Moisture

I find myself making changes to my saddle, stem and handlebar positioning on a very regular basis. As if just one simple set fit, even if it seems to work well at first, doesn't work optimally for very long. I am always adapting and changing in terms of fit. Do you find the same?

Carbonfiberboy 

It took me a couple years, 22 years ago, to figure out what fit on my new bike made me the fastest, which also turned out to be the most comfortable. I've used the same basic fit on the same bike ever since. After my first pro bike fit session ever, a few years ago, the fitter had me move my hands back by 3 cm and up by 1 cm. I liked the old fit better, but too much bother to change all the components back the way they were. No big deal.

Bmach

For me once I get the bike (s) where I like them I never change the setup.

couldwheels

Last time for me was two months ago. I don't always follow traditional fit strategies. Sometimes, you have to do what feels right but without ignoring safety.

philbob57

I don't think you give yourself enough time to acclimate yourself to your new fit. Also, you've talked of making several changes at a time.

One change at a time. If you make multiple changes and are unhappy, you won't know why. If the one change feel OK at first, aim to ride at least a few of your normal rides before even dreaming of making more changes. Ride some more. Then change another parameter or the same parameter again.

Oh. I haven't changed handlebars of stem or brake location since 1985; maybe since 1983. Pedals and saddle, 2016. Seat height, 2016. I have one bike, though, so it may be easier for me.

PeteHski

Have you watched the film "A Sunday in Hell"? Eddy Merckx spends most of the film micro-adjusting his saddle height, tilt and bar height.

Over the course of a year, I typically fine tune my road bike saddle height, typically +/- 10 mm and occasionally play around with saddle setback. But I rarely change my bar setup - maybe because it's less convenient. I think sometimes a small change in position can be kind of refreshing. For the same reason I like to mix it up between road and mtb, although that's a much bigger positional change.

cyclezen

BITD, when there was the 'winter off season", riding less time/miles, and adding in some CX, my saddle height would go down about 3-4mm.
When early season started, and mileage increased and mostly road, I would go back up 3-4 mm, sometimes 5.
'Crit' bike had a considerable less setback than 'road'and 2-3mm higher - track bike had even less setback & just a couple mm higher.
When I came back to consistent riding, last May (mostly off bike for 3 yrs...), I had to drop the saddle height 5mm - it was set to what i used before my 'health issue'...
I now am back to original/'normal' road settings... Although I may try taking the saddle forward from 7.8 to 7.4, as my group riding increases...
Otherwise the only thing which might alter a setup is a saddle change - slight adjustments to account for a possible new shape/cradle.
Now living here in Central CA, riding season is 365, so less changes of anything.
Cockpit - I can ride almost anything as long as it's not too short... too short means there's a chance of the knees striking the elbows... and bars too close reduces steering stability for me.
If the bars are too close, any kind of upper body power needed, out of the saddle, is hard to muster if the bars are behind your shoulders.

Cavendish sprint form

Ride On
Yuri

CliffordK

I have a couple of bikes. And, for one reason or another, each one is slightly different. Thus, no need to worry about touching up one or another. Just grab a bike with higher or lower bars, or more reach.

jma1st3r

sometimes, the fiddling isnt to do with the bike

it is to do with life.


in all seriousness, as your physique improves and endurance get better, your body can adapt better. Therefore the position change.

My position has changed from 1.5 years ago, position is forward a tad, reach is a tad longer, saddle is tad lower...

your diet, hydration at the time determines your comfort level. If your nervous system over fires(it is a thing) and you are very aware, then this will also happen.

Rolla

Once I have a bike's saddle, stem, and handlebar set up, I'm done. Leave it alone and you'll get used to it; fiddle with it every week and you never will.

shelbyfv

Yep. OP is also a proponent of unconventional fit, to put it politely. I prefer to do it properly and be done for a few years.

pakossa

For me, as the years go by, I need to change things more often. 15 - 20 years ago, maybe every few weeks I'd make an adjustment. The past few years, it's at least 80% of my rides I need to change something because it doesn't feel right. I'm now at over 1,700 changes/adjustments -- NOT a typo!! -- since 2009.

