Anyone know a good bike fitter around Atlanta Ga? IBFI has nobody in the state.

A good follow up video would be how to translate your bike fit numbers into finding frames that are best for your fit.

Recently found this channel and it made me question my recently bought crazy expensive supersix. I am now stuck between wanting to know more and not wanting to know more.

Thanks as always James and Francis. As a retailer but not a bike fitter, I can say a few things. Yes, it is _very_ expensive to buy a bike that is too big. But it has two other effects: you will never get your own optimal performance on it, and you can cause yourself injuries. There is one more thing I'd add. Many customers have a "big bike" mindset. They expect a certain size bike, and that size is too big. So they resist a smaller size frame. One can do many things to adapt a small frame to a rider, but you can't just cut a chunk off a large frame to make it smaller. So err on the small side. And personally I find a small frame is just a lot more fun.

James. You are a legend. You have explained so many more relevant conditions affecting bike frame sizes than anyone i know. Thanks for the straight talk. You really do help us all out here in bikesville. Francis, keep up the great work. We all appreciate it.

Now I'm even more confused

Great video guys. That kind of knowledge is why I went for a fit at Bicycle

Probably the best knowledgeable advice I have heard in all my years of cycling. Thank you

one of the best videos I’ve seen on the subject, very objective and not a marketing gimmick. love your vids

I appreciate this channel. It has helped me adjust my bike to my liking.

It's our parents' fault: "you'll grow into it"!

I'm really loving these bike fit videos, they have helped me understand where I'm going right or wrong.

Another great video. It's a mine field. I recently bought a Ridley helium, and I'm sure it's to small for me, although the shop that sold it to me, said it was the right size. My 1st ride on it I felt hunched up. I then reset the saddle height with a formula that a friend recommended to me. This made it better, we then swapped the stem for 1 10mm longer this has made it more comfortable. Having a fit 1st is definitely the way to go. Wish I'd have done this. You live and learn. Keep it up lads.

I remember walking into a bike shop 5 years ago with my L (58cm top tube) bike. The guy in the shop told me that bike is small(!) for me and advised me to change it. Today I'm riding a 54 cm top tube bike that I bought after a bike fit considering why I'll use it for and my limits. Can't be happier. Good advices!

Loving the bike fit "Tuesdays"

Great video. Very informative content! Gives me peace of mind that a getting professional bike fit before buying my next bike is the way to go. Thanks!

WOW. Another great video packed with content. I had to watch this video twice to digest everything. Thanks for creating it.

Great video. It's SO hard to get dialed in nowadays, you really have to get a fitting and try lots of different frames before buying. And when in doubt err on the side of too small rather than too large. I'm 5'10" and in recent years I have spent loads of money buying/building/renting everything from a 50cm Colnago to a 52cm Trek, 54cm BMC and 55cm Bianchi more or less comfortably, by altering seat layback, stem lengths and angles, crank lengths, etc. Not a one gave me that "like a glove" feeling, however. Thousands of miles (and dollars) later I've FINALLY found the absolute sweet spot (for me) with my 53cm Pinarello GAN disc, 100mm stem, 170mm cranks and 40cm bars. Now that it's all dialed in I'll probably ride 53cm Pinarello's until I'm dead and gone!

Scarily, this all made perfect sense to me...help, I've gone bike nerd! I'm pleased/relieved to hear James give Trek a qualified 👍 as I have x2. I'm definitely not shaped like a pro cyclist (who is?) so whilst technically I'd fit a 56 I have a 54. I've had the Ben-efit of knowing Ben Wright who has fitted my bikes post purchase and originally bought locally from a guy that knew his stuff 100% and INCLUDED a free detailed fit in the purchase price plus was happy to swap components (e.g. the stem, spacers) from the standard to the ones I needed. I was disappointed initially that my saddle wasn't higher (and former elite riders have nagged me to put it up) but now know better. I'm planning a gravel bike build now...where to start? Happy days. Thanks for another great vid and for the channel. ♥️

That was a dense & informative episode. Thx for covering so many variables & assumptions. I'm looking forward to buying my next bike, which will _definitely_ be smaller.

