I have this recurring dream. I go to see James for a bike fit. He compliments me on my frame choice and says its the correct size. I ask for narrower bars but he measures my wide shoulders and tells me 44cm is spot on. I beg him to sell me a pair of 4mm axle Ultegra pedals but he won’t, because my narrow pelvis means my Q factor is perfect. I burst into tears and grab a random left Lake shoe from the shelf, running out of the shop and straight into oncoming traffic. Same every night.
Try riding flat pedals in bare feet to your nearest shrink. Sign in for a lifetime plan. Report back here in 5 years with an update. Oh....and get a bus/rail/Uber pass and sign up for Walmart Home Delivery.
35 years ago riding hills in N. Kentucky. Had the good fortune of the local hotshot (maybe cat 2 at that time?), riding up to me saying he could show me a few things. Told me to get a new bar. Said the hoods should be the width of my shoulders. Taught myself and many others the proper way to ride a bike. O.B...thank you.
I highly recommend binge watching all of the "Bike fit Tuesday" videos. I had ridden for nearly 30 yrs on the road w/o any issues, but once I got into my late 40s, I started noticing little niggles of pain. I started making adjustments to my bike position; bars, stem, hood position, saddle, and cleats according to what James said. Now, in my late 50s I have no issues no matter what distance I ride. Key thing is to make MINOR adjustments and ride several times before making any additional changes. It took me about a year's worth of cycling before my position was "perfect" for now, at least until my body gets older and needs another bit of adjustment.
100% I’ve had countless issues fixed from his videos. If I lived in the UK I’d have definitely gone, unfortunately I live on the other side of the planet, but yah the bike fit videos here are rock solid.
Thank you for the time with James. I would tell my customers "a $500 bike is worth more than a $5000 bike if it fits you" Each bike brand has their own take on geometry. If you can buy a bike off the shelf and it fits you. Lucky you. For me the first things to go are the handlebars, stem and saddle😮
True. 8 years ago I bought a Boardman MX hybrid. The saddle was super comfy right away, no doubt due to the geometry. 4 years ago, I bought a Raleigh Motus ebike, (I’m old and live in a river valley surrounded by hills.) and the saddle was awful. I had a brainwave and bought the same saddle as on my Boardman hybrid. Nope, shockingly uncomfortable.
Sorry, but are you really saying it's unlikely to find a bike that fits the buyer? Most bikes come with a degree of adjustment (obviously) to fine tune ideally during a bike fit. Sure there may be some "ideal" changes like cranks with different lengths but they're not essential. I've bought several bikes from different manufacturers and all have fit reasonably well from the off, and subsequently very well after a bike fit (the last two at Bicycle).
@matcat23 not at all. Just speaking from 18 years of experience fitting bikes to customers. For example, most road bikes come with 44 cm handlebar widths. This is usually too wide for the majority of men.
Always enjoy bike fit videos with James. I went to his shop for a fit, sold my bike that was too big for me and got shoes that actually fit, couldn’t be happier and highly recommend him and his shop. Not cheap but definitely a case of you get what you pay for and much cheaper than buying the wrong bike and suffering the discomfort that comes with it.
Lovely. By means of knowledge sharing over the years, James has elevated me from cycling idiot to a reasonably functional cyclist. This, simply from watching the videos; I could imagine how much a better an actual fit would be. One critical gold nugget is THE FOOT. I bought a new better fitting shoe and fine-tuned cleat position... AND WOW.
Always fun to see James going 100 miles an hour, discussing bike fit & anatomy. And the best part of this video was surely Tony's Nowt Daft t-shirt that you're wearing at the end.
Great to have Bikefit Tuesday back. On a Sunday. But these short videos are so wonderfully educational, and I for one, is not replacing my old Cannondale F1 before I've had a proper bike fit. I would be ashamed of myself, after watching BFT! Also, I am old, and need no more pain than I already have, thank you very much.
I've ridden bikes for decades and work in a bike shop that's utility commuting, touring and adventure leaning. I'm very interested in learning how to better solve peoples saddle issues / chosing an appropriate saddle. I'm not afraid to ask "what kind of pain, and where?", but looking at the holistic bike fit is something I struggle to be able to assess (it's critical!), so this video is very helpful. Onwards goes the research.
I got lucky, got a bike 2021, £430 off of rrp, less than half recommended SH price.2554 miles with zero discomfort. So nice to sit in a saddle for 5 hours and carry on the rest day like I hadn't been. Down side is not having the excuse to not go out in the back yard with the strimmer.
Took James advise sometime ago from a video you posted. Bought Lake Shoes and G8 performance foot supports. I have to say that all of my foot issues are now non issues. For context I ride 13,000 to 16,000 kilometres a year and do long brevets.
This is tremendously useful. Thank you. Right, I need to nudge my cleats back and get a pair of longer pedal axles. This channel is fast becoming ‘must watch.’ Chapeau!
The best fit I have on a bike is a walmart-tier fatbike that I put a short stem and BMX handlebars on, which both reduced the reach to the point the bars are nearly in-line with the steerer and raised them up massively. The wide Q factor flat pedals correct my foot/knee posture, I have my glutes engaged without even thinking about it, and riding it earlier fixed the crick in my back I have had for 3 days. My other bikes require constant fiddling, else I start getting at best discomfort or at worst toe numbness or soreness in the rectus femoris where it connects to the knee (not sure if it's the muscle or the tendon). Even just copying the measurements from the fatbike didn't seem to do much. I'm at a loss on what to do to get my other bikes as comfy.
