Bike Fit Follow-Up

At this point, I've got in 250 or so miles since the fitting with Jess Bratus of fitmi!. I've ridden as long as 73 miles and as short as 20 miles. What I have now is a bike that gets even more comfortable the more I ride it.

Round One wasn't a rousing success. The SMP Avant saddle that felt good on the trainer in the fit studio proved not to work for me on the road - I'm actually convinced that it actually had too much padding. In an effort to get me in a more upright position, she swapped out my 8 degree stem for a taller 17 degree model. While the shorter reach felt better, bike handling quality really went downhill.

Just like ski boot fitting, bike fitting is a process. It's such a myriad of small adjustments and every body structure is different. So, back I go. Jess immediately smiles and says, "Well, sounds like we need to do a follow-up fit session - we'll get all that taken care of easily enough!" Cool - that's what I want to hear from my master fitter; confidence.

At my initial fitting, Jess mentioned that she had some new saddles coming in from SQ Labs of Germany. A number of long-distance riders are thrilled with this line and she feels really good about what she's learned. Fortunately for me, but my second visit, they had arrived. We quickly settled on 611 Race model. This model seems to fit my need for minimal padding with some flex in the seat base. Feels much better than the SMP on the trainer, so I'm cautiously optimistic.

Next is the stem. In addition to making my sweet ride look like Grandma's upright condo cruiser, introduces some really squirrely handling. At the first fit we'd discussed my traditional bend Bontrager bars (and how they fit almost no one!) and swapping them for a shorter reach bar with more compact drops. This will enable me to return to the stock stem, but get a shorter reach for a more relaxed stance. So, a pair of FSA Vero Compact bars are ordered. She's eager to get me able to comfortably ride in the drops, for more efficiency and to be able to comfortably vary riding position on longer rides.

I head off happy and feeling like we're making progress, full well knowing that the proof will be on the road.

In the morning I set off on my regular 35 mile training loop. From the outset, I'm liking this saddle. It's got the pressure relief of the SMP for the nether regions (or "soft tissue" as the industry so delicately refers to them, but rather than feeling like I'm sitting "in" it, I feel as though I'm "on" it. My sit bones seem to rest at the right location as well. It's a little harsh, but feels like this is more ass acclimitization and saddle break-in than anything else. Best of all, my ride is faster than before, while feeling like I'm not working as hard.

Lizard Skins bar tape - SWEET!

A few days later, my handlebars show up. I take advantage of this to replace the bar tape. Jess suggests the Lizard Skins DSP 3.2mm. In addition to a nice tacky grip and good cushioning, the tape is actually RED rather than the pinkish of my previous Bontrager tape.

The following day's ride is EPIC! Saddles feeling really nice and these bars are such an improvement! The miles melt away and I return home happy. In the ensuing week, I knock off a 64 and a 73 mile ride. Both feel great, but best of all is the next day - no lingering soreness. This tells me we got it! I'm now riding 50% of the time in the drops so that makes me happy.

Up next? The 'cross bike. When I started this, I was really looking to fine-tune for longer rides. Whereas on the 'cross bike, I know I have some issues.

If you're in SE Michigan and having fit issues, I highly recommend a visit to Jess. You won't be disappointed!

-Sean-