Could anyone suggest a professional bike fitter (in or close to the city) with whom you've had an excellent experience with improved performance afterwards?
An indication of time taken, cost and contact information much appreciated.
-- many thanks,
Michael
Try JackRabbit. Very good.
The owner Michael at Cyclesport in Park Ridge, NJ is excellent. I recently purchased a Serrotta from him.
Paul Levine is often the fitter of choice in the Metro area according to many. You can type his name and serrotta in google and find his shop in nyc.
Jason at Piermont bicycle connection.
great fitter, knows all about biomechanics, and is a fantastic fitter. Plus, the fitting is only 75 bucks. takes about an hour. call the Piermont shop to arrange an appt.
Definitely check out Toga Bikes on West End Avenue and 64th Street (www.togabikes.com). The staff are professional, extremely knowledgeable, and passionate about the sport. John and Will do most of the fitting and they have several levels you can choose from, depending on what you want to achieve.
Full fitting will take a few hours and will cost under $300. This will be a very good investment and you'll see and feel results right away.
I've heard not-so-good things about toga's fittings. at least 4 people i know have had to go get re-fit somewhere else due to a shoddy fit.. like the shop, but i'd steer clear
I had a completely different experience at Toga. Will and John have both been great. Will spent a great deal of time with me getting my knees properly aligned--no more knee pain. They have also been very good to me when I do something stupid, like think I can adjust the saddle position myself.
Guess you just have to find a place where you feel comfortable asking any kind of question.
Overall, I think it's better if you do not go with fitters in a shop that sells stock bikes (e.g. Toga). Though the fitters may be able and honest, there is the potential for conflict of interest. It's tempting to fit the custumer to a bike and/or parts that are in stock (or easily available) rather than going with precisely what makes sense for the given person. This is nothing against Toga, just a point about general process.
David
"First let me introduce myself, I'm John Keoshgerian Manager of Toga Bikes. I have been in this industry for 16 years. I will try to keep this unbiased and most of all just factual. What everyone should know about Fittings is that it is not an exact science and allthough there are all kinds of ""Lasers"" and gadgets involved in a modern fitting there is always the human factor. That's not to say that a fitter is perfectly dead on the first time they fit someone, and clients are generally not totally honest with themselves and the person fitting them. By that I mean people see there hero riding in the Giro d Italia or Tour de France and want their bike to look like a Pro's bike.I have made this mistake and not been honest with my flexibilty and been miserable for 1000's of miles.It should also be said that regardless of fitting some bikes are just not suitable for every person, I recentaly bought a Specialized Roubaix rather then the ultra sexy Tarmac SL ,it was better suited for my flexibility and current demeanor.I have also had the bike refitted and been more realistic letting form follow function for a change .I have never been so comfortable on either my mountain bike or my road bike.A good fitter should be able to listen to a clients needs and goals and be able to decypher what's being said so that you can reach the same conclusion as I did. This requires experience and in alot of cases a fresh eye if a fitting is not working out for the client.
Which leads me to my point in all of this, a good shop with a real store front will be there for you 7 days a week and as long as they do not turn you away and tell you to ""get used to your new fitting"" you should rest assured that you have some recourse if things are not working out. So before you get fitted by any number of fitters in NYC and there are a few ,be sure you realize that there is no such thing as a single one time fit. People age ,people get injured and fitting should be a dynamic process so keep an open mind and develop a relationship with your shop of choice because allthough they are a business and they do have to make money to survive no one in this industry is in it to become millionaires I like to think it's for the love of the sport, the people , and most of all for the feeling of riding on a beautiful road with good friends. This is the first time I have ever replied to any forum of this sort I hope it was helpful and informative."
might also consider Dave Jordan-who recently moved back to NYC. You asked about performance-his background is a racer and a personnel fitness coach. He would be a great choice; especially if you are an A rider. good luck--also I always feel it is best that whoever evaluates your position; sees you on the road also(not just inside on a trainer) Dave's # is 646-919-BIKE [email protected]
Try Mike Sherry at Performance LAB if you want to improve performance via proper bike fit. He probably fits good portion of the CRCA racers in NYC area.
Good luck
If you're so inclined you can fit yourself using the same system a number of fitters use - for 80 bucks.
I would strongly suggest Mike Sherry,He uses the wobble naught system.He set me up,even though my original position wasnt far off to begin with.If I remember it was $200 bucks.Believe it or not what I used to do was watch lots and lots of pro dvd races over and over again to try to simulate postion based on body type balance and pedal stroke.For me this method worked well but it was slow in developing and took lots of adjusting.GL Rich
As was stated above from the good people at Toga customers arent always honest with the fitter.That said if your going to spend your money be honest with yourelf consider over all body type,excess body fat(especially at the mid section(for men),and other things.Its good to just ask questions of people when you see them on the road or at destinations.There have been times I would see people riding around with a saddle height way to high or low and this situation alone cant be enjoyable.In my opinion if you have trouble climbing hills then you wouldnt want your saddle to high because it robs you of your leverage.Also and most importantly I know a few people that ride with too high of a saddle position and as a result they lack optimal contol over their machines causing them to literally get into crashes(especially something like a touch of wheels).Anyway only you yourself will know whats good for you.Soon after Sheery hooked me up I was holding 200rpm (for 5 seconds or so)going down state line hill.Thats pedal mechanics.Rich
I couldn't agree more. Throughout years I have had my many bike fit done at shops in NYC area, and my final destination was Mike Sherry, whose professional service lived up to the reputation. The fit was precise and it eliminated all of the discomfort/pain that I had with my previous fits. Also he knows a lot about bike racing, training and physical aspect of the sport. You get to hear all of that while being fitted. Hey he works with K. Armstrong, the World Champion. Ih he and his company is good for her, well, it should be good for us! Here is the link,
http://www.performancelabshc.com/index.php
good luck.
I will also have to go with everyone who suggests Mike Sherry. I just got re-fitted last week and what a difference. I have not felt so comfortable and one with my bike. Yes, it's expensive at $200, but totally worth it. I was lucky enough to have Craig Upton assiting with the fit. Contact information: [email protected] 917 406 5982 23 w. 89 1-g. Good luck
