Do A Pro Bike Fit At Home (For Free)

Professional bike fitter Dan Smith cracks the code on home bike fitting. This video shows you how to do a great bike fit at home, for free, in 5 simple steps.
Sure, it's not quite the same as getting a pro fit with a professional bike fitter, but these 5 steps will take you a good 70% of the way there.
Big thanks to Dan for dropping this wisdom. If you fancy a professional bike fit with him, hit the link below:
Book a Bike Fit - geni.us/ukbikefit
0:00 - Intro
0:17 - The first place to start with bike fitting
1:43 - Most people get this wrong
3:05 - Saddle discomfort is probably nothing to do with your saddle
5:26 - The hardest part of bike fitting
7:40 - Easy change, massive difference to comfort
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Me - / grantritchie
Strava - / strava
My Design Studio's Website - www.studioyoke.co.uk/
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Road Bike: Canyon Endurace CF SL 8.0
Gravel Bike: Canondale Topstone
Wheels: Hunt
GPS Cycling Computer: Wahoo Element Bolt
Road Shoes: Lake CX332
Gravel Shoes: Quoc Gran Tourer
Helmet: POC Omne Air Spin
Clothes: Universal Colours / Maap / Rapha
Turbo Trainer: Wahoo Kickr Core
Nutrition: Styrkr (Use code 'GRANTRITCHIE' for 25% off)
The small camera I use: geni.us/small_camera
The big camera I use: geni.us/big_camer
The mount I use for cycling: geni.us/my-mount
#cycling #bikefit #bikefitting

[@ryanpowell6244]

This may be the most straight forward fit video on KZbin. Most other fitters quickly dive into the weeds way too fast and don't stick to high level stuff. Thank you!

[@grantritchie]

Happy to hear this, that was the goal! Hopefully we can dive into the weeds in future episodes if there’s interest for it.

[@Jay-qq7so]

Good demonstration and straight to the point thx!

[@PeatySpirit]

Great, straight to the point! Thanks for sharing

[@Jmbo65]

Very informative…..I think it’s something I need to give consideration as I have some issues I’m encountering

[@plumbgray]

Excellent explanation appreciated 🙏

[@MrProfessorRandomzz]

Such a great job of visually representing the positions we’re trying to get into! 🔥

[@Mazelcom]

Thanks great video, fabulous info and the best part is the full explanation.

[@grantritchie]

Glad it was helpful!

[@stefanhansen5882]

Super cool! Any tips for using flats? Thanks!

[@sadashiva1]

We tackled assembling the bike as a family project. kzbin.infoUgkxzg0clhbtRf2gGxPkVETFKJJKGqdsorQu The package is heavy, but I have 2 teen boys that were able to move it. The written instructions were great- we didn't need to watch the videos, but it was good knowing that the option was there if we needed it. After we were able to get it set up, the boys each rode 3 miles and I rode 8 and the bike stayed quiet. The display is easy to reset, and you can put it on whichever setting you are using (time, distance, calories, etc). I will say that my butt is a little sore from the seat, but that could be because I haven't rode in a while. While it is comfortable for me, it was not comfortable with the seat position for my friend (could not move the seat back far enough and he slightly looked like a kid riding a tricycle that he had outgrown). He also said that the seat hurt his manly parts. We are going to look for a different seat that will be compatible with this bike for him.I did purchase the Wahoo Cadence sensor and strapped it to the crank of one of the pedals. This will sync with my Apple Watch, iPhone and will import data in to my Health app. Wahoo does have other sensors available other than cadence. I can also keep either my phone or my iPad on the display and they both feel pretty secure.

[@wraith8323]

THANK YOU for this🫡🫡🫡

[@personalJoke]

Love it. Meaty and to the point.

[@philipyu5167]

Thank you for this. Can't really afford to bike fit yet but I'll get there 🙏

[@ellasherman6021]

Super helpful! Thanks ❤

[@grantritchie]

Glad it was helpful!

[@20dpb]

Keep the content up mate! It's really top class and very informative for newer riders and experienced alike.

[@grantritchie]

Ah thanks mate, really appreciate you saying that!

[@rogerhartley4456]

Excellent intro and really helpful for those of us who just don’t have access to a bike fit. Thank you!

[@grantritchie]

Glad you found it helpful!

[@Elc0chin0]

Thanks you for putting his succently for us layman.

[@moosicman101]

incredible quality and content!

[@grantritchie]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@peterers3]

Very good ACTUALLY useful video!

[@grantritchie]

Eyyy that’s what we like to hear!

[@todd3090]

Great video

[@grantritchie]

Thank you!

