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Beginner Bike Fit Questions
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So I previously had questions about a bike to buy and after I found out about the Andean, I jumped on the opportunity. I have 30 days to return but I rode it outside yesterday and it seemed smooth. I also read Kiley's review and asked Fredly some questions but in terms of fitting, I have no clue what I am doing. I have read some articles and have seen some online fit calculators (do not know if I trust them). I tried to read some of the messages on here and didn't get far because I do not know any terms. I saw something with an x-y coordinate but I have no idea. A link to a guide that's in beginner terms would be great. I would get a fit but I am still in college and just invested into a big bike haha plus the closest place to me in 200 miles away. I can provide any measurements for you if needed but my bike is a 54cm Andean 1. I am 176cm tall and have an inseam of 86cm. That is the furthest I have gone in terms of measurements. Thanks in advance for the help.
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Re: Beginner Bike Fit Questions [quinnserfa] [ In reply to ]
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Why don't you take a video and post it here?

Use this thread as a reference for how to do that

https://forum.slowtwitch.com/...ost=6927603#p6927603
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Re: Beginner Bike Fit Questions [jkhayc] [ In reply to ]
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Assuming the bike is the right size for you and that you can't afford a fitter:

1. Determine what event you want your bike setup for (duration). This will dictate to an extent how aggressive you go.

2. Determine how flexible you are now. Not in 2 years of yoga, but now. This also affects how aggressive you can go.

3. Set it up a little more conservative than where you eventually want to be. (see #1 and #2). Personally, I'd start with a 5cm saddle setback, the foot on the pedal method for saddle height, and get the reach so that you're in a basic forearms level to ground slight elbow bend position. Pad width maybe wider to start, learn to ride it. Then narrow to your comfort level over a few rides.

4. Ride it on some longer rides than your target distance or time. Take notes. Feels fine, go more aggressive (narrower pad, more reach, more hands up, etc..). Feels too tight, loosen it up (wider pad, less reach, hands down). How's the handling? How's the power?

5. Post a video.

6. Make tweaks, repeat 4/5/6.


I think it is a mistake to post a video before doing 1 thru 4 just as people haven't even gotten to know the bike enough yet to have good video. Kind of like, post a video of your golf swing after trimming your shaft length to your basic body height and arm length.......not before.
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Re: Beginner Bike Fit Questions [burnthesheep] [ In reply to ]
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burnthesheep wrote:
Assuming the bike is the right size for you and that you can't afford a fitter:

1. Determine what event you want your bike setup for (duration). This will dictate to an extent how aggressive you go.

2. Determine how flexible you are now. Not in 2 years of yoga, but now. This also affects how aggressive you can go.

3. Set it up a little more conservative than where you eventually want to be. (see #1 and #2). Personally, I'd start with a 5cm saddle setback, the foot on the pedal method for saddle height, and get the reach so that you're in a basic forearms level to ground slight elbow bend position. Pad width maybe wider to start, learn to ride it. Then narrow to your comfort level over a few rides.

4. Ride it on some longer rides than your target distance or time. Take notes. Feels fine, go more aggressive (narrower pad, more reach, more hands up, etc..). Feels too tight, loosen it up (wider pad, less reach, hands down). How's the handling? How's the power?

5. Post a video.

6. Make tweaks, repeat 4/5/6.


I think it is a mistake to post a video before doing 1 thru 4 just as people haven't even gotten to know the bike enough yet to have good video. Kind of like, post a video of your golf swing after trimming your shaft length to your basic body height and arm length.......not before.

I disagree with most of this. There is no good reason to not take a video upon initial few rides.
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Re: Beginner Bike Fit Questions [jkhayc] [ In reply to ]
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jkhayc wrote:
burnthesheep wrote:
Assuming the bike is the right size for you and that you can't afford a fitter:

1. Determine what event you want your bike setup for (duration). This will dictate to an extent how aggressive you go.

2. Determine how flexible you are now. Not in 2 years of yoga, but now. This also affects how aggressive you can go.

3. Set it up a little more conservative than where you eventually want to be. (see #1 and #2). Personally, I'd start with a 5cm saddle setback, the foot on the pedal method for saddle height, and get the reach so that you're in a basic forearms level to ground slight elbow bend position. Pad width maybe wider to start, learn to ride it. Then narrow to your comfort level over a few rides.

