bike fit

I got fitted... sort of!
I had an appointment with this gal that my husband recommended above all others in the area. (In retrospect she was fine but I liked the guy at the other LBS better)

She put me on a wind trainer and immediately put the saddle right back where my husband had set it. (note to self, husband knows where saddle needs to be!)

Then she went to the front end;
They didn't have the piece she wanted; but she put something in halfway between what she wanted and what I originally had. A joint that raises the handlebars.
She said if i didn't like this one, i could come back in 2 weeks and try the one she was going to order.

She also had them adjust the brakes
and measured every single part of me. (Not sure why she measured me, she didn't use the measurements.)


Then she played a little with the slope of the saddle and moved it forward.
she suggested i get bike shoes, that would give me almost another 1/2 inch of saddle lowering because they are on a lower platform than the walking shoes I was using. I actually was planning to get a pair, so we went over to the shoe department right away.
I tried on all these really cool metallic shoes, but the ones that fit me best were powder blue. ugh. but a good price (less than 70) with the Randonneur Club discount !
She also got out these pedal straps to use instead of spd's, frogs or cages. She said Kent Peterson (the guy who rides all over the countryside) got rid of all the other junk and only uses these straps now. This sounded very interested, so I decided I'd try them.
They will take some work to assemble (I am hoping my son who is studying engineering and math will do it for me) but i look forward to trying them.
I rode around in the parking lot and it seemed doable. She said i looked comfortable :)
I am hoping that I have some time in the next few days to try it out for real.
My son and I are both graduating from college this weekend and the relatives are starting to come in tonight!

So you got shoes but they don't attach to your pedals?

I've been looking for some of those (well, sort of anyway) since I'm still clipful but once had some nice hard-soled biking shoes that were better than sneaks.

Did she measure your arms, legs, angle that you create while pedaling? Do you have correct width in your handlebars? Did you try different sadlles? Did you do some spinning so that she can see whether you are stretched or not? All these questions are so important in fitting. I hope she did all that for you.

Sounds like you're on the road to a more comfortable ride. Congrats on graduating from College!

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Originally Posted by Lenusik

Did she measure your arms, legs, angle that you create while pedaling? Do you have correct width in your handlebars? Did you try different sadlles? Did you do some spinning so that she can see whether you are stretched or not? All these questions are so important in fitting. I hope she did all that for you.

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She did check the handlebars, yes. My assumption was correct that the previous owner had changed to more women-friendly handlebars already (salsabars). She thought they were darn close to what i needed.
She didn't actually measure my angles but did look long and hard as I did some spinning. We talked a lot about being stretched or feeling stretched since that was my initial problem.

we did NOT try different saddles. i own 6 saddles that I have purchased just this year. I KNOW that the B67 is the best one for me and I'm not going to mess around with the others any more.
I actually brought a B17 with me just in case she was going to tell me I couldn't use my beloved brooks b67, but she thought it was just great.

I also asked her if she'd tell me if the bike just didn't work for me. she said yes, and it happens!

So, it looks like you've done your homework. My first bike was a LeMond which was the right size for me but it was built for men. When I went to a professional fitter, he created miricles for me, but he still suggested that I need a different bike. He suggested only WSD because of my fairly short upper body and longer legs. Night and day difference! Good luck and I hope that you will stay comfortable.

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Originally Posted by Lenusik

So, it looks like you've done your homework. My first bike was a LeMond which was the right size for me but it was built for men. When I went to a professional fitter, he created miricles for me, but he still suggested that I need a different bike. He suggested only WSD because of my fairly short upper body and longer legs. Night and day difference! Good luck and I hope that you will stay comfortable.

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Thanks Lenusik.
The shop I went to had some new Bianchis there. They were gorgeous and the ones i liked cost 2 grand. An even bigger folly than spending 700 bucks on a bike that might not work out is spending 2 grand on one.


Someday..
and thank you! I am glad to have finally graduated from college.

Congratulations on your graduation! This is really fun!

well, the Bianchi is in the shop again because we're putting a longer fork on it.

We've done everything that can be done to fit the bike to me. I rode it to work on Monday and had the best ride ever. I am getting confident enough to do some manuevering, (sp!) I have finally gotten all the way home without having to stop because i put it in the wrong gear on a hill. I am really starting to like this cool speedy bike.
What really did it was my sunday ride where I was able to keep my average speed at 13mph! (no real uphills that day) I was really stoked. But my hands hurt and I have been having headaches again, which makes me think POSTURE.
So since I was given a gift it seems worth it to me to replace the fork because I am really enjoying everything else about the bike.
With a new fork we can raise the handlebars to where I am not stretched out so far to reach.
In two weeks I will be ready to try it again.
Except for the price of the fork (OUCH) all of this is included in the fit that i paid for in June at Sammamish Cycles.

Good for you. Thank you for the update. Good position is everything. You will see how much power you will gain when your back and arms ar not stretched! I just refitted myself again because I changes a seat post and amy seat, and it is night and day difference.
Good luck with your progress! It is so much fun to feel when you get better!

I just have to say...

I love the name Sammammish.

Karen

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Originally Posted by mimitabby

I have finally gotten all the way home without having to stop because i put it in the wrong gear on a hill.

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Heh, I love that. I'm still waiting for that moment, :p

It's an indian name. we also have Swinomish & Skykomish