Bike Fits

[sackcycle]

Starting to get numbness in hands and neck area and was wondering about bike fits. Found this site www.retulstudios.com seems pricey but can't put a price on health.

[FredHiltz]

I can't speak to this outfit, but can attest to the worth of a good bike fitting. My wife improved her comfort and her performance after the recommended adjustments. Most of them seemed minor to me, and one seemed crazy, but they worked. I sometimes draft her now.

Of course anyone can hang out a "bike fitter" shingle. The best way to find a good one is by hearing from many customers, for which this and other forums are great places. To what cities would you be willing to go for a well-recommended fitter?

Fred

[paddleboy17]

Have you checked to see if your seat is level?  If it is pitched slightly down, you will put more weight on your hands, and that will lead to numbness issues.

Just a thought before you invest your money in something...

[John Nelson]

paddleboy has identified one of the most common causes, but another common cause is if your handlebars are below your saddle. Also, if you are using flat bars, you might consider switching to drop bars. Even if you are already using drop bars, move your hands to different positions frequently, and shake them out every once in a while.

If you are new to long-distance cycling, or are just getting back into it, some of these problem may go away by themselves as your body gets better conditioned to it.

[sackcycle]

My handlebars were below my seat 1 fix, seat tilted my seat up fix 2, thanks.

[driftlessregion]

Don't start tinkering with it. Find a shop that advertises fit and ask how they were trained. If they can name a specific instructor and the time spent learning how to fit, you may be OK.  There are good people out there and many were trained by Andy Pruitt or Craig Watson. It is worth the money.

[lonerider]

Just helped a fella yesterday on an old C-dale road bike. He had the classic numb nuts, hands, and neck pain. He has been dealing with the shop he bought it from putting band aid after band aid on it to fix the problems. I suggested he go to the local shop that has a certified master fitter trained by Andy Pruitt, but did not want to spend the money so I made all of the obvious changes suggested above. To me this is a half-baked approach to getting it right and is essentially guessing at answers until the right one is found. Not a good plan. From experience I know he will need a new bike that fits him correctly. You can't make gold from tin.

Go get a professional fit by a certified master fitter. I believe they can be found on the web at masterbikefitters.com.

[paddleboy17]

It is all fine and good to say "go buy a professional fitting".  I have had one, by a shop that was trained to fit for custom Serrotta and Waterford frames.  I can't say if they were trained by Andy Pruitt or not.

I think there is some value in doing some things on your own so that you understand how things work.  This this the old fishing paradigm.  Give a hungry man a fish to eat and he will be hungry again tomorrow.  Teach him how to catch his own fish, and he will never be hungry again. 

$200 for a custom fitting is out side the scope of what a lot of people can afford.  Maybe they are OK with a fit that was pretty good and not perfect.

I learned from my custom fitting that I will fit a stock bike, and that I tended to position my saddles a little low and little far back.  And at this stage in my life I can appreciate the differences.  But 5 years ago, I might not have been able to perceive those improvements.  And now that I do, I can tranfer those corrections to any bike I own or will ever own.

[sackcycle]

I e-mailed Retul but never got a reply when I said that I was into touring and not a professional rider, looking at their website the studio seemed posh? Called several times could not raise a live soul.

[Tourista829]

If the above advise doesn't help, you might want to try a recumbent.

[lonerider]

Paddleboy17, you present a logical position and make much sense. My experience as a tourist, race boy, then tourist again is one of frustration until I was fitted by a master fitter. Have been riding since the early 70's and throughout the entire time my upper back and knees had always given me major issues. Used every method of self-service fitting available (Lemond, shop employees eyes and knowledge, European shop pro fit in the 80's, and even followed a mathematical formula found in the Paterek Manual) with no solution. When fitted 4 years ago by a competent shop the problems disappeared. Come to find out the saddle I used made a big difference in my upper body's attitude on the bike. Along with that, it was discovered stock frames have too steep seat tubes for me, although proportionally I am very average for 6 foot tall. I ride an odd ball custom built frame with 72.5 seat angle, 59 cm seat tube, 56 top tube, and 71 head tube. Fits like a glove and after 5-6 hours in the saddle I feel just fine!

As a young college racer boy, no way could I have justified the expense of a 200 dollar fitting if it had been available then, but now I know better and will preach it to the world! It has kept me on the bike. BTW, bents have their own issues, of which fit can be one.

[Tourista829]

Comotion has a good website and fit chart. I like the above advise. I would check two measurements, before going off to purchase a new bike. I would check your arm and torso combination. Then I would measure your effective stem length and top tube length and combine it. You may be able to get closer if you knock off 10 or 20mm off the stem length. (But don't go lower than 70mm) I am assuming the travel on your saddle has you in the correct position over your predals?

I went to my LBS, he charged $95 for a fit (I might have gotten it back when I purchased a new bike, can't remember) and checked it against my old bicycle. The bike frame and stem were too long. If I had the money, I would have purchased a Waterford frame (like Paddleboy17) but I went with a Comotion NorWest Tour, sight unseen. Manny at Universal Bicycle Center, Tampa, Fl. did an outstanding job, with my fit, and my bike is a pleasure to ride. I also went from an aluminum frame to a very high grade steel, and pretty decent components. I rode 225 miles in three days, last summer, no training, fully loaded, and no pain.

[lonerider]

Tourista829 I am with you on the steel frame. High grade steel frames are a whole different breed of bike from production steel frames, and in another universe compared to aluminum. Never will go aluminum, always stick with steel, and only the best of steel. Partial to lugs as well, and Waterford makes a very top notch lugged frame. For those with deep pockets, go with their custom fancy lugged stuff, nice, very, very nice!