5 Bike Fit Blunders You Should Avoid

[@stuartguy4479]

Having sat through my son having his bike fit by James last month I was amazed just how in depth the shoe fitting is (despite seeing it on here before), the whole process was having highly informative and interesting even from a purely spectators point of view

[@andypaul999]

Im not sure if James does MTB fitting but some off-roading tips would be great (esp bar width) :)

[@daniellalinde578]

Yes, please. MTB Fit Wednesdays!

[@spiritzweispirit1st638]

MTB' Very much yes, that would be great! Besides' His Java effect has way more endurance' than just 'On Road' bike Physio Wizardry _

[@teunluijbregts2533]

👍👍 Or cyclocross or actual gravel (i.e. anything where control is more important than aero)

[@GMICHAELG62]

Never gets old. Lots of info. Thanks Francis and James.

[@Nickescaped]

Exceptional content! 12 minutes and not a wasted second - seriously good information. May have to fly across the pond to get a proper fit. Thanks again James and Francis.

[@johnboyginger]

Very recently used James’s online shoe fit service as I live up North. Cannot recommended highly enough. Superb and has shown me the importance of good proper shoe fit as I’ve got stupid wide flappy feet.

[@franklaliberte1143]

what did you end up for shoe brand?, I wear size 12 or 47 typically

[@johnboyginger]

@@franklaliberte1143 I ended up with Lake CX238 x-wide size 43. I didn’t quite realise how my previous narrow Fizik shoes were buggering up my feet until now. These are so much better although I reckon my feet will never get back to normal but at least they’re comfy now.

[@jeffmcconnell6214]

@@johnboyginger you know, I’ve got Fiziks as well and while they feel fine, based on what James has said about them being narrow, I wonder if they actually do fit properly or if I’ve just gotten used to them.

[@johnboyginger]

@@jeffmcconnell6214 having spent time with proper fitting shoes and recently the tried the Fizik ones, they are waaay too narrow and damaging. I’d got used to them too but they were injuring me without me realising until my feet had enough.

[@jeffmcconnell6214]

@@johnboyginger good to know, thanks for the heads up. We’re planning to be in London next summer so if I don’t do a virtual fitting before then, I plan to visit the shop.

[@marklohnes6313]

These bike fitment topics are so interesting and relevant given that many of us are not pro cyclists but we are riding high end race bikes and try to mimic the pro’s without the fitness or flexibility to properly ride them. Complicating matters further are the different road bikes from a race bike to utility/urban bikes with gravel bikes in between. The differences are immense a and I se folks not happy riding nice bikes because of mismatched expectations with equipment and rider ability. Bike Fit James is one of the best vids on KZbin to help straighten out the mess of poor fitment issues. Love the series and greatly appreciate the humor and knowledge and presentation of the info.

[@LukezyM]

There’s so many old dudes with 5K€ race-ready bikes on the road these days, it’s so funny. With all the power meters, carbon rims and bells and whistles, it’s hilarious. What are they trying to prove.

[@tongotongo3143]

Nothing to prove, just enjoing riding fast bikes. Therr aren’t speed limits for riding a bike, so fast nice bike makes much more sense than buying sports car Ferrari and driving it slowly in traffic.

[@echtogammut]

"Sitting on your bike like a toilet", probably not a good phrase to google, but definitely describes a lot of people's saddle position.

[@MarcraM82]

Bike fitter, physician and bike salesman. just amazing stuff.

[@fhowland]

Bike fit Tuesdays are the best day of the week! You guys inspired me to finally get a professional fitting after 20 years of riding. Turns out my saddle was too low! Love the videos. Fred in Boston.

[@kgripen757]

where did you go for the fit? Ken in Boston

[@fhowland]

@@kgripen757 Philip Wong in Newburyport. He uses Retul

[@kgripen757]

Thanks Fred, I will schedule a fit…

[@billincolumbia]

I checked at least three times to see if my playback was on 1.5 speed. :) I'm trying to shorten the reach on a bike that was given to me. Will be experimenting with the bar rotation and lever position as suggested by James. As always, thanks!

