Bike fitting is a scam!

Triathlon Forum
1

It is the biggest scam ever! Couple of months ago, I was looking to get fitted after 9 years of riding. I didn’t have any problems but hey heard so many good things about it, why not make the bike split faster if possible?

I was in Chicagoland in that time so shoopping around, get a grip, bike shop and mission bay were the contenders. never been to the other stores but ended scheduling at the bike shop. Went it for the scheduled day and looks like the fitter was out sick. Sh!t happens, I can understand and I never had the chance to go back. Now that I had some time in my hand before Accenture, I found a shop in lower PA which has a good reputation on the East Coast and does the same kind of fitting (aero, with all the gizmos computrainer etc.)

Let me start with the price tag! $250… It starts with a consultation! talking about what kind of bike I ride what kind of races I’ve been doing etc.

Then classic fit on a serrato machine (which serrato should sue them, they do their fitting on serrato machine but when i asked about the bikes they said “nah, go with QR or Litespeed”) after that they hook you up on a computrainer for analysis…

FYI-During the whole process, I remained quiet and acted as I don’t know sh!t!

After 2 hours and $290 ($250 bike fit + $40 cleat adjustment) later this 300LBS grease monkey started to give me a lecture about swimming and running! I asked him how many triathlons he did? Guess what? His answer was even more stupid!

“I am a cyclist, i can’t blow my knees on the run!” dude! you are 300LBS! What do you do eat your way to the finishline? only way you can finsih a race is if they put an open buffet on the finish line!

Oh back to the fitting… Results??? I was in a more areo position before and generate more power, when i told this to him, he said the way he fitted me is more efficient and I’d get used to it in no time.

I asked if they are fist certificated or any assosiation with slowtwitch fit, he said no.

Fitting is good, if you are NEW to the bike and don’t know anything about your body but still it makes me wonder how can a stranger who never runs or swims (and in most cases they don’t even ride tri bikes) can decide what’s best for you? There is no official certification, so what happnes when someone suffers a serious injury from a bad fitting?

2

It’s your own fault you paid $250 for a fitting. Many reputable shops with FIST certification are much cheaper.

3

No pun intended, but you were taken for a ride!

Sorry, you had such a bad experience. When done right with the right results( by professionals, who truely know what they are doing and talking about), bike fitting is very important part of being able to perform up to your maximum potential on a bike.

Fleck

4

I know! I learned one thing, If you see a bike shop with a laptop and a big screen tv attach to a computrainer, STAY AWAY!

All the good fitter do it old school on mechanical devices.

Are there any other fitting machines? I only saw serratos…

5

i think there is some merit to this. i got a bike fit last year after purchasing my first new tri bike. after learning the basics i am able to reproduce it and adjust it easily. i fot a friend and my other bike.

i think the 50-$100 variety is worthwhile, the $290 version has got to be a scam. for that much money you could pay a high priced lawyer to fit you.

6

Sounds like you had a horrible experience. I think it’s great that you can do your own bike fit.

Like with most trades you have good, bad & ugly. I just had our hardwood floors done & we just experienced the Ugly. In southern Ontario we are blessed with a few 1st rate bike fitters that have made the investment & are FIST certified. All my sponsored athletes as well as myself are FIST fitted by a certified professional with nothing but sterling results.

Not to invalidate your experience, just offering another perspective.

7

Personally, I’ve had very good experiences with fitters. Paul Levine, Ian Buchanan, etc.

Obviously if you sit around mute you’re not going to benefit anything because the fitter doesn’t know anything about you.

That said, from what I have heard there are lot of Serotta fit cycles out there whose owners never took the classes or don’t bother to update themselves once in a while. Certification would be nice but who wants to pay for that added cost?

If there is one thing I’ve learned during my few years of working - people don’t know how to communicate. So many times I’ve seen projects screw up because of mis-communication. The world is full of idiots. And that includes people who don’t know how to spell.