So happy to find this video! Makes me feel justified in choosing smaller frames. When I first started getting into riding, bike shops would look at me and put me on 61cm frames. They said I was supposed to feel stretched out, and it was just my core wasn't strong enough, even though I was pretty darn fit. Ended up with a 58 back then, but over the years have drifted down to 56's. But since I work on other people's bikes fairly often now, I've ridden some 54's that with a few small tweaks feel quite comfortable. I never considered going that small, but hearing this guy rides a 52 and is only 3 inches shorter than me makes me wish I'd gone smaller on my recent gravel bike purchase, especially after having to get a shorter stem.

This guy is the first person I have seen on youtube that really knows what he is talking about.

Agree with your suggested approach. I'm 6 feet tall, inseam of almost 80cm, according to most bike fit sizes, 56 or 58 cm have been regularly suggested. I have been basing size on seat setback and my desired reach, taking into account seat to bar drop.... This has now landed me commonly on a 54cm....validated!!

This has been extremely helpful! I’m moving from having cruisers (which were about what I could get- I never knew about fit). I want to move towards a decent beginner gravel bike (that I can ride around a bit like my cruiser) but can ride my local easy trails because it’s fun and compliments the work I do in the gym. I’m going to stop googling “how to get fit for a bike” and just find a good bike shop where they can fit me. You guys have probably just saved me a lot of money and heartache.

Kingfitter James! Yet again, I can listen to him share his knowledge about all things cycling. Granted I may get dropped on occasion, second time around makes it stick! Thanks Francis!!

Best thing I ever did was book a fit with James. He really knows his stuff and looks at the rider and their make up rather than angles and numbers. I have since bought a new bike and used the fit data to buy it. It’s the best fitting bike I’ve ever owned and the comfiest to ride. Thanks James. And following a great follow up fit a few weeks back the position is even better again. 👍👍

I’m 5’ 10” and on a “51” with a 53mm virtual top tube. I came off a 56 that felt wayyy to big. I happen to really like the 51 but have always felt vaguely guilty for being on a bike that was “too small”. This video makes me feel better!

Great series Francis! Love these videos!

Fantastic video Francis cheers James for great advice yet again.

I recently spent a lot of money on a brand new supersix evo. I was in between two size according to cannondale fit charts and I recall the seller just telling me "it's up to you" as only advice to choose the size. I'm planning to do a bike fit but I'm already convinced that the frame is too big for me :-( Thanks for the video. I love the bikefittuesdays serie

Bikefit tuesdays needs an intro! With Different shots of James and his epic monologues 😂

EXCELLENT content, gentleman!! Always AMAZING how many people chose their bikes by style , looks, ETC...BEFORE they properly determine their correct fit , for proper sizing As stated here , a number of factors truly determine how a Bike Fitter should arrive at a correct sizing , fit for the rider The Jean's analogy was an EXCELLENT, mental picture of the unnecessary compromises that are made in sizing and fit Well done !!👉💥💥😎😎👈

I started riding an endurance bike with compact gears a few months ago 😘😘😘 it's an absolutely amazing feeling 👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿

Ah yes, Stack and Reach, the new parameters for bike sizing. I've found S&R to be fairly useless in and of themselves but they are handy measurements for comparing frames between models. If a frame you're looking to buy has similar S&R to a frame you're currently comfy on chances are you'll do well on the new guy as well.

I miss my late 80’s road bike with Greg Lemond Eddie Merckx fit. Relaxed geometry and the saddle height was only a couple of inches higher than the stem. Today that would be considered touring bike fit.

Excellent video on this topic. I had a bike fit due knee pain but only on one knee. At the beginning the fitter said "we've got a lot of work to do". By the end I had new saddle, stem and bars to get where I needed to be on the bike. Since then, no knee pain. If you can get a fit done DEFINITELY do it.

Sitting here, pausing this at points to adjust one of my bikes. And then looking ahead to a bike on the way... it might be too big listening to bits here. Time to get a bike fit done, it’s been a while since the last one. Great video. Much appreciated,

So glad i came across this channel. I am Also 5'10 and have been riding 54cm Cannondales for a few years because people have my size always ride 54cm. I once had a cannondale Caad Saeco in 52cm and it was indeed very comfy. Now that i see you talking about 52cm i will go for that size would be nice to see your bike set up knowing you are my height. Great channel im glad i came across you guys. Keep it up!.👍

Roadbike: XS Mountainbike: M Bibshorts: L Helmet: XL

Great video on a very complex topic. I'm just getting back to serious cycling. I'm 5'11.5" tall, and though I'm reasonably fit for a formerly mostly sedentary 62-yr-old, I've never been very flexible through by posterior side. I just bought an endurance/race style bike from a direct-to-consumer shop, where I had a choice of a Medium (recommended for 5'8" to 5'11") or Large (recommended for 5'11" to 6'2"). I went with Medium, and even though it "should be" too small for me according to the very basic sizing selection chart on offer, it is working well. For many years I have had a 2000 model full-on race bike with a horizontal top tube in size 58cm, and it also works pretty well, but if I could magically shrink it to a 56cm or maybe even a 54cm, I would. I was nearly 6'1" when I bought it, and having "settled" over an inch makes a big difference. EDIT: I just noticed that on the new bike's frame there is a sticker that reads "56cm."

Great discussion at what to watch for. I made a classic mistake. I bought a 3T Exploro that was probably the right size. However, I I am 62 years old and found out my hips are not flexible. Just could not ride the bike without hip pain - too aggressive of geometry. I swapped the bike out for an OPEN WI..de, much slacker geometry, much higher stack height and the comfort was amazing. I still swapped to compact bars and shorter cranks, but really love the bike. Smaller frames, shorter stems and endurance geometry made for a completely different bike even though it was “the same size”. I will still have a second bike fit on the OPEN after riding for several months. This will just dial in the last bits and pieces.

Excellent video as usual but looking at James in that T shirt couldn’t stop captain pug wash from going round in my head !!

How about a side by side comparison using Jams's bike which fits him perfectly and a off the rack bike to show what a proper fit looks like.

I love this guy's passion!! Two thumbs up!! 😀👍

Loving these videos looking forward to my fit with James on the 19th Jan 👌

I'm 6'7" and recently bought myself a Canyon bike. I assumed I'd need an XXL since, you know, I'm about as tall as they come, but on a whim I went for a bike pre-fit. I'm so glad I did, since based on that I was told I'd actually need an XL, and now that I've had the full fit with my new bike I can see that an XXL would have been too big. Definitely worth the money.

I'm similar to James. I'm 176cm and always look for a size 52. The problem I find is that they often have very short headtubes. I got lucky with my first road bike. A Trek Madone from 2011. Which is essentially the same geometry as todays Domane. This video confirms that I've been choosing right all along. Cheers!

Brilliant. Congratulations on 1000 episodes.

Since I don't have any interest in racing and prefer endurance distances, I feel like my fit has gradually changed over time. The same bike that fit when I was 33 is a bit less comfortable at age 43. Shorter reach, narrower handlebars, and a higher stack height are all on the table for my next road bike. I'm an average height (187 cm), but my wife has a long torso and rides a 53 cm Cannondale that I felt surprisingly comfortable borrowing for a bit. In about nine months, I'll be looking to size down my frame. I appreciate the insights James keeps giving out.

"Fit first, buy later" for bikes makes so much sense to me (now you say it) as a seamstress. I honestly don't know how anyone buys clothes that fit online, or even in shops. Buying stuff is so hard!

I struggle with road bike size a lot... I'm 5'10.5 and ride a 56 tarmac sl6. I seriously considered a 54, but I felt like the stack was not enough for my flexibility. I'm a Cat 3-4 rider and ride 10-15 hrs/week. On the 56, I use 30mm of stem spacers, a 110 stem, and 0 offset seatpost. I can maintain a nice aero position on the hoods with elbows at 70-90 angle and can ride in the drops indefinitely as well. I've ridden my bike up to 6 hours with no issues... I love my bike, but you are right I probably should be on a smaller frame "endurance" bike... I would love to try a 54 too and see if I can get it fit correctly, but it's not in the cards to experiment with high end bikes. Getting a fit is a good idea before buying, but your not going to really know if your on the right bike until after riding it in real world conditions over time...

Yesss I was waiting for this one

This was so interesting and leads me to an experience I had a few years ago. I purchased (rightly or wrongly) a Bianchi Oltre XR4, was bike fitted by a very knowledgable guy in Spain and left the bike there to use when I was there Fantastically comfortable on the bike. Came home and decided to buy a same size Bianchi Oltre XR3 which on paper looks exactly the same with minor millimeter differences in the frame geometry. Result....never been so uncomfortable on a bike despite 3 bike fits by 3 different people. Lesson learnt.

During Covid times in Home Office, this is the only way I realise its Tuesday already or Wednesday or Thursday.

Loved this! I’m a 52 on a CAAD12 and a 54 on Specialized Tarmac. Glad I got a bike fit before moving to the Tarmac 😅

Thank you so much for the honest and excellent review, I am so glad that I see this as now I know I should get an Endurance bike which is at least one size smaller for me :)

This is the best video I've seen, so far, about bike sizing. Some people are making me feel inferior for choosing a 50cm Trek bike. I am only 5'7". The Trek computer sizing had me as 56." I tried the 56 and fell hitting my head. For two weeks I had severe neck pain from the fall. I was torn between 50 and 52, but felt very comfortable on 50. This video gave me self-reassurance. Thank you so much.

I'm no PRO , 53 yrs old and always ridden bikes . One thing I've learned , it's a minefield . Personally at 5.8" , I go Small all day long over Medium even if M is recommended size .

the only issue i have with using a fit bike is that anyone can "feel good" on a stationary bike for a 20 min spin. let me know how you feel after 2 hours and then you'll see what hurts and where the fit is off. i can hold a pro tour position for 20 mins, but i wouldn't go off that position.

Great video guys! Very helpful.

thx

Couldn’t agree more- I’m 6’2 and ride 56cm road bikes. My first road bike was a 59 (recommended to my by a shop)and it was waaay too big !

Another great helpful video, I’m 6’3 tall and when I first started riding I was on an 54cm WSD bike , did me ok however I’m now on a 60cm Trek Emonda and have had a 58 cm Trek 1.2 in between and feel the more comfortable on the 60cm keep up the great content guys

Awesome topic and super helpful.

Excellent video gents. I am now looking for an IBFI fitter in my area. Thank you.

Nice vid guys! Wondering if you could do a bike fit Tuesdays episode on fitting bikes for younger riders (say 16-20). Being more flexible and usually fitter, is there different advice?

5'10" on a 52. That's pro style sizing which means you're probably running a very long stem with a massive saddle to bar drop. Would be interesting to see a picture of your bike.

Another fan of getting a fitting before deciding on a bike. My fitter helped me order a bike sight unseen and see no reason to replace with another aside from wanting a new bike. Also happens to be 2 sizes smaller than my previous bike which worked but wasn't ideal.

I am 1.83m (6ft) and just changed from a very nice fitting 54cm gravel frameset to a different one in 58cm. i have choosen the bigger one because i wanted more space in the frame triangle for bottles and bags and no toe overlap with big tires. the new frame has 54mm(!) higher stack and 39mm more reach. yet by not using spacers, a more negative 20mm shorter stem and a seatpost with no setback i got all contact points within millimeters of the old bike. i sit exactly the same on it and am very happy. with the shorter stem the overall burlier bike even feels nimbler than i had hoped for. so i think one should not totally overemphasize the bike frame size, you can always adjust it to your needs. it only gets problematic when its too small and you cant add more spacers, or the other way around and you cant stand over the toptube anymore.

Was between getting a medium and large im the same height as you and I'm happy I went with the medium since people have more problems with having a larger bike vs a smaller one so thanks for the helpful video

Love bike fit Tuesday. Me and Guppy play bike fit bingo. Every time James mentions an ache or pain we tick it off. Wide bars high saddle I've got the lot.

Excellent really enjoyed that very informative

Great video! As an absolute beginner, should you take a change in flexibility into account when picking a bike size? For example, I have an office job and haven't really been to the gym in over 2 years and thus my reach is very bad. I'm 1.93m with an inseam of 93.5cm (so slightly longer legs, shorter torso for my length). On pretty much all bikes I'm right in the middle of 2 sizes, and even after taking a bikefit I still get the advice "It's down to personal preference, because both sizes could be a good fit". I need a high stack / short reach bike, but even if I go for a size 61 endurance frame with not that much reach, I'd still have to shorten the stem from 120mm to 80mm, which is a bit too short for my liking (prefer staying closer to factory setup?). Should I size down to a 58 and put the saddle on the max position with a 90mm stem, or go with a 61, slightly less seatpost exposed, 80mm stem and hope that my reach will improve so I can go with a longer stem later down the road?

I'm 6.1, relatively flexible and ride a 56, alloy endurance bike. Use a 40cm bar, 100mm stem and usually run with two spacers under it. I remember spending time in the bike shop convincing the owner that I didn't need a 58.

I’ve been on a size 56 for 3 years, from a uk manufacturer who recommended that frame size at point of sale. I’ve found I’m too stretched out but have made improvements most recently with the help of an IBFI fitter. Looking to my next purchase I had settled on a Scott Addict as a possible, size 54 gave me a nice 15mm reduction in ETT, with a steeper seat tube and slacker head angle I ought to be a lot less stretched out, went to have a look at one and the shop said “No way you should be riding a 54, more like a 56 or 58. You just can’t get the stack height on a 54, you need to be on a bigger frame to come up and back”. The irony here is that the 54 Addict has a higher stack height than my current 56 size bike! (They then tried to suggest I needed a fit from them, completely disregarding my recent fit) I’m no expert but I think the industry has real issues when it comes to fit, like you say in the video the issue seems to be that a lot of people are on too big a frame, too stretched out. Without an industry all agreed on sizing it is a minefield for the consumer. Fitting is also not guaranteed to be consistent across fitters either.

Excellent information!

Eschewed a fit before purchasing my 54 Emonda, I just wanted to ride and get in shape. The stack and reach are similar to a 52 Emonda, unfortunately the Angles are not that similar. So yeah, don't go by stack and reach only, even though folks online tell you to do just that. Suffering from some neck pain and hand pressure, I took your guys advice and went to IBFI certified fitter in the NYC area, wanted to honestly go to James, money was saved, but alas COVID. First thing I asked the fitter as he was looking over my bike was if the frame size was too big. No, too small maybe, I was honestly shocked by this. I did what James suggested and had the seat set conservatively, fitter felt we needed to raise saddle and front end. Fitter had a jig, we tried new saddles, needed more support to unload weight off my hands, as well crank lengths since I felt tight in the hip area while in drops. Long story short, I do like the shorter cranks, saddle was raised to about 70cm with 165m cranks (my inseam is about 30.5, height about 5'9") no changes to the front end, although it was suggested I go to 80m Stem from 90m. Still have my neck pain, I suggested going with a shorter reach/width bar, fitter felt it wasn't necessary, controls already high even though the reach on the Bontrager bars are 100mm. After watching the last few bike fit Tuesdays, it's clear this frame is probably too big, no clue why the fitter didn't outright tell me that. When I check the measurements he provided, my controls to saddle are about 5 cm too long right now, how the hell is that possible. Maybe I'm measuring wrong, control trough to tip of saddle, that's what the fit says. I feel like the only thing I got out of the fit is probably a decent saddle height & setback. Did my research before going, still feel like I have too much hand pressure, and neck issues. Feel more frustrated than I did before at times. Going to try a new handlebar, and if things don't work out I'd probably toss the frame and get a new fit before purchasing a new frame. Question is, who will do the fitting??? Just sharing with you folks on the perils of purchasing and fitting. Love James, wish he was in NYC, and I hope he reads this. PS Going in I knew I had a slight leg discrepancy because down stroke on Left leg always felt shorter than Right. When I'm on the jig trying positions fitter notices I'm listing to one side, right side, he wasn't sure why, and I quote "that's above my paygrade." At that point I knew I was fucked, sorry for the language. After seeing what James did for a client on Instagram, Shane, I knew he would never utter such shit to a client.

Twenty years ago there were ten sizes, 2 cm difference between each one. Now there are two sizes, too small and too large

Looking forward to this; bike sizing does my head in with so much variation between brands! I’m at the bottom end of a ML in Giant (gravel) so shortening my stem by 20mm has sorted it, I’m bang in the middle of a ML in Merida (road) and my bike fits me like a glove, yet I am a S in a Canyon, so confusing!!

What might have helped more is to show a few situations that help you know the fit is right... for you. For me it's pedaling feel and you can see it change when it's right.. The pedal stroke becomes effortless to keep fluid. That's when I know my saddle height and fore/aft is pretty close to perfect. Short legs, long torso, vs. 50/50 vs Long legs short torso also make a difference on frame size and geo. But showing what "right" looks like in some aspect helps me the most when it comes to videos. ....Especially when I'm fantasizing about fixing a problem rather than just doing it. (The whole point of youtube, right?) But I couldn't agree more that you should get fit on a jig first, then see if those numbers can transfer to your bike. Probably should get fit at least once every 5 years. I'm not the same as I was 20 years ago. I didn't even know what a pro fit was 30 years ago... but I wager it'd have been angle measuring to the bike and likely would've been the cause of problems rather than a fix. So, glad I went with feel/effort/comfort and time improvement based fitting for myself in my early days. The past 20 have been a mixed bag of advice from 'pro' fitters. With people like Steve Hogg changing the scene, I think there is a good chance you can find a good fitter that fits YOU to the bike. Great philosophy.

Yep.... Bought a 56 Synapse (used ) as a first road bike, based on what every website told me i needed to buy. Currently spending more reducing stems, bars, and pissing about with it as my rides get longer and longer. Thankfully... Booking a fit before investing in an upgrade. Love bike Tuesdays!

James has a weird energy… He clearly loves bikes and is very knowledgeable, but the way he talks makes it sound like everything bike-related also pisses him off! 😂

Excellent video. Thanks a ton.

Great video. This is such a hard one to get right.

Even though my bike is relatively new [2 years] and was “professionally “ fitted, your video fuels that inner voice saying..”am I riding the right frame size and does it really FIT me?”...killing me........JK

It strikes me as odd that for how much time manufacturers spend shouting about increased exposed seatpost length and subsequent deflection increasing comfort, that they haven’t invested more in making sure consumers buy a bike that fits them. If you purchase a bike that’s too big for you, it would then be by the manufacturers own logic, harsher to ride because you don’t have enough exposed post for the bike to absorb vibration/impacts as intended.

Thank you so much, just the right information!!! Bike Fit Tuesday’s 😌👌🙏

Excellent video, thanks

I am 6'1" and Trek's sizing puts me on a 60cm frame. I feel most comfortable on a 56cm though which is 2 sizes smaller. LBS is no help in sizing and said my body just needs to get use to the 58. Yet to get the seat where I need it the post is dropped almost all the way down (Trek domane has limited adjustment) and the reach feels stretched to me.

Interesting observations on frame size tending to be too big. I am 6’2”and started out on a 58 cm frame according to the “chart”. After many years of riding I am now on a 55 cm road bike and a 56 cm TT bike. Different manufacturers in all three cases and current sizes giving me the best results.

This is clear as mud. Thanks fellas.

I got myself a Trek bike, but James is right the difference between Trek sizes helps a lot (chart is a good starting point). The chart said I should go with the 56 but while testing on the shop testing terrain the small difference between the 54 & 56 was night and day.

it's fun being 162cm with a 71cm inseam - I'm not only short, I also have short legs for my size. If I were to buy an "endurance" bike from a brand that only goes down to a size 50 I'd be way too stretched out, have the seat post all the way in and a few centimetres lower than the bars... also the 100mm stem length rule of thumb goes out the window with just about any road bike since 28in wheels just simply don't allow a bike to be short enough to allow people my size to run a long stem. Oh, and have I mentioned inevitable toe overlap? I suppose on the flipside it's easy to pick a bike because it essentially boils down to finding the smallest bike with the lowest but also shortest front end across all brands. No need to worry about fancy brands when they simply don't make a bike that fits.

Just remember when downsizing to a smaller frame size that spacers under the stem to increase bar height will (slighty) reduce the reach.

