Bike fit guide for multiple bikes

[54ny77]

I've got a few bikes and tend to get within pretty reasonable spittin' distance on uniformity of fit, or close enough to work. I eyeball it close enough, basically, and then make adjustments over weeks/months during rides to dial it in comfortably. (I've had a few professional fits over the years, and their adjustments to what I set up tend to be pretty miniscule.) I don't sweat the millimeters and can make just about anything work. One thing I really do enjoy is the variance of bike/frame "feel" when riding an N+1 collection, since there's different materials amongst them.

For years I didn't ride much, a 30-40 miler here and there maybe once a week at most, which meant I could make pretty much any bike work for the occasional ride. Body would adapt.

Am starting to get more miles under the legs recently, however, and over a couple recent weeks I rode one bike only. It was on the smaller side, racy position, with 170 cranks. Probably a few hundred miles consistently, some days easy but some days with a group and trying to keep eyeballs from popping out.

Then one day I hopped on another rig, bigger frame (an Ottrott), with 172.5's. Positioning was more relaxed. Super comfy. I dunno what happened during the ride but after about 5 or so miles my knee hurt like a mot*(&!^!!!. Literally couldn't stand up. Searing pain. I powered through it for another 30+ miles just to get a good ride in, and mistake or not I could at least still get it done but had to sit down pretty much the entire ride.

Got me to thinkin'.....I should probably get fit dialed in more consistently. I can vaguely recall a wooden device out there that is a good tool to measure consistency for reach, seat height, etc. Is that ringing any bells out there?

Suggestions appreciated.

[gone]

www.purelycustomfit.com

The xy tool will get you as close to exactly the same as you’re willing to take the time to achieve.

Alternatively, tape measure and level but the xy tool does make it easier.

[weisan]

I dunno what happened during the ride but after about 5 or so miles my knee hurt like a mot*(&!^!!!.

I suspect it's more than just "fit", it could be a combination of things.

I have gone through this process myself. Replicating the fit on your bikes will not solve all the problems.

You need to be more in tune with your body, your bike, other external factors - and how they all work together to create a certain outcome. And that will come with time, if you are willing to experiment, try different things, analyze, learn as you go.

Fit is only one piece of the puzzle.

I know you are not a newbie. Just sharing my perspective.

[witcombusa]

They don't have to all fit the same. I depends on their use.
Crank length, set back, reach, bar drop, BB height, front center distance may all very to some degree on each of your builds.

Vive la difference!

[jamesdak]

I dial mine in pretty much all of mine the same save for some variance on bar height/width lately now that my bad back has gotten better.

I just use a simple yardstick and took all the reference points from the bike I had my pro fit done on. I have the bottom bracket to saddle point marked, bottom bracket to center of saddle setback, and center of saddle to bars as my main reference points. Both of my knees are shot so saddle height and setback are critical to me. The measurements are off 172.5 crank arms and I do adjust for the couple of bikes I have with different size arms. My prefered handlebar width is 42 but I can deal with a 40. Anything narrower or wider get's swapped.

I use a simple plumb line for the setback adjustment. These simple tools make it quick and easy to dial in a bike and I also carry them with me when I go look at a new (vintage) possible purchase.

For me as a collector of vintage bikes I tend to have to buy a lot of stems, seatposts, and handlebars. Oh and saddles. But it's all good fun. No sense in having all the bikes if I can't ride them comfortably.




And not to argue with the above comments about, "they all don't need to be the same". That may be true if your body is healthy to a degree. But this ol' jacked up vet has blown discs in his lower back, a bad left foot, knees shot to hell, bad elbow, damaged neck, and a bad shoulder. I also tend to ride a lot and rotate through all my bikes. For me getting to my proper fit position does matter. Mostly critical to the knees since I've been able to workout the back issues after several years.

I'm still sorting out an old TT setup bike with a very forward position. I'm going to give it a try but it won't surprise me if the knees can't take it. I've tried this before and it hasn't worked.

[54ny77]

thanks that's helpful. sweet n+1 room!

Originally Posted by jamesdak

I dial mine in pretty much all of mine the same save for some variance on bar height/width lately now that my bad back has gotten better.

I just use a simple yardstick and took all the reference points from the bike I had my pro fit done on. I have the bottom bracket to saddle point marked, bottom bracket to center of saddle setback, and center of saddle to bars as my main reference points. Both of my knees are shot so saddle height and setback are critical to me. The measurements are off 172.5 crank arms and I do adjust for the couple of bikes I have with different size arms. My prefered handlebar width is 42 but I can deal with a 40. Anything narrower or wider get's swapped.

I use a simple plumb line for the setback adjustment. These simple tools make it quick and easy to dial in a bike and I also carry them with me when I go look at a new (vintage) possible purchase.