Its not entirely about geometry, its seeing how that geometry forces you into a position thats comfortable for you. If youre copying the geometry of that fatbike onto a dropbar road bike, clearly it wouldnt translate well. Would recommend either gg for a bike fit or getting a trainer (roller or rear wheel) and videoing yourself on the fatbike, overlaying it with a video of yourself on your other bike and seeing the difference in your body position
All of these videos do a valuable job, getting riders to enjoy and therefore want to use their bikes more, which is good news for absolutely everyone. Keep up the great work, and thankyou 👍
Thankfully, I don't have any of these issues. This mostly seems on track, though my impression is that stance is considerably wider these days that when I started riding a lot in the mid-70s.
How much would a bike fitter hate me for using flats on a road bike? At the end of the day I'm riding for fun and fitness, not trying to smash KOMs, and flats just give me more confidence. I also spent 8 years MTBing with flats which is also a reason for sticking with them.
the most dramatic upgrade I've had so far was getting a pair of perfectly fitting shoes. crazy thing is they were about a third of the price of the ones I was replacing.
I told a fitter I was wearing out my handlebar tape just this way and had hand numbness. They never measured my shoulders, recommended the same width bars that I was riding , and recommended both a longer reach and a longer stem. Finding a good fitter is like finding a four leaf clover.
Please Show us a bike fit change when a person moves from spd SL to spd and vice versa, I recently did that with my new bike, went to a MTB Cleats from road, dint change the shoe as it fits both cleats
great tips in this video and a few of them have applied to myself throughout the years. e.g. as I lost weight I started getting bilateral saddle sores, which had never happened before in 4 years of commuting to work, and ultimately getting a wider saddle solved it.
Thanks! I have definitely suffered from "shoe was too narrow so I moved up in size and positioning the cleat properly wasn't possible" and "saddle was too wide and destroyed my shorts"
Holy shit that Cube Aerial was my very first roadbike! It went to a friend who took it overseas on a volunteer trip and I miss it so much. What a lovely surprise seeing it again!
I was literally just watching older videos with James about stance width and I am 100% convinced that I need a wider stance, my question however is, how wide should I go? I know moving the cleat gives about 5mm but I would much rather space the pedals out themselves. Pedal washers are only about 1.2mm? I can get pedal axle extenders but the shortest are around 16mm.
Hi Francis and James. My inner thighs are rubbing against the front of my saddle clamp and saddle rails. This rub wears the stitches (of the chamois) and the fabric of my bibs in this area and, ultimately, tears a hole, slightly faster on the right side. Is this something you've already seen? People I've talked to seem to find inner thighs rub pretty odd. I'm really wondering if there is something obvious I should look at : maybe the shape, the width of my saddle? my stance, cleats, q-factor? something else? Tearing my bibs is pretty annoying and I'd appreciate any suggestion. Thanks a lot.
Here's a question that maybe a bloke like James can help answer. A while back I got a pro bike-fit (From someone with lots of top quality reviews, certifications etc - definitely a well liked and trusted professional, but I'll leave them as anonymous in-case this is interpreted as a poor review). At the time my main complaints were pain in the outermost part of the ball of my right foot, lower back pain, and neck pain - almost all of which were low grade/non-existant at a ride's start but got worse with time in the saddle. The fitter changed a whole bunch regarding the bike - including a shorter stem, a new wider saddle with pressure relief channel, saddle height lowered, and slightly more spacing of the pedals. They also advised I get new shoes (as I was wearing some 2 sizes too small apparently!) so I bought the pair of lakes they advised. The problem is I feel as though I've only got more pain and issues as a result. I now get the foot pain in both feet, and I feel I have a lot more pressure on my hands which is uncomfortable. I've ridden at least 450 miles since that bike fit just to be sure it wasn't a short-term 'getting used to a lot of changes' sort of thing. So the question is whether I should go back and get checked out again, or if the issue lies elsewhere? I'm a heavy bloke at 116kg and 6'5 height so I'm inclined to believe a big part of the problems are my 28% body fat and lack of core strength and such, and that tied with the cost of a bike fit makes me hesitant to get back in touch with the fitter and get another look. How much of my pain is likely to be position related, and how much of it is likely to be fitness related? I'll just say as an addendum that the fit I had was an excellent experience. They were clearly very knowledgeable but never tried to upsell me - or in-fact try to sell me anything at all, unless they thought it would make a significant improvement to my riding experience (And even then, it was much more of a "Well you can buy this one, but feel free to source one yourself and drop me an email if you want and I'll make sure it's the right specs"). End of the day this is essentially physiotherapy, and last time I checked physios don't expect to just nail it first time and you'll be fixed for life. It would not surprise me at all if it actually requires 2 or 3 sessions to really get the position bang on.
I’ve had varying experiences in my 4 dif bike fits in the US. None of them ever gave me my “fit numbers” but sold me on loads of dif footbeds and bike parts(some helped, some didn’t make sense). Now I suspect I’m on bikes that are too long and can’t easily purchase a new bike without another fit! I wish there was a standard training for fitters, I’ve been to a retul, an old school fitter and a physio and I still have most of the problems you describe. Can you do a fit virtually? 😁
The best guidance would probably be to find out, if there are any pro teams in your area and what fitters they use. Chances are, they are at least somewhat competent and not there to sell you stuff.
Getting high arch insoles for my shoes fixed 3/5 of my fit issues since I didn't realize how much added stress it was putting on my knees and hips under load
I think my saddle issues really are just the chamois not being wide enough and my "seat bones" sitting on the seams. Pressure mapping looked ok (on a Selle SMP VT30c) And the shorts brake, the chamois rips at the seams too, you can see the seam ripping holes in the cover. Symmetrically on both sides. Hilarious. That's on Castelli, the Assos Reform are much wider and work a lot better, but could still use a wider one.
