Is it worth getting a dedicated bike fitting? Plus spec me a trail/commute bike

shroomz

shroomz

shroomz

Associate
Joined
18 Feb 2010
Posts
2,151
Location
Glasgow, UK
I need to buy a new bike for the 10k commute to work but I'm torn between buying something cheap from halfords, something second hand off pinkbike, or something relatively nice from my local bike shop. The latter includes a bike fitting on a adjustable jig to work out which dimensions work best for people which sounds attractive as I seem to have odd proportions and my old bike (got nicked in December :() never fitted very well.

Has anyone had one of these and can you comment on its effectiveness? I like the bike shop but they have a noticeable premium so if it's not worth it and I'll be able to get much more bike for the money elsewhere then that's something to think about. But then again, if it makes the same difference as getting running or climbing shoes fitted properly, it's definitely worth it since I'll be cycling most days!

My budget is up to £1000 for a hardtail that'll do trail riding (as I've no mountain bike anymore either), or £500 if it's something more dedicated to road/bridleways. Anyone care to throw some opinions at me?
 
I've always assumed bike fitting is more for road bikes and not mountain bikes.

In my experience mountain bikes normally just come in the following sizes; Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large and these normally correlate to the height of the top tube/ stand over height . But top tube lengths and head angles all vary from bike to bike, so you would need to try a few out to find what fits best for you.
 
Yep this was the problem, the top tube felt too long and I couldn't cycle without tiring my back out and putting weight on the bars. I felt like it could be improved with a shorter stem
 
shroomz said:
Yep this was the problem, the top tube felt too long and I couldn't cycle without tiring my back out and putting weight on the bars. I felt like it could be improved with a shorter stem
Click to expand...

You can always mess around with different stem lengths to find a riding position that works better for your back, although I think most mountain bikes these days have a fairly short stem on them anyway.

If your going to be cycling 10k a day, is that 10k each way (to and from work) or in total? I would suggest that for that sort of distance a road bike or hybrid would probably work out better for you.

Take a look at these, lots on offer: https://www.leisurelakesbikes.com/commute/bikes/hybrid-bikes/male
 
shroomz said:
Each way,it's about 6 miles from home to the office with two short but nasty hills
Click to expand...

I've done a similar length commute a couple of times on my trails bike (2017 Whyte 905). And whilst it's perfectly do'able on it, the 27.5" rims with 2.4" wide dirt/ trail orientated tyres don't really help matters from an efficiency point of view when riding on the roads.

Best thing you can do is go down to your local bike shop for some advice. Explain to them the distances you'll be riding and the back issues you've experienced in the past and see what they suggest, throw your leg over a few bikes and see what feel's best for you.
 
No they don't haha, I had two sets of wheels, one for mtb and one with schwalbe city jets. Anyway, I am leaning towards a road or hybrid bike. But in that case my budget is about £500. Do you think it'll be worth getting this bike fitting thing or will I get much more for my money second hand or halfords/decathlon?
 
shroomz said:
No they don't haha, I had two sets of wheels, one for mtb and one with schwalbe city jets. Anyway, I am leaning towards a road or hybrid bike. But in that case my budget is about £500. Do you think it'll be worth getting this bike fitting thing or will I get much more for my money second hand or halfords/decathlon?
Click to expand...

At that sort of budget, I would go second hand as you'll get far more bike for your money that way.

In terms of the bike fitting, if its free I don't see that you've got anything to loose by having it done. I just don't think the results will be particularly relevant for the types of bikes you'll be looking at. But then I'm a mountain biker and not a Lycra wearing roadie, so feel free to take my advice regarding the fitting with a pinch of salt lol.
 
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bik...akisi-mens-adventure-bike-52-54-5-57cm-frames

Hard to argue with a decent adventure bike at that price, especially with Sora R3000. Only sticking point is the cable discs, but they're generally fine as long as you keep them adjusted properly. Could always replace them with TRP Spyres or similar later down the line if you really have an issue. Remember the 10% British Cycling discount too.

If you're leaving it outside at all (although you should probably aim to minimise that as far as possible) then you should really be looking to get a decent U lock (Abus, OnGuard, Kryptonite) and learning the best way to use it;

http://www.802bikeguy.com/2011/07/the-modified-sheldon-brown-bike-locking-strategy/
 
For a hybrid, best bang for the buck is probably still the new model Voodoo Marasa, currently £320* http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/hybrid-bikes/voodoo-marasa-mens-hybrid-bike--18-20-frames

But given your approximate budget, for a hybrid I'd be tempted by the Boardman Team, which is ~10Kg and £650* http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/hybrid-bikes/boardman-hybrid-team-bike-45-49-54cm-frames

But if you really fancy a hardtail, the £585* Voodoo Bizango is hard to beat at the same sort of money http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bik...go-29er-mens-mountain-bike-16-18-20-22-frames

* Before 10% British Cycling membership discount
 
Thanks guys, theres a guy offering a year old boardman team for 400 on the social network. Is that a decent price? Both the marasa and bizango are ones I should probably have a go on as well
 
Well road bikes are very dependent on size so it depends, if it's the full carbon one the geometry is probably quite aggressive which is likely not what you really want for just casual riding and commuting - hence why I suggested an adventure bike with the more relaxed riding position and wider tyres.
 
PermaBanned said:
Well road bikes are very dependent on size so it depends, if it's the full carbon one the geometry is probably quite aggressive which is likely not what you really want for just casual riding and commuting - hence why I suggested an adventure bike with the more relaxed riding position and wider tyres.
Click to expand...

That is a good point. I meant to include that adventure bike in the list too

E- nvm it was the big one which will definitely be too big
 
Further update, got a Nakisi coming on Monday that the guy said if I like it, I can buy it, if I don't, he'll put it on display. Can't say no to that. I like the fatter tyres and hydraulic brakes
 
Bike fitting is quite complex, it depends on fitness, flexibility, type of bike and type of terrain.

A down hill mountain biker is going to have very different requirements to a road biker, for an extreme example.

This video is very good, it's based on road racing but it explains the principles quite well so you can have a broad understanding of what you might want, and more importantly, why.


It's quite long but very informative.
 
That's an excellent video @mattyfez , have you posted it in the road cycling thread too? My flexibility is pretty shocking on my hamstrings from years of running without any mobility work. Now I'm worried this bike night not fit and I need to go to the LBS to work out what actually fits, because they do all that stuff... But it's only free if I buy a bike from them...
 
A bike fit is often something to consider only after you've been riding for a while anyway, once you've tried out the major adjustments yourself and you'll have better insight on any specific issues you might be having. How much do they charge if you're not getting a bike from them?
 
I'm not actually sure, I know another shop nearby offers it separately for £200. I might call them and ask. Or tbf I probably won't go wrong with the nakisi as long as it's the right size, it's not like I'm trying to compete
 
I guess the main thing is the bike has to be in the ball park for you, size wise, if the frame is too big or too small, there's only so much you can do with changing stem length or seat position, maybe a lay back seat post if the frames too short. Etc..
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom