Finally getting a bike fitting done next week. Any do/don't I should be aware of?
m1xm0d3
Posts: 1,576 Member
After 3+ years of serious seasonal cycling I got my first RB & KK trainer early this year and at first I felt stretched out on it. I watched some fitting videos on YT. Adjusted my saddle height & the fore/aft. Flipped my stem (angle up) and put the spacers underneath to help lift the handlebars and bring them closer. Decent enough improvement. Been riding like that since February.
But I still feel a bit stretched. I get finger tingles after 30 minutes or so. I have to change holds often. I mostly ride on the hoods but enjoy the tops and bends almost as much. The drops are fine as well but is my least fav position. I tend to only use them when in a headwind or a grab hold change.
I'm 6' 7" and 260lbs right now and riding a 22lb fully dressed bike so speed and drag are of little concern to me. I am targeting more comfort for longer rides while trying to alleviate some minor back problems (that may be unrelated to cycling but I have to start somewhere).
The studio I am going to offers lifetime fitment for the same bike. I'd appreciate any advice from those that have had it done in the past. Thanks
But I still feel a bit stretched. I get finger tingles after 30 minutes or so. I have to change holds often. I mostly ride on the hoods but enjoy the tops and bends almost as much. The drops are fine as well but is my least fav position. I tend to only use them when in a headwind or a grab hold change.
I'm 6' 7" and 260lbs right now and riding a 22lb fully dressed bike so speed and drag are of little concern to me. I am targeting more comfort for longer rides while trying to alleviate some minor back problems (that may be unrelated to cycling but I have to start somewhere).
The studio I am going to offers lifetime fitment for the same bike. I'd appreciate any advice from those that have had it done in the past. Thanks
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No recommendations here. I had a Retul fitting a few years ago and it changed everything for me. Enjoy!0
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No real recommendations other than to make sure whomever is doing your fitting is trained and experienced. Also, don't immediately equate stretched out to being the root cause of your hand tingling. I had a fitting done on my road bike a couple of weeks ago because of hand, foot, and groin numbness during rides. I've had this bike almost 4 years and I had a fitting done when I first got it but I was a new cyclist then and ~50 lbs heavier than I am now. During my recent fitting, done by my coach, he moved my bars forward and down, cleats back, and seat back. He stretched me out much more on the bike and it solved or greatly, greatly reduced all of my numbness issues. Not saying that's the case with you, but definitely keep an open mind. We were making the changes to my bike and I was thinking "no way" the whole time. He was right, I was wrong.0
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Main thing is to talk with the fitter, let them know what you're looking for out of the fit... Are you looking for a fit optimised for long distance comfort, or maximum power over a hour or so worth of riding. Let them know the kind of rides you do, what you aspire to do over the next year, and... Where you are expecting to be weight wise, if you're on a reducing plan... Believe me, the fit on the bike can vary quite a bit in the space of losing 30lb or so, Which is not inconceivable over a year of serious riiding and dietary manipulation so.0
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My hands go numb too if I dont change positions enough. Do you have drop bars?0
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I didnt mean to post that yet. Anyway, I havent gotten a fitting or anything just adjusted the bike myself. I seem to get tingly hands if I dont switch up every once in awhile. I used to not be able to get on my drop bars comfortably because my belly was too big but now I can.
I hope the fitting works well for you.0 -
Great info. Thanks everyone.
@ntnunk I am def going in with an open mind. I am sure he will surprise me with his formula.
@TheBigYin good points. I am planning to lose at least another 40 lbs.
@sybillabryson yep standard drop style bars. I am enjoying the drops more these days.
I'll post my results once I get it done next Friday.0 -
@m1xm0d3 I'll be looking forward to hearing your feedback on the fitting. Also keep in mind that the changes may well be drastic enough that it takes you some time to acclimate again. Your body is used to your current setup and may object to any changes until it has time to adapt.
@sybillabryson With the kind of mileage you are aiming for this year I can't recommend strongly enough to have a fit done. You are a prime candidate for overuse injuries (because your saddle time is rising so sharply) and having a proper fit can go a long way toward alleviating or preventing some of those problems.0 -
@m1xm0d3 I'll be looking forward to hearing your feedback on the fitting. Also keep in mind that the changes may well be drastic enough that it takes you some time to acclimate again. Your body is used to your current setup and may object to any changes until it has time to adapt.
At my fitting session, the optimal saddle height changed by nearly 3cm upwards, but I was actually recommended to change by no more than 5mm at a time, leaving it 2-3 weeks of riding between rises, to allow my body to adapt. I also got a whole program of physio and stretches to follow over the 3 months of adapting the position. Of course, my problems were agravated by physical imbalances from a prior injury... My left femur is just over 3cm shorter than the right, which means any saddle height is going to be a compromise, and also my entire lower body had developed a tilt laterally at the pelvis, which had to be addressed with shoe orthotics and physio on the lower back. So, as the physio effects took hold, I could raise the saddle, but also had to address one set of muscles being stretched, and the attendant hamstring and other tendon tightness.
In all, I ended up with three sessions of fitting, initially physical assessment and re-positioning, then refining via a Retul dynamic fitting session, and finally another fine tuning session to accommodate my having lost nearly 40kg in weight over the entire duration of the process.
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I will consider it but I make like 6000 dollars a year so...it might not happen. Maybe i can find someone who is affordable.0
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Perhaps if you know a local cycling group with some experienced riders one of them could give your fit an eyeball just to make sure there are no obvious problems. Likely not as good as a true fit but probably still very helpful. A lot of it is just having another set of experienced eyes look at you on the bike.sybillabryson wrote: »I will consider it but I make like 6000 dollars a year so...it might not happen. Maybe i can find someone who is affordable.
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