Francis! Many thanks. Love the info that he puts out. I'd love to schedule a fit with him... but I'm scared that he'll tell me what I don't really want to hear! LOL! You know... the truth!
I'd love to book a fitting for the first time in 50 yrs of riding but, does one include a flight from Tasmania, too? A great range of fitting aspects to consider for newbies or oldies as our bodies don't stay the same for long and adaptation is always required for us humans with an anatomy. ;-) Narrow bars, my 17yo self tried the widest bars, 15in. I've just remeasured my shoulder width (on my 6'2"/188cm frame) at 38cm/15". My 46cm bars never felt too wide, but what's with this craze to 'narrow bars' when almost no-one is riding the standard 13"/36cm bars of old anyway? Sounds a little like all the gossip telling everyone to drop their crank length. For me to go below my current 180/177.5 sizes. I'm using 40 & 44cm bars now, with 46s just for my 110 metre hillclimb bike, go figure! You've included so much, and even a lot to do with how different bodies need different considerations, well done!
I have a strange fit question that's taking me forever to track down. If I'm in a good session of mid-range continuous power I have virtually no pain. But when I'm in a long ride, especially with a buddy, which involves me coasting a lot as we match speeds, then towards the end of the ride (especially after a rest), it feels like someone is pulling out my toenails. It was particularly pronounced after a few hours in the gravel where I was under power, but lightening my seat off the saddle a bit. One thing I noticed is that I'm rotating my ankle out (pronating? Turning the sole of my foot inward?) Is this an improper shoe fit? Ankle instability (mine are shot)? Or too narrow a stance? I have no saddle pain, my arms and hands are fine, no knee pain, no foot pain, except my toenails hurt for about an hour after the ride.
A lot of the bike fitting theory seems to start with the assumption that the rider already has good core muscle strength, which if poor can result in arching of the back and rotation of the pelvis, leading to pressure on the narrower part of the saddle and excessive weight on the arms. Would be good to see how to address the 'core' issues too!
Also, we aren't all riding road bikes! Can we have bike fitting videos for people on tourers, Dutch bikes, bikepacking MTBs and the like, where comfort over the miles is more important than aero and looks.
Hi, im a noobie here, Is there also information about bike fitting how legs should be positioned, what are symptoms if your saddle is too low or your handlebars are too short?
0_00 Wear on a handlebar tape 0:58 Rolling handlebars up 1:26 Excessive wear on the cranks 2:41 Outside foot pressure 4:06 Saddle sores 6:48 Wear on shorts 7:28 Toe scrub 8:32 Foot numbness 10:26 Any pain Missed one. Help please
Some time ago, I pointed out to a TH-camr that the wear on the demonstration bikes bar tape could be an indication that his reach was possibly too long. This wasn't appreciated, so I am very happy that James has just confirmed that my comment was justified
@@troycollett8540 George Vargas ,who seems to be a friend of Reginald Scott, was also critical of my observations and claims to have 20 years experience as a bike fitter.
You won't find Reginald to be open to feedback. And he can get rather nasty and snarky. He is absolutely convinced that he knows everything and that there is nothing more to know.
Oh, and worth noting that his prior advice got this very tall rider to make two key changes that I'd never even considered: 1) get cleat positioning plates to move them back further (so much better even than the slammed back I'd always done) 2) getting the adjustable arch inserts to find the right setting for height and position. This one happened to have been backed up by an unrelated visit to a podiatrist.
Thanks for all the bike fit videos you've produced over the years. Request though, there seems to be an emphasis (understandably) about issues caused by too much reach but not any coverage for the latter. I'm curious how little reach is too little and what issues arise when a reach is reduced too much or how to find a good reach to begin with?
Not enough reach makes you sit more upright than necessary. You might notice this from too much pressure on your sitbones, sometimes also sore lower back.
I have found that much of the discomfort was gone l when I increased my saddle height significantly. I'm sitting like 3 cm higher than any of the common methods for determining the correct saddle height suggest. Now, my knee pain as well as the neck pain is gone...and no other discomfort has occurred.
My cranks also rub but that's more because of the opposite, bikes q-factors have become wider and wider and I have to put my foot closers to the pedals and therefor more rub. It's also because my pedal motion isn't very straigth, but saying that bikes are narrower and narrower is bullshit, q-factors have become larger not more narrow!
I'd love some bike fit James content for the other end of his usual content spectrum: us super narrow people! I need the narrowest saddle I can find and my cleats slammed all the way outboard.
Cleats all way back, saddle down, will see tomorrow on longer ride. Handlebars next then... I have a bit of a problem. Rather small hands. Hence I need handlebars with very small reach and drop. Something like Ritchey Beacon, that is 80mm drop and 65mm reach. So anything in a similar ballpark, but with less flare at the drops? Done a bit of digging and the only one that is coming close, to be frank even better, is yet again, Ritchey. Corralitos. At 67.5mm drop and 52mm reach. Problem is, the narrowest option is at rather mighty 460mm. In theory 440mm, but that particular size seems to be somewhat like unobtanium... Any suggestions? Cheers! I.
What about deliberately choosing wider bars for gravel bikes for example - as per MTB. I guess this is road specific and would be tailored to individual and riding style with a proper fit.
What would be the first things to check if there's significant wear on only one grip (right one)? Happening on a flat bar gravel bike. No pain or discomfort really. Average ride distance 50-150km.