8

$250 for a fit didn’t seem that bad because I asked in chicago couple of months ago both get a grip and the bike shop charge similar amounts, only mission bay was cheaper.

the bike shop applies a discount if you get a bike, mission bay is free if you get bike and get a grip don’t care if you buy from them or not. From what I see, these three shops are already have potential customer base and do not care to get more business.

9

i paid $100 for my fitting and it was a certified fitter. $250 is a little high if you ask me

10

Now you know why I read everything available on the subject and did my own fitting. I then took it to Endurosport in Toronto (FIST certified) for a second opinion and they told me that the position was bang on. Charged me something like $27.00 because nothing had to be touched. Much of my info came from Slowman’s and Tom D’s articles plus a few other good sources.

You don’t necessarily have to be FIST certified to get a good bike fit. There are good bike fitters out there who aren’t FIST certified but have an alternative logical method of approaching the fit.The FIST approach is very good and logical, but all having a certification means is that you’ve taken the course. There are good and bad doctors/lawyers/mechanics/candlestickmakers and they all have the same diplomas hanging on the wall.

Bike fitting is a bit of art and science. Like anything else, some people will have more of a natural knack for this than others. IMO, it requires a mechanical aptitude, a basic understanding of anatomy/biomechanics and an ability to put theory into practice.

11

Sounds like you were scammed. I think bike fits are usefull for those new to cycling or when moving to a new geometry.

12

WRT fit bikes, Mandaric is making the best one right now, and you can get one of these with a computrainer head.

Why is a computrainer a good tool? Makes it easier to evaluate mecahnics when you are under load. A second reason a bike shop might want a computrainer - HR zone testing.

13

I was fit by Tom D. at Bikesport almost 9 years ago and have hardly changed the bike let alone my position in all that time. I was comfortable and reasonably fast from the get go. The cost of the fit was included in the purchase price of the Litespeed Tachyon I bought.

14

Being fit by a shop w/o FIST Cert. is like going to a Doctor w/o a Degree.

Why would you go to a non FIST shop if you wanted to get a FIST fit?

FWIW I paid $150 for my fit plus the parts I needed to to change my bike around. I was about 95% of the way there by myself and saw a noticeable speed and comfort improvement from that last 5%. Best money I’ve spent.

15

I normally don’t give names of bike shops I frequent but here are the prices I paid at 4 different bike shops in my area.

Bikesport $0 - Bike - I bought the bike there
D and D Bicycles $0 - I bought bars and stem there - road bike
Two Wheel Tango $0 - cleat alignment - I bought shims there
Cadence Cycle $0 - Seat adjustment - I bought the seat and aerobars there

$250 for a fit? I would think that if you purchased something there you would have gotten it mounted and adjusted for free.

jaretj

16

Oh back to the fitting… Results??? I was in a more areo position before and generate more power, when i told this to him, he said the way he fitted me is more efficient and I’d get used to it in no time.

I asked if they are fist certificated or any assosiation with slowtwitch fit, he said no.

Well, this is the second time this week you have posted a critique where you failed to do your homework beforehand and then ranted on the result.

You weren’t scammed, you got exactly what you asked for.

17

Sorry, just noticed this. You paid $250 for a bike fit, then he charged you again to align your cleats? That’s strange. When my wife was fitted, they did everything for her, including the cleats, and this was just the standard fit you get when you buy a bike.

18

I have to admit not every fit is a scam! My girlfriend was fitted at R&A in NY and she improved her bike split!

19

the $290 version has got to be a scam. for that much money you could pay a high priced lawyer to fit you.
You’r going to pay a bit more than that if you want me to fit you.

20

"Being fit by a shop w/o FIST Cert. is like going to a Doctor w/o a Degree. "

Paul Levine is highly regarded and is not FIST certified. There are also some doctors out there that I’d stay away from despite the diplomas on the wall.

Like I said - all having a cert. in anything means is that you’ve taken the course. That in itself is no guarantee that you’re good or bad at it.