Bike fit / correct riding position

That's the one. There are three fit variations. But like I said, this is a STARTING point.
I carried (and still do when I get a new bike) an allen key set around with me for a long time making adjustments. I didn't use the online calculator though, back in the day, just various books and stuff like Sheldon and bike fit articles writting in Oz cyc mags.

I'm not quite sure I get the point of having frames that can be bought at 1cm difference - for example, 55cm/56/57/58/etc. Surely if you raise the seat higher it would correct the smaller frame. Or is it more to do with the geometry? If that is so, then surely if you bought a frame that was too small, but the geometry would allow for the seat height to correct the size then you don't need to buy such a specific size.
Also, the size always seems to be written down in terms of the seattube, but surely the size of the toptube is more important?

Not sure what you mean by this. My frame is 58cms and it is a little too small for me. I know this because I have a 110mm stem, raised to its very max. The seatpost is also raised to its max. This means I would not be able to ride a 57 cm frame in comfort. Ideally, I should be on a 60cm frame, then the seat would be lower as would the bars. Not sure how much difference that would make to my performance though

My understanding is that you can fudge an ill fitting frame to put you in a reasonable position but this will affect the overall handling of the bike due to inappropriate stem length, or seat post length etc. This will also affect your overal levels of comfort and performance.

There was the hilarioius cervelo assisinated by bikesnob as an example.

I am one of those impatient 'tards who had neither the time nor inclination to keep making small adjustments and then trying to assess if they made an improvement. Also I do a lot of other sport, so could not afford to do myself an injury whilst going through the various adjustments.

If your bike is comfortable there is no need for a cycle fit.

If it is not, and you do not have the time to slowly fiddle and faff around then pay a professional. Tiny adjustments can make a huge difference.

Watch Sunday in Hell - Eddy Merckx is constantly tinkering with his bike. Your flexibility varies from day to day so if you know what you are doing you can improve your performance with minor tweaks. A cyclefit or similar will get you into the overall sweetspot for your comfort and performance. They will also set you according to your preference (eg more comfort or more power) though cyclefit tend to go more for comfort.

That's another thing.. different bikes for different rides need to be setup differently. So whether or not you go to cyclefit you still should have some understanding of bike fit in order to setup other bikes.

Mosquito Bikes in Islington do a good bike fitting service - not cheap tho', and you definitely get bike envy looking at their over-priced but rather scrummy stock....

Not sure why you need to set your bikes up differently? Once you have a comfortable position then you should try to copy it to all your bikes, your legs and arms don't change length from one bike to the next?

Get a pro fit, that way you have somone to talk to if you still have fit isues, and it is difficult to see yourself on a bike while ridding

I am 6'2 and I ride a 56 (at the most). It is way to small for me, but, I put the seat up, run a short stem really low and I love it. But I am weird.

Not sure why you need to set your bikes up differently? Once you have a comfortable position then you should try to copy it to all your bikes, your legs and arms don't change length from one bike to the next?
Get a pro fit, that way you have somone to talk to if you still have fit isues, and it is difficult to see yourself on a bike while ridding

1. Have you ridden road? a TT? mountain biking? track? Well, there's four reasons why you need your bikes setup differently.

2. Not everyone can justify £150+ for a bike fitting. I recommend one if you can but they are not the be all and end all of bike fit.

Not sure why you need to set your bikes up differently? Once you have a comfortable position then you should try to copy it to all your bikes, your legs and arms don't change length from one bike to the next?

Get a pro fit, that way you have somone to talk to if you still have fit isues, and it is difficult to see yourself on a bike while ridding

Winter bike, for example, might be a little more upright, with a slightly different fore-aft saddle position due to the fact you'll likely be spending more time spinning, rather than racing when you're constantly putting more force through the pedals. And it's colder in winter, which has an impact on your body.

My saddle height tends to be the same, but that's probably the only constant.

Watch Sunday in Hell - Eddy Merckx is constantly tinkering with his bike. Your flexibility varies from day to day so if you know what you are doing you can improve your performance with minor tweaks. A cyclefit or similar will get you into the overall sweetspot for your comfort and performance. They will also set you according to your preference (eg more comfort or more power) though cyclefit tend to go more for comfort.

There's a piece in the Andy Pruitt book about Merckx senior and why he was always tinkering with his bike setup. Longer thigh bones than normal if i remember correctly.

But I am weird.

+1 :)

Not sure what you mean by this. My frame is 58cms and it is a little too small for me. I know this because I have a 110mm stem, raised to its very max. The seatpost is also raised to its max. This means I would not be able to ride a 57 cm frame in comfort. Ideally, I should be on a 60cm frame, then the seat would be lower as would the bars. Not sure how much difference that would make to my performance though
How tall are you? a 110mm is pretty average, and having 2-3 spacers is also very common. Seatpost to the max isn't, though, so you may well be on a too small frame. A bigger frame would bring the bars higher, as the head tube would be longer. Saddle obviously would be the same height, you'd just have less seat post showing. A bigger frame would reduce the saddle handlebar drop if that is a problem.