Whatever the amount is, you must have a minimum thread engagement depth of 11 mm. If you're running carbon crankarms, you must use at least one washer/pedal.
One question please? I get numbness on my left hand / wrist area sometimes. Could this be due to always wearing my watch? Which potentially restrict some blood flow without any notice?
If I weren't living the US I would have already been to the shop to see James as his knowledge seems to unbelievably surpass that of the person that did my fit. 🙁
Great tips. I’ve been experiencing some pain on the outside of my right ankle, under the lateral malleolus (? The ankle bone that protrudes). Had a bike fit and he recommended inserts. I have high arches and am somewhat duck footed, particularly on the right foot. I adjusted my cleat to a more natural position, which resulted in heel strike on the chain stay. I’ll just added a couple pedal washers to correct that. I reduced my saddle height by about 10mm from the fitting as well, as it felt to high to me. I’m 57 and ride between 130-180 miles a week, all year round, so I thought it was just repetitive motion stress. I changed my shoes also, so I could move the cleats back. Any ideas? Thanks!
I would love to have a proper session / fit with James I was ever in the UK, or him in AUS with his equipment. I've had some lingering foot numbness ever since I started riding over a year ago. The numbness comes on when i start climbing or pushing in a hard gear and eases when i clip out or get out the saddle. It seems to come and go with different intensities but is always 'present'. I have had a 'pro' bike fit from a reputable bike fitter with a portfolio to back it up and i have revisited him to get a cleat placement a few months after my fit. I have tried 4 different types of shoes (i currently have wide BONT shoes), innersoles and different saddles. I feel super comfortable on the bike and i dont think the 'fit' is the issue. I run shimano cleats, should i change cleat systems? longer axel pedals? My bike fitter suggests to put a padded tape in my shoe for more 'cushioning' but i dont see that really working. I feel as though it is holding me back as i want to get into crit racing but don't know if i can put up with the numb feet.
What lake shoes are those when talking about outside foot pressure? I suffer from tendinitis along the top of the foot and frequent lace bite, esp with hard boa wire systems. Interested in a burrito tongue style design but wasn’t aware lake made those!
At what distance is the indicator "Any Pain" not a good measure anymore? I feel like on a long ride, it's normal to feel some pain, isn't it? (I'm talking about 200km+ here)
My legs are Uneven lengths (left is longer than right). Can I compensate by changing the left hand side to a shorter crank, or lengthening my right hand crank? Or is there a platform to put between the cleat and pedals? Which would be the best solution?
Hi James, I get sadly pains after about 30 mins of riding. I attributed this mostly to cheap shorts. However now that you are talking about leg length discrepancy I'm curious what to do about it? I have a leg difference of 14mm. In my normal shoes I have insoles that compensate 7mm. Should I look at a shim of 7mm to put underneath my cleat? I can't use my insoles because the back of my cycling shoes are too low so my foot would stick out with the insoles in.
I guess when you are a hammer everything looks like a nail? First time I've heard saddle sores blamed almost totally on poor bike fit? So guys like Laurent Fignon and others who famously suffered with them would have avoided it all if they'd only stopped by your fitting studio? HIgh-quality (and clean, clean, clean) cycling shorts and a high-quality saddle with a bit of chamois creme (my fave is Hibros) would be the first thing I'd recommend after decades in the bike biz. Find a shop who'll let you test-ride a selection of saddles. Finding the right one for you makes a huge difference.
I have this recurring dream. I go to see James for a bike fit. He compliments me on my frame choice and says its the correct size. I ask for narrower bars but he measures my wide shoulders and tells me 44cm is spot on. I beg him to sell me a pair of 4mm axle Ultegra pedals but he won’t, because my narrow pelvis means my Q factor is perfect. I burst into tears and grab a random left Lake shoe from the shelf, running out of the shop and straight into oncoming traffic. Same every night.
Oddly specific
😂
not creepy at all! 😳
Try riding flat pedals in bare feet to your nearest shrink.
Sign in for a lifetime plan.
Report back here in 5 years with an update.
Oh....and get a bus/rail/Uber pass and sign up for Walmart Home Delivery.
🤣
35 years ago riding hills in N. Kentucky. Had the good fortune of the local hotshot (maybe cat 2 at that time?), riding up to me saying he could show me a few things. Told me to get a new bar. Said the hoods should be the width of my shoulders. Taught myself and many others the proper way to ride a bike. O.B...thank you.
I highly recommend binge watching all of the "Bike fit Tuesday" videos. I had ridden for nearly 30 yrs on the road w/o any issues, but once I got into my late 40s, I started noticing little niggles of pain. I started making adjustments to my bike position; bars, stem, hood position, saddle, and cleats according to what James said. Now, in my late 50s I have no issues no matter what distance I ride. Key thing is to make MINOR adjustments and ride several times before making any additional changes. It took me about a year's worth of cycling before my position was "perfect" for now, at least until my body gets older and needs another bit of adjustment.
100% I’ve had countless issues fixed from his videos. If I lived in the UK I’d have definitely gone, unfortunately I live on the other side of the planet, but yah the bike fit videos here are rock solid.
Thank you for the time with James. I would tell my customers "a $500 bike is worth more than a $5000 bike if it fits you" Each bike brand has their own take on geometry. If you can buy a bike off the shelf and it fits you. Lucky you. For me the first things to go are the handlebars, stem and saddle😮
Oh. Congrats to Francis on his nuptials 😊
True. 8 years ago I bought a Boardman MX hybrid. The saddle was super comfy right away, no doubt due to the geometry. 4 years ago, I bought a Raleigh Motus ebike, (I’m old and live in a river valley surrounded by hills.) and the saddle was awful. I had a brainwave and bought the same saddle as on my Boardman hybrid. Nope, shockingly uncomfortable.