4. Ride it on some longer rides than your target distance or time. Take notes. Feels fine, go more aggressive (narrower pad, more reach, more hands up, etc..). Feels too tight, loosen it up (wider pad, less reach, hands down). How's the handling? How's the power?

5. Post a video.

6. Make tweaks, repeat 4/5/6.


I think it is a mistake to post a video before doing 1 thru 4 just as people haven't even gotten to know the bike enough yet to have good video. Kind of like, post a video of your golf swing after trimming your shaft length to your basic body height and arm length.......not before.


I disagree with most of this. There is no good reason to not take a video upon initial few rides.

I will take a video and upload soon, thanks for the feedback guys.
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Re: Beginner Bike Fit Questions [burnthesheep] [ In reply to ]
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Not trying to dunk on you today but...

You probably have it backwards re: event and position.

Please stop saying “aggressive”. We’ve had a year or so with no outbreaks. Please get your shots.

There is no flexibility required. What is going on? I feel like it’s 2008 ST all of a sudden. Another canard. No relation.

There’s no “conservative” either. No need to do half measures, no need to wait.

Waiting to get wrapped all around the axle and the posting a video for us to unfuck is waaaay worse than posting now and getting good advice from the jump.

Eric Reid AeroFit | Instagram Portfolio
Aerodynamic Retul Bike Fitting

“You are experiencing the criminal coverup of a foreign backed fascist hostile takeover of a mafia shakedown of an authoritarian religious slow motion coup. Persuade people to vote for Democracy.”
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Re: Beginner Bike Fit Questions [jkhayc] [ In reply to ]
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jkhayc wrote:
burnthesheep wrote:
Assuming the bike is the right size for you and that you can't afford a fitter:

1. Determine what event you want your bike setup for (duration). This will dictate to an extent how aggressive you go.

2. Determine how flexible you are now. Not in 2 years of yoga, but now. This also affects how aggressive you can go.

3. Set it up a little more conservative than where you eventually want to be. (see #1 and #2). Personally, I'd start with a 5cm saddle setback, the foot on the pedal method for saddle height, and get the reach so that you're in a basic forearms level to ground slight elbow bend position. Pad width maybe wider to start, learn to ride it. Then narrow to your comfort level over a few rides.

4. Ride it on some longer rides than your target distance or time. Take notes. Feels fine, go more aggressive (narrower pad, more reach, more hands up, etc..). Feels too tight, loosen it up (wider pad, less reach, hands down). How's the handling? How's the power?

5. Post a video.

6. Make tweaks, repeat 4/5/6.


I think it is a mistake to post a video before doing 1 thru 4 just as people haven't even gotten to know the bike enough yet to have good video. Kind of like, post a video of your golf swing after trimming your shaft length to your basic body height and arm length.......not before.

I disagree with most of this. There is no good reason to not take a video upon initial few rides.

Thank you, this is right.

Eric Reid AeroFit | Instagram Portfolio
Aerodynamic Retul Bike Fitting

“You are experiencing the criminal coverup of a foreign backed fascist hostile takeover of a mafia shakedown of an authoritarian religious slow motion coup. Persuade people to vote for Democracy.”
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Re: Beginner Bike Fit Questions [ericMPro] [ In reply to ]
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I think this should be good, but let me know if it isn’t... i can retake the video. a few things to note: i haven’t made any changes since i’ve put it together. and yes this is my bedroom and i am a young adult haha, i would appreciate no smart comments please :)

edit: for some reason the video isn’t showing up.
Last edited by: quinnserfa: May 6, 20 11:07
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Re: Beginner Bike Fit Questions [quinnserfa] [ In reply to ]
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Not seeing a video

Eric Reid AeroFit | Instagram Portfolio
Aerodynamic Retul Bike Fitting

“You are experiencing the criminal coverup of a foreign backed fascist hostile takeover of a mafia shakedown of an authoritarian religious slow motion coup. Persuade people to vote for Democracy.”
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Re: Beginner Bike Fit Questions [ericMPro] [ In reply to ]
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apologies, it is not uploading
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Re: Beginner Bike Fit Questions [ericMPro] [ In reply to ]
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2 Links:








2 Slow Motion Links coming soon
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Re: Beginner Bike Fit Questions [quinnserfa] [ In reply to ]
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Re: Beginner Bike Fit Questions [quinnserfa] [ In reply to ]
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nope. not yet
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Re: Beginner Bike Fit Questions [iamuwere] [ In reply to ]
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I just put them up, any luck now?
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Re: Beginner Bike Fit Questions [ericMPro] [ In reply to ]
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ericMPro wrote:

Please stop saying “aggressive”. We’ve had a year or so with no outbreaks. Please get your shots.