[@jason-mv3xd]

Francis is correct. We want the content every day. I am having difficulty finding the correct body position on my bike. Some days I’m very upright and as a result sore or their days I get my head low and I am noticeably quicker. I would like to hear about proper body position on a bicycle from James.

[@williambeard5765]

Bike fit rockstar! The content never gets old...James just needs to replicate himself so he can help more people feel better while on the bike. Good stuff sir!

[@jejovida7775]

These videos really helped me with my cycling. Now I feel no discomfort all thanks to you guys

[@helmiwijaya7]

just wanted to say thank you to both of you, i take your advice to set the cleat as far back on my shoe, and it helps a lot.

[@duncanmartin2626]

Topic for discussion - the differences between fits for road/gravel/CX/MTB. Seeing as you are doing loads more MTB Francis - how is your position different on the MTB compared to road? I have a bike fit at Bicycle next week. :) That makes me think - what should a customer ask at a bike fitting session to get the most out of it?

[@AnthonyWarren1]

Great suggestion - perhaps could also include difference between TT/Triathlon fit compared to road fit.

[@chrisrebbeck]

Agreed. It’s probably outside James comfort zone so they don’t cover it……. Take the bait

[@KaiTenSatsuma]

I've fiddled with saddle angle, also having tried downwards and running into the same problem of my ass sliding forward. Eventually I *_very gently_* pitched it upward and adjusted the saddle backwards a few millimeters, it resulted having me sit back on the saddle properly and it helped a bunch of problems from the obvious general numbness to my right knee no longer getting a bit sore on the 20th mile and onwards.

[@johnnydoe66]

I have followed this series, "Bike Fit Tuesdays" for over 3 yrs now and have made adjustments to my bike accordingly....made my rides much better

[@Cade_Media]

👍

[@reacher72]

Great Info. I've just done most of the bike changes. He says not to do. Looks like I'm getting the spanners back out.

[@Whitehawkvisionfilms]

All great info, but #5 was very helpful. I discovered the hard way that after trying to recover from Post Covid Syndrome that I had gained 30 pounds and when I started riding again bikes that fit before did not fit anymore and I couldn't figure out why until I realized that my new gut was keeping me from having the same reach as before... ugh... pelvis in different orientation and spine hunched over,,, sad... so now I'm trying to lose the 30 before deciding on bike size and cockpit length bc I am not staying at 201 pounds! At 176 pounds I can re-figure what I need. In the mean time I took a 105mm stem to 80 and a 20mm setback seatpost to 10mm setback and am managing until my gut is gone! Thanks for the info!

[@tanjanitschke2974]

I really love bike fit tuesdays, always insightful and fun at the same time. But James is talking so incredibly fast 🤯

[@MichaelMa]

All this applied to me in the past as I was figuring out my bike fit. It took me about 6-9 months to get dialed in but the knowledge was worth taking the time.

[@konstantinpereskokov2557]

Guys, you make great videos! Just one thing: could you possibly consider adding timestamps/chapters? It would be so much easier to navigate through it, especially when referring to friends 🙏

[@wplno1]

James has got so much energy and passion, it's great.

[@SuperDiddzz]

Bike fit Tuesdays is ultra educational no mistake but to see you riding with BFJ is like a happy place for me. Cheers Francis.

[@seanlayland]

Mate love your content but just wanted to give you props for the actual quality of the videos: editing, your choice of lenses, color grading, lighting, everything is top notch and makes it even more enjoyable.

