I’ve Officially Been Pimped…uhhh…Fit
Three weeks ago today, I started my virtual bike fit process with Victor from Bicycle Lab. I’ve explained the pre-fit and mid-fit process previously, and have shared my comments…and it’s time to wrap it all up with my post-fit review.
It didn’t actually take three full weeks to complete the process. We pretty much finished things off over a week ago, but I wasn’t able to debrief my comments into a blog before I took off on my trip to Belize. First of all, I have to once again say how much of a pleasure it was working with Victor. He is extremely knowledgeable and has a passion for helping people connect better with their bikes. I’m sure all professional bike fitters are great at what they do, but I’m extremely happy that I was able to work with Victor because of the comfort and connection I had in my relationship with him. I loved working with him so much that I even ended up buying a new Garmin Edge 500 from him as well….I’ve had that on my wish list for a few months now.
After several videos, pictures, and phone calls the recommendation from Victor was the following:
- Cleats – Move cleats back as far as they will go. Try and keep the same angle of the cleats. Put supportive insoles in shoes.
- Saddle – Slide saddle back 2cm and level Lower saddle .5cm or 5mm.
- Stem – Change stem to an 80mm – 6 degrees.
The weather over here totally cooperated with me and warmed up just in time for me to get out on the streets and test out my new adjustments. At first I didn’t notice a great deal of difference from how I was set up before….but as I continued to ride, I started to feel it. I’ve got a rotator cuff issue with my right shoulder and on the first few rides of the year, it generally starts to ache about 70 minutes into the ride. I could feel my shoulder start acting up a little, but the burning that I’m used to never came. That fact alone makes the fit a roaring success. I’m going to stay in touch with Victor over the coming weeks and let him know how it’s going.
There may be a few more tweaks here and there, and he’ll let me know if there are any other adjustments to be made. Another sign of a good bike fitter….one who sticks with you following the fit.
We, as road and tri bike cyclists, invest a ton of cash into our rides. When we’re spending that kind of money, it makes total sense to invest just a little bit more to customize it to your body.
A professional bike fit will cost you between $300 and $500, plus any equipment change costs.
None of us are built exactly the same and a 53″ frame is going to fit you much differently than it fits me. A bike fitter will ensure that your ideal size frame is adjusted to suit your own personal body.
If you’ve had a professional fit, how did it affect your ride? If you haven’t, what questions do you have about getting one done?
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I got my Specialized Allez fitted back in February after having owned it for exactly 1 year. I kept telling myself I was going to get it fitted and put it off time and time again. Well I ended up with horrible pain in my left knee (tendonitis, thankfully) and it got to the point where I was struggling to get on the bike for even short distances. Needless to say, prior to the fitting, I did rest my knee for a good period of time so it could heal, but I never experienced pain again after the fitting. I could tell on the very first ride after the fitting that I was in a much better position; taking a lot of stress off my knees. But the outcome I didn’t expect was I got faster. I noticed that my average speed for several of my normal rides had gone up by as much as 1 mph. I contribute this to getting more power out of my legs, but also a more aggressive setup which made me more aero. The moral of the story, a bike fit pretty much saved my love of cycling!!!!
Great comments and a very nice description of what a bike fit can do for your body, speed, and love. Thanks for sharing your experience.