@@alethearobinson8132, who has he married?
Sorry, but are you really saying it's unlikely to find a bike that fits the buyer? Most bikes come with a degree of adjustment (obviously) to fine tune ideally during a bike fit. Sure there may be some "ideal" changes like cranks with different lengths but they're not essential. I've bought several bikes from different manufacturers and all have fit reasonably well from the off, and subsequently very well after a bike fit (the last two at Bicycle).
@matcat23 not at all. Just speaking from 18 years of experience fitting bikes to customers. For example, most road bikes come with 44 cm handlebar widths. This is usually too wide for the majority of men.
Always enjoy bike fit videos with James. I went to his shop for a fit, sold my bike that was too big for me and got shoes that actually fit, couldn’t be happier and highly recommend him and his shop. Not cheap but definitely a case of you get what you pay for and much cheaper than buying the wrong bike and suffering the discomfort that comes with it.
Was your bike one size too big or was it worse?
I'm a simple man. James talks. I listen.
Glad to see James back again. Love his advice. 👍🇮🇪
I am watching your video from a different country and my english is not good enough. But your video is universal. Thats why I can understand.
Lovely. By means of knowledge sharing over the years, James has elevated me from cycling idiot to a reasonably functional cyclist. This, simply from watching the videos; I could imagine how much a better an actual fit would be. One critical gold nugget is THE FOOT. I bought a new better fitting shoe and fine-tuned cleat position... AND WOW.
Always fun to see James going 100 miles an hour, discussing bike fit & anatomy. And the best part of this video was surely Tony's Nowt Daft t-shirt that you're wearing at the end.
my thought the same. this is a 20 min video at 200% sepeed
Great to have Bikefit Tuesday back. On a Sunday. But these short videos are so wonderfully educational, and I for one, is not replacing my old Cannondale F1 before I've had a proper bike fit. I would be ashamed of myself, after watching BFT! Also, I am old, and need no more pain than I already have, thank you very much.
I've ridden bikes for decades and work in a bike shop that's utility commuting, touring and adventure leaning. I'm very interested in learning how to better solve peoples saddle issues / chosing an appropriate saddle. I'm not afraid to ask "what kind of pain, and where?", but looking at the holistic bike fit is something I struggle to be able to assess (it's critical!), so this video is very helpful. Onwards goes the research.
I had a proper bike fit recently and was recommended pedals with 4mm longer axle and it's made things much more comfortable.
I learned more in this 12 minutes video than i have in the last few days learning about bike fitting! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
I got lucky, got a bike 2021, £430 off of rrp, less than half recommended SH price.2554 miles with zero discomfort. So nice to sit in a saddle for 5 hours and carry on the rest day like I hadn't been.
Down side is not having the excuse to not go out in the back yard with the strimmer.
We missed you James, glad you're back
Can’t recommend James and the team at Bicycle highly enough. Total revelation. Fit first if you can.
Took James advise sometime ago from a video you posted. Bought Lake Shoes and G8 performance foot supports. I have to say that all of my foot issues are now non issues. For context I ride 13,000 to 16,000 kilometres a year and do long brevets.
how do you ride so much?
@@ajayrathore8704 pretty much ride every day even if its a short ride. Got into this habit when I was working by commuting to work.
This is tremendously useful. Thank you. Right, I need to nudge my cleats back and get a pair of longer pedal axles. This channel is fast becoming ‘must watch.’ Chapeau!
Don't think I have ever seen a James video without a Lake shoe dropping by to say hello!
They must be good.
Bicycle sold me both road and gravel Lake shoes post-bikefits. Lovely shoes, I've not had any issues since.
@@matcat23 Bont fan here, but I'm glad to hear qualified raves about Lake.
Lake have changed my life. I wish I’d found them sooner.
They are very high quality shoes
The best fit I have on a bike is a walmart-tier fatbike that I put a short stem and BMX handlebars on, which both reduced the reach to the point the bars are nearly in-line with the steerer and raised them up massively. The wide Q factor flat pedals correct my foot/knee posture, I have my glutes engaged without even thinking about it, and riding it earlier fixed the crick in my back I have had for 3 days.
My other bikes require constant fiddling, else I start getting at best discomfort or at worst toe numbness or soreness in the rectus femoris where it connects to the knee (not sure if it's the muscle or the tendon). Even just copying the measurements from the fatbike didn't seem to do much. I'm at a loss on what to do to get my other bikes as comfy.
core work and stretching are your frendz
Its not entirely about geometry, its seeing how that geometry forces you into a position thats comfortable for you. If youre copying the geometry of that fatbike onto a dropbar road bike, clearly it wouldnt translate well. Would recommend either gg for a bike fit or getting a trainer (roller or rear wheel) and videoing yourself on the fatbike, overlaying it with a video of yourself on your other bike and seeing the difference in your body position
All of these videos do a valuable job, getting riders to enjoy and therefore want to use their bikes more, which is good news for absolutely everyone. Keep up the great work, and thankyou 👍
Great to see James back on the channel 👍......the advice is pragmatic and will certainty help cyclists achieve a comfortable position.
We need more James clips going forward
James content is always worth watching. Fantastic video
Thankfully, I don't have any of these issues. This mostly seems on track, though my impression is that stance is considerably wider these days that when I started riding a lot in the mid-70s.
