Trying not to waste more money on bike fits

[zefs]

A saddle height might feel good at first but it depends on your mileage/intensity. You might only notice issues when you increase hours on the saddle per week for example. As soon as you get the right size bike for you, you will be able to tweak your fit (depending on your goals) by experimenting. You could do a week block with one saddle height and the next with the different one. Just change one parameter at a time.

[robeambro]

A saddle height might feel good at first but it depends on your mileage/intensity. You might only notice issues when you increase hours on the saddle per week for example. As soon as you get the right size bike for you, you will be able to tweak your fit (depending on your goals) by experimenting. You could do a week block with one saddle height and the next with the different one. Just change one parameter at a time.

Yep, agreed. I will experiment on the new bike I guess

For now I'll focus on getting some quick tests on my current bike with a different stem and other bikes, so I understand whether I can survive with a 54-55cm stack +2cm spacers, which would be close to what suggested by the fitter. If not, I guess my aero dreams will have to come to terms with reality..

[RocketRacing]

Why don’t you try a cheap stem (shorter by about 1cm or 2cm) and a zero-setback seatpost with your existing bike? Should be able to get both for about €40 if you buy budget parts.

Then you can ride that for a few months and see if the shorter front-back position suits you ok. If it works, buy either better quality components or a smaller frame that doesn’t need these extra-small components.

I’d say I’d you haven’t been cycling long enough to get your fit dialled, don’t spend €6k on a bike yet, unless that money is nothing to you.

This

[bm0p700f]

The world goes round by people buying things they are not ready for.

[silvalis]

Nevermind I figured it out

[RocketRacing]

The world goes round by people buying things they are not ready for.

Replace “are not ready for with” “don’t need.”

The more i ride, the more i realize what i want. And when i find what i want, eventually get bored and want something different.

That is the hobby to me. 🤪

[zefs]

A saddle height might feel good at first but it depends on your mileage/intensity. You might only notice issues when you increase hours on the saddle per week for example. As soon as you get the right size bike for you, you will be able to tweak your fit (depending on your goals) by experimenting. You could do a week block with one saddle height and the next with the different one. Just change one parameter at a time.

Yep, agreed. I will experiment on the new bike I guess

For now I'll focus on getting some quick tests on my current bike with a different stem and other bikes, so I understand whether I can survive with a 54-55cm stack +2cm spacers, which would be close to what suggested by the fitter. If not, I guess my aero dreams will have to come to terms with reality..

By the way, muscle overuse can also cause knee pain for example hence my comment on intensity. If your body/muscles are not recovering properly for the training load you are giving them, you can get pain and blame it on the bike fit. If you have the correct size bike, saddle height/fore aft and cleat position the rest are easier to set based on the kind of rides you do.

Bike fit is tested when you are going hard, but a way to test if you are in a good position is to do Z2 endurance rides (3hours+), if you get pain on these rides well you know the fit is off and it will get worse as you increase the intensity and training load. Othen than that your upper body needs to be relaxed even when going hard. Caffeine usage is another interesting factor to account for since it blocks pain receptors, so even a wrong bike position could feel great if you had a lot of coffees

[robeambro]

A saddle height might feel good at first but it depends on your mileage/intensity. You might only notice issues when you increase hours on the saddle per week for example. As soon as you get the right size bike for you, you will be able to tweak your fit (depending on your goals) by experimenting. You could do a week block with one saddle height and the next with the different one. Just change one parameter at a time.

Yep, agreed. I will experiment on the new bike I guess

For now I'll focus on getting some quick tests on my current bike with a different stem and other bikes, so I understand whether I can survive with a 54-55cm stack +2cm spacers, which would be close to what suggested by the fitter. If not, I guess my aero dreams will have to come to terms with reality..

By the way, muscle overuse can also cause knee pain for example hence my comment on intensity. If your body/muscles are not recovering properly for the training load you are giving them, you can get pain and blame it on the bike fit. If you have the correct size bike, saddle height/fore aft and cleat position the rest are easier to set based on the kind of rides you do.

