Which comes first -- bike fitting or new saddle?

[fallstoclimb]

So after two years of increasing mileage on my entry-level Specialized Dolce, I've decided to get a fitting to increase efficiency. I don't have any real issues on the bike beyond some shoulder/back pain when I first start increasing mileage, but I've been told that a fit is always a good idea and my parents gave me Christmas money earmarked for it. The only improvement I know my bike really needs is the saddle -- it still has the stock saddle that came with the bike, and I mostly stay out of my drops because of the pressure it puts on my lady bits to be at that angle. That's what suffers the most on my long rides too.

I guess I have three specific questions:

1) I imagine a fit could help me figure out what saddle I should get, but I also imagine that the saddle could affect the rest of the fitting -- so should I try to measure myself and get it on my own first, or let the pro help me with that?

2) All the bike shops near me have only men doing the fits. I feel slightly awkward discussing how the saddle puts pressure on my lady parts with a man. Should I just suck it up and deal with it? Are they all used to addressing those issues?

3) Most of the shops around here had 'levels' of fit. I'll call around and get estimates of them all, but does anyone have advice on 'must have' aspects of the fit, and what's really not relevant for a cyclist who is basically only out here to have fun doing centuries?

I'd also be curious to hear about others' experiences getting bike fits!

[OakLeaf]

I don't have a lot of detailed input, but I can tell you your thread title is a chicken-egg sort of thing. Bike fit will affect how you sit on your saddle. What saddle you're using will affect your bike fit.

I guess my #1 suggestion would be when you get your fit done, do it somewhere that lets you come back for tweaks at no additional charge for a certain period of time. Since your saddle works for you when you're upright, I'd start where you are - get your fitting done, see how your saddle works with your new position, try other saddles if you still need to, then if/when you find a better saddle, get your fit tweaked again.

My experience is that depending on the community, unfortunately a lot of bike fitters know very little about saddle fitting. So one thing you might do when you're shopping for your fit is pose the question to them ... if they tell you that your saddle won't affect your fit, or suggest saddles for you without asking you about your specific saddle needs, then go someplace else.

I'd say also that embarrassment vs. openness is kind of self-reinforcing. If they're embarrassed by the question, they probably don't know much about it, and your embarrassment will be increased. If they can talk about saddle pressure with the same objectivity as they talk about your wrists, then just like disrobing for a male health care practitioner, you'll build trust and be less embarrassed to talk about your issues.

[Sky King]

The Bike Hermit and I spent 3 hours with a bike fitter the other day - blog post coming soon. One of the biggest reasons we liked him is he refuses to be affiliated with just one bike shop and he does his fittings based on what style of riding the bike owner wants to do. (We tend to have bike fitters here that fit all riders in a more aggressive racing posture, regardless)
Perhaps there is someone similar where you are. He confessed that in his opinion, saddle fit is one of the weakest aspects of fitting. Although I was impressed with his ability to look at the "wear" points on a saddle and discuss the fit challenges the rider may be experiencing. I probably have a bit of a prejudice though as he had very little knowledge of leather saddles but am happy to say we gave him a lesson :)
We did discuss that setting up the bike comes first for him then fine tuning with saddle position so as you do have the money to do the fit, make some phone calls, ask questions, express your concerns and perhaps ask for references and then call them.
Getting a fit is a big deal and being happy with the fit is even a bigger deal. I assume you have been reading the saddle forums too and have done your measurements, etc.
Finally, if you think a new saddle is in order make sure they have an exchange/return policy when you purchase.

[Penny4]

I found the easiest thing to say to the LBS guys is just, "I'm looking for a new saddle as this one causes soft tissue problems" (and hope that the 16 y/o kid who only works on weekends is not the one to help me, lol)
The angle of your saddle may be causing some problems too.
Did you get a fitting when you bought the bike?

[fallstoclimb]

Looking forward to reading that blog post, Sky King! I like that he isn't affiliated with a shop...I don't know anyone like that around here, but I am open to recommendations in the DC/Baltimore area if anyone has any! The shop I'm most loyal to doesn't do real fits so I'm going to have to go elsewhere regardless.

Penny, I got a very minimal fitting when I bought the bike....20 minutes tops. Then another 10 minute fitting when I got clipless pedals. Like I said, I don't really have any problems per se but it would be a miracle if there wasn't something on my bike that can't be tweaked to improve comfort or efficiency.

[Seajay]

I always start with the saddle. There are only three places where you touch the bike. You don't want a bike fit that is only 66% right. (frankly worse)
I ask very early on..."What do you think of your saddle?" "Does your saddle cause pressure that makes you less than comfortable during any part of your ride?" Can you ride two days in a row without dreading sitting on the saddle at the start of the second day?"

IMO you can't get much of a fit with the wrong saddle.

I've gone so far as to get a client to use chamois cream during the fitting and asked a client to reschedule because she came straight from a spin class and told me "after an hour on the spin bike, I'm sore sitting on the saddle"

Any decent shop will let you try a saddle for a day or so before your fitting.

On a side note...It's frustrating as a fitter when the client won't buy the parts they need to make the bike right. You've invested the time and money for the fit. Don't cheap out by skipping a saddle, stem or handlebar change.

Also....Per Sky King's comment: We tend to have bike fitters here that fit all riders in a more aggressive racing posture, regardless. THAT IS NOT A BIKE FITTER. If he/she is fitting you how they want you on the bike...RUN AWAY!

[Swan]

^Agreeing with Seajay on everything, and also with Sky King's warnings. Also, if you're unsure of something the LBS guy says, it doesn't actually hurt to fact-check via google if you have a smartphone. It might seem tacky, but it can only help you. I'm a hopeless newb at all this in-depth biking stuff, so I was really pleased to be able to validate my trust in my LBS right there on the spot.

My LBS guy adjusted my awful saddle's position and angle after looking at me sit and move on it, then had me test new saddles as the one I had was lousy crap anyway, and tweaked the position again and again until it went from "not as comfortable as I'd hoped" to "so comfortable I could cry" to "never getting off this bike again." :p Once I was comfortable sitting on the bike saddle after those fitting adjustments were already made, we worked on the rest of the fitting (raising the handlebars and seatposts, etc). It took nearly three hours but turned out really well, even if he teased me a little for being too scared to raise my seat up as high as is proper. I just like being able to use my feet as secondary breaks. ;)

So while in my case I did have to get a new saddle, note that saddle position/angle is also incredibly important in determining how comfortable you are. The wrong angle or position can make the perfect saddle feel like a jagged hunk of rock. It's my advice that you should try finding a LBS that will accommodate combining a fitting and saddle-shopping into one go.

[fallstoclimb]

Wanted to let everyone know I got my fit done today and it was a really good experience! I brought my husband along because I was nervous, but the fitter was very professional and friendly and made me feel comfortable right away. The saddle fit discussion wasn't awkward at all -- just talked about 'pressure on the front' versus 'weight on the seatbones'. I ended up only putting about $100 into my bike (plus the cost of my fit), including a new saddle, which makes me very happy.

[Seajay]

Wanted to let everyone know I got my fit done today and it was a really good experience!

Wonderful. Want to pass on the name of the shop?

[fallstoclimb]

Lutherville Bike Shop!