Not sure why you need to set your bikes up differently? Once you have a comfortable position then you should try to copy it to all your bikes, your legs and arms don't change length from one bike to the next?

but bikes are different so your position will change slightly.
effective top tube on my mtb is different to my road fixed which is different to my road bike (1cm longer on the road bike) crank length is different on all 3. 175mtb, 170 fixed and 172.5 on the road bike.
my only constant between my bikes is the relationship between horizontal pedals and fore/aft position of the saddle. if i change this it fucks my knees.

if you take your cycling seriously you should know exactly what will fit you and your ideal set-up. i have to raise my saddle by 3mm when wearing my winter shoes, you start to notice these things when you realise how important bike fit is.
i can't understand why people walk into evans and buy a 2k bike when they have no idea if it fits them (and the staff don't either).

Thought it might be worth pointing out a few of the common 'errors' in riding position as set out by Paul Hewitt (http://www.hewittbikefitting.co.uk/index.php?page=bike-fitting) and confirmed after my fitting session.

1. Saddle too low - very common as anyone can see when out and about.
   
2. Drop from saddle to handlebar too high - mine was something like 14cm at one point, it should be around 4cm for the type of riding I do.
   
3. Reach too short - in my case, and apparently commonly, in response to point 2.
   
4. Saddle too far forward - you need to get set-back right with the old fashioned plumb line method (90 degrees/ L shape shin vs crank at 3 o'clock).
   
   

It's all about the contact points - pedals are fixed (to some extent - some small adjustment on cleats) so you just need to get the other two to work in relation.

Oh and if anyone ever finds themselves up Lancashire way then I can thoroughly recommend Hewitt's for fitting with the added bonus of it being only £50 which is refunded if you buy a bike/frame from them.

I fitted my own bikes for years by reading lots about fitting, riding lots (with allen keys at hand to make on the fly adjustments) and trying different things.

• lots
  

What hippy and smallflurry said above.

I made a minor adjustment on my seat position (moved it forward less than a cm) and a pain I had experienced almost vanished immediately.

As Celine Dion said, "listen to your heart", or something.

the difficulty with the above is you could have moved the saddle backwards or forwards, up or down. additionally you could have changed the handlebar height or stem length.

its great if you know where the problem lies and can work it out for yourself, but given the number of variables it can be fairly pot luck to just move one item and fix the problem.

one member here told me how he had finally got a bike comfortable (after months of fiddling). but for aesthetic purposes he wanted different length cranks. cranks were changed and he was back at the beginning again with a bike that was not comfortable. really small changes can make a huge difference.

if you have been cycling for a while and been tinkering to modify your position as you develop then this will not be such an issue. but if you are like Clive or myself and getting into cycling at a later stage it may be worth getting a decent fit before you develop too many cycling related issues.

...read some boring articles in C****y W*y about 'core strength', ...

I read this as cunty wunty - most amusing.

i ride a 61cm frame with seatpost at max - whadda ya say bout dat?

Sorry about your hunchback.

i ride a 61cm frame with seatpost at max - whadda ya say bout dat?

people quoting what size they ride means nothing.
threads about bike size often include lots of statements about their height/frame/stem but unless every frame was measured the same way, every stem had the same drop, every frame the same seat angle and peoples bodies were the same proportionally whatever the height it's all pissing in the wind.

i'm 6ft1 and ride a 55 with 110 stem, the bike fits me perfectly this isn't going to help somebody else my height looking to buy a frame. if i was buying a compact pinarrello i would ride a 54, my cervelo is a 56. if i walked into a rubbish cycling shop they would put me on a 57 because i'm over 6ft.
it's all bollocks until you get fitted properly it's all very well going out with a set of allan keys to tweak stuff but you can't take a different size frame a variety of stems and bar drops with you.

having seen a fair few people on this forum riding their bikes it's clear that a lot of people are riding bikes that don't fit them

Sorry Mr Smith - the quoting frame sizes, stem lengths etc. being a waste of time was the point I was trying to make.

don't apologise it was my irony fail.
though it gave me an excuse to say a lot of people on here are riding bikes that don't fit them.

Who needs an excuse? A lot of people on here are riding bikes that don't fit them.

i have been reining in my cynicism of late, i was trying to let a little bit out surreptitiously.

my cervelo is a 56

what cervelo? i thought it hadn't arrived yet?

A lot of people don't need an excuse to ride bikes that don't fit them.