How much would a bike fitter hate me for using flats on a road bike? At the end of the day I'm riding for fun and fitness, not trying to smash KOMs, and flats just give me more confidence. I also spent 8 years MTBing with flats which is also a reason for sticking with them.
the most dramatic upgrade I've had so far was getting a pair of perfectly fitting shoes. crazy thing is they were about a third of the price of the ones I was replacing.
My best shoes are from Decathlon. I just need some insoles for arch support but otherwise they fit really well.
My fear is that the best fitting shoes might be the worst looking ones...
Thanks so much. I have had pain on my 5th metatarsal for ages and couldn't figure out why. Shifted cleats over a few mil and so far amazing. Thank you
Very useful tips James - thanks especially the pain in my feet while pedalling, will try lowering the saddle height.
Incredibly professional and great insights, Thanks James!
I told a fitter I was wearing out my handlebar tape just this way and had hand numbness. They never measured my shoulders, recommended the same width bars that I was riding , and recommended both a longer reach and a longer stem.
Finding a good fitter is like finding a four leaf clover.
thank you for bringing us more BF James
Please Show us a bike fit change when a person moves from spd SL to spd and vice versa, I recently did that with my new bike, went to a MTB Cleats from road, dint change the shoe as it fits both cleats
Nice pace, good info.
Oddly, for me the heads are too far out, but the flat bar is too close.
Fascinating points flagged up, I may have to fly into London for a visit!
great tips in this video and a few of them have applied to myself throughout the years. e.g. as I lost weight I started getting bilateral saddle sores, which had never happened before in 4 years of commuting to work, and ultimately getting a wider saddle solved it.
Thanks! I have definitely suffered from "shoe was too narrow so I moved up in size and positioning the cleat properly wasn't possible" and "saddle was too wide and destroyed my shorts"
I've already improved my comfort a lot on my bike from watching your videos. Thank you
Best ever Bikefit James video - and that is saying a lot - so much great info - thanks to both
Holy shit that Cube Aerial was my very first roadbike! It went to a friend who took it overseas on a volunteer trip and I miss it so much. What a lovely surprise seeing it again!
You came out of the box with such a bang my dog ran away.
James ”The King” of Bikefitting!😃😃
I was literally just watching older videos with James about stance width and I am 100% convinced that I need a wider stance, my question however is, how wide should I go? I know moving the cleat gives about 5mm but I would much rather space the pedals out themselves. Pedal washers are only about 1.2mm? I can get pedal axle extenders but the shortest are around 16mm.
Great video, covered several problems I am currently experiencing
I have missed this man!
Hi Francis and James. My inner thighs are rubbing against the front of my saddle clamp and saddle rails. This rub wears the stitches (of the chamois) and the fabric of my bibs in this area and, ultimately, tears a hole, slightly faster on the right side. Is this something you've already seen? People I've talked to seem to find inner thighs rub pretty odd. I'm really wondering if there is something obvious I should look at : maybe the shape, the width of my saddle? my stance, cleats, q-factor? something else? Tearing my bibs is pretty annoying and I'd appreciate any suggestion. Thanks a lot.
YOU SIR have fixed me troubles, thank you so much
Here's a question that maybe a bloke like James can help answer.
A while back I got a pro bike-fit (From someone with lots of top quality reviews, certifications etc - definitely a well liked and trusted professional, but I'll leave them as anonymous in-case this is interpreted as a poor review). At the time my main complaints were pain in the outermost part of the ball of my right foot, lower back pain, and neck pain - almost all of which were low grade/non-existant at a ride's start but got worse with time in the saddle. The fitter changed a whole bunch regarding the bike - including a shorter stem, a new wider saddle with pressure relief channel, saddle height lowered, and slightly more spacing of the pedals. They also advised I get new shoes (as I was wearing some 2 sizes too small apparently!) so I bought the pair of lakes they advised.
The problem is I feel as though I've only got more pain and issues as a result. I now get the foot pain in both feet, and I feel I have a lot more pressure on my hands which is uncomfortable. I've ridden at least 450 miles since that bike fit just to be sure it wasn't a short-term 'getting used to a lot of changes' sort of thing. So the question is whether I should go back and get checked out again, or if the issue lies elsewhere? I'm a heavy bloke at 116kg and 6'5 height so I'm inclined to believe a big part of the problems are my 28% body fat and lack of core strength and such, and that tied with the cost of a bike fit makes me hesitant to get back in touch with the fitter and get another look. How much of my pain is likely to be position related, and how much of it is likely to be fitness related?
I'll just say as an addendum that the fit I had was an excellent experience. They were clearly very knowledgeable but never tried to upsell me - or in-fact try to sell me anything at all, unless they thought it would make a significant improvement to my riding experience (And even then, it was much more of a "Well you can buy this one, but feel free to source one yourself and drop me an email if you want and I'll make sure it's the right specs"). End of the day this is essentially physiotherapy, and last time I checked physios don't expect to just nail it first time and you'll be fixed for life. It would not surprise me at all if it actually requires 2 or 3 sessions to really get the position bang on.
116kg is too fat for bike comfort. Around 100kg is where you start to be comfortable.
Bike Fit James!!!! Love seeing these videos as I always learn something.
My saddle is always on right side, IV me dropped my saddle lol great video good to see you back
I’ve had varying experiences in my 4 dif bike fits in the US. None of them ever gave me my “fit numbers” but sold me on loads of dif footbeds and bike parts(some helped, some didn’t make sense).
Now I suspect I’m on bikes that are too long and can’t easily purchase a new bike without another fit!
