Bike fitting services.Opinions wanted.

papac

My friend and I are planning a 24hr ride for charity next year. We have both done a lot of cycling years ago and are pretty clued in on most aspects of training and the basics of fit and position.

As we are both investing in new bikes we are considering getting ourselves professionally fitted.He is freakishly tall and I have a 20mm short leg and we think that over long distance slight fit issues may have serious consequences.Opinions.???

We would be interested in advice and opinions (preferably first hand) on professional fitting services in Ireland.

Cheers.
P

furiousox

How about this?
Getting good reviews from some of the guys on here.

http://www.irishfit.eu/bikesetup.html

Lumen

If I was in Dublin (I am) I would use IrishFit (I have, but not for bike fit).

There are previous threads with opinions of IrishFit, try a search.

edit: damn it, too slow!

lukester

+1 For Irish Fit.

Have used them for a fitting, very comprehensive service by a trained physio.

Ryaner

IrishFit are the business. Sorted out a number of pain points for me and made me faster on the bike!

Junior

If your both getting investing in new bikes then Irish Fit isn't the road you want to go down, I'd speak to Ray or Barry in Worldwidecycles about seeing if you can get a custom Viner built for you rather than being fitted to something that mightn't do the job exactly right.

Lumen

Junior wrote: »

If your both getting investing in new bikes then Irish Fit isn't the road you want to go down, I'd speak to Ray or Barry in Worldwidecycles about seeing if you can get a custom Viner built for you rather than being fitted to something that mightn't do the job exactly right.

When I was talking to Enigma about a custom Ti bike a while back, they suggested that I bring along my current bike to help inform the fitting process. They also use a proper adjustable jig as I recall.

Whilst I don't doubt Worldwidecycles/Enigma/whoever are great at general bike fit, the "20mm short leg" aspect is enough to warrant the attentions of a proper physio IMO. It might be worth going to IrishFit first with the current bikes, get them fitted perfectly, ride for a few weeks to validate and adjust to the new position, then get a custom build done.

lukester

I've considered the Viner option myself for my next purchase (still a long way off), and would definitely consider giving my business to Worldwide, but the service at Irish Fit analyses things like the angle of your ankle as you pedal, which can inform seat height more accurately than a static measurement.

I was diagnosed with a leg length discrepancy which wouldn't have been helped by a custom build.

blorg

What do you do with leg length discrepancies out of interest? Cleat shim on one shoe? Different length left/right cranks (could be expensive?)

cdaly_

Weights tied around the ankle...

lukester

blorg wrote: »

What do you do with leg length discrepancies out of interest? Cleat shim on one shoe?

Yep, cleat shims. Cheap and effective.

Amazing how something so simple could cause such problems- all my symptoms were on my right side, caused by a ~1.2mm discrepancy. I have shims of 6mm- apparently compensating by the full amount is as bad as doing nothing.

papac

Whilst I don't doubt Worldwidecycles/Enigma/whoever are great at general bike fit, the "20mm short leg" aspect is enough to warrant the attentions of a proper physio IMO.

My sentiments entirely.However,having dealt with "proper" physios off and on for 28 years I know they can vary from brilliant people who are genuinely interested in their job to disinterested bluffers. This is why I am looking for first hand recommendations.

It might be worth going to IrishFit first with the current bikes, get them fitted perfectly, ride for a few weeks to validate and adjust to the new position, then get a custom build done.

Again this was the basic plan. Budgets are tight.(Yet to be cleared with those who must be obeyed ). So custom not really an option unless one of us turns out to be a freak of nature altogether. We have been investigating the chinese titanium custom route and would consider that if an off the peg frame was not suitable. I think this is highly unlikely.

What do you do with leg length discrepancies out of interest? Cleat shim on one shoe?

Yes afaik. Never been an issue for me up to now as I have never done huge mileages since the accident that caused it and I am pretty good at finding position myself. I fear it could be a problem with big mileage.

leg length discrepancy which wouldn't have been helped by a custom build.

Agreed.

They also use a proper adjustable jig as I recall.

I have an adjustable jig myself. Old frame, bits of timber, string and a protractor. I am that much of a nerd.As one poster said though, dynamic fit is what we are chasing and I think that 70 yoyos is money well spent. I would pay that to have a look at their set up. Uber bike nerd.

Thanks for all replies lads. We thought bikefit was the way to go but wanted to know if there were alternatives.

Convict

I went over to Brian Rourke in Stoke on Trent - a cheap flight to Manchester and a half hour train journey. It was a kind of promise to myself. Anyhow, that was last August. He measured me up himself. He has a jig he doesn't use. He moved me from one bike to another, trying his own bike, other bikes they'd made and a variety of bikes sold in the shop. He used a tape measure, a bit lit a tailor - and his eye. It took almost three hours in total and was one of the best experiences I've had for a long time. He's an incredible character. He is over 70, had cycled 120 miles the previous Sunday and was looking at doing 140 the following day. He has a workshop over his shop called Kelly's Bar, after you know who. It’s full of memorabilia – including a bike he built for Kelly from 953, Tom Simpson’s World Champions Jersey and much, much more. He was a noted cyclist himself, by all accounts a bit of a hard man but he’s a great character, a great story-teller and a good laugh. It’s just that as bike fitting goes he isn’t exactly scientific. He phoned me yesterday, I should have the bike itself next week – if it is even vaguely as good as the fitting was I will be a happy man.