Paul M.
Yelp
I had a bike fit done last year, not by Red Beard, and knew things had changed as my riding matured. Also because it was getting colder and my spins on the trainer with Zwift were getting painful. My lower back and shoulders were getting tight after each ride and I was getting some numbness as well, which is never good. So I reached out to Red Beard to schedule a fit. They day had come and I met Ilya at the shop and we walked across the street to the fit studio.
We sat and talked...for a while. For a good hour plus we talked about how I got into cycling, what I like about it, how it felt mentally and physically, what my goals were, what else I do besides cycling, what sports I played as a kid, any surgeries or injuries I've had, my job, and life in general. It was a bike therapy session, he scratched a lot of notes as he was getting inside my head as it related to cycling.
He had me stand up, checked my posture, asked to do a few balance positions, took some measurements and then it was time to get on the Retul bike and start spinning. Ilya started making adjustments, some gradual and some extreme, he measured, took pictures and video, walked around me studying every move and angle, making faces like a mad scientist working several calculations all at once in his head. We changed seats, measured some more, changed seats back, swapped out with some others to try a few more. He paced about some more studying me, analyzing the pictures and video, took some more measurements and made some final adjustments. The slight grin that emerged told me he was happy with the results.
He showed me the pictures of how my posture on the bike was before and after, on the bar, the hoods and in the drops and explained what he was working to achieve. We had shifted my whole geometry on the bike. He took down all the measurements he needed and we headed back to the shop to translate them onto my bike. He changed the stem, gave me a new saddle to try and confirmed measurements as his staff inspected the bike and got it ready for the ride home.
It's a few rides later on the trainer with the new setup and it has been great. I am much more comfortable on the bike, no pains or numbness and can ride much longer on the trainer trouble free. I will report back in a few weeks after I settle in to the new fit and see if we need to make any adjustments. Not only is Ilya a damn good bike fitter, he is a super nice guy, very knowledgeable and meticulous in his work. The shop is nicely setup and has friendly staff, no bike snobbery, just people that like bikes.
So do you need a bike fit? I know a lot of people say to just go by how it feels, but there's much more to it than that. There's a science to it and geometry that matters that you are unlikely to get right by playing around making adjustments on your own.
Ultimately it's really up to you, but if you're someone that has the riding addiction and trains several times a week or are trying to reach some personal best I would encourage you to get a fit done. It will help you achieve the balance of comfort and performance you need to reach your goals.