Thursday, August 29, 2013

Bike Fit

Pre Fit
Took my bike into the LBS for a professional fit during my lunch hour.  I'm tired of having shoulder pain, plus I'm trying yet another saddle and was pretty sure that I had messed everything up from a previous fit about 5 years ago.

The bike fit guy is a Cat 5 racer which could have been fairly intimidating for a recreational rider like me, but he didn't balk at all when I told him that my desire wasn't to be in a more aerodynamic or aggressive position, but instead to relieve my shoulder pain.  We determined that the goal was to get me comfortable enough that I can tolerate my bike for the length/duration of rides that I want.

He first helped get my saddle/seat post in position for proper leg position, then he swapped out my 7% stem for one at 30% to raise my handlebars fairly significantly.  The idea is that this will put me in more of an upright position and take some pressure off my arms/shoulders.

Post Fit
My position on the bike certainly seemed better on the trainer and for a test ride in the parking lot, but the real test will come with attempts at longer riding.

I'm not sure how easy it is to see the change from the photos because they aren't from exactly the same angle.  I guess you'll just have to trust me, the handlebars are about an inch higher now than they were before.

How about you?  Ever have a professional bike fit? Or thought about it due to discomfort?

6 comments:

  1. I don't really ride (let's call it self-preservation), but I think it's fascinating that there is an entire field devoted to making sure people are seated and positioned properly on their bikes. Very cool. I hope the adjustments he made are the solution for you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have not but it seems like a good idea. I think I am too cheap plus I'm not having problems.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I hope it sorts out your problems. I had a bike fit like that many years ago and it certainly helped me. I learnt a lot from it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I hope you have found the right solution. I have a beautiful Bottecchia bike but I don't use it anymore after my last incident.
    Will you come back to Italy?

    ReplyDelete
  5. No, and the last time I rode about 40 miles I wound up with some hip flexor pain - I think I should look into this! Thanks for the post!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I keep meaning to- now I think I should get organised and do it!

    ReplyDelete