[@danigutt_]

Hi there! What if I use SPD cleats? Does the position change?

[@whichwayiszigzag]

This is a great video. I agree that bikefitting is an art, and bodies change over time so you if you do lots of miles, you'll probably need to tweak things here and there as you go.

[@grantritchie]

Yea 100%, the last time I went for a fit with Dan my position had changed a little bit as I’d been doing a lot more riding.

[@ourdyersituation]

Very helpful! I currently get a lot of discomfort on my bike, likely because I haven't fitted it well! Thanks for this...if it doesn't do the trick, I will head to the fitter 😅

[@grantritchie]

Glad it was helpful!

[@rodrigofuentes6324]

can you put some light on MTB ?

[@richwilson9517]

Thanks!

[@grantritchie]

Thank you so much mate 🙏

[@numeronolla1163]

Hi, very informative video about how to start with bike fitting :D But one big thing come to my mind is if I don't have any trainer at home, how should I do the filming myself part to know the angle of my knee and stuff? :\

[@grantritchie]

So a trainer is ideal for this, and you can pick them up off eBay quite cheaply if you opt for one that’s not ‘smart’.

[@RewildingFlanders]

Very insightful! Thank you very much for the tips. I would love to have a bike fit done by Dan but I live in Flanders, Belgium. Could you perhaps recommend a good bike fitter in the broader region of Antwerp?

[@grantritchie]

It would be a lovely bikepacking trip from Flanders, across the Ferry, to the Peak District 👀

[@RewildingFlanders]

@@grantritchie That would be a lovely idea! I was looking for a next bike-packing trip :p

[@RewildingFlanders]

@@irfuel Thanks for the tip, seems very professional!

[@user-jk3ym6fz5d]

Does matching width of bars to shoulders stand the same for flat bars, cheers

[@grantritchie]

No, the same doesn't apply for flat bars.

[@ellasherman6021]

Helping with my ‘all the gear and no idea’ 😂

[@UKBikeFit]

Hope it helps :)

[@barianelozano2614]

wondafowl bake feyting mate!

[@JakeMay]

Pro vid mate

[@grantritchie]

Thanks man!

[@ShadowzKiller]

That is very interesting that you suggest locating only the fifth metatarsal and then moving the cleat slightly forward from there. Steve Hoggs and Shimano would suggest putting the cleat in between the first and fifth metatarsal as a starting point. Some bike fitters still suggest setting the cleat slightly behind the first metatarsal and some, unfortunately, say directly under the metatarsal.

[@grantritchie]

What have you found to be most effective?

[@ShadowzKiller]

@@grantritchie To be honest, the midpoint seems more reasonable. Bikefit James, this video and other bike fitters tend to say slam cleats far back or towards the rear because it is safer. Generally speaking this has been logical as many shoes had the cleat holes quite far forward (but not any more) and the advice is intended for "average riders". However, in my case, my foot arch is very long and my toes are very short. As a result, having rearward cleats gives me arch pain and the inability to spring, climb out of the saddle or have sufficient torque on steep climbs. I have to run my cleats much closer to my first metatarsal. With the exception of Neill Stanbury and Steve Hoggs, I have not seen anyone on KZbin talk about how excessively rearward cleats can actually have negative consequences.

[@grantritchie]

Absolutely, bike fitting is super personal since we're all built differently. We tried to give a broad overview in our video without getting lost in the details. But you're spot on - if someone's having issues, like with that rearward cleat thing, they should totally see a pro bike fitter. It makes all the difference having someone provide personal advice to your specific body.

[@ShadowzKiller]

@@grantritchie Indeed. The permutations for each person is practically unlimited. There are no quality bike fitters where I live so I have read and watch content followed by gradual experimentation and note-taking.

[@UKBikeFit]

I find a pedal axle slightly in front of the 5th met sets it in-between 1st and 5th for the vast majority of people, whilst avoiding setting the cleat too far forward

[@props651]

Wow! I thought this was Mitch Boyer for a second!😂

[@ScreamingEagleFTW]

what is the threee o clock position? in the freeze frame his femur is not in the three oclick position. It would be helfpful to put the 12, 3, 6, and 9 on the screen to illustrate where the clock is and where the pivot point is for the clock hands.

[@coriolis1235]

It refers to the crankarm orientation, the pivot point is the bottom bracket. 3 o'clock is the position where you push perfectly vertically on the pedal.

[@Psstnbooly]

Always a numbness in my hand on my roadie. Be good to see possible remedies or issues causing it.

[@grantritchie]

Go and see a bike fitter, they'll sort it out for you!

[@DR_1_1]

Long torso?