There is no flexibility required. What is going on? I feel like it’s 2008 ST all of a sudden. Another canard. No relation.

There’s no “conservative” either. No need to do half measures, no need to wait.

Eric did my fit. By far the most what people would call "aggressive" looking at it, but you know what? It is the least uncomfortable, most locked in feeling I have ever been on a TT bike. Use his services. You can be fast AND comfortable.
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Re: Beginner Bike Fit Questions [quinnserfa] [ In reply to ]
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They are set to PRIVATE instead of public
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Re: Beginner Bike Fit Questions [iamuwere] [ In reply to ]
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Good call, just changed, try now
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Re: Beginner Bike Fit Questions [quinnserfa] [ In reply to ]
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ok that's actually not bad. your head position is awful, however. ideally you want to feel like your head is "tucked" in between your shoulders. i think your saddle might be on the high side, but not by much.
Last edited by: jkhayc: May 6, 20 12:11
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Re: Beginner Bike Fit Questions [jkhayc] [ In reply to ]
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jkhayc wrote:
ok that's actually not bad. your head position is awful, however. ideally you want to feel like your head is "tucked" in between your shoulders.

I agree haha... how do I do that??
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Re: Beginner Bike Fit Questions [jkhayc] [ In reply to ]
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also, the bike seat doesn't go lower for some reason. There is a little lip on the inside of it and I can't seem to saw it down. I do not want to go down to a 52cm because I am 176cm tall.
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Re: Beginner Bike Fit Questions [quinnserfa] [ In reply to ]
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people call what you're doing with your head "periscoping." picture a periscope coming out of the water, basically. how do you reverse that? me describing what works for me may not work for you, but basically i shrug/relax my shoulders and they almost come forward to a degree (not on purpose, just as a byproduct of the shrug), my head drops vertically and tilts down, so that my "face" is looking at my aero extensions but my eyes are looking up the road.




i made this a while back. it's possible it may have some cues in there that could be helpful. the relevant head position stuff starts around the 1:10 mark.

i am confident your saddle can go down more, you just would need to cut off a portion of the seatpost (this is very normal and happens on many/most bikes with aero seat tubes). or, you can shorten your cranks (and raise saddle height according to amount shortened).
Last edited by: jkhayc: May 6, 20 12:22
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Re: Beginner Bike Fit Questions [jkhayc] [ In reply to ]
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jkhayc wrote:
people call what you're doing with your head "periscoping." picture a periscope coming out of the water, basically. how do you reverse that? me describing what works for me may not work for you, but basically i shrug/relax my shoulders and they almost come forward to a degree (not on purpose, just as a byproduct of the shrug), my head drops vertically and tilts down, so that my "face" is looking at my aero extensions but my eyes are looking up the road.




i made this a while back. it's possible it may have some cues in there that could be helpful. the relevant head position stuff starts around the 1:10 mark.

i am confident your saddle can go down more, you just would need to cut off a portion of the seatpost (this is very normal and happens on many/most bikes with aero seat tubes). or, you can shorten your cranks (and raise saddle height according to amount shortened).

very helpful, thank you... i noticed your aero bars are angled at a steeper angle, does that have to do with anything?
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Re: Beginner Bike Fit Questions [quinnserfa] [ In reply to ]
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it is trendy. i didn't actually ride with them that high. my normal tilt is seen in pic. to answer the tilt question for real though: i mainly tilt a little bit because it helps my elbows/upper body feel "locked" and better supported. if my forearms are flat i tend to slide on the armpads when they get wet/sweaty. but it also looks cooler.


Last edited by: jkhayc: May 6, 20 12:50
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Re: Beginner Bike Fit Questions [jkhayc] [ In reply to ]
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jkhayc wrote:
it is trendy. i didn't actually ride with them that high. my normal tilt is
i have heard, high hands to block the wind from your chin but I do not know what that entails haha.... Also i always see people like Jan Frodeno and Seb Kienle with really tight hands but my aero bars are very wide, is there a reason behind close hands too?
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Re: Beginner Bike Fit Questions [jkhayc] [ In reply to ]
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