[regnaD kciN]

I'm thinking about having a full fitting done. As I'm just returning to cycling after a couple of decades, I'd be looking at someone who could both fit me to my current, early 90s-era bike, and give me the information that would enable me to do likewise on a future new purchase (if it's possible to do both).

From some things I've read here, it seems like there are a lot of not-well-trained fitters who will take your money and leave you worse-off than before. Wanting to avoid that, I was wondering if anyone here could recommend a good, honest fitter in the Seattle area?

FWIW, the one service I know about that's closest to me is Center Cycle in Renton, which offers the Specialized fitting service. Is that a good choice? I'm a little leery of Center, as it seems to be a mammoth, upscale bike warehouse that makes the local Performance outlet look like a mom'n'pop LBS by comparison. I was also put off by two of their employees, who both eyeballed me and declared that, because I was so-and-so tall, it would mean that I would need a 56 or 58 cm frame, which I know for a fact would be too big for me (I have a long torso and short legs) and, worse yet, both reacted in an almost scoffing manner when I told them otherwise.

 

[redlude97]

I had mine done by Ryan at Veloce Velo on Mercer Island. Comes highly recommended Fit by BikePT - Veloce Velo Bicycles

 

[SilverStar07]

I would recommend either Cycle University Cycle University | Get Ready To Ride which is were I had had mine done or I have heard goods thing about Bothell Ski and Bike bikesale.com . Cycle U has only been selling bikes for a short while, their primary business has always been bike fitting and race training.

SS-

 

[jlwdm]

What about Cascade Bicycling Studio? I don't now about them personally but they look to be worth checking out.

Jeff

 

[bigbill]

Elliott Bay Cycles. Bill Davidson works out of there. I got a good fit at Bainbridge Island Cycles, it makes for a nice day trip.

 

[bahula03]

Chalk another vote for Cycle University- the West Seattle location has been nothing but wonderful every time I've done business with them or just stopped by.

 

[FTR]

Dont know any of them but stay away from any of the big box fitters (Specialized, Retul etc) as all they are doing is squeezing your morphology into their angles.

I have posted this many times and it should be about all you need to fit yourself to your existing bike.
If you are happy with it then replicate that over onto the new bike.

Go to Steve Hogg's blog and then read these posts, in this order:

Premise
Saddle height
Saddle set back

If you want to get fancy after that read:

Arch support
Wedging
Shimming

 

[beacon44]

Hey Silver star, Which cycle University you talking about..

 

[SilverStar07]

I went to the Cycle University in West Seattle (the old location by the stadium, not the new location by Alki) but Sandpoint should do just as good.

SS-

 

[cparrish]

Another vote for veloce velo on Mercer Island. Sammamish Valley Cycle is also pretty good.

 

[grandsalmon]

Since you are getting some good hits/pointers for the area, skip Bothell Ski & Bike -least 'in the round' bike-thinkers I have ever run into.

 

[regnaD kciN]

FWIW, I went to Veloce Velo for a preliminary check (not a full fit). The fitter -- Jeremy, not Ryan -- watched me pedal and decided my saddle, which I had set by the "LeMond method" of (inseam * 0.883) was too low. Based on his eyeballing of my knee extension, he decided to raise my saddle by 4.5 cm, which would seem a pretty extreme change. FWIW, I had been suspecting my saddle was too low, based on my recent observation that I had been bouncing up and down -- as opposed to the counter-problem of rocking side to side -- on the saddle when pedaling at cadences over 100, but I never imagined it would be that far off! A short "test ride" of several laps of their parking lot provided mixed results: while I felt a great deal of pedaling fluidity and, possibly, a bit more power, I also felt rather unstable and about to topple over. (I also found trying to start from a stopped position on any sort of incline rather unnerving.) Obviously, I need a lot more riding to get used to this position. Incidentally, I did the math, and found that this new setting works out to a "formula" of (inseam * 0.93) in my case. Has anyone ever heard of such a high ratio being used elsewhere?