DC Area Bike Fit recommendations?

[brendan]

The Context…with an attempt to be succinct.

My partner currently has two bikes she rides, her steel commuter, a Fuji road bike (not sure what model/year, but steel so probably late 1990s/early 2000s) and her longer-distance ride, a Jamis Xenith Endura carbon fiber women’s road bike.

She rides the Fuji about 90 commuter miles a week year round, plus around town errand/social extra miles. Though heavy, the Fuji feels good. It may be a frame size too small at 48 or 49cm. Maybe. 650b wheels (running 23mm/28mm front/rear tires), rack mounts…but sadly no clearance for fenders. It came with 340mm (no really, we measured) handlebars which feel right to her, plus the width matches her shoulder width.

The Jamis, for group/distance rides, is probably a size too big at 54cm and it came with WIDE 420mm handlebars which she’s in the midst of swapping out for a much narrower set (360 or 380mm, I believe). The Jamis also came with 172.5 cranks, which are probably too long.

We have discussed professional bike fit among ourselves and she’s spoken to staff at a shop or two. There are some things they can offer: knowledge, adjustments (seats, cleats), low-cost part swaps (seatposts of different offsets, stems of different length/angle), medium-cost part swaps (handlebars), high-cost part swaps (crankset…new bike…). Some of that she can do herself, but not with the level of confidence that she’s spending money wisely that she’d get with a trusted professional (esp. with a good return policy).

She has a two bike maximum rule, and she wants to be able to move between bikes with her body not having to start from scratch on strength/endurance/comfort due to significant different geometries and positions, which is currently an issue.

The Solution?

She’d like to go through a bike fitting. Whether that’s to make the Jamis work with modifications or as part of her decision making process on whether she replaces the Jamis…isn’t clear at the moment. But she also rides the Fuji most of the time. We’ve been told bike fittings are specific to the bike you are fitted to, esp. considering manufacturers bike frame sizing numbers are no longer linked to a standard double diamond geometry.

What’s the best strategy on getting a professional bike fit? It seems like bringing in the Jamis makes sense, and hopefully if it’s clearly the wrong size they’ll stop the process and say it would be better to find a different bike before wasting time.

What shop/professional/friend do you all trust to do this right?

Will this be fun or a nightmare?

Brendan

Topic

[dbb]

The general feeling of the forum seems to be one word – Clovis

Clovis is the bike whisperer at FreshBikes. He enjoys a well deserved reputation.

A quick search of the forum for “Clovis” nets 18 threads. This one seems to summarize the topic:

http://bikearlingtonforum.com/showthread.php?835-Best-place-to-get-a-professional-fitting&highlight=clovis

I’ve had him fit one bike and the other is a couple of hundred miles from a fitting. I’m sold.

[KLizotte]

I was fitted by Clovis and was very happy with his services. I did have to sell the bike I had just bought at a competing store because it was too big (yes, a top tube that is 1.5″ too long makes a huge difference!) but am now on a bike that fits much, much better. Being only 5’2″ tall, I wish I had gone for a fitting first before buying (there aren’t many bikes built for really short women).

When I was looking to buy my first road bike I was greatly impressed by the service I got at CycleLife along the Georgetown waterfront. They took a lot of time to fit me and explain things but it turns out they didn’t have a bike that worked for me. They also told me they offer professional fitting services including an impressive “erector set” type bike they use to determine your optimal fit. After that is done, they then tell you which bikes would fit you best even if they don’t carry that manufacturer based on your optimal geometry measurements. At the time I thought pro fittings were only for “pros”, not newbies like me. Duh!

Clovis is great but I’m under the impression his work is more geared to folks bringing in bikes (or trying out bikes that FreshBikes sells) but I could be wrong on that count. He’ll answer any questions you have on the phone. His fitting schedule is quite full and I’m sure gets busier as the weather improves.

[Dirt]

Clovis did my fit 3 years ago. He consulted with me when I needed to replace my Cervelo under warranty and the sizes/geometry had changed. He is truly talented.

[Megabeth]

As been said before…Clovis.

I got fitted after I busted my arm and my riding style and way I sat completely changed. He fitted me and figured out one of my legs is shorter than the other. I now have a little shim on my cleat.

He never forced a purchase out of me. (Although, I walked away with a new set of handlebars.) He took his time, was relaxed and explained everything he was doing and didn’t mind me asking questions one bit…

So, yeah, Clovis.

[adamx]

this is a quote I received from a guy in VACycling…I had been seeing Rob at the ProShop for 3 years and he disappeared:

The BEST fitter in the Washington DC metro area is at Green Lizard Cycling
( http://www.greenlizardcycling.com/about-us/staff/les-welch/ ) go see him for your issues instead of chasing some amateur.

[kwarkentien]

Clovis +1! As I’ve said elsewhere on the forum, Clovis is great. I consult with him before I even buy a bike (or take one out for a test ride) to get his opinion on size and whether or not the geometry is a good for for me. He’s fit me on three bikes now (road, tri/tt, and adventure/tourer/gravel) and I’m so comfortable and happy. Plus he’s just a nice guy.

[Author]

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