Dream bike fit. How much would you pay?

Hi Ladies!!

First I need to apologize. I feel that a forum is a community and if you are to be part of a community, you need to give as well as receive. I've not given much to TE lately, and yet I'm back to ask for more from you.

Here it is.

I've recently taken a more advanced Bike Physical Therapy course. As part of my efforts to improve the services that I provide to clients I'm considering purchasing a fitting unit that would allow me to do a custom fit on someone from scratch for road position, mountain bike, time trial or triathlon. The fitting unit is not cheap. So I'm trying to find out how much people would be willing to pay for such a service.

Here's how it would go, you come in and tell me what purpose of the bike would be then I'd fit you accordingly with the saddle and/or handlebar of your choice and we'd then be able to figure out what top tube length, seat tube angle, head tube angle, and stand over would be ideal for the intended use of the bike and your personal body related fit issues. If we really wanted to geek out we could also figure out details like stem length/angle, crank length, pedal details, seat post... Keep in mind that the fit would not only be based on performance but also the biomechanical "problems" that each client presents with. For example, all other things being equal, the aerodynamic Triathlon position for customer A is not the same as customer B (even if they are the same height etc) if customer B has tight hamstrings.

Since I live in a smallish town with a very athletic population, a lot of bikes get ordered for clients without test riding. The LBS simply cannot stock and hold that kind of inventory. This would allow me to help the local athlete order a bike with confidence that the size and geometry will work for them with minimal tweaking when the bike arrives.

So my question is, how much would be reasonable to charge for this kind of service?

I have to be able to charge enough to justify the equipment purchase. So some market feedback would be really useful.

Thanks in advance.

Meanwhile, I'll try to give a little more and be a good community member.

Cassie

My husband just visited such a fitter and paid $250 (happily) to have his bike fit to his specific body. This same fitter will charge $275 for a "new bike fit", which will give the client a list of appropriate bikes/sizes (IOW, which frames fit most naturally), and this includes fitting the bike after purchase.

If I recall, he also gives multi-bike discounts for the same rider, as well as a reduced price for junior riders.

Thanks for your response. It's really helpful.

Yup. About the same amount here in California. I've seen from 200 up to 350 or so. 250 is more inline. The person with 350 has a really good rep and also has PT background to address particular biomechanical pain points.

I'll likely have to pay about $3000 for the fitting unit. So billing $250 per fit means I'd have to do 12 fits to recover my investment. Interesting, that's one fit per month.

Hmmmmm. Food for thought.

I'd say something in the range given by everyone else, and possibly a little more if you throw in some unusual extras, like pedal suggestions (or at least what to look for).

Yeah, I'm in agreement with everyone else on the price. As far as "unusual extras" I think handlebar guidance would be pretty valuable - once you get past width, reach and drop I have no idea how to choose a bend, and I think a lot of people do that by trial and error, or more likely, by "trial and living with whatever it is."

I agree with the prices listed. The Guru fit I had was 300.00, but since I was doing it to buy the bike, I didn't get charged. My DH also had his other bike tweaked based on this fitting, which was included (minus the price of the parts). I like my other bike the way it is, so I didn't take that option.
A friend just had a fit at another shop for 150.00. He is very happy, but I wouldn't trust that shop.

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Originally Posted by OakLeaf

Yeah, I'm in agreement with everyone else on the price. As far as "unusual extras" I think handlebar guidance would be pretty valuable - once you get past width, reach and drop I have no idea how to choose a bend, and I think a lot of people do that by trial and error, or more likely, by "trial and living with whatever it is."

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+1. I stopped in a bike shop in the Chicagoland area once (Turin in Evanston) and they had a variety of saddles to try as well as part of their fitting process, but I realize that they might have been in a better position to offer that as a retailer.

I also concur with the prices that have been suggested.

Good luck with it if you decide to go forward with it, Wahine. I would so love to find a PT that is also a trained bike fitter. What a resource!

A pre fit here costs $275, and once you get the bike you bring it in and he'll set it up. It's definitely worth it.

Knowing where you live, I think you have a broader reach than you are giving yourself credit for :) People from Portland will be driving out to see you when you make this investment. In Boise, we refer people to "on the bike" a professional fitter in town that is not affiliated with any given shop, his costs start at $85 and go to $350. However he is "after bike purchase" fitter. Additionally, I wonder if once you are ready you can put out messages asking for used handlebars. etc. I know, from experience, the expense of having a large variety of bars for people to try out :). I would be happy to refer you to people who are looking for help to determine size, etc. prior to purchase. I also think there may be opportunity for affiliate marketing with different bike mfg. and if interested perhaps Portland Bike Clubs. Can't wait to hear what you decide

The price in California is around $250.

If you purchase the custom bike, the $250 includes the bike fit for the rider after the bike actually arrives also.

This is what my LBS charges:

Professional Road/Mountain Fitting $150
F.I.S.T. Triathlon/TT Fitting $200
Retül Road/Mountain Bike Fitting $250
Retül Triathlon/TT Fitting $300


The fitter who handled my last bike purchase has moved to another shop. I've looked on their website but don't see anything about the fit services they offer or what they charge.

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Originally Posted by Sky King

Knowing where you live, I think you have a broader reach than you are giving yourself credit for :) People from Portland will be driving out to see you when you make this investment. In Boise, we refer people to "on the bike" a professional fitter in town that is not affiliated with any given shop, his costs start at $85 and go to $350. However he is "after bike purchase" fitter. Additionally, I wonder if once you are ready you can put out messages asking for used handlebars. etc. I know, from experience, the expense of having a large variety of bars for people to try out :). I would be happy to refer you to people who are looking for help to determine size, etc. prior to purchase. I also think there may be opportunity for affiliate marketing with different bike mfg. and if interested perhaps Portland Bike Clubs. Can't wait to hear what you decide

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Thank you for this very detailed and well thought out response.