Bike fit is tested when you are going hard, but a way to test if you are in a good position is to do Z2 endurance rides (3hours+), if you get pain on these rides well you know the fit is off and it will get worse as you increase the intensity and training load. Othen than that your upper body needs to be relaxed even when going hard. Caffeine usage is another interesting factor to account for since it blocks pain receptors, so even a wrong bike position could feel great if you had a lot of coffees

I guess bikefitting is akin to omeopathy then!

There's so many factors.. Well, I'll do what I can, I'm going to try an Emonda H2 and a Teammachine, two quite differernt geometries.

[robeambro]

The world goes round by people buying things they are not ready for.

Replace “are not ready for with” “don’t need.”

The more i ride, the more i realize what i want. And when i find what i want, eventually get bored and want something different.

That is the hobby to me. 🤪

Well, isn't this the case with everything in life?

To be honest I neither need an expensive bike (who does anyway? We're not pros), nor am I ready for it (I'm not a strong cyclist, and I'm completely clueless about maintenance), but pushing one's boundaries can be good sometimes, I'll take this as an occasion to improve my performance and learn plenty of stuff.

[Karvalo]

To answer the others about saddle height, to be honest I seem to be comfortable with the saddle height at 77-78cm. I started much lower (probably 73-74), and I thought I was fine, then I moved it to 77 and I got used to it, then tried again 75, but felt very weird.. So I agree with you guys, it's tricky.

Those are absolutely gigantic changes in saddle height. Like, absurdly monstrously big.

Honestly, it seems premature to be worrying about STA if you're still playing around with centimetre sized changes to your saddle height.

[robeambro]

To answer the others about saddle height, to be honest I seem to be comfortable with the saddle height at 77-78cm. I started much lower (probably 73-74), and I thought I was fine, then I moved it to 77 and I got used to it, then tried again 75, but felt very weird.. So I agree with you guys, it's tricky.

Those are absolutely gigantic changes in saddle height. Like, absurdly monstrously big.

Honestly, it seems premature to be worrying about STA if you're still playing around with centimetre sized changes to your saddle height.

I was just listing stuff that happened over 1.5 years of cycling.. I'm not confused about that right now.

[jih]

I would strongly recommend: if you’re going to buy a new bike and not sure about the fit, get a €1000 euro max bike. Something like 105 or veloce on a well made aluminium frame from a major brand.

Ride it for a year, and then decide if you need a superbike. If you do, sell the cheap bike for €500 and do the upgrade. Or, maybe, the limiting factor won’t be the bike and you’ll still be getting fitter on the cheap bike and like it enough to keep it.

Or, keep the cheap bike, fit mudguards, and use it as a winter bike.

The more I ride, the more I realise that a ‘basic’ road bike is all any of us really needs.

[Sock3t]

A saddle height might feel good at first but it depends on your mileage/intensity. You might only notice issues when you increase hours on the saddle per week for example. As soon as you get the right size bike for you, you will be able to tweak your fit (depending on your goals) by experimenting. You could do a week block with one saddle height and the next with the different one. Just change one parameter at a time.

This is absolutely true.

I went a little taller about 2 months ago, and didn't realize a fit problem until I went over 250 miles a week. It contributed to the current situation with my knee pain; my left leg just isn't as flexible than my right, which was fine at the older height, or at lower mileage it wouldn't show itself. Once I started pushing more miles, then it was shown through quickly.

Now I'm off the bike for a bit.

[mpulsiv]

I rode with high saddle height several years. When i lowered it, it felt like i didn't really sit on the saddle.
Years later, i can't understand how the hell i could sit so high. It's weird how the body works....

First sign when the saddle is too high is rocking hips. You didn’t feel it? Quite often I pull up to riders and encourage them to lower the saddle. It’s quite obvious to see rocking hips from the back.

[wheelsONfire]

No i didn't suffer from rocking hips.
I had lower back pain. But again, i get that from long walks to.
But riding lower, i don't feel like i stretch too much.
Weirdly, i didn't feel that back when i rode higher.
There's alot of details i actually can't understand around this.