I wish there was a standard training for fitters, I’ve been to a retul, an old school fitter and a physio and I still have most of the problems you describe. Can you do a fit virtually? 😁
The best guidance would probably be to find out, if there are any pro teams in your area and what fitters they use. Chances are, they are at least somewhat competent and not there to sell you stuff.
These are the best videos you produce!
Getting high arch insoles for my shoes fixed 3/5 of my fit issues since I didn't realize how much added stress it was putting on my knees and hips under load
Massive thanks to you for giving us so much important insight! ❤
I think my saddle issues really are just the chamois not being wide enough and my "seat bones" sitting on the seams. Pressure mapping looked ok (on a Selle SMP VT30c)
And the shorts brake, the chamois rips at the seams too, you can see the seam ripping holes in the cover. Symmetrically on both sides. Hilarious.
That's on Castelli, the Assos Reform are much wider and work a lot better, but could still use a wider one.
Always good content and very interesting with James
Another excellent video from James.
Francis! Many thanks. Love the info that he puts out. I'd love to schedule a fit with him... but I'm scared that he'll tell me what I don't really want to hear! LOL! You know... the truth!
I'd love to book a fitting for the first time in 50 yrs of riding but, does one include a flight from Tasmania, too?
A great range of fitting aspects to consider for newbies or oldies as our bodies don't stay the same for long and adaptation is always required for us humans with an anatomy. ;-)
Narrow bars, my 17yo self tried the widest bars, 15in. I've just remeasured my shoulder width (on my 6'2"/188cm frame) at 38cm/15".
My 46cm bars never felt too wide, but what's with this craze to 'narrow bars' when almost no-one is riding the standard 13"/36cm bars of old anyway? Sounds a little like all the gossip telling everyone to drop their crank length. For me to go below my current 180/177.5 sizes. I'm using 40 & 44cm bars now, with 46s just for my 110 metre hillclimb bike, go figure!
You've included so much, and even a lot to do with how different bodies need different considerations, well done!
I have a strange fit question that's taking me forever to track down. If I'm in a good session of mid-range continuous power I have virtually no pain.
But when I'm in a long ride, especially with a buddy, which involves me coasting a lot as we match speeds, then towards the end of the ride (especially after a rest), it feels like someone is pulling out my toenails.
It was particularly pronounced after a few hours in the gravel where I was under power, but lightening my seat off the saddle a bit.
One thing I noticed is that I'm rotating my ankle out (pronating? Turning the sole of my foot inward?)
Is this an improper shoe fit? Ankle instability (mine are shot)? Or too narrow a stance?
I have no saddle pain, my arms and hands are fine, no knee pain, no foot pain, except my toenails hurt for about an hour after the ride.
Well, best explanation No BS Thanks
A lot of the bike fitting theory seems to start with the assumption that the rider already has good core muscle strength, which if poor can result in arching of the back and rotation of the pelvis, leading to pressure on the narrower part of the saddle and excessive weight on the arms. Would be good to see how to address the 'core' issues too!
Also, we aren't all riding road bikes! Can we have bike fitting videos for people on tourers, Dutch bikes, bikepacking MTBs and the like, where comfort over the miles is more important than aero and looks.
Hi, im a noobie here,
Is there also information about bike fitting how legs should be positioned, what are symptoms if your saddle is too low or your handlebars are too short?
Instant Love!!! Love to your work and info you providing! :)
0_00 Wear on a handlebar tape
0:58 Rolling handlebars up
1:26 Excessive wear on the cranks
2:41 Outside foot pressure
4:06 Saddle sores
6:48 Wear on shorts
7:28 Toe scrub
8:32 Foot numbness
10:26 Any pain
Missed one. Help please
Some time ago, I pointed out to a TH-camr that the wear on the demonstration bikes bar tape could be an indication that his reach was possibly too long.
This wasn't appreciated, so I am very happy that James has just confirmed that my comment was justified
Who was that
@@troycollett8540 Reginald Scott, it was about taping bars the wrong way being the better way.
@@troycollett8540 George Vargas ,who seems to be a friend of Reginald Scott, was also critical of my observations and claims to have 20 years experience as a bike fitter.
You won't find Reginald to be open to feedback. And he can get rather nasty and snarky. He is absolutely convinced that he knows everything and that there is nothing more to know.
Thanks to your advice I rode pain free all the time. Just did a 8 hour ride, and didn't feel any pain!
Don t forget that roads are not flat, they are usually rounded to evacyate water making you lean more toward the center of the road
Known as camberwell
Awesome video ❤thank you so much for sharing your knowledge😊
Nice to see James back again. Although funny for him to not be 'Angry James' 🙂
Oh, and worth noting that his prior advice got this very tall rider to make two key changes that I'd never even considered: 1) get cleat positioning plates to move them back further (so much better even than the slammed back I'd always done) 2) getting the adjustable arch inserts to find the right setting for height and position. This one happened to have been backed up by an unrelated visit to a podiatrist.
This is fantastic. Good job!
Thanks for all the bike fit videos you've produced over the years. Request though, there seems to be an emphasis (understandably) about issues caused by too much reach but not any coverage for the latter. I'm curious how little reach is too little and what issues arise when a reach is reduced too much or how to find a good reach to begin with?
Not enough reach makes you sit more upright than necessary. You might notice this from too much pressure on your sitbones, sometimes also sore lower back.
I have found that much of the discomfort was gone l when I increased my saddle height significantly. I'm sitting like 3 cm higher than any of the common methods for determining the correct saddle height suggest. Now, my knee pain as well as the neck pain is gone...and no other discomfort has occurred.