And thanks to everyone for sending me numbers. I appreciate it.

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Originally Posted by Muirenn

I would love a fitting like this! Especially before I (eventually) buy a custom bike. That would answer the nagging question of seat tube angle for me.

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That makes me wonder, Wahine. When I got my Moots, I worked with the local Moots dealer. Their fitter used what I assume is a similar fitting device to what you are considering buying. Is there any chance that you could partner with any shops and/or builders who want to offer their customers this type of service as part of the custom-bike designing process? I realize a lot of builders work directly with their customers on designing a bike and that they may also already have local dealers with fitters who facilitiate this process, but for as many builders as there now are (it seems like the number is growing) and as popular as cycling is in your area, it seems like there could be a way to market yourself in this regard.

I'm a big fan of one of our local fitters. She's featured in some of the Specialized BG Fit literature. She's fit my family and many friends with great results after the other LBSs sold them bikes that were "fit" but turned out not to be good fits.

There are five certified fitters at the three locations owned by the LBS where she works. Here's their menu:

TWO WHEEL TANGO PROFESSIONAL BIKE FITTING SERVICES:

FIT KIT SIZING
Includes body measurements using Fit Kit tools, basic Quick Fit adjustments to saddle height, saddle setback, and handlebar reach/drop. Includes Fit Kit measurement sheet with recommended saddle & handlebar position. Recommended for the cyclist looking for size recommendations and basic positional setup. Plan on spending up to 45 minutes with us.

Cost: $75


Specialized Body Geometry (BG) FIT
Includes a 23-step pre-fit assessment and a 15-step dynamic bike fitting. Developed by Dr. Andy Pruitt of the Boulder Center of Sports Medicine, the BG FIT protocol is arguably the most thorough and precise professional bicycle fitting methodology. The BG FIT is aimed at cyclists of all levels who want to ride faster, longer, and in greater comfort, while reducing the chance of injury. Plan on spending 2 hours with us.

Cost: $200


BG F.I.S.T. FIT
Includes the BG FIT pre-fit assessments, and implements the F.I.S.T. (Fit Institute Slow Twitch) protocol for dynamic triathlon positioning. The Fit Technician will assess critical hip and shoulder angles in several potential aero positions in order to optimize maximum performance, paying special attention to aero-bar width, armrest placement, and aerobar reach. Aimed at the triathlete or time trialist who requires an optimized efficient and comfortable aero position. Plan on spending up to 2.5 hours with us.

Cost: $250


A LA CARTE SERVICES
$100 Per Hour and/or pro-rated to actual time spent.

DYNAMIC CLEAT FIT
Did you the cleat has 5 axes of adjustment? This service addresses the cleat’s medial/lateral position, fore-aft, horizontal angle, varus/valgus tilt, and stack height. Making small changes at the foot/pedal interface has a major impact on the knee and pedaling efficiency. Proper cleat alignment in all 5 planes can significantly reduce torsional stress on the knees. Plan on spending 20-30 minutes with us.

Cost: $40


FIT TRANSFER
You may either bring in professional measurements from a previous fit or your existing bike. With the latter, we will include paperwork with the measurement data extracted from your existing bike fit. This is service is only applicable if there are no equipment changes to your new bike. (Such as pedals, saddles, or handlebars.)

Cost:$75


DYNAMIC SADDLE COMFORT CONSULT
In-trainer saddle testing while consulting with a Certified Fit Technician. Find the most perfect saddle with expert help! We recommend bringing your own bike for the Saddle Comfort Consult.

Cost: $15/15min pro-rated

I think the real issue is how you market yourself, fits like this are a real niche market, who is going to refer you clients? You really want your LBS so are you going to arrange a referral fee?

Can you clarify what your background is? I think that being a qualified physio is a total draw for certain clients. I am otherwise bemused by paying a person in a bike shop to tweak a bike. If I had problems, I want someone who understand anatomy and physiology, not just mechanics and measurements. Can you work with insurance companies too, for fit costs? A PT here at the ortho center does that, but I am clueless as to if he uses any device, that is what I assume his knowledge is for.

Would you offer any follow up? If I paid $200-300 for a fitting, i'd want to be sure i could come back wihtout paying more if things didn't feel right afterwards.

I'd also want some sort of documentation to take away (not really sure what...but measurements? Info that I could use on my own in the future.)

FWIW, my fitter offers a follow up for 4 weeks after the fitting. He also gives you a sheet with all your measurements.

Thanks for the input ladies.

I do a lot of fitting already with people that already have their bikes and it's different process than fitting someone from scratch so they can find the bike that works best for them or have one built as opposed to retrofitting a bike they already own.

With retro-fitting, I do this both through the PT clinic where I work, in which case we can often get it paid for through insurance. I'm not sure that I could do that with the fit from scratch, but it might be possible.

I also have my own coaching company and I do fitting privately as well. I'm seeing the fit from scratch situation as being something I do more privately and not so much in the clinic.

I am planning on meeting with the local LBSs and I also plan to market to some of the custom frame builders in Oregon. I'm pretty excited about that.

I do plan on marketing myself. I'm going to make an effort to help people understand what it means to have a fit done by an experienced PT verses a bike shop fit. Don't get me wrong, there are lots of great bike shop fitters out there. And I also plan to make a big deal out of my rather extensive and diverse background in cycling.

The from scratch fits would include numbers to take away as well as a fitting session once the bike is purchased and built. Then maybe a follow-up, I'll decide about that when I decide on price.

Thanks again for all the feedback.