Is my LBS doing a good job?

[Kathi]

Hmmm, I'm not a beginner cyclist and my last bike fitting was for a custom frame so I will approach with the experience that my friend had with bike fitting. She was with me when I ordered my bike so maybe she got better service because of me.

The guy, not my fitter, explained to her the 3 contact points that are important in bike fit, hands, foot on pedal, saddle. Then he went over the differerent geometries of bikes, explaining the differences between hybrids, road bikes etc.

He then eyeballed her and tried her on a 51 cm bike. He had her stand over it and decided it was too big so he put her on the 47 cm bike. He adjusted the saddle and I think the handlebars. She took it out for a ride and he observed her position. At first she was very nervous but soon relaxed and loved the bike. However, it was a $3,000 Serotta and she "wasn't going to pay that much for a bike".

She went to another shop that sold Treks (I'm getting this part of the story second hand). The first guy put her on a 50 cm Pilot and she test rode it. She liked it but didn't think it felt as good fitwise as the Serotta. To make a long story short they found a 47cm, a different guy went out and watched her ride and thought it was a good fit.

However, she didn't buy the bike there. My friend is from Cincinnati and she went to a Serotta fitter there, got a fitting and from the fitting determined that the Pilot was a good fit so she bought it.

When you say you feel all hunched over, do you feel like the woman in the picture on the TE banner? Are you bending from the waist or from the hips? Do you have a bend in your elbows or are they locked?

Personally, I wouldn't accept the "posture" comment. I went to the best fitter at the time in Cincy, thought they fit my bike perfectly, but I still had shoulder pain. The guy rechecked my position and told me I looked great on the bike. I was sliding forward, hunching my back, not very comfortable on the bike. I took the bike for a refit at a different shop. Serotta fitter, a woman that a lot of the women I rode with loved. It turned out my handlebars were 4 cm too low!

If they get you in a neutral position, then the handlebars can be raised or lowered as needed.

Here is picture of me on my new bike. This is what they call a neutral postion. From here I can go lower or higher. I do not have neck or shoulder pain or hunch my back and I'm bending from the hips.

Keep searching and don't rush into anything until your sure. You can't make the wrong size bike fit and I still see a lot of people riding bikes that don't fit.