Oh man, now I'm getting called out... Well, first let me say that I don't know of every bike shop that does a good job fitting- meaning there are some that I don't know of (of course) that I'm sure do a fine job. I can say that I try to do my very, very best job with everyone we fit here. That means I use everything I know (however much that is) and I really do care about the bikes that go out of here, usually a lot more than the person buying it. So, here's the ones I am aware that also do the best they can also:
1. Bicycle Sports (John Cobb- Shreveport and Chicago).
2. Nytro (Craig Turner, et al).
3. Mission Bay.
4. Tri Tech Multisport (Ohio).
5. Penn Cycle
6. Steve Larsen's place (very good).
7. Kalifornia Kool Stuff.
8. Bikesport Houston, TX. (no connection to my store).
9. Endurosports, Toronto (very good).
10. B&L Kona.

That's about it that I know of. I know there are a few "popular" names missing off that list- they're not on there because I have seen questionable work come out of their store. If that work had come out of my store I would have either given the person another bike that fit or a refund. One dealer on the above list has some "questionable" work out there, but upon further investigation it wasn't their responsibility, it was the customer who made the wrong call and they did the "knock 'em where they lean" thing. I have never meant those comments to be arrogant, elitist, or otherwise stuck-up. I hope they haven't come off that way. One thing I AM trying to do is get people away from thinking about rear derailleurs and paint jobs and "what is cool" and start thinking about what bike will work with their body dimensions first. I'm going home now, it's late, I miss my cats. Merry Christmas.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

I thought more about your question last night Khai. We just posted a story about our tenth anniversary and our involvement in triathlons over the past 20 years at www.bikesportmichigan.com One reason why I mention using caution in selecting a fitter is a sudden emergence of "triathlon bike fitters" now that the sport has become popular. Most of these people don't even know where the name of a store like "Mission Bay" came from. While a knowledge of history of the sport and long time involvement may not be prerequisite to being a good fitter, it does demonstrate commitment. I think the good stores are commited to the sport and have been for a while, they haven't just jumped on the bandwagon now that mountain bikes are not as popular are triathlons are growing quickly. For some bicycle retailers getting into triathlon bikes is a business decision. For those already there it was a lifestyle decision. I see a big difference there. If you look at the time of my last post yesterday (to you) and my first post this morning you see there wasn't much time in between, and in that time I updated our store website, answered as many e-mails as I could, started to build a customers new Tequilo and grabbed a few hours sleep. I live this stuff, and so do the other guys on that list I believe. If that counts for anything. Happy Holidays.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

As someone who spent many years training/racing/travelling with Tom during his bike racing years. I can and will always vouch for his knowledge and intensity toward sport. The guy really does know his stuff.

Solid guy. Great Resource.

Dan Socie

Hey Dan, Thanks for the endorsement! Happy Holidays!

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

So where does that leave someone who is nowhere near any of these shops? I imagine this doesn't have a great answer other than jumping on a plane, but I'm in South Florida so I'm about as far from any of these shops as can be. As a slow agegrouper who can't really justify traveling with a bike for a fitting, any suggestions?

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Marcel

My recommendation for doing business over the phone is first Bicycle Sports Shreveport and then Nytro. They both have a lot of experience doing business over the phone and internet. Although that is not an ideal situation, those two would be my recommendations (for what that's worth), Believe me, once we figure out a dependable way to sell bikes fitted precisely on line we'll do it, but it doesn't exist (for us) yet. Call John Cobb or Craig Turner. They'll help you. Good luck, Happy Holidays!

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Tom,

I'd like to chime in that Gateway Bicycles/Tri Sport in Portland, Oregon also has an outstanding reputation and a dedication to "Empfeldian" fitting theories. They are two separate, but synergistic businesses located side-by-side.

The fitting services at Gateway are run by a 15-time Ironman who has been building Tri-bikes since long before it was "de rigeur." He has an outstanding selection of frames (Cervelo, Colnago Tri Bikes--C-40, C-35, Dream Tri--, QR, and others). He is absolutely a proponent of "Buy fit, not hype" as evidenced by a number of my friends who have left there with different (better fitting) bikes than they had intended to purchase.

As for Tri Sport...They are the "Nordstrom's of Athletic Stores." In short, they have unparallelled customer service...They literally spent hours with me helping me find the right wetsuit...And when I didn't like it after 3 months, they credited me my money and spent many more hours helping me get it right (again).

Both of these shops display the commitment to the sport which is often lacking in bike shops who are simply trying to "tap a new market."

By the way, I don't work for either of these shops. I'm not sponsored by them and I don't race for either of their sponsored teams. I simply think they deserve recognition.

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http://wattieink.com/elite-team/
Raising funds to help wounded veterans and racing RAAM 2013 with http://team4mil.org/
"If you are gonna charge... CHARGE HARD!"

I'll let Steve know that he made "the list." He will appreciate the fact that his fit efforts are getting their due. I think that the standard of "doing the best they can" is an apt one. With so many schools of thought on the best fit, it is important to work with some one who can not only take the measurements, do the math, and adjust the angles accordingly but also can explain why he/she is doing what they are doing and speak intelligently on their fit method. For me, all of these things amount to doing one's best for the customer and I have seen Steve put this into practice with everyone from a Kona AG champ to the person looking to do their first sprint.

Wow, that is impressive. Add them to the above list of mine on your recommendation. Happy Holidays!

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Steve is one of those rare excellent athletes that is also a wise business person and has a gift for sharing his knowledge with others. His place is top notch and so is he.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

I'm a huge fan of Enduro, and although I currently live in Vancouver right now, would still consider buying my next bike from them (heck, it's an excuse to go back and hang out with my buddies for a few days too). I never made it to Steve Larsen's shop in Davis, which is a real shame given the amount of time I spent in San Francisco - but it's on the list, as is yours (I have a buddy in Detroit, so if I ever make it out to see him...)

As an aside, I loved the "Story of Calvin" on your website. I was one of those kids who hung out in a bike shop throughout my late childhood/teens as well, and though not nearly as talented as he, contribute a lot of the way I think and act to having had such strong role models from an early age. Guys like you make more of a difference than you'll ever know.

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<If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough>
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Personal Training and Sports Conditioning
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"Fitting triathlon bikes is a tricky business only a handful (less than 10) bike shops in the United States really understand." Sorry but I just don't buy that.

Tom:

Are you familiar with Fit Werx in Vermont? From my experience, they possess all the characteristics you list as requisite for a great bike fitter. They are set up as a fit shop rather than a bike shop that fits bikes, if you know what I mean. Anyway, IMHO they should get their due and are a great resource for athletes in the Northeast.

Merry Christmas.

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I proudly DO NOT post my workouts on Facebook!!!

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