[@Cade_Media]

thanks Sean 👊

[@johnbeckmeyer1696]

Very enjoyable video! Thanks. A couple of thoughts/questions/observations... 1) For handle bar rotation, since I ride in the drops a lot, I like to have the handlebar drops meet my hand at an angle where my wrist has a nice, neutral, relaxed position instead of having the ulna/radius/wrist twisted to compensate. So instead of making the ends of the handle bars perpendicular to the ground to start with, I look to position the bars where I achieve this neutral position then lock the bars in place. Once the drops are aligned, the hoods get adjusted so that I achieve a more neutral position as well. There's also a reach adjustment screw on my shimano hydraulic brakes (presuming other models/brands have the same) that then helps bring that brake lever into a better position if needed. 2) Can lowering the seat help reduce the amount of forward pitch some riders put into their seat? Seems to me if you drop the seat a bit, you get a bit more upright which takes the pressure off soft tissues. I guess moving the seat forwards is not a great idea since is changes your relative position to the bottom bracket? 3) Would moving to longer crank arms allow you to lower the seat so that the rider opens their hip angle and be able to remove some tilt from the seat? Does it make too little difference to matter?

[@seryozhasteve]

Another great bike fit vid from the lads in upmarket Richmond. I am 178cm with a 80cm inseam, riddled with early onset arthritis and yeah, carrying a bit of extra luggage. Anyway, I changed from a 172.5 to a 165 some months ago. Did it help? Probably, but not as much as lots of other bike fit tweaks guided by James’ vids. New bike arrived recently (same bike, same size, same geometry, same saddle and handle bar set up just posher model - yup, a Trek Domane). With a 170mm crank length and corresponding lower seat height it feels better than the 165mm. Better meaning, improved balance, even cycling hands off! Arthritic Hips and ITB problem were fine. Go figure.

[@MikeSmith-qu5ew]

I am going to try some of your recommendations this week and looking forward to a more enjoyable ride. Thanks After years of biking one you learn is that there are always new ideas that can improve your ride and trying them out is a must…. Just staying in a rut is the worst thing that you can do if you enjoy ridding at 75ish I know the fit is very important to an enjoyable ride.

[@monrezee]

Yes, bike fit content from James every month please.

[@huntos83]

I have a question I’d love to see you do a bike fit video on - how much should your bike fit requirements change between different styles of bike and riding if at all??? Should your saddle position remain the same relative to the cranks regardless of whether you are riding a dedicated race bike or an upright gravel/endurance bike? For example, I have 3 bikes: 1 - An all round road bike used for general riding such as club rides etc, mixture of high speed and/or long distance rides (I have this set up according to my professional bike fit) 2 - An aero race bike for time trials and crits (I have this setup longer and lower than my standard fit, with a more forward saddle position, it is used exclusively for short duration high speed riding). 3 - A gravel bike also used for long endurance road riding (this is a shorter and more upright bike and I have my saddle position slightly back from my standard fit) I would be very interested to hear your views.

[@Exogensis]

Suggestion for a video - Top 5 off the bike mobility exercises to improve position on the bike.

[@kevinlyon9501]

More useful information from James, had a bike fit with him highly recommend it.👌Good thumbnail by the way.😁

[@ImTheSiIence]

Literally answered every single question I had, thank you! Can't wait for painless riding!

[@drapetomaniack]

Reducing handlebar width also reduces reach.. and as a small rider, in my experience almost no bike comes with correct handlebar width for smaller riders (100% too wide) unless you have a really good LBS and you can convince them to swap out bars for ones that fit your actual shoulder width..

[@wmfreakrom]

Too funny. You seem to be always saying perpendicular to the ground but we know by now you mean parallel. Thanks for an awesome and very helpful content!

[@reddawn87]

Bikefit Tuesdays, you have been missed! When he said sitting at the desk like this and walking down the street, I sat up straighter immediately.

[@JakexBluexThomas]

Thanks James, got some Lakes via a shoe fit from Lee at your shop, knee pain now gone ... After unsuccessfully trying to treat it with speedplay pedals ha, so relevant for two of the five blunders!

[@leonh619]

I do bike fittings at a local shop and use a Guru machine- these are all good points, one of the biggest ones that I see often are the bars pointed up... I just show people their wrist bending laterally- when the hoods are pointed up, it bends the wrist bones in a direction they are not meant to bend... (if you look at your right hand, for example, palm up, will bend to the left much more than it will bend to the right)

[@49tkscott]

Have you and James ever covered frame size selection? Never seem to be able to establish the best bike size for myself. Cheers, really enjoy Bike Fit Tuesdays.

[@blankroomsoup666]

Yes, tl;dr too big too aggressive unless you are a 20 something elite athlete

[@bleckandbleck]

Regarding the pelvis rotation, I found this analogy helpful. Think of your pelvis as a bowl and pour the contents out over your top tube. Also, when setting up the fore-aft position of the saddle, the hands should be maintaining a light touch on the bar tops as if you were playing the piano. Since adopting this tweak, I've stopped using gloves and have more hand comfort even while doing three consecutive days at 100 miles a day.

[@tinobommelino3376]

Thanks for the honest revelation of the speed plate pedals. I always had the feeling that the whole system is weird. All other manufacturers fit the plastic cleat inside a metal framed pedal. That must have a reson in functionality. And the speed plate pedals are the ither way around. in most cases the majotity system just has its reason, why they are used in the majority.

[@htukmumfie]

topic. what stretches are recommended before and after cycling.

[@nsant]

Are you guys silly?

[@12Burton24]

Two times a week your full body at least

[@mydearriley]

@@nsant Don't shame the guy for asking for advice!

[@scottieh8905]

I'm interested in saddle positions for people with anterior pelvic tilt, it's horrendous trying to find a good sitting position

[@chrishampden5261]

Here’s a slightly unusual one for James… having broken my arm a couple of times, I cannot fully extend my left arm straight. How do you set up an aero road bike for someone that has a different reach on each arm?!

[@scherritknoesen148]

Any Level 4 fitter should be able to help. Basically you'd look to keep your torso symmetrical and square but have appropriate assymetric aerobar set up.

[@bianchirider....neverendin8532]

Always great advice and simply the best cycling related site on YT .

[@philellis386]

Great to see bike fit James back in the videos. 🚴👍

[@Relevant_Irrelevance]

7:50 I forgot to fiddle with this step as I struggled with my new road bike after a few months of ownership. I could never get the curvature of the back correct and my back was always just straight. Holy crap, man! I felt the difference right away and I could feel my back arch as they presumably should. I'll test this as I go for my second century and see if I'm in less discomfort in the middle of it and after.

[@paolosantiago7543]

Hello, welcome back to Bike Fit Monthly!

[@jonpoon3896]

James is like the Dr House of bike fitting

[@Joshua-jh2rn]

Awesome tip, know anyone like you in southern California? Uk is a bit of a hike for a good fitting

[@markj.a351]

(Question) Should you avoid bike fits that 100% depend on a camera to tell the fitter what to do or did I just go to a crappy place? (rant from a random guy on the internet) I paid the equivalent of near £250 for a bike fit this year and all they did was lower my saddle so much that I got knee pain. But my foot position was "correct" on their computer after lowering it so much. I knew I was in for a rough time when they tried selling me a bunch of stuff before even looking at me on the bike. I should have bailed but it was a 3 hour drive and the next nearest place was another two hours. They even gave up adjusting my cleats to try sell stuff to a guy who walked in. They told me to leave and email them if they weren't right. In any case I'm avoiding the Retul bike fit again.

[@billincolumbia]

yeaahhhhh, James has previously railed against Retul.

[@MitchOnTwoWheels]

Blunder #6 - watching James ride a Mountain Bike 😂 Killer content as always Francis.

[@runningbirderandbeer6140]

First time I see one of your videos and it was very interesting and entertaining. But, as a non-native English speaker, it is hard to keep up. Well, actually, I did my O and A Levels in English, but in Kenya, so I struggle a little. Maybe switch to tea ;-)

[@thiagobartolo]

Keep them coming! Great to hear James

[@LUCYDIAMONDBOXER1]

Did JOGEL in August... Got carpol tunnel snyndrome in left hand as a result of pressure in my wrist.... Get a decent bike fit👌

[@willek1335]

For shoes, you can alter what you have slightly, depending on the materials. 1. Bucket of warm water. 2. Stuff socks in the area you wish to widen. I mean, smash it down to the extreme. 3. Leave it in warm water for hours.

