The Future of Bike Fitting
Through years of research, they’ve come up with these numbers, angles and ranges which when used will supposedly give the majority of people the best bike fit, and this is what traditional bike fit (bike shop owners, RETUL fits etc) go by.
Theres 2 main problems I can see with this:
These numbers dont take anything else into account - age, flexibility, muscle weakness, type of riding (casual cyclist vs long distance triathlete), previous history, and many, many more factors that should be considered during a fit.
The ranges are wide - the recommended knee angle is 27 - 37 degrees. How do we know if where in that range you should be? One person would be better nearer 27, the next at 27.
What you tend to get is a fitter will either aim for the middle - 32 degrees, or just aim to get you somewhere in the range. I dont think this is good enough. People come to see me hoping to leave with a bike they feel amazing on, not a bike that feels awful but is “perfect” on paper. Most cyclists love data, but at the end of the day knowing that your knee angle is 32 degrees and “perfect on paper” isnt going to make any difference if your back is still hurting from the mornings ride! You’re better off having a knee angle of 26 degrees and actually enjoying your ride!
So what do I do? I use these numbers as a guide rather than something to aim for. I really take on board how you feel and your feedback for each of the many positions we try, and this way I know that we have got the perfect position. It does take longer but I really believe it provides a better, more personal fit.
It does turn out, the majority of the time what the cyclist says feels good will be within the recommended ranges, but by doing it this way I know, and more importantly you know, that we have found where in the range is best for you.