Taking It to the Tailor: Professional Bike Fit and Fitters

Taking It to the Tailor: Professional Bike Fit and Fitters

Having Your Bicycle Tailor-Fit

While bike shopping, you’re trying to find the closest size that will work for you. When you buy your new bike, the salesperson may put your bike in the trainer and adjust the seat height. Sometimes he’ll even swap out a stem. Then he’ll pat you on the back, tell you they “fit” you, and send you off on your merry way.
Don’t be misled. This is not a professional bike fit.
A professional fit is something you’ll schedule with your bike shop and takes from an hour and a half to more than 2 hours to complete. The fitter will take time to discuss your style of riding and goals for the future. Next, he may take you through a series of tests to test your flexibility and core strength. Finally, he will seat you on your bike or a special fitting cycle to put together all the information he has gathered, then make adjustments to your bike and swap out parts you may need.
If you spent more than $1,000 on an off-the-rack suit, you’d likely get it professionally tailored. Your bike, like the suit, is off the showroom floor. In both cases, you want your new purchase to move smoothly, without chafing, pain, or any awkwardness. When road riding, you’ll be spending many hours in a position that’s new to you and your body, so it’s important that the bike fits correctly.
That being said, you can wear any clothes or ride any bike and put up with bad fit. But the difference between clothes and your bike is that clothes that don’t fit will wear out in funny places and perhaps look unattractive, which while sad, isn’t really hurting anything. If your bicycle doesn’t fit well, you’ll be the one wearing out—from pain, numbness, and fatigue.
Each of us comes with our own set of injuries, limitations, and special sizing quandaries. Let’s say riders A and B have just bought the exact same bike and are within a half-inch of each other in height. Rider A is 24 years old, is looking to race bikes, and has really huge feet. Rider B is 60, has had multiple back surgeries, has a very broad upper torso, and bought his bike to ride in organized recreational rides. Same bike—but totally different fit needs.
An aggressive posture that slopes down from the saddle to the handlebars may suit rider A well. He’ll also need his seat and cleats positioned forward or backward to compensate for his large shoe size. Rider B may need to be more upright to help alleviate back pain (from both the surgery and the lack of flexibility that usually comes with age) and give him more room to chat with his riding buddies. His handlebars may get swapped out for something a little wider to ward off shoulder pain. But these are only guesses, because until a professional fitter works with them, there’s no telling how much more powerfully, efficiently, and comfortably these guys could be riding.

It’s good to put some miles on your bike before you make the appointment. Riding at least 150 to 200 miles will let you know where your body isn’t feeling its best, help you find out if the saddle is working for your butt, and gain some muscle memory to use for comparison after your fit.

Professional Bike Fitters 

Bike shops are great places to find both fitters and the professional bicycle mechanics who will check the work for safety after fitters install parts.
The shop will also have a stock of stems, saddles, and other replacement parts you may need and should be a part of any professional fitting service. It’s extremely important because it’s the only way to correct many common problems (saddle fit, leg positioning, reach to the handlebars).
Sometimes a physical therapist or chiropractor will offer a professional bike-fitting service from their medical office, but they may not be able to supply parts. Although it may seem like a good idea to go to a medical professional, it can be a waste of time and money if they don’t have access to the parts you’ll need and, more importantly, don’t have the mechanical knowhow to safely swap out the old components for new ones. Occasionally a bike shop or other cycling facility will have a partnership with a medical professional, giving you access to the best of both worlds.
Look for a bicycle shop that requires its bicycle fitters to have a minimum of 40-plus hours of training before they start to work with customers. Many fitters have a background in physical therapy, massage, or racing, all of which can give them an edge.
Finally, if you’ve decided you want to race, look for a fitter who has experience working with racers or has raced. Conversely, if you’re mainly planning on using your bicycle for touring, this same fitter may not be your best choice. If you live somewhere with a large selection of bicycle stores, shop around online for prices and recommendations and inquire with the bike shop about their fitters’ experience before you make an appointment.