[@JoSantino147]

Bike Fit "Tuesdays" are back! NICE!! What brand of saddle is the one in James hand at 1:33?

[@Exogensis]

I reckon it’s probably a Pro Griffon, it looks like one and James has talked about using them in previous bike fit Tuesday videos.

[@dirkhunt9425]

I love the content of this page and the fitting info. Is there a webpage or chart that lists shoe widths by manufacturer? Or a list that places them from narrowest last to widest last to help find shoes that will fit better?

[@hannahgraingerclemson5647]

Thanks! Maybe another topic could be "Getting your bike and toolkit ready for autumn"? Don't want to be a killjoy or anything as we're still enjoying 🌞! (Maybe if you film it, it will stay nice - same as the "Take a brolly so it won't rain" theory 🤔)

[@domestique3954]

Ok......Just put your summer racing bike to the wall and grab the winter training bike! 🤙

[@LukeMichaelJames]

Never been this early to anything! I've missed these videos

[@rorysweeney8430]

Amazing, we have the same saddle pitch measuring tool 😂

[@gibfear]

Interesting on the Speedplays - I was getting fed up of not getting into my Ultegra SPDs easily on the summer bike so decided to try Speedplays - wallet 100 quid lighter and they are a slightly better clipping in - but the installation and positioning was a nightmare compared to Shimano!! Far too much adjustment for what I want.... Even more messy with the adaptor plates etc.... Oddly I don't have any issues with the 105 SPDs on the winter bike. I now wonder if it's just the lighter weight that stops the ulterga's being as predictable??

[@dharmapunk777]

I've had several saddles that had a relief channel and still got numb nuts. Got a fitting done and found out I was reaching way too far for the hoods on the bar. I ended up getting a stiffer saddle with no channel, but made adjustment to saddle position and swapped out bar stem and now I can feel that I am using my sit bones more instead of literally sitting on my nuts. No more numbness. No need for relief channel if you are sitting back as you probably should for touring/commuting.

[@truthseeker8483]

"saddle problems" Try a Selle SMP TRK Saddle...by far the best for me anyhow 😃

[@thedrifterpresents]

This guy is brilliant.

[@zggggg.]

Wahoo pedals actually worked for my knees, pain went straight away after switching from Shimano pedals

[@robmartin1792]

Thanks so much you 2!!!!always so much to learn and look after from a bft session. Truly a great service and a wealth of knowledge. Thanks again!!! ✌🏼

[@t1p1may0]

Ever done anything on different reach sizes and fit on different control systems (Shimano/SRAM/Campag) and the different specs? I know that Chris Hall swears by GRX as well as the levers are more ergonomic.

[@dcltdw]

At the end (11:25 or so), James mentions an upcoming video about anterior hip rotation, and how that contributes to better glute recruitment and other benefits. Did y'all ever shoot that video?

[@jamiegrant8764]

I have a question for James. You see a lot of chiropractor videos on Facebook and they find leg length discrepancies, twists in the spine, and various other issues whether that is from old accidents, lifestyle, work or sporting injuries which surely will have a n effect on our positioning and comfort on a bike which a bike fitter might not ( no offence intended) pick up on, so would it be worth getting one on for a longer episode and doing a bike fit by James then letting the chiropractor do their examination of the person to see if it would make a difference?

[@waylingtons]

Watching James wave those shoes around really inspired me to go get my feet measured. 🤷‍♂️

[@PunjabiCyclist]

Top video Francis and James, very useful information.

[@Cade_Media]

👋👊

[@jimmykershaw1482]

Awesome video my Q is when you fit pro cyclists what are the main things they get wrong and would you ever make a slight comfort sacrifice for and ero one in that scenario ?

[@simonlynch4204]

Man... I missed these!

[@iMajeala]

Love the bike fit videos and always demand more! For James, how far is too far forward with the fore/aft on a triathlon fit?