For me as a collector of vintage bikes I tend to have to buy a lot of stems, seatposts, and handlebars. Oh and saddles. But it's all good fun. No sense in having all the bikes if I can't ride them comfortably.




And not to argue with the above comments about, "they all don't need to be the same". That may be true if your body is healthy to a degree. But this ol' jacked up vet has blown discs in his lower back, a bad left foot, knees shot to hell, bad elbow, damaged neck, and a bad shoulder. I also tend to ride a lot and rotate through all my bikes. For me getting to my proper fit position does matter. Mostly critical to the knees since I've been able to workout the back issues after several years.

I'm still sorting out an old TT setup bike with a very forward position. I'm going to give it a try but it won't surprise me if the knees can't take it. I've tried this before and it hasn't worked.

[unterhausen]

I have trouble with my knees when my seat is a little high.

Transferring fit between bikes is one thing that most of us don't do a good job with. I was down at the bike shop one time and they were adjusting the fit on a customer's new bike. He got the new bike, and hated it. Turned out his fit was totally different on the new bike, and once they adjusted that, he was happy with it. I think a lot of people don't have the same reach and drop between bikes. I have found that drop is really important, and it can be off quite a bit. I switched bikes once and intentionally made the bars 1" taller. Once I got rid of that, the bike was transformed.


I think the wooden thing you are talking about is the fitstick. I have one, It's really clunky to use. I think a drywall square, a tape measure, and a ruler would probably work better. And the Abbey tools fitting tools look pretty attractive.

[Spaghetti Legs]

You can put me in the camp of “fit doesn’t have to be precise”.

I have two main numbers that I use in making my close to 20 bikes somewhat uniform. Fore and aft distance, which I call “reach” (although that term, I believe has a different definition for others) is top tube and stem length and then a vertical measurement from the pedal spindle along the crank and seat tube to top of saddle. A little weird, I know, but that, in my mind, accounts for differences in crank length. I then adjust the fore and aft on the saddle based on where my butt settles out while riding.

[joosttx]

Abbey Tools makes a fitting system to dial in multiple bikes. It’s expensive .
https://www.abbeybiketools.com/colle...cts/saddle-fit

[Hindmost]

Sheetrock t-square, meter stick, 6 inch scale, binder clips, small plastic square, reasonably flat floor---though improvised, I can measure things pretty accurately.

[happycampyer]

Not sure how you measure saddle height, but I always measure from the center of the bottom bracket. If you do the same, don’t forget to take into account the fact that the crank lengths are different, so if the BB-to-saddle height is the same on both bikes, it’s actually 2.5mm higher on the Ottrott. A difference like that is quite noticeable to me.

Regarding crank length, of course there have been dozens of threads here and elsewhere about how it does/doesn’t matter, but I have found as I get older my hips and knees prefer the smaller circle shorter cranks make. You might want to try swapping 170mm cranks on the Ottrott to see if you notice a difference.

As far as measurement goes, I have a fancy-schmancy Specialized contraption that attaches to cylinders that screw onto QR skewer ends, but for quick jobs I also use a sheetrock t-square and a tape measure. Make sure the bike is level.

[54ny77]

Gratzie, all!

Yep de facto the Ottrott is more comfy, higher, etc. Less drop too. Was on the Z5 for a few weeks and going zoom zoom till I could zoom zoom no more, then went for an easy ride last weekend on your old rig and poof! went the knee...

Funny ride today: some guys from a local very fast group caught me on the road, I was on the Poghliaghi. They were all on etap, e-shift, pimped out disc'd carbon everything, and complimented the vintage steed.

They were gracious, I sat in the back on my 23 lb retro rig doing my best to hang in there.

Originally Posted by happycampyer

Not sure how you measure saddle height, but I always measure from the center of the bottom bracket. If you do the same, don’t forget to take into account the fact that the crank lengths are different, so if the BB-to-saddle height is the same on both bikes, it’s actually 2.5mm higher on the Ottrott. A difference like that is quite noticeable to me.

Regarding crank length, of course there have been dozens of threads here and elsewhere about how it does/doesn’t matter, but I have found as I get older my hips and knees prefer the smaller circle shorter cranks make. You might want to try swapping 170mm cranks on the Ottrott to see if you notice a difference.

As far as measurement goes, I have a fancy-schmancy Specialized contraption that attaches to cylinders that screw onto QR skewer ends, but for quick jobs I also use a sheetrock t-square and a tape measure. Make sure the bike is level.

[makoti]

Originally Posted by joosttx

Abbey Tools makes a fitting system to dial in multiple bikes. It’s expensive .
https://www.abbeybiketools.com/colle...cts/saddle-fit

I like that. When's the next sale?