What a difference a real fitting makes...

A couple weeks ago, I headed up to The Bicycle Escape in Frederick, MD, for a fitting with the owner, Tom Rinker. Last year, I had a "Fit-Kit" fitting from the shop where I bought my bike, and another in which I rode my bike on a trainer while the tech took a couple of measurements. This was a Serotta-certified fitting and wow, was it different. After three rides over the last two weeks, I have to say that Tom is a genius.

I've got some issues that made riding last year feel like my neck and shoulder vertabrae were crunched together. Not painful, but definitely not comfortable and made riding in the drops pretty difficult. It kind of felt like I was a turtle that couldn't extend it's head all the way past the edge of it's shell (sounds weird, but that's the closest simile I can think of). And I've had consistent problems with saddle pressure and soreness in the region of the "girlie bits". Plus, no matter how my saddle was adjusted, I always had a feeling of leaning heavily on the handlebars. So, the two main things I wanted to address in my fitting were stem length and finding a new saddle. I wasn't much concerned with increasing speed or power, I was looking to be more comfortable.

Tom schedules fitting appointments when the shop's closed so that he can have a good couple of hours with the client, interruption-free. It's a very thorough process that covers not only physical measurements, but also what kind of riding you do and what you want to get out of your rides.

In my case, we found that a shorter stem wasn't what I needed to improve my bar reach issues. By raising my stem just above saddle height to more of a touring position, my body weight became much more evenly distributed between saddle, bars and pedals. I also tested a couple of saddles to replace my 10-yr-old one, and had the cleats on my shoes adjusted. He kept my bike for a few days to play around with different steerer tube options, then called to let me know he had installed a steerer tube extender and the new saddle I'd picked out (Specialized Women's Sport BG2).

So far, I've done a total of 60 miles on three rides, one flat and two with rolling or sustained hills. Nothing extreme, but the difference while pedaling has been tremendous. These were my first rides since December and I have had NO saddle soreness. None. I would've expected major saddle soreness and at least some stiff muscles after being off the bike for that long. Instead, my neck and shoulders have been perfectly comfortable (I'm a long-necked turtle now ;) ), I can ride in the drops with ease, and my "girlie bits" are totally pain-free. And the adjustment to my cleats is very obviously putting to use the big muscles in my hamstrings and glutes, making the hills I've ridden much easier than they would have been last year.

If there's a Serotta fitter in your area, definitely check it out. It's so much more thorough than the typical fit systems in most LBS's. (And if anyone out there in the DC/Md/Va/Pa area is riding with discomfort, I'd highly recommend giving Tom at The Bicycle Escape a call. The drive to Frederick could be well worth it.)

Thank you for your detailed account, really! We might be heading to MD after here, and that'll be around the time I'd be getting a new bike. I didn't get fit at all for the one I'm on now and I have some of the same issues you talked about.

Good post!

A good bike fit can make the world of difference.
When I was living in New Zealand I had a fitting at my local bike shop - and couldn't believe the difference it made. The mechanic spent about an hour fiddling and readjusting and when he'd finished it was like riding a new bike - no more shoulder or neck pain and the power transfer through the pedals was amazing.
I'm hoping to get a new bike at some point this year - but am shocked by the number of retailers here in the UK who don't do any kind of bike fit at all, not even if you pay for a fitting. I refuse to buy a bike from a store who are just going to "eyeball" a fit for me.
Good to hear you got a good result Kali, that's great.

A question about fitting, if you don't mind. My husband has a little arthritis in his right knee. He went to a sports doc and had it checked out -- no other issues but the "little bit" of arthritis.

Still, it starts bothering him when he rides. I mentioned this at the LBS and said I was trying to get him to come in for a fitting, and the guy said that there was only one thing to adjust that would affect his knee -- the seat stem height. (We don't have clips or clipless -- just flat pedals.)

Could that be right? If it is, then I guess the only thing to do is just fiddle with the seat height and see if we can get it more comfortable.

The guy did talk about how the leg should be extended when the pedal is on its lowest point of the revolution, etc. I'm just wondering if the height of the seat truly is the only thing that would impact the stress on my husband's knee.

Pooks - it worked for me. I was having some knee pain and the guy at my LBS raised my seat while doing a fit for me. I don't have that knee pain any more. But I didn't experience pain until several hours after my ride. Could be a different issue.

That's good news. Maybe he doesn't need a fitting and just needs to experiment with seat height. Thanks!

