Looking for a really good fitter in the NoVA/DC area
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I would highly recommend Clovis at Fresh Bikes. You can read about him on their website and he works out of all of their locations. A 2d fit is fine for most people or 3d if you have medical issues etc. he just changed my stem, lowered my bars, put spacer/ washers on my pedals and new sole inserts in my shoes. also new saddle with less padding and its all more comfy. I cant recommend him enough but see him during the week....3pm on saturday is a little crazy
I'm experienced with Clovis at Freshbikes. He's good. But probably one of the best anywhere is near Annapolis with this guy
Legacy+Vantage Fit - Parvilla Cycle & Multisport, Edgewater, The home of Custom Bikes in the Mid-Atlantic
Legacy+Vantage Fit - Parvilla Cycle & Multisport, Edgewater, The home of Custom Bikes in the Mid-Atlantic
I have not. Is it a bike shop? I have been to the specialized retailer in ashburn and the LBS in reston town center. they were okay nothing special. I only looked at bikes though, no ideas about fitters. Freshbikes Bethesda is close to my work and they are good but the guys in arlington are real pros. I also bought a felt from revolution- the fitting there was a JOKE!
@stanseven: A bit far for me, but it seems worth it. The video they have of the fit process is pretty impressive.
@Donn12: HPC = Hefler Performance Coaching They are not a bike shop but are joining forces with Green Lizard. I kind of like that they are not a bile shop. Maybe not so inclined to try and sell you a lot of parts??
@Donn12: HPC = Hefler Performance Coaching They are not a bike shop but are joining forces with Green Lizard. I kind of like that they are not a bile shop. Maybe not so inclined to try and sell you a lot of parts??
There are only two fitters I would consider in the entire area and that's Clovis at Freshbikes and Stu at Parvilla. Neither will try and sell you something you don't need - you might need a different stem for example. But if you don't want to get one from them, they won't push; they will tell you what size to get on your own.
Thanks again Stan. That is very helpful. Just by looking at the websites, Stu has some pretty fancy technology & equipment over there. Freshbikes doesn't say so much what they use. Not that all that fancy tech is totally needed if you are a good fitter. Freshbikes would be a lot more convenient for me. For a recreational rider (I do a lot of long rides), would it really be worth it to go to Annapolis or would what I would get from FB be pretty much the same?
Both places use similar Retul systems. Stu also uses the dynamic fit until which allows him to make slight adjustments on the stationary bike positions while you pedal. He has meters in the cranks/pedals to measure how the adjustments affect power so you and he get immediate feedback. Otherwise you have to get off the bike while the fitter makes adjustments in saddle position and height, stem, bars, etc, and then get back on.
You can give Stu a call and talk with him. He's a very nice and interesting person. You can also stop by Freshbikes and see how their system works. But be careful - their choice of bikes is tempting enough to buy a new one. It's one of the top high end shops in the country.
You can give Stu a call and talk with him. He's a very nice and interesting person. You can also stop by Freshbikes and see how their system works. But be careful - their choice of bikes is tempting enough to buy a new one. It's one of the top high end shops in the country.
I looked at the FB site some more and it looks like they use BG.
Bike Fitting | Freshbikes Cycling
Bike Fitting | Freshbikes Cycling
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2,497 Posts
Retul = BG.
Both are now owned by Specialized.
Both will cram your morphology into their systems angles.
Find a fitter who actually talks to you and tries to understand your personal fit issues, injuries etc rather than hooking you up to a camera and computer.
Do you assume a fitter who may use BG, and Retul as tools do not talk to you, try to understand your personal fit issues, injuries etc? The two fitters being discussed here are very highly regarded professionals. Retul and BG are different systems even though Specialized bought an interest in Retul.
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Not from my experience.
And both work on their preset angles and then manipulate you to fit those angles.
Well, there are also many people who have been very happy with the two fitters being discussed here. I assume you have used neither. I've seen Steve's blog. Looks very good. Id be thrilled to work with him but I'm in the USA. I'm frankly not able to translate his recommended methods into my own fit. I tried the seat balance thing and although it makes sense to a degree, I could not determine what the ideal setback was. Nor could I look at myself in a mirror and see the "sudden acceleration" of the knee that he discusses. I want a professional who has done this 1000s of times and has the experience and expertise.
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2,497 Posts
I have had BG and Retul fits.
1 BG fit was completely unrideable.
Both BG and Retul fits left me injured.
Both recommend cleat positions way forward and as a result seat heights that are higher.
Higher seat positions and forward cleats equal stretching to the pedal IMO.
Steve does not recommend you trying to watch yourself in a mirror to fit yourself so I am not sure why you were doing that.
No comment on the "experience and expertise" of a "professional" using a camera and computer program.
I appreciate your input, but unfortunately, it is not helping me find a good fitter in my area. I know I would not want to use the fitters that you were unhappy with, but I assume they are in Oz, so they would not be high on the list anyway. 
Hogg's site shows he has 4 certified fitters. Two are in the USA, but in a different part of the country, so that will not work. Do you have a recommendation in the Northern Virginia, Washington DC area?
Thanks
Hogg's site shows he has 4 certified fitters. Two are in the USA, but in a different part of the country, so that will not work. Do you have a recommendation in the Northern Virginia, Washington DC area?Thanks
Yes. I have bad knees, or actually, a bad left knee. Its been "ok" so far this season, but lets me know it is unhappy on long/tough rides. By the end of last season it was getting unbearable. I'm running my saddle a bit lower and a bit farther forward which "seems" to help some. I think it is at the expense of some power, but at this point, its a tradeoff Im ok with. I also switched to Speedplay zeros which I think has helped some as well. what I'm looking for is to have my cleats, saddle position to be the most "knee friendly" possible without sacrificing power, any other fit changes that would help with the same.
Try Spokes in Vienna. I've never had a fitting done there, or anywhere else, but I know they do them there with some kind of system (Serotta maybe). They're real nice people and never try to push anything on you. Amusingly, most of them are fans of steel bikes with Campy. Neither of which is on the floor. They all drool when I bring my Merckx in.
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