Some great comments
I added pedal axle extenders to my pedals and they're great. And cheap!
My cranks also rub but that's more because of the opposite, bikes q-factors have become wider and wider and I have to put my foot closers to the pedals and therefor more rub. It's also because my pedal motion isn't very straigth, but saying that bikes are narrower and narrower is bullshit, q-factors have become larger not more narrow!
I'd love some bike fit James content for the other end of his usual content spectrum: us super narrow people! I need the narrowest saddle I can find and my cleats slammed all the way outboard.
Cleats all way back, saddle down, will see tomorrow on longer ride.
Handlebars next then...
I have a bit of a problem. Rather small hands. Hence I need handlebars with very small reach and drop. Something like Ritchey Beacon, that is 80mm drop and 65mm reach. So anything in a similar ballpark, but with less flare at the drops?
Done a bit of digging and the only one that is coming close, to be frank even better, is yet again, Ritchey. Corralitos. At 67.5mm drop and 52mm reach. Problem is, the narrowest option is at rather mighty 460mm. In theory 440mm, but that particular size seems to be somewhat like unobtanium...
Any suggestions?
Cheers!
I.
What about deliberately choosing wider bars for gravel bikes for example - as per MTB. I guess this is road specific and would be tailored to individual and riding style with a proper fit.
I ride flats and have never experienced any of these issues. Could the option of movement that flats offer mitigate these problems?
What would be the first things to check if there's significant wear on only one grip (right one)? Happening on a flat bar gravel bike. No pain or discomfort really. Average ride distance 50-150km.
Great video guys! Do you do any bike fittings in Texas???
Always a treat, these Bikefitting with James episodes. One question: How many millimeters of washers are safe to add to get the pedals outwards?
Whatever the amount is, you must have a minimum thread engagement depth of 11 mm. If you're running carbon crankarms, you must use at least one washer/pedal.
One question please? I get numbness on my left hand / wrist area sometimes. Could this be due to always wearing my watch? Which potentially restrict some blood flow without any notice?
If I weren't living the US I would have already been to the shop to see James as his knowledge seems to unbelievably surpass that of the person that did my fit. 🙁
Great tips. I’ve been experiencing some pain on the outside of my right ankle, under the lateral malleolus (? The ankle bone that protrudes). Had a bike fit and he recommended inserts. I have high arches and am somewhat duck footed, particularly on the right foot. I adjusted my cleat to a more natural position, which resulted in heel strike on the chain stay. I’ll just added a couple pedal washers to correct that. I reduced my saddle height by about 10mm from the fitting as well, as it felt to high to me. I’m 57 and ride between 130-180 miles a week, all year round, so I thought it was just repetitive motion stress. I changed my shoes also, so I could move the cleats back. Any ideas? Thanks!
1:42 Thanks for that lightbulb moment.
Currently going through the process with James at the moment,.
I would love to have a proper session / fit with James I was ever in the UK, or him in AUS with his equipment. I've had some lingering foot numbness ever since I started riding over a year ago. The numbness comes on when i start climbing or pushing in a hard gear and eases when i clip out or get out the saddle. It seems to come and go with different intensities but is always 'present'. I have had a 'pro' bike fit from a reputable bike fitter with a portfolio to back it up and i have revisited him to get a cleat placement a few months after my fit. I have tried 4 different types of shoes (i currently have wide BONT shoes), innersoles and different saddles. I feel super comfortable on the bike and i dont think the 'fit' is the issue. I run shimano cleats, should i change cleat systems? longer axel pedals? My bike fitter suggests to put a padded tape in my shoe for more 'cushioning' but i dont see that really working. I feel as though it is holding me back as i want to get into crit racing but don't know if i can put up with the numb feet.
What lake shoes are those when talking about outside foot pressure? I suffer from tendinitis along the top of the foot and frequent lace bite, esp with hard boa wire systems. Interested in a burrito tongue style design but wasn’t aware lake made those!
Is there any chance of showing a bike fit for those who prefer flat pedals - not clipless? Cheers
At what distance is the indicator "Any Pain" not a good measure anymore? I feel like on a long ride, it's normal to feel some pain, isn't it? (I'm talking about 200km+ here)
Can’t wait to test CX333 😍
My legs are Uneven lengths (left is longer than right). Can I compensate by changing the left hand side to a shorter crank, or lengthening my right hand crank? Or is there a platform to put between the cleat and pedals? Which would be the best solution?
What could be the cause of quad soreness compared to any other muscles in the legs?
Hi James,
I get sadly pains after about 30 mins of riding.
I attributed this mostly to cheap shorts.
However now that you are talking about leg length discrepancy I'm curious what to do about it?
I have a leg difference of 14mm.
In my normal shoes I have insoles that compensate 7mm.
Should I look at a shim of 7mm to put underneath my cleat?
I can't use my insoles because the back of my cycling shoes are too low so my foot would stick out with the insoles in.
I guess when you are a hammer everything looks like a nail? First time I've heard saddle sores blamed almost totally on poor bike fit? So guys like Laurent Fignon and others who famously suffered with them would have avoided it all if they'd only stopped by your fitting studio? HIgh-quality (and clean, clean, clean) cycling shorts and a high-quality saddle with a bit of chamois creme (my fave is Hibros) would be the first thing I'd recommend after decades in the bike biz. Find a shop who'll let you test-ride a selection of saddles. Finding the right one for you makes a huge difference.
Thank you so much for this!
...also *_congratulations_* to you & Dani