Fit Session at Fitzy’s

Over the past couple of years I have had my saddle height & position checked on my road and mountain bikes but I have never gone through a complete fit session. When I made an appointment for a complete fit at Fitzgerald’s Bicycles with newly trained fit specialist JayP, I had two goals:

Goal #1 was to verify my saddle height & fore/aft position on my Air9 race bike because I have been trying new saddles and moving things around a bit.

Goal #2 was to evaluate my current road bike fit, make any adjustments Jay recommended, and then use these numbers for a future road bike purchase. This would also tell whether I am a candidate for a custom road bike or whether I can look at stock sizes and still achieve a proper fit.

Upstairs Pro Shop and Fit Studio

Jay’s background as an ultra-endurance cyclist gives him a unique perspective as a bike fitter. Jay knows firsthand what it feels like to ride a bike for a long time and what issues can arise over the course of a long ride or race. Jay’s workspace, the fit studio at Fitzgerald’s, is PRO. The upstairs location gives you some privacy and the dedicated space is equipped with a stretching table, video equipment, and the latest Serotta fit tools.

We accomplished Goal #1 pretty easily as my position was very close to spot on. We did slide my saddle back about 5mm to get my knee in a better position.

The Serotta Fit Cycle

So PRO

The second part of our session involved the Serotta Fit Cycle. Jay used the geometry numbers from my current Orbea Orca road bike to duplicate my current position on the Serotta Fit Cycle and then we started tweaking things a bit. I have logged many 6 hour rides in the saddle of my Orca so I knew my position wasn’t drastically off but we did decide that I would benefit from reducing my reach by about 1cm. The other bit of good news was that I can easily fit “most” standard 56cm road frames as long as the head tubes are not ridiculously short. Once we dialed in my fit on the Fit Cycle, we used the Serotta XY Tool to apply those measurements to a couple of frames on the floor to see whether a proper position could easily be achieved.

My current Specialized footbed on the left, eSole modular fotbed on the right

A key part of any bike fit should address the feet. Shoe fit, insoles, and cleat position are very important to long-term comfort and efficiency. Fitzy’s is carrying a new insole from eSoles called eFit Supportive and this insole is unique because it is modular. Each insole comes with four different arch supports and two metatarsal pads so you can create your own perfect fit. Having dealt with Hot Foot issues over the past two years I was very excited about this product and purchased a pair to try so I will report back once I have some miles on them.

In my opinion, a complete fit session is one of the best investments you can make in your cycling and will provide far more benefit than lighter bits & pieces on your race bike. We are fortunate to have a dedicated fit specialist and fit studio at Fitzy's.