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Originally Posted by pooks

...and the guy said that there was only one thing to adjust that would affect his knee -- the seat stem height. (We don't have clips or clipless -- just flat pedals.)

Could that be right? If it is, then I guess the only thing to do is just fiddle with the seat height and see if we can get it more comfortable.

The guy did talk about how the leg should be extended when the pedal is on its lowest point of the revolution, etc. I'm just wondering if the height of the seat truly is the only thing that would impact the stress on my husband's knee.

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From what I've read/been told, seat fore/aft position and foot position on the pedal have a lot of effect on both knee comfort and power transfer on the pedal stroke. The ball of your foot should ideally be over the pedal spindle and the bottom of your knee-cap should also be over the pedal spindle (and over the ball of your foot). Seat height is probably the first thing most people think of, but your DH might want to consider having the fore/aft position checked against where he usually puts his foot on the pedal.


One suggestion about fittings that I didn't think to make in my original post is that it's probably a good idea to ride the bike for a while before going for a serious fitting. That way, you've got an idea of specific issues to address. And I would imagine it's a good idea to get re-fit every couple of years to continue adapting your bike to your body.

another endorsement for Serotta fitting here! while I was out on my medical leave from riding, I got a fit at PK Racing in Fairfax, CA. this is all they do - bike fit and analysis - it took 3 hours and he made adjustments from stem to cleats. the owner, Chris, was head instructor at the Serotta fit school for a time.

anyway, since I have been back on the bike I really feel a difference in the fit - so far none of the nagging low back pain I might otherwise get on a long ride. (so far my longest ride was about 188 miles, but I will be doing longer rides as the year progresses.) also, somewhat surprisingly, my descending feels a lot more solid as well.

very happy for you! Getting a pro fit made all the difference for me. I was LITERALLY on the brink of selling my bike due to horrendous knee pain when I was recommended to John Howard... I got this fit as a sort of last resort... a month later I rode my first century! That was a couple years ago... man, it's so cool to ride without PAIN! :D

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Originally Posted by pooks

A question about fitting, if you don't mind. My husband has a little arthritis in his right knee. He went to a sports doc and had it checked out -- no other issues but the "little bit" of arthritis.

Still, it starts bothering him when he rides. I mentioned this at the LBS and said I was trying to get him to come in for a fitting, and the guy said that there was only one thing to adjust that would affect his knee -- the seat stem height. (We don't have clips or clipless -- just flat pedals.)

Could that be right? If it is, then I guess the only thing to do is just fiddle with the seat height and see if we can get it more comfortable.

The guy did talk about how the leg should be extended when the pedal is on its lowest point of the revolution, etc. I'm just wondering if the height of the seat truly is the only thing that would impact the stress on my husband's knee.

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I want to second the suggestion that it is not just seat height but also fore and aft position of the seat. If his knee hurts I would fiddle with the seat height first, his knee should be bent to about 30 to 35 degrees at the bottom of the pedal stroke if the line of the foot is parallel to the ground, having the heel raised will bend the knee farther. Heel raised is a normal position during activie pedalling.

Muscle imbalances also play a big role in knee pain. Quad, hip flexor and IT band stretches are important.

Hey silly question.. do you have to have a Serotta bike to get a Serotta fitting? I mean do they "poo-poo" you for not buying Serotta or anything? Or is the fitting specific to something Serotta?

Its not just the height of the seat, fore/aft of foot position. Its a lot of little things like position of the seat in relation to the bottom bracket. Seat forward for those tri-athletes and some TTs. touring seat is placed further back. the length of crank 165mm, 170mm 172.5mm and 175mm. The height of the handle bar in relation to the seat height, Stem length. Width of the handlebar too.

I'm still fiddling with my seat height and looking for a 165mm cranks. Standard 172.5mm is way way too big for me. It seems too many people overlook the size of the cranks. They worry about leg extensions, fore/aft of the knee, the position of your foot in the pedal, seat height, handle bar height, and sometimes the angle of the seat.

Getting a professional fit is a big big plus. I been hesitant to get fit professionally on my e-bay purchase of Obera bike. Handle bar too wide, cranks standard 172.5mm instead of 165mm (oops!) Do I want to spend more money for 165mm cranks? Not sure FSA carbon comes in 165mm (oops again). and new easton handle bar ($$ ouch). So I'm just making do. Few things learned about buying a bike on e-bay. good deal if you don't care too much about perfect fit.