Steve B.

I was going to type a smart assed reply and say I figured out my fit and position about 30 years ago and stuck with it, but thats really only the case with my road bikes. My most recent road bike, a Topstone, only got a different stem after a few weeks of riding. Its been the same for 2 years now, as have my 2 other road bikes, haven't changed them in 10-20 years. I did initially take off 50mm of bar width on my HT purchased 3-4 years ago, I also last year moved to a slightly longer stem. A new FS had its bar trimmed by 20 mm to 740 and I settled on that width and just changed to a 740 on the HT. So I do tinker on occasion

markynels

I change my setup regularly. I tweak saddle height, fore aft and stem length/drop more commonly than say, cleat stance, saddle choice or bar width/reach, though each gets their turn for refinement as needed. For me its usually a factor of form; the more time i spend in the saddle, the more i also spend off the bike being cognizant of my posture and flexibility which in turn promotes changes to my setup. The key is leaving enough time for adaptation. My sweet-spot is around 300 km's with at least one exhaustive, high volume ride. I'm not looking for perfection, rather just fond of being introspective and enjoy validating my hypothesis.

Clyde1820

I don't intend to make many changes, but with so many old injuries that impact comfort it's inevitable I'll occasionally make a minor tweak or two.

Generally, it's simply a bit of saddle height change, or the angle of the handlebars. Far more beneficial is gym and stretching exercises that keep me as limber and strong as possible. But next on the list is, seemingly, these minor tweaks. Helps, a little.

Though, that said, it's been an age since the last "proper" professional fit. Have gone more-upright in the riding position, this past 20yrs. Have a wider Brooks B67 saddle. Have swept riser type bars. And I just plod along, almost exclusively on paved urban streets with a few flatter hard-packed trails. So, at least to me, there's no great need for fit alterations.

Moisture

Lot's of great answers here.

My Trek Cruiser e bike has stayed largely the same in terms of fit other than a stem and handlebar change last winter. Occaisonal saddle height/fore and aft changes, and thats about it. It's the bike I ride the most.

The bike I ride second most would be the Opus. I was CONSTANTLY making changes to it recently. What felt right, only felt this way for about one or two weeks of fairly consistent riding. Then it was back to the drawing board. I was consistently adjusting the handlebar stack/reach into a more aggressive fit, until one day, I realized that not only am I in the most sporty riding position I have ever been in, but the ride was amazingly comfortable with almost zero lower back strain on relatively longer rides. I took this week off from any "spirited" riding on the Opus. Eventually I will have to switch away from my surly truck stop bars with their 3cm rise and very shallow drop (from the stem clamping area) to continue adapting to the sporty/comfort blended riding position I have been working toward for 1.5 years now, ever since the story with my Norco.

Moisture

Perhaps the most important thing I did for my fit was going back to strap in pedals with toe cages. I had to move my saddle almost 2cm back on the rails, which improved comfort and fit tremendously. I was using an insane amount of setback with my flat pedals previously to compensate for what was clearly not the correct foot positioning. No wonder my lower back hurt.

IcySwan1 

I tend to make changes to react to aches and pains, like numb hands or sore quads. Once that is solved, I leave it alone. Until the next ache.

Mike

koala logs

The last adjustment I made was two weeks ago. I moved the saddle all the way forward.

Two weeks before that, I did a century ride and found myself sitting on my glutes at the widest part of the saddle for long duration comfort. The problem sitting in that part of the saddle, I felt pushed too far back so I moved the saddle forward and that solved the problem.

I did another century ride to test the new saddle position and no more issues came up, bike-fit wise. This would be the first time I nailed the fit for >6 hr long rides so this is definitely going to stick for a very long time. The fit I ended up was quite endurance-friendly.