Fitting In … (Bike Fitting That Is)

Everything works together

In the recent years “bike fitting” has been getting a lot of attention. The cycling industry and consumer market has been inundated with a glut of fancy gizmos and gadgets that “guarantee” power increases, speed increases, penile flow increases, and purple unicorns. How do we get past the hype and find out what really matters? All the technology in the world isn’t going to do any good (and in many cases can do harm) if the tempered eye of a thoughtful and experienced professional is not there to interpret the information and use it to the most good.

The Holy Grail of Bike Fit

Every bike fitting “system” and almost every bike “fitter” will tell you that what they do is the best. I say that is wrong and you should steer clear of those that claim some sort of monopoly on good bike fitting practices. I think that through the years that I have been in the cycling business I can recall a half dozen individuals that have come and gone in the area of “bike fitters”. Almost all of them were the “best” in the area.

I think the best bike fit is not an objective position that everyone should be in. The best bike fit is the one that allows the rider to enjoy their riding the most. This not going to be the same for all cyclists. The cross country touring cyclist is not going to be as concerned with power and aerodynamics. Neither is the defending state time trial champion going to be concerned that his aerodynamic tuck isn’t that comfortable to ride for three hours.

A very wise man in the cycling world once said that in regard to bicycle components you have three characteristics light, strong, cheap. The consumer can choose two of these characteristics in a product but not all three. Bike fitting is not quite so exclusive but the overall theme of having to choose what you want most out of your bike fit is still relevant.

It comes down to experience. I mean this in two ways.
1)The experience that the rider wants to have.
2)The experience of the bike fitter.
Both of these are equally important; each plays a critical role in the outcome of the bike fit.

Repetition is the best way to learn anything. The more times you do something the more examples you have to reference for future jobs. For this reason, I say the experience of the individual performing the bike fit is much more important than the “system” that they are using.

That is not to say that a new bike fitter using a fancy system won’t do a good job of fitting a bicycle. I’m sure they can do a fine job if they take their time and listen to the cyclist throughout the process. I’m saying that there is an inordinate amount of hype and hyperbole surrounding bike fitting right now. The best bike fit is the one you feel good about as you ride down the road.

Start at the begining

If you are considering a bike fit please contact us. We are here to help. We will talk to you about your issues, listen to your goals, discuss pricing, explain technique, and set up a time for you to come in. No hype. No gimmicks. just our experience helping to improve your riding experience.

Thanks for reading,

Branton