Good fit, priceless. your body will thank you.

Shawn

Kalidurga, how much did this certified fitting cost? I am looking to purchase a new bike by the end of the year, and a thorough fitting would be nice to accompany my new ride.

Thanks for all the knee advice!

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Originally Posted by roguedog

Hey silly question.. do you have to have a Serotta bike to get a Serotta fitting? I mean do they "poo-poo" you for not buying Serotta or anything? Or is the fitting specific to something Serotta?

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Not at all. I don't have a Serotta. Whatever they think about your non-Serotta bike, they generally keep to themselves. :cool:

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Originally Posted by maillotpois

Not at all. I don't have a Serotta. Whatever they think about your non-Serotta bike, they generally keep to themselves. :cool:

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You don't even have to buy a bike. You can make an appointment to simply get fit to your current bike. I had a road bike fitting a year and a half ago- they changed the stem (made the reach much closer) and the seatpost (straight post instead of set-back- again to shorten the reach). It made a tremendous difference. They'll figure out what the ideal position is for you - and then advise adjustments to your current bike to do the best to re-position you. (And of course the numbers are there if you want to purchase a bike too.)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pooks

A question about fitting, if you don't mind. My husband has a little arthritis in his right knee. He went to a sports doc and had it checked out -- no other issues but the "little bit" of arthritis.

Still, it starts bothering him when he rides. I mentioned this at the LBS and said I was trying to get him to come in for a fitting, and the guy said that there was only one thing to adjust that would affect his knee -- the seat stem height. (We don't have clips or clipless -- just flat pedals.)

Could that be right? If it is, then I guess the only thing to do is just fiddle with the seat height and see if we can get it more comfortable.

The guy did talk about how the leg should be extended when the pedal is on its lowest point of the revolution, etc. I'm just wondering if the height of the seat truly is the only thing that would impact the stress on my husband's knee.

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If it is arthritis in the knee it will probably not go away completely with the correct saddle height and fore and aft positioning, but it will help. Fore and aft is not quite as critical when you are riding with flat pedals cause you can move your foot around on the pedal fore and aft and probably do without knowing it. But you should try to keep your feet with the ball of your foot over the spindle area of the pedal and try to keep your foot as neutral as possible. Neutral means where it feels comfortable, some people toe out a little some in, but it should be fairly straight forward with a little change for your specific anatomy.

Here are some tips I can also give you to help the pain in the knee - I have arthritis in my knee and my back so I have two different things that cause pain in my knee. But, make sure that your hubby is stretching well, and especially keeping stretched the IT band area. This is the band of tendon that runs from your hip to your knee. This can get tight and pull on the knee and cause more pain. My knee always hurts more in the Spring when I start riding more cause my IT gets tight. The more I get used to riding, the better it gets and the more I stretch the better it gets. Also, I change my saddle height an infintessimal bit in the winter, Spring and then when I am riding more in the summer. In the winter you wear more clothes that put you farther from your pedals so you need to drop your saddle an 1/8 or 1/4 of an inch during winter. When you become more flexible as you are riding more in the Spring and you are taking off more clothes, then you can raise your saddle up that little 1/8 or 1/4 inch.

Hope that helps.

spoke

After reading all of this, DH and I are in the process of making an appt for bike fitting! Thank you everyone.

I have only cursory been fit on my old bike but never on my new. My old shoes were marked for cleats by a fit person but my new ones aren't and I am noticing a difference.

I'm getting excited because I'm sure there will be huge differences and that can only be for the better. Yay!

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Originally Posted by Meg McKilty

Kalidurga, how much did this certified fitting cost? I am looking to purchase a new bike by the end of the year, and a thorough fitting would be nice to accompany my new ride.

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The shop I went to charges $150 for the fitting and $35 for cleat adjustments. Then I also paid for the new saddle, the steerer extender, and the labor to install that, so you'd have to factor potential changes to your bike into the cost. Depending on how many shops in your area offer Serotta-certified fittings, hopefully you would be able to shop around a bit. Personally, I think it's definitely worth driving a bit out of the area if necessary.

And, to second (third?) maillotpois and anakiwa, I don't think most shops care what sort of bike you have. My shop deals with Independent Fabrications so they recommend having the Serotta-fitting as a step in designing a custom bike, but they'll use the fitting to adapt any other bike to you.