Good Bike Fitter in Boston?
10-09-23, 10:45 AM
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Good Bike Fitter in Boston?
I have two questions about bike fitting, actually. The first is: is there a Boston-based bike fitter you'd recommend? I've had mixed experiences going into the bigger shops (Landry's, Wheelworks) in the area so I thought I'd be better off with a recommendation.
Second: does it make sense to get a fitting *before* buying a bike, or should I be waiting until after? I'm making my first bike purchase in a very long time and, because I prefer some of the more unique brands that are out of my budget new, I'm scouring the used market. I understand, however, that fit is the single most important consideration. The problem is, I don't know how to judge whether a given bike on facebook marketplace or ebay or craigslist will fit me well. (In fact, I don't know how to judge whether *any* bike will fit me well.) Is this something a fitter would help with? Or am I better off just looking for a frame size that's generally prescribed by my height (5'8", so maybe 54cm or a "medium"?) and then waiting until *after* I've made my purchase to do a fit? I've been riding an inherited 50-year-old French roadbike for the last fifteen years or so (maybe it's a little too big for me?) so I don't have a lot of experience judging different fits. (Oh, and my main biking activities are commuting, loaded touring on predominately but not exclusively pavement, and occasional day rides with friends.)
Thanks for any advice!
Second: does it make sense to get a fitting *before* buying a bike, or should I be waiting until after? I'm making my first bike purchase in a very long time and, because I prefer some of the more unique brands that are out of my budget new, I'm scouring the used market. I understand, however, that fit is the single most important consideration. The problem is, I don't know how to judge whether a given bike on facebook marketplace or ebay or craigslist will fit me well. (In fact, I don't know how to judge whether *any* bike will fit me well.) Is this something a fitter would help with? Or am I better off just looking for a frame size that's generally prescribed by my height (5'8", so maybe 54cm or a "medium"?) and then waiting until *after* I've made my purchase to do a fit? I've been riding an inherited 50-year-old French roadbike for the last fifteen years or so (maybe it's a little too big for me?) so I don't have a lot of experience judging different fits. (Oh, and my main biking activities are commuting, loaded touring on predominately but not exclusively pavement, and occasional day rides with friends.)
Thanks for any advice!
10-09-23, 02:49 PM
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Closest one to Boston that I'd go to is in Boulder Colorado. https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/ check the SHBF Locations tab.
No it doesn't make sense to me. If you do, you'll spend a lot of money and get a list of dimensions to pick your bike from. Perhaps a few actual model recommendations. But for the most part, you probably will be unlikely to interpret the dimensions you get and figure out from geometry charts for bicycles what bike will give you that fit.
Fitters are all different depending on what methods they ascribe to. None are really bad, but many don't really tell you what you are going to like. And some will only do that one fit and then they don't want to see you any more unless your wallet is open. So if you have no cycling experience how will you even know which to weed out and which to use?
If you go by height alone, the bike brands will have a sizing guide for that model. Use it to see what they say. You can usually go up or down a size or two depending on things unique to your leg, torso and arm length. As well as just your own personal preferences and how you perceive the things that feel funny, weird or other such. And just because they say you fit one size for one model, doesn't mean that they'll say that for all the different models of bike they sell. So check each bike models fit guide. Also trust your bike shop person. But do be wary if the bike size they are foisting on you is the only size in that model bike they have.
You need to figure out what type of position you want on a bike. Do you want to sit up or do you want to lean down and be very aero. Typically called relaxed or aggressive positions. For road bikes this is important. Many are between relaxed and very aero. But the very aero ones tend to be the bikes that draw ones eye. If you don't want that position, don't buy the bike because it's not as simple as raising the bars to the height you might want.
My advice will be to buy a inexpensive bike that you have tried out for as long as they'll let you ride it. Preferable not just in the parking lot and hopefully in the places and conditions you will actually ride. Many don't allow this any more. <Sad>
Many bike shops have a person that will set up the bike to give you a good basic fit if you buy a new bike. Used bike? You are on your own. But you can ask here. Once you have a bike, ride it a lot and get some experience so you know what you'll want next time. If you can't solve your fit issues yourself, then I'd say go to a fitter.
TLDR? yeah, I know. I'm the same way when I see long winded posts.
No it doesn't make sense to me. If you do, you'll spend a lot of money and get a list of dimensions to pick your bike from. Perhaps a few actual model recommendations. But for the most part, you probably will be unlikely to interpret the dimensions you get and figure out from geometry charts for bicycles what bike will give you that fit.
Fitters are all different depending on what methods they ascribe to. None are really bad, but many don't really tell you what you are going to like. And some will only do that one fit and then they don't want to see you any more unless your wallet is open. So if you have no cycling experience how will you even know which to weed out and which to use?
If you go by height alone, the bike brands will have a sizing guide for that model. Use it to see what they say. You can usually go up or down a size or two depending on things unique to your leg, torso and arm length. As well as just your own personal preferences and how you perceive the things that feel funny, weird or other such. And just because they say you fit one size for one model, doesn't mean that they'll say that for all the different models of bike they sell. So check each bike models fit guide. Also trust your bike shop person. But do be wary if the bike size they are foisting on you is the only size in that model bike they have.
You need to figure out what type of position you want on a bike. Do you want to sit up or do you want to lean down and be very aero. Typically called relaxed or aggressive positions. For road bikes this is important. Many are between relaxed and very aero. But the very aero ones tend to be the bikes that draw ones eye. If you don't want that position, don't buy the bike because it's not as simple as raising the bars to the height you might want.
My advice will be to buy a inexpensive bike that you have tried out for as long as they'll let you ride it. Preferable not just in the parking lot and hopefully in the places and conditions you will actually ride. Many don't allow this any more. <Sad>
Many bike shops have a person that will set up the bike to give you a good basic fit if you buy a new bike. Used bike? You are on your own. But you can ask here. Once you have a bike, ride it a lot and get some experience so you know what you'll want next time. If you can't solve your fit issues yourself, then I'd say go to a fitter.
TLDR? yeah, I know. I'm the same way when I see long winded posts.
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