[@ArtanisKizrath]

Yes, James! We want bike fit content every Tuesdays! :)

[@montrich1]

Excellent product very useful to traveling

[@davidanderson2706]

Thanks James and Francis good one

[@seanholland3821]

I disagree with number 3! Naturally being an external rotator with my right foot, buying speedplay years ago entirely got rid of my knee pain. The float allows the freedom of my foot to rotate out taking the torsion off my knee.

[@RainMan52]

so.... what coffee brand does he drink? and how many cups Asking for a friend

[@ashleyscarth8363]

Can james do bike fit tips for mtb

[@chrisridesbicycles]

Question to James: Did he already get his hands on the new Shimano 12-speed levers? They claimed that they made them longer at some point to make more room for fingers below. So do they increase the reach? What about the „for small hands“ levers that Shimano offered in the Ultegra? Are they a way to reduce reach (if you have small enough hands)?

[@glennoc8585]

I like a little nose down on the road bike and level on my MTB. I tried more nose down and found too weighted over the front. Pretty much as James outlined.

[@s3166420]

Yiewww welcome back boiiiiii. Love these vids

[@prestachuck2867]

This bike fitter is really sharp. I like the guy. He does sometimes remind me of a fictional character from American television named Dr. Greg House portrayed by the excellent English comedian, actor, and musician Hugh Laurie.

[@alexgeorge6561]

bike fit tuesdays, filmed on a monday and released on a wednesday... :P

[@31.8mm]

i think im ready for a Bike Fit Tuesday certification program 🤭

[@Krashfdc]

James my name is Clint, I live in Washington DC. One blunder or maybe two new trends riders turning to too narrow handlebars and what are your thoughts on riders rotating the controls inward. Cheers Clint 🍻

[@Hamsong]

Can you provide the link to James’ website?

[@fede1275]

Great video as usual. I wanted to mention your channel and James to give credit in a video I made, but my channel was too small. Thanks again.

[@Cade_Media]

👊👊👊

[@i.4010]

Could you tell me what kind of that neat looking bike wall mount is on a title shot?

[@jamar959]

Great video! But maybe time for James to cut down on the espresso...?

[@JesseStarrPhoto]

Does James drink 15 espresso shots before these videos or is he this energetic all the time? It’s impressive.

[@aeriksen89]

Would love a comment about control location angling inwards. I’ve seen quite a few of them on group rides. Is it just a way of faking narrower handlebars? Or is it actually beneficial to some people?

[@vaclavsnuparek448]

Couple of reasons for that - 1) you have your wrist in a more neutral position with the hood being angled inwards in comparison with significant wrist extension while holding hoods that are set straight (handlebar width affects the degree of wrist extension too). That helps if you have tingling fingers etc, there isn't as much stress onto your carpals 2) it's more aero 3) UCI banned resting your forearms on the tops in races, and with hoods inwards you can grab them with your pinky finger/metacarpal heads and avoid fines or disqualifications 4) in some cases the altered brake lever position makes it easier for people to brake

[@TheUsername1302]

Question: James mentions “really short stems” but what is seen as short? Like anything below 80 mm?

[@LukezyM]

Yes, what stem is too short?

[@grintalcycles8266]

For most road bikes around 80 is fairly short. Some of it comes down to personal preference. As the stem becomes shorter the bike handles "faster", making it feel twitchy. But things like bar width, trail, and head tube angle also effect handling and can be used offset shorter stem lengths in some instances. Like how mountain bikes have very short stems but still handle well.

[@Cade_Media]

80-130mm shouldn't affect the bike in a negative way

[@patrickparisienne1917]

Awesome content lads!

[@rizkiyoist]

At what point do you think saddle tilt is "too much" that you need another saddle?

[@andycorso8498]

Yay ,….back together again…..

[@abematic6798]

I've been waiting for a new episode of BFT

[@SillyDaddyPH]

What are your thoughts on cyclists who prefer using MTB pedals and shoes on their road bikes? Would fitting them be easier? Harder?

[@sd7335]

this was debated I think in the cleat comparison video

[@SillyDaddyPH]

@@sd7335 I'll check that out. Thanks!

[@Cade_Media]

nothing wrong with MTB shoes