Is it worth it for my dad to get his bike fitted in Boston?

October 1, 2007 2:18 PM

Is it worth it to get my dad a professional bike fitting? Where in Boston?

My father bikes recreationally, doing 10-20 mile road rides, sometimes longer, as well as around town. He's had a hybrid-style bike for years, and been very happy with it. This past year, he sprung for a higher end bike, still a hybrid (I don't remember the brand, but it was a decent one.) He bought it from his local bike shop, and they custom installed several things for him (I think he changed the number of gears, had them install a light, etc.)

Unfortunately, he has not been happy with his new bike -- it just never felt right to him. He's been back a few times, asking them to adjust the bike, but it's never improved.

I don't have any reason to think the people at his bike shop are incompetent; however, it is a relatively small city, it's quite possible that they have never been trained in professional bike fitting. I live in a big city (Boston), and I know there are shops around here which sell bike fittings, at a price. I'm considering paying for a fitting like this for his upcoming birthday. I'd have him bring his bike along the next time he comes to visit me.

Two questions, then:

1. Does a professional fitting seem like a wise idea? Or are these services mainly intended for very heavy cyclers, racers and the like? I can spend up to about.. $300 or so, including parts and labor, but I only want to do that if there's a good chance of this making things better for him.

2. Any recommendations for places around Boston or Cambridge that would be good?

Bonus question: I've been bugging him for years to get cleats; this seems like as good a time as any. He's not sure, since he's riding the bike sometimes on errands. How can I/ should I convince him?

posted by wyzewoman to sports, hobbies, & recreation (10 comments total)

1) A pro fitting can make all the difference. You might consider, if it's feasible, to take the old bike (the comfortable one) in along with the new bike, to help establish a geometry baseline.

Bonus: Get pedals that have SPD on one side, and are flat on the other.
posted by notsnot at 2:34 PM on October 1, 2007

Nice present. Ace Wheelworks is pretty good and has a shop in Cambridge. International Bike is where I've always gone. I think they have a setup geared more toward serious riders. But that doesn't mean the recreational rider wouldn't benefit. ATA seems a little pouty, though friends have recommended it for bike stuff in general. If Broadway Bike has a fitting service, there would probably be a pleasantly educational component to it (versus a "high end service" ambiance that might exist at IB).

I made the transition to SPD a few years ago. They take a little practice (read: maybe a few falls). If he's up for that, then he'll probably love them. They are waaaaaaay more efficient for pedal stroke/power output. I use them even on short rides (errands and such). With heavy traffic I find I reserve a bit of brain to thoughts of "remember to get out of pedals if you have to stop quickly" but if I rode more often that would get ingrained.
posted by cocoagirl at 2:43 PM on October 1, 2007

Harris Cyclery is probably as good as any place. It's in West Newton and is home to the esteemed Sheldon Brown.
posted by marionnette en chaussette at 2:44 PM on October 1, 2007

You're just a few minutes away from Harris Cyclery, home of the legendary Sheldon Brown.

Also, there are fittings and there are fittings. Your father might be able to get away with the former. Bike guys who really know their stuff can often eyeball-fit you and get very close. If you were dropping a C-note at a bike store and said "do you have anyone who can look at my position on the bike and see if I've got it set up OK?" there's a good chance they'd give you advice gratis (especially if it meant selling you a new stem and seatpost or whatever).
posted by adamrice at 2:45 PM on October 1, 2007

Thanks to everybody so far! Adamrice, that's exactly the sort of thing I wanted to know... I do think my father could get away with the former "fitting", but it needs to be with somebody who really knows his/her stuff. It sounds like this Harris Cyclery place might be a good place to start.
posted by wyzewoman at 2:59 PM on October 1, 2007

Sheldon Brown is the shit! Go there.
posted by randomstriker at 3:39 PM on October 1, 2007

He doesn't even want to use cleats? Uh oh. This may have nothing to do with how well he's fitted, and everything to do with what he's used to. That is, he may like a professional fitting even less.

I've found that it's generally useless to try and talk my less-serious cycling friends out of their lower saddle positions, kickstands, schraeder valves ("but with these I can inflate it at a gas station..."), gel saddles, and whatever else. They just want things the way they want them.

If you try any changes though, remember there's a long adjustment period, even if you make the changes incrementally. When Greg Lemond raised his saddle position, he only did it by a quarter-inch a week.
posted by Rich Smorgasbord at 4:05 PM on October 1, 2007

I think it's great that your dad's riding a bike and that you want to give him the gift of a good fitting. Good for both of you!

That said, any shop that asks for more than $40 or $50 to perform the fitting is totally ripping you off. Buy your dad $250 of delicious lobster dinners if you like -- but don't get taken by a shop that wants to mystify the process in order to extort money from you.
posted by gum at 4:28 PM on October 1, 2007

I have a friend who got fitted at the Ace Wheelworks near Porter Sq. and had a good experience. I think it was around $30.
posted by clockwork at 9:25 AM on October 2, 2007

As much as I benefited from a pro fit (MASSIVELY!), your father's bike may not be that well suited to being modified during a fit. With a road bike, it's not that difficult to change the handlebars, stem length or angle, seat height, angle or setback. With a hybrid, you may be limited to just seat tweaks if the handlebars and stem are one big piece.

Also WRT clips, it doesn't take that long to get used to them and they aren't a problem for me on an errands or the commute. I use double-sided Shimano SPD cleats with MTB shoes, so entry/exit is easy and I can walk around in my shoes if need be. Even better might be the Time ATAC double-side pedals with a platform. Can be used with/without cleated shoes.

Note: he will fall over at least once by coming to a stop while clipped in. Not knowing his age, etc. this might be a concern for bone breakage. Also, clipping out could be troublesome with certain knee conditions. I have terrible knees, but clips haven't bothered me a bit.

WRT price, assuming the bike is reasonably modifiable, a $100+ price tag would be worth it IF the fitter really knows what they are doing and have had a lot of experience. It's not that hard to be certified in this bike system or that one which are based on rulers and tables. You should be paying for experience, not lasers.
posted by turbodog at 11:39 AM on October 2, 2007