Bike Fitting

Bliss Bikes offers a comprehensive bike fitting service to ensure you are correctly positioned on your bicycle, whether you are looking for a competitive advantage, or to rid yourself of discomfort whilst out on your weekend ride.

There are a wide variety of gadgets and services to help ensure a good bicycle fitting. One thing that works above all else is experience! Our senior fitter Scott Hargrave has worked in the bicycle industry for over 20 years, racing in the UK and beyond on Mountain Bikes, Cyclo-Cross Bikes and Road Bikes, and has experienced first hand, at the sharp end, how a correct fit can enhance performance and comfort on the bike. Following some basic principles of fitting, which Scott has honed over the years and used to develop bicycle frames, combined with the latest fitting technology, we feel we can get you in your perfect position on the bike, whatever your aspirations.

We work with www.bikefitting.com to provide our fitting services. There are many companies out there now offering fitting hardware and software, but www.bikefitting.com is one of the most established, and has a staggering database of fitting data which is constantly updated to offer the best results. We also like that www.bikefitting.com offer several levels of fitting, from comfort through to professional cyclist, so now professional bike fitting is not exclusively for those wanting to perform at the highest level, but also for those just wanting to get the most out of their precious time on the bike.

Here is a basic overview of what we do when looking at a bike fitting, once we have completed a short interview questionnaire:

FEET FIRST (All fittings)

One often neglected area in fitting is your feet. it is the most important contact area between you and your bicycle. Power is driven from your feet, balance whilst climbing is supported by your feet, and the mechanical movement of your feet during the pedal stroke, and even while freewheeling, has an impact on comfort and performance. This is why we always start from the ground up; We analyse your feet to check for any biomechanical nuances, and to give an indication of any further potential issues that can be corrected or allowed for such as your alignment on the bike whilst pedalling, and your balance. For some customers, simple correct set up of your cleats on your shoes may suffice in achieving a good position. For others we can look at custom made foot beds, placed inside your cycling shoes, to help align your pedal stroke and reduce pressure on your feet, knee joint, hips and lower back. This can all sound complicated, but it is a simple and straightforward process without the need for ‘smoke and mirrors’

BIOMECHANICS – OR ‘Are things moving how they should be?’ (Silver & Gold Fittings)

We look at your flexibility and history, to see how much freedom of movement you are allowing your body to have whilst on the bike. It is amazing how a few simple stretches can significantly enhance your flexibility on the bike, reducing tight muscles which in turn can lead to potential discomfort and problems later. We suit this process to YOU. We don’t assume every rider wants to be an Olympian. If you are even just a fair weather cyclist, we can help you to feel more comfortable whilst spending your precious free time on the bike.

BODY MEASURING

   

We take some key measurements from you, to help ascertain your optimum position. Using this data, and a profile of your riding style, we can start to build a picture of a starting point for correct fit. We then factor in any medical history, injuries, and customer requirements to further enhance this fit. At this point we will have a basic set of measurements that we can start to work with.

CURRENT BIKE SET-UP (Silver & Gold Fittings)

If we are looking to work with you on an existing bike, we will place it into our laser fitting jig called a DIGITAL ANALYSER and take some reference measurements. We will then compare those measurements to those we feel are appropriate, to determine if there are any adjustments we can make to enhance your fit. This could just be a change in seat position, it may be changing a handlebar stem or handlebar. But with your current bike as a comparison we can now identify any potential improvements, and confirm the frame you have is the right size for you in the first place!

MOTION ANALYSIS OPTION (Gold Fittings)

For those wanting an optimum fit or looking to remedy discomfort on the bicycle, we have the only bikefitting.com real-time motion analyser in the UK. Normally found in sports institutes and team headquarters throughout Europe, the motion analyser uses small Phillips webcams to measure biomechanical movements in the knees, shoulders and the pelvis to identify any imbalances and problems in your cycling position. Using the analyser software we can then make small adjustments to your position to improve your alignment on the bicycle, reducing stresses through the knee, pelvic and upper body regions.

PEDAL CLEAT ADJUSTMENT (Silver & Gold Fittings, Or As An Individual Service)

 

We also offer a cleat adjustment/set up service, where we use a piece of equipment to measure your foot and identify the optimum fitting position for your cleats, and then can use this measurement to correctly identify the correct position for your cleats. Adjustments are then made to ensure that your pedal action is fluid and stress to the knee joint and hip flexors is reduced, to give you more comfort and improved performance

SUMMARY

Professional bike fitting isn’t only for the elite racer. And it also shouldn’t carry an elite price tag. Our fitting service offers a comprehensive and yet competitively priced range of options, to allow you to get the most from your current bike, or make sure you buy the right new bicycle.

For further information or to make a fitting appointment contact us on 01403 713 470.

PRICING

Professional bike fitting is a time intensive process, so do allow around 2 hours for a GOLD level fitting. When you make an appointment with Bliss Bikes for a bike fitting, you will have the reassurance that our fitter will be focussed on your requirements throughout the appointment, and will provide a full summary of the fitting service to you by means of a fitting report after the process is complete. A follow up adjustment to the fitting is offered free of charge in the rare case it is required:
 

*The price shown is for one bicycle. If you wish to have another bicycle set up with the same data results, we can do this for an additional £45.00

HOW DO I MAKE A BOOKING?

Just call us on 01403 713 470 or contact us via our website to make a booking. Fitting is by appointment so that the fitter can give you their full attention throughout the session. When you come for your fitting, please bring your bicycle (Unless you are after dimensions only for a new bike), and your cycle clothing as you will be on your bike on a turbo trainer (Don’t worry, we wont ask you to do any sprints!) and we need to be able to see key areas to analyse your alignment and movement. Changing facilities are on site, so you don’t have to turn up in your Lycra.

What do I get out of the fitting?

You will have a bicycle which has been carefully adjusted to your measurements, to improve comfort and performance. Your data will be saved on our system so that it can be raised or used again in the future. And we will give you your fitting results via email so that you have your own record of our comments and recommendations. We also offer a follow up appointment free of charge to check you are happy with your set-up and address any questions you may have following your appointment with us.