all fong

I'm shopping for a new bike and am overwhelmed by all the options. I thought getting a proper bike fit can give me my ideal geometry for the type of road riding I do. I could then use this data to narrow down the options using a site like bikeinsights.com

After talking with a local fitter, I got the sense that it wouldn't necessarily help a ton when purchasing the bike, but doing the post purchase fit is where I would really be able to tell (saddle, handlebar, stem adjustment, etc.). Basically, as long as I picked the right bike size, it could be made to fit well. I'm right in the middle for height and proportions, have done my own simple fit on bikes I've owned based on what i learned online or advice I got from local shops that put me and my bike on a trailer for 15 minutes.

I haven't noticed major discomfort in the past, but I figure doing a full session would really help me get a bike that fits really well.

For anyone who has gone through a bike fit to select off the shelf bikes: Have you found it useful? Is there a big difference in how "fitted" bike frames feel vs. before, or is there enough adjustments you can do post purchase to make a bike feel just as good?

eduskator

Hi there,

Starting with the right bike size is definitively the way to go. After trying a few of them, I'm confident that you will get a sense on the one you want/like. Also, I don't believe your LBS will be willing to do a full fitting for all the bikes you will want to try. They will most likely adjust the seat, and let you take it out for a spin. The important thing is how you feel on the bike, and how much you like it. Trust your guts and don't overthink it!

all fong

picking the right size between the same bike make/model doesn't seem too difficult: make sure it's (1) not so small that you have an excess risk of toe overlap, (2) it's comfortable enough in stack/reach and (3) that there's room to properly dial it in with the stem/seat/seatpost. i.e. do a bike adjustment fit once you've purchased the bike.

does picking the right make/model based on a proper bike fit make a noticeable difference?

Test riding a number of different bikes hasn't swayed me one way or the other, so i'm trying to figure out other ways to narrow down on a hand full of options.

RockiesDad

Might want to start by knowing what kind of riding you want to do most. Road, gravel, recreational etc. I would then try to test ride all the bikes in that category from all manufacturers. Next is finding out which size fits you the closest and start from there. Comfort is king here...

Once you get to this point and purchase the bike, ride it for a few hundred miles or so and start adjusting all the contact points first. Seat height, seat for and aft, stem length, handle bar height etc. You can do these things by yourself to get the right fit for your body and comfort. If you don't want to do these things yourself this is where professional fitting will occur.

Getting the bike first in the right size is your starting point. Bike fitting will come later as you get accustomed to your new bike.

all fong

thanks, seems like a pre-purchase bike fit is excessive for mass production bikes. good to know I can put that money to better use towards the new bike!

Carbonfiberboy 

The OP is basically talking about a Retul bike fit: https://www.retul.com/
Go to the website, click Book a fit near you, then filter by country and state. The generated fit data will automatically produce a selection of bikes which fit your data. I think that's what you're looking for.

all fong

have you used it and noticed a major improvement in the bike fit? Just wondering if it's worth going through this process before I buy the bike or will i be able to dial into pretty much the same thing as long as I pick the right bike size.

jadocs

Do you know what your right bike size is?

Carbonfiberboy 

Beats me. No I've not had a Retul fit, only read articles about it. "Bike size" is not one thing. Bikes of the same "size" do have a good bit of variation in various dimensions. Even the definition of "size" varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. So no, your last statement is not true. Suppose you had a very good bike shop, with many choices in style and designed-in use for the same frame size. Then suppose they had an actual trained bike fitter on staff and this fitter could put you on various bikes of your size, have you ride them on a trainer while trading out stems and bars and saddles until everything was just right and you felt like you had the combination of most comfort and highest power on that trainer. Then test ride that fitted bike and see if it handled well for you. That would work. Yeah. Otherwise, it's otherwise. Complicated.

When I bought my last new bike over 20 years ago, I basically did the process I outlined above, except first I researched the heck out of the bikes which seemed built to do what I wanted to do, checking their dimensions against my bodily proportions, which you can do with the Competitive Cyclist fit calculator. I basically took those dimensions and looked at what was available and which I also horribly and totally desired and lusted after. Then I got on the right size bike on a bike shop's trainer. The fitter guy only changed out the stem for me. He also gave me a lot of good advice on my position and how that interacted with my bike fit. He basically rebuilt me as a cyclist in 20 minutes and I've never been the same. Retul is just another way to go at it, different series of events, but basically the same thing.

And what did I want and get? I wanted a TdF bike, not necessarily the pro model, just the same frame with the materials and components detuned a bit, reasoning that they don't want a crit bike, they want a bike which goes where it's pointed, takes the least amount of energy to do that, and transfers as much energy as possible to the road. So that's what I got and at a good price. It's still fast.

My goal was to get up the road as fast as possible with the money I had available for that purpose.

all fong

Thanks. that's helpful! I've gone to my LBS and done rides on bikes that seem to fit and then narrowed down comparable bikes from other builders (this frame works as a 54, this one is better as a 52, etc.) Nothing as detailed as what you're talking about.

pararider

...

100bikes

Bicycle frame basics:

As there a only a few component manufacturers, strip them off;
Strip the paint and the marketing behind the paint and decals;
Consider the rudiments of manufacturing today, and the lawsuits that would come from shoddy build
(the "quality" argument) and what is left are the choice of materials and geometry of build.

IMO, companies like Specialized favor a longer top tube relative to seat tube length.
Trek follows a more "European " style, that is a shorter top tube length relative to seat tube "size".
Giant is in the middle somewhere.

None are really right or wrong as design philosophy are a companies core decision.

Shape is what separates the brands.

When choosing a bicycle, stand over height, while an element of fit , isn't the only or even the key element.

Case in point, my spouse if 5'6" tall, and I am 5' 10", yet her legs are significantly longer than mine.
Theoretically,she fits a bike with a taller stand over height than I would.
This taller model would be built with a longer top tube as well and likely come with a longer stem and potentially
longer crank arms.

Wrong!

You can only put so short a stem(80mm or so) on a bicycle to accommodate a shorter torso.
Steering and handling change (most bicycles are designed to have a 100mm extension on a short
frame, proportionally longer on larger frames, crank arms are also proportional).

Fitting a bicycle requires not only looking to the purpose, but the person.
Long torso or short, long arms and short legs or the converse.
Overall height is a starting point.
Under consideration should also be core strength and any physical challenges.

A bit of homework and a tape measure will be great help in getting a proper fit.
A trained eye and availability of of brand(read that: frame geometry) options are key, IMO.

In closing, I repeat my mantra that there is no benefit to a bicycle that is to large and the top bar always wins.

rusty