Bike Fitting: Everything You Need To Know

Posted on: 7 October 2021

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If you love cycling, you may need to get a bike fitting service. Bike fitting helps improve your posture and comfort while cycling and consequently boost your performance. Also, a bike fit helps avoid injuries. If you're interested in bike fitting, here's everything you should know about the process.

What Bike Fitting Entails

Bike fitting starts with a bike fitter understanding your needs to know what adjustments to make. For instance, you may want to increase your cycling endurance. A lowly placed saddle contributes to the reduction of cycling endurance, calling for saddle adjustments. The experts will also want to know whether your bike is for professional or recreational cycling.

Additionally, bike fitters will also assess your fitness and body structure, such as leg length and overall body strength. Then, they check the existing check-up of the bike and make changes depending on your body structure and the cycling goals you want to achieve.

After the assessment, bike fitting services adjust various parts, including the pedals, handlebar, and saddle. For instance, the professionals may adjust the height and tilt the saddle. You can then test the bike and establish whether further tweaking is necessary.

The Different Bike Fitting Systems

There are two main bike fit methods:

  • Static. The bike fit professionals take all measurements in a fixed position. For instance, the bike fitters will record measurements when you peddle forward or backward, which causes interruptions when pedaling.
  • Advanced 3D technology. This method is accurate since the system can capture the rider cycling in real-time. Also, the method is convenient as you won't need to stop cycling every time the bike fitter wants to take measurements or tweak the bike. Instead, the fitter can make adjustments while you're still pedaling.

While these two bike fitting techniques are efficient, advanced 3D technology is more efficient and convenient.

The Costs of Bike Fitting

The cost of bike fitting services varies depending on factors such as the service you hire. Also, your needs influence the service cost. For instance, the more adjustments the fitter makes, the more you will pay. Therefore, you need to choose an affordable bike fitter by comparing quotes from various companies.

While considering the costs, ensure that the bike fitters you hire are well-trained and certified to avoid poor adjustments. Preferably, choose a bike fitter with experience for the best fitting services.

What bike fitting entails, the various bike fit methods, and the costs of a bike fit service are things you should know about bike fitting. Understanding these aspects will help you to confidently get a bike fitting service that suits your cycling needs.