My first road bike was an mid 2000s giant ocr3. It fit me nicely; I didn’t realize how well it fit me until I bought a new bike. It was an old bike when I bought it and I was deep in the N+1 lifestyle. I replaced it with a early 2010s giant defy5, which was the bike giant replaced the ocr with. Later giant separated defy into defy (carbon) and contend (aluminum). What’s perplexing is both my giants endurance road bikes were mediums but one fit much better. I also owned trek, Fuji, jamis, gt roadbikes and hybrids. Never got a professional fit before since I only bought used bikes. New Year’s Eve 2022 I got my giant defy 5 stolen in Berlin. I’m not as broke as I was 9 years ago when I bought the defy 5 so I can buy a new bike and actually get one fitted. I want to go with a giant contend since they say their size is “compact fit” which makes me think it will fit me like my ocr. But I’m also thinking of going with a professional fit, get the geometry and order off Waltly titanium frame. which is a much more expensive option, However if I can get a frame that last me a lifetime (so I don’t need to worry about fit again) then it’s money well spent. My defy lasted me almost a decade and been with me to 3 contents, I say I got my moneys worth from a 400$ used bike.

I call the crucial dimensions the "cockpit" - the seat, hands on bars, and crank/pedals. Primary dimension is the pedal to saddle distance, and setback. This establishes the rider's balance over the crank and leg extension through the pedal circle. Second is effective stack and reach = vertical height from crank center to main hand position (typically 80% on the brake hoods); hood angle usually close to flat, but rotating bars to adjust requires re-measuring and often changing bar extension and stem height. Modern brake/shift units extend up to an inch forward, from old brake hoods, screwing with the fit and reach, while basic frame geometries actually have barely changed in 40 years - short riders still suffer from too long an effective top tube, where no stem is short enough to keep from tipping too far forward. Racers can lean farther forward because their faster speeds, effective lift from airflow, and higher torque balance them, versus a slow recreational rider. Yet most fit formulas plug the same criteria in as the "LeMond fit" circa 1985. As to "Pro Fits": After riding several years with no issues, having been set up by a couple local racers doing fits for shops, my wife splurged for the mid-level fit, from THE "guru" outfit to the stars for decades in Colorado. Not he, but one of his staff changed saddle, height, setback, bars, and reach. Within half a dozen moderate rides up to 40 miles, she developed half a dozen issues; they re-checked her with a different staffer, and changed most everything back to nearly her original setup. Problems resolved. The point is, one needs to be suspicious of a lot of high-tech magic, especially micro-measurements, because on a perfect fit, we move back and forth, up and down, adjusting for gradient, effort, aero position if descending, etc. Find a fitter through word of mouth; they can often intuit by watching you, where a change is needed, regardless of formulas and pricey tools and lasers, etc.

James “Excessive Saddle Height” Thomas

100% agree with the points James. James fitted me for my Festka (which fits great). It is a custom frame, but based around their 52 cm, whereas most manufactures suggest I should be on a 54 or 56 based on my long inseam vs (in a relative sense) short upper boddy.

Got a question from a friend (also 5 ft 10, as James). He got a fit before buying a bike and was also recommended to go for a 52 cm frame with most manufacturers. But he’s struggling because he has longer legs and sometimes this doesn’t align with the minimum required seatpost insertion. Some have recommended to just put in a longer seatpost, some said go up a size and just elsewhere to reach the measurements

I'm a comically short, fat bloke so no amount of bike fit will help, particularly as a fit would cost almost half of what my cheap, Decathlon push-iron did! These videos are amazingly informative though and if I was a wealthier chap, I can completely see the sense in getting a fit BEFORE buying some fancy bike. James' knowledge is incredibly impressive and his passion and enthusiasm are very infectious. So nice to hear someone getting stuck into the inconsistencies of the industry's sizing model. Also great to hear that the aggressive geometry of the race bike is unsuitable for the majority of people ("most consumers shouldn't be riding race bikes" @7:42). From what I've read, most pros are freakishly fit, strong and uniquely adapted to cycling, almost to the detriment of other activities (such as walking around the shops with his girlfriend, according to Tyler Hamilton's book!).