies get used to things (that's a very good thing).
3. There's hardly any research on "fitting"a bike.

This makes every fitter just someone who does what he thinks is best.Even Steve Hogg just wings it on the basis of what he likes.

Lastly:

Retul is nothing more than a marketing tool to sell bikes. This is no slam, it's how they present themselves.

- The naming "University"is utterly misleading considering the lack of any scientific basis of their ideas.
- The "mm perfect" measurements are just plain idiotic. Hint: A human shrinks 1-2 cm during a day. People have days where they are flexible, days where they are a bit stiff. People are fresh and people are tired. A mm perfect measurement is utterly nonsense.

Retul? Avoid at all costs.

Dunno ....

I've been speaking to people in the past week, who have paid and who have had a professional bike fit .... every person has said that it was well worth the money paid

you get hooked up to a computer .... you pedal, and the geometry of the bike changes (longer stem, higher saddle, tilt of the saddle etc ) .... the computer measures the power you produce at different settings, etc and determines which dimensions will give you your best performance

the bike fitter then asseses what sort of riding you prefer (endurance, time trials, etc), and tweaks the settings

at first, you struggle with the new fitting, as your muscles are not used to the new settings, but after a few hundred miles, it all comes together

after 3 months, you go back to the bike fitter, he rechecks you on a computer, and tweaks the settings to give you even more gains

sounds like money well spent to me if you are serious about cycling?.... I will pay my £200 for a pro bike fit

[dim]

Recurring theme is always that people are surprised that fitters are just con-artists and seldom lead to success... and if they do they won't lead to success for someone else.

Well, a few facts are always missing:

1. There's no perfect fit
2. Humans are quite adjustable. Bodies get used to things (that's a very good thing).
3. There's hardly any research on "fitting"a bike.

This makes every fitter just someone who does what he thinks is best.Even Steve Hogg just wings it on the basis of what he likes.

Lastly:

Retul is nothing more than a marketing tool to sell bikes. This is no slam, it's how they present themselves.

- The naming "University"is utterly misleading considering the lack of any scientific basis of their ideas.
- The "mm perfect" measurements are just plain idiotic. Hint: A human shrinks 1-2 cm during a day. People have days where they are flexible, days where they are a bit stiff. People are fresh and people are tired. A mm perfect measurement is utterly nonsense.

Retul? Avoid at all costs.

Dunno ....

I've been speaking to people in the past week, who have paid and who have had a professional bike fit .... every person has said that it was well worth the money paid

you get hooked up to a computer .... you pedal, and the geometry of the bike changes (longer stem, higher saddle, tilt of the saddle etc ) .... the computer measures the power you produce at different settings, etc and determines which dimensions will give you your best performance

the bike fitter then asseses what sort of riding you prefer (endurance, time trials, etc), and tweaks the settings

at first, you struggle with the new fitting, as your muscles are not used to the new settings, but after a few hundred miles, it all comes together

after 3 months, you go back to the bike fitter, he rechecks you on a computer, and tweaks the settings to give you even more gains (you don't pay more for the 2nd visit .... it's included in the initial price)

sounds like money well spent to me if you are serious about cycling?.... I will pay my £200 for a pro bike fit

[dim]

Recurring theme is always that people are surprised that fitters are just con-artists and seldom lead to success... and if they do they won't lead to success for someone else.

Well, a few facts are always missing:

1. There's no perfect fit
2. Humans are quite adjustable. Bodies get used to things (that's a very good thing).
3. There's hardly any research on "fitting"a bike.

This makes every fitter just someone who does what he thinks is best.Even Steve Hogg just wings it on the basis of what he likes.

Lastly:

Retul is nothing more than a marketing tool to sell bikes. This is no slam, it's how they present themselves.

- The naming "University"is utterly misleading considering the lack of any scientific basis of their ideas.
- The "mm perfect" measurements are just plain idiotic. Hint: A human shrinks 1-2 cm during a day. People have days where they are flexible, days where they are a bit stiff. People are fresh and people are tired. A mm perfect measurement is utterly nonsense.

Retul? Avoid at all costs.

Dunno ....

I've been speaking to people in the past week, who have paid and who have had a professional bike fit .... every person has said that it was well worth the money paid

you get hooked up to a computer .... you pedal, and the geometry of the bike changes (longer stem, higher saddle, tilt of the saddle etc ) .... the computer measures the power you produce at different settings, etc and determines which dimensions will give you your best performance

the bike fitter then asseses what sort of riding you prefer (endurance, time trials, etc), and tweaks the settings

at first, you struggle with the new fitting, as your muscles are not used to the new settings, but after a few hundred miles, it all comes together... you would not even try these settings if you do it yourself, as it could feel uncomfortable (at first)

after 3 months, you go back to the bike fitter, he rechecks you on a computer, and tweaks the settings to give you even more gains (you don't pay more for the 2nd visit .... it's included in the initial price)

sounds like money well spent to me if you are serious about cycling?.... I will pay my £200 for a pro bike fit

[Lewn777]

I'd like a bit fit, but I think it will probably end up with a bike fitter putting me in a position I dislike and recommending a saddle I don't like, so probably money wasted, as it's a job anyone can do, so most are going to be chancers. I do think that one in ten bike fitters might really be able it improve my power, and improve my position but I don't have any discomfort issues to fix and my fitness is and flexibility is excellent for my age. problem is I don't know who those guys are.

[Berzin1]

I have yet to meet a good bike fitter who actually knows what he's doing and puts my needs on the pedestal.

I know a couple 'professional' fitters and have always been curious how they expect to flesh out all the details from measurements and a few minutes on the trainer. From my perspective, you want to figure out a riders fit, you actually need to go ride with them to see what happens over time as the rider fatigues and the terrain rolls up and down.

Well, now you' asking for the pro deluxe fitting session, and that will cost another...

[bikeboy1tr]

I have done as much research, trial and error as I possibly can so that as I come upon any issues with my fit I can figure out how to fix it on my own. I have done okay so far with fitting myself and its not rocketscience once you learn some of the fundamentals of fitting. It doesnt take any sophisticated tools which makes it inexpensive. One of the big problems with getting older is you seem to need a fit every season so knowing what to do is a big time and money saver. Actually they reccomend getting fit once every season anyway. Just yesterday out on a ride I noticed that something was off on my seat position and upon investigating discovered that the seat slid back on its rails. Once I have dialed in a fit I typically take pictures with component positions and a tape measure,or measuring device to show where it should be. So I fixed the problem in a short period of time.
I think its good for riders to know exactly what their position is and how to correct it or adjust it if it needs to be.

[Mr.Gib]

I see a lot of skepticism about bike fitting in this thread. I guess it depends on what kind of fitting we are talking about.

I posted in another thread about observing an extraordinary fitting session. There was no "eyeballing it". It was all data driven.

A couple of the details that should give the skeptics pause:

1. Pressure mapping of the foot identified that the rider required minor varus adjustment. This resulted in increased sustainable power and relieved foot cramping that the rider occasionally experienced after rides.

2. The power curve throughout the pedal stroke showed a discrepancy in power between the legs as well an odd dip in power at the top of the stroke in the weak leg. Reduction in crank length resulted in the elimination of both difficiencies. The problem was probably due to undiagnosed hip range of motion limitation in the weak leg. Of course the rider was unaware of any problem and was probably just painlessly loosing performance.

It doesn't matter how much experience you have on the road, the chance of identifying and accurately solving problems like these would be extremely slim for even the most sensitive and analytical athlete.

Done right and using the proper technology, bike fitting can produce extraordinary results.

[AJS914]

I've developed an interest in fitting so I usually notice people on group rides. So many people sit crooked on the bike. They have knees that don't track correctly or hips that do a lot of rocking. Often I see people favor once side of the bike. Visually it looks like they are doing 70% of the work with one leg. Sometimes they have these choppy pedal strokes. For the most part, I think they are all blissfully unaware and probably think fits are a waste of money.

A few people in my club look absolutely perfect and smooth on the bike.

[kgibbo1868]

I recently had a fit with this system.

https://youtu.be/4fyuhAkNL4Y

It’s quite amazing to see data real time trying different crank arm lengths, comparing standard pedals vs +4mm axel pedals, changing saddle height independently from setback as you pedal. So much information and in the hands of a knowledgeable fitter it is a great tool in my opinion. This was part of the early stage of getting a custom frame made. A good fit should increase peddling efficiency, comfort, power, and reduce the chance of injury. Pretty good value for money in my book.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[dgasmd]

The saddle point is an interesting one. I've done bike fits in the past and while I feel I was proficient, I was certainly no expert. I am still at a total loss to explain how I have twice now had a saddle go from feeling fine - and able to ride/race for hours on end - to 50km leaving me in agony. First San Marco Regal then, most recently, the Prologo Scratch. Both I swore by, now neither of which are tolerated by my backside.

I’ve gone through the same myself. Rode the Selle Italia SLR flow for nearly 10 years after trying 8 different saddles that killed my arz. They changed the shape, and the new one didn’t work for me. Then, all of the sudden, that older SLR was killing me. There comes the new Berk saddle as a trial and has been great. I personally think that as time goes by and one’s body changes, sometimes in small ways, it does changes your needs and pressure points as well as the proportion of weight on them.

For the most part, the bike fit industry has way too much BS. They sell you on the idea that there is an optimal fit for everyone, but bike fits are like fitting a suit, there is no "perfect fit" but rather a spectrum, and subject to the fitters opinion. Fits also are something that change over time as our bodies do change with age, fitness, and other changes. I've had people love a certain fit for years only to complain that they are in sudden absolute agony and can't explain why.

My thinking has always been that a fit is not some "one time" thing, but rather a process. We do a tweak, you ride for a bit and provide feedback and we make further changes. You can never truly tell if a fit is effective until you've spent a few hours in the saddle. I know I've felt great spinning around the block to hating life 100km in.

I think based on my personal experience and what I know about the human body, this is right on point. It is a process and a fluid one. A good fit is a great place to start, and in my personal experiences, and underused one. You should and need to adjust things from there for sure. I know that I can buy parts based loosely on dimensions and put together a bike that fits me 95% accurately after a few min of tweaking when compared to the bikes I own and have been comfortably fitted to. It’s that other 5% that won’t get done on the spot. It takes time.

Clear/shoe fitting for proper motion is an entirely other aspect. I can get those close enough by the 2nd tweak, but it is the fine tuning that someone watching me can do that has made a huge difference for me.

Mileage may vary!