Johnmwny

Is there a book or website that gives a good general overview of bike fitting? I'm thinking about changing up components in the future so I'm not sure it's worth getting properly fitted at this point, I just want to get myself close. as well as having to change the stem and figuring out what length might be best.

cyclezen

This would, normally, have every one of us fish coming up to the lure... LOL
A very controversial topic with very varied ideas, principles and required solutions; possibly more controversial than "religion' !
I assume you are using google or other search engine - a few month's worth of reading and thinking there...
And everything Dependz...
I don;t believe there is a definitive 'Guide', given the huge variations in 'fitting religion'.
And there are so many complications, considerations, variations, because WE ARE dealing with humans... LOL!
There are quite a few sites which hit the high points of 'bike fit'. A quick google brought up the Bike Radar pages, which seem to hit the basic high points.
https://www.bikeradar.com/advice/siz...bike-position/
for general road bike fit and cycling.
There a very broad ranges of desire, needs, special considerations in the spectrum of riders; so many, may ideas.
I suggest 'defining' how you want your riding to be done, and what your aims, objectives, desires are for riding the bike. Then start reading...
Your own personal 'posture' on the bike will have a huge effect on how you eventual resolve 'fit' for yourself. And that will certainly change over time.
Heisenberg's uncertainty principle is fully active in anyone's world of cycling.
Ride On
Yuri

Kontact 

Greg Lemond's old book from the late '80s has a good step by step of the classic way to fit a bike. If you have average dimensions and flexibility it can work fine, and at least help you understand the basics.

The main change in the bikes over time is really that brake hoods have gotten longer causing stems to get shorter to compensate.

Johnmwny

I appreciate the responses. So far I have about 30 minutes worth of time on a road set up bike so I don’t really know they answers and all the resources I found assumed I did. I will take a look at the options you guys gave so I can get in the general ball park and then tweak from there

Iride01 

IMO, that's about all any fit method can do. They give you a starting point and then you tweak from there. The big argument is really just where the starting point is.

cyclezen

Hope you start by getting your body proportions/measurements. Here's a quick guide.
https://www.sierra.com/lp2/bike-fit-guide/
some notes - when doing the 'inseam' measurement, make sure the book is Firmly up your crotch ! (a 1" , 2-3mm binding works well), bare feet.
torso - some may measure to to the V in throat, I measure to the boney prominence at the back base of neck - either... Easiest is to measure floor to throat/neck standing straight, then subtract the 'inseam' measurement derived before - that difference is the torso length.
Arm length - I like to measure from the distal (outer end) of the collar bone to the Syloid process (wrist bone). Of course we all have differing hand lengths, but that can be adjusted for.
As Iride01 states - 'setup' guidelines are just starting points,, from which you might go further.
Your own body flexibility, strengths & weaknesses, how you carry your body mas/weight all work into how you adjust, along with what purpose your riding is focused on...
Ride On
Yuri

Johnmwny

awesome write up I will take this all in

cyclezen

Brain fart on the Book/spine thickness - should read 2-3 CM, not mm.

Paul_P

Having just gone through the process of getting acquainted with the idea of a bike's fit, I've found that a big part of the process is just becoming aware / conscious, while riding, of how I'm made, how the bike is shaped and what's going on between my body and the bike. The best fit will depend on the type of bike and how you want to be positioned on it. I've read up quite a bit on the sites of the various fitting providers and doing so gave me the words and concepts to understand what's going on. The theory seems to take for granted that you'll maintain the same position on the bike all the time. I move around a bit on my bike to give different parts a break and have noticed that while there's really only one position that is ideally fitted, I can't maintain it,without moving, for hours on end.

Steve Hogg's site is very instructive : https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/, under the "Self Help" tab.

Iride01 

One of the issues I have with the idea of getting a bike fit is that unless the fit includes coming back for some tweaks, then you'll be left with either a fit that just happens to be perfect for you. Or you'll have some annoyance because it isn't quite right and then you'll be on your own to solve that. And there is something to be said for just getting use to that fit.

I've seen some posts here by others that paid for a fitting and then on their first ride or two decided they didn't like it and changed it back like they had it. And that doesn't do justice to the fitter if one isn't going to give the new fit a fair chance by riding enough times to see if that odd feeling is only just a odd feeling that you'll get use to. Or if it's a odd feeling that is causing issues.

Alan K

Effects of proper or better fit tend be obvious fairly quickly, within a few rides of about an hour or longer.
As for being fair to the fitter, that in itself shouldn’t really be a burning issue.

Kontact 

Aside from inseam, it is a waste of time to measure your body parts. A tailor fits the suit to your body by marking it while you're wearing it. Bike fits are the same

Inseam and a formula is faster than fiddling, though.

oldbobcat

And modern compact square handlebar bends put the levers about level with the top of the bar, resulting in slightly lowered handlebars.

And since Greg wrote his book, competitive riders have tended toward less saddle setback and shorter, lower reach. To that end, bike manufacturers have been making the seat tube angles steeper. How this works for non-racers with more normal physiques, though, is anybody's guess.

jadmt

I spent $35 for the myvelofit.com app and it was well worth the money for me. Maybe a human could get me dialed in better but I went with the recommended changes and went out and rode 100 miles with zero discomfort....and felt like I was 100% dialed in.

Kontact 

Handlebars have flattened out - which may mean that racers have had to lower them further, but mostly means that hoods and drops are higher for most people. Overall, brifters have changed the hoods from the third place for your hands to the only place anyone uses - might as well just install bullhorns.

I don't agree that seat tube angles are getting steeper. The "normal range" has always been between 74 and 72.5 from smaller bikes to larger, and the current Madone is mostly on that track. Some manufacturers have gone well beyond 74 to lie to consumers about their small/women's bike TT lengths, but that sort of nonsense has always been around on small bikes (Trek used to raise the BB height in the '80s). And many tight geometry bikes in the '80s used 74 STAs on even larger sizes - so I wouldn't say anything new is going on, unless you are referencing the bikes that have vertical, offset seatposts like the 3Ts.

Polaris OBark

Best $5 I have spent: https://bikedynamics.co.uk/shop.htm