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Bike fitting

Old 03-11-22, 07:46 PM
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squirtdad
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Bike fitting

Just curious if anyone has done a bike fit after years of not having one and if it produced good results?

My last fit was when I bought a Miyata 1400 58 cm in '89 basically rode that forever until it got the internal tube crack in 2018,

I basically fit my 3 bikes since in a simiilar manner (de rosa (moved on to big) and 84 Miyata 56cm and 85 miyata 58cm
it is a seat of the pants fit so to speak, seat high enough so hips don't move, seat level, seat close to KOPS and stem level with or down a bit from seat

thanks
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Old 03-11-22, 08:04 PM
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merziac
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Originally Posted by squirtdad
Just curious if anyone has done a bike fit after years of not having one and if it produced good results?

My last fit was when I bought a Miyata 1400 58 cm in '89 basically rode that forever until it got the internal tube crack in 2018,

I basically fit my 3 bikes since in a simiilar manner (de rosa (moved on to big) and 84 Miyata 56cm and 85 miyata 58cm
it is a seat of the pants fit so to speak, seat high enough so hips don't move, seat level, seat close to KOPS and stem level with or down a bit from seat

thanks
Yep, in conjunction with new Strawberry. Obviously required with a custom frame and absolutely crucial for this, rides like a dream and is fantastic.

I was very lucky to have a couple of very different bikes to work from and that Dave knows exactly what he is doing.

https://www.bikeforums.net/21385757-post47.html
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Old 03-11-22, 08:21 PM
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I used to size the frame by standing over it and ensuring that nothing touched...

I've found as I've aged that has become progressively easier.
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Old 03-11-22, 08:32 PM
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If things hurt on your rides - other than typical sore muscles if you overdo it a bit - then fix it, by all means.

If you are curious, by all means = Do It.

If you need 10% more speed to keep up with a group = Do it.

But,
If one does not hurt
Keeps up with the group (even if 1),
And is not particularly curious =
Why do it?

2 perspectives. YMMV.

edit: My last fit was 2003, buying a custom. Before that 1999, buying a custom (test ride for comfort fitting with expert adjustments). Before that, 1996 - had to fill out measurements, and usage/preferences for a one-off CoMotion tandem.

¿Did we have formal fit systems in the mid-90's and before?

I remember the city fit, road/sport fit, the touring fit (and frames), then a Time Trial/ Triathlon fit. Probably some variations = Road had LeMond fit (slack STA and subsequently longer top tubes), and a Pro race fit for wannabe race riders when UCI ruled Race bikes must be Production frames.
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Last edited by Wildwood; 03-11-22 at 09:40 PM.
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Old 03-12-22, 10:11 AM
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Have you sustained any significant injuries since your last fit? Has your flexibility changed? Are you doing the same type of riding as before? Are you in better or worse shape since your last fit? Have you aged?

Our bodies are constantly changing, so too will your fit. Your fitter should also be conducting an anatomical assessment prior to having you get on the bike to identify your body’s neutral positioning.
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Old 03-12-22, 05:56 PM
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I just did a bicycle fit last weekend for a rider that coached and fitted in the late 1980s. It came out pretty much the same as he was about 35 years ago, except we ended up with a sligthly higher and shorter stem, due to some loss of flexibility.
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Old 03-12-22, 06:25 PM
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I do my own bike fitting. At my age (64) with chronic pain and challenges to strength and flexibility from multiple injury collisions, I realized it's up to me to find what works best for my body at any given time. And with age the challenges don't get any easier. My last full skeletal bone scan revealed worsening stenosis throughout my neck (my C1-C2 were fractured in a 2001 wreck when an SUV ran a light and t-boned my compact car). That tends to limit my saddle time and bike fit.

After doing this for awhile I'm aware of pretty much every pesky misfit ergonomic and balance issue. I'll even make adjustments to suit new shorts/bibs and saddles to accommodate small differences in padding thickness and resilience.

It also helped when I noticed Chris Froome continually fiddled with his bike fit during races, including some rather extreme adjustments to saddle height. I'm not sure whether he adjusted the saddle height to suit the stage or to suit how he felt on a particular day. But some days his saddle height seemed more or less normal, while other stages it looked like his knees might hit his chin. But at his peak it worked for him. Of course, he has an odd physique for a cycling, tall and gangly with posture that looks like a pterodactyl swooped down to snatch a bike and join a race.

I've watched several YouTube channels for tips and the best I've found is Bike Fit Adviser. No hype. Lots of short videos to address specific fit issues.

I'll also set up a video camera to record myself on the indoor trainer, and occasionally even outdoors taking a few passes to check my ergonomics.

With the exception of a couple of indoor trainer sessions, I've been off the bike since October 2021, mostly due to COVID symptoms. An upper respiratory and inner ear inflammation messed up my balance for months and I didn't trust myself on the bike outdoors. Some days I'd get dizzy spells just bending over while seated to tie my shoes, or turning my head too quickly. Although I did continue running on good days, jogging on meh days and walking when nothing else worked. I figured I could find a soft patch of grass to fall on if vertigo struck.

And I've gained 10 lbs since last autumn, partly due to way too much pecan and pumpkin pie over the holidays, partly due to putting on more upper body muscle after changing my workout routine to include more arm and core work. That affects my bike fit as well.

For now I'm resisting the urge to change the fit on my outdoor road bikes until I have a few more hours in. But I feel free to change the fit on the old steel road bike I use on the trainer to suit how I feel that day. So far the only thing that needs changing is the saddle, until I regain my sitbones-of-steel form of old.
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Old 03-14-22, 05:59 AM
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I’d like to get one, but I can’t afford to be wrong again.
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Old 03-14-22, 10:43 AM
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Yes, I had Nate Loyal fit my 2001 Lemond Zurich - rides like a dream. He does fitting in Santa Barbara and L.A.
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