[@liquidrengar7352]

Hi there, I've a shoulder width of 42, but I ride with a 42 on the drops but 36 on the hoods & feels extremely comfortable, I'd that normal?

[@grantritchie]

Could be worth taking a picture of you on the bike from the front to see if everything looks relaxed, if so, it's probably fine (although I'm not an expert).

[@Shadowboost]

Would ride 40 in the drop and your current hoods. There's no rule saying your bars have to be shoulder width

[@rubolf2153]

Great but what is a bike FET

[@grantritchie]

👏🏻

[@enigma1000]

I’d book a bike / saddle fit but it looks like you’re in Matlock? Too far from the south east unfortunately. But useful guidance in this video, thanks.

[@grantritchie]

Bike packing trip to Matlock? 👀

[@enigma1000]

@@grantritchie A long way on an uncomfortable saddle? I think not….

[@grantritchie]

😅

[@zaahierstanley955]

Did he just set the centre of pedal Axel just Infront of the ball of the foot ?

[@UKBikeFit]

Hi, just in front of the 5th metatarsal is towards the rear of the "ball of the foot"

[@julianhawker7672]

@@UKBikeFit I have always been told that cleat further back is safer from an injury point of view?

[@UKBikeFit]

@@julianhawker7672 further back than what? Until you know where the foot sits in the shoe then it's all just guesswork

[@simonirvine1628]

1, The piece of carboard is not stable. When taking measurement you want all surfaces to be stable other wise can lead to incorrect measurements. 2, He explained everything very well (apart from the cardboard) and I would highly recommend UK Bike Fit over a charlatan like "Phil Burt" and that's that. 3, Well Done 4, Peace

[@kacperbardecki3671]

6:03 my back isn't looking after itself, it's why i clicked on this video 😭

[@grantritchie]

What was your takeaway?

[@xelseartheonlyone1267]

I feel my handlebars too far, and the pedals too near like going in the middle of my feet. I don't know what to do.

[@grantritchie]

Go and see a bike fitter, they'll sort it out for you!

[@Shadowboost]

Shorter stem, but more saddle setback

[@user-kr5hv3nx2y]

this is all given that your bike frame is the right size for you

[@DR_1_1]

Also frame geometry (and body geometry!) can vary A LOT for the same size, in different models/categories of bikes! That said if you can play with all settings, handlebar and seat form and position, cranks length, pedals, shoes, I suppose 1-2 centimeters more or less in frame size should not be a huge issue...

[@flamencoguru]

As much as I appreciate these videos, nothing can take the place of a good bike fit... Spend the money the first time to get a proper bike fit! You won't regret it!

[@funkytransport]

You should watch the video they say this a few times.. 🤡

[@felipenavas]

Good video! Now an awesome video would show the difference for an XC/flat bar bike. Basically non-existent content on the internet. 😅

[@grantritchie]

Will bear that in mind for future projects! Thanks for the idea!

[@PauloPicca]

Noice

[@xtrailz]

You can't get fitter than a bike fit fitter!

[@daviddawn9043]

Bike fits are to expensive period

[@alexmckenzie1063]

Local one to me is £100?

[@Lrndthehardway]

How about something for us older folks who arent bikers but want to start riding for health, now I gotta go buy specific shoes to go around the block? lol Im kidding, but for real, I just want my hands to stop hurting when I ride 2 or more blocks

[@grantritchie]

If your hands are hurting after a few blocks then there’s something definitely wrong with the fit, hopefully some of the tips in this video help to rectify things. Also you don’t need clip in shoes, but they do have a lot of benefits for longer rides. I don’t wear them for commuting.

[@Shadowboost]

Your reach and stack are likely off for your flexibility

[@edsassler]

“The best way to set saddle height is by feel” - so wrong. That’s how people return to what is familiar. If they have been riding with their saddle way high or low, they will just return to the same height and the same problems. I’ve been fitting bikes for over 20 years, I’ve done a **LOT** of fittings. I’m starting to get a sense of which KZbin bike fitters actually have the level of experience that they try to get across. Having clients set saddle height by feel is a dead giveaway…

[@DR_1_1]

Totally WRONG. First you follow basic rules like those explained here, then from there you try to lower and rise the saddle to the limits where it becomes uncomfortable for the patient (ie feeling). This gives you the range where the best position will be found, once again, by FEELING it.

[@GrouEEf]

KOPS and far too far forward clear position. I would not trust this bike fitter.

[@grantritchie]

Bit harsh to say you wouldn't trust him from one video where we're clearly trying to make something simple (and accessible) to as many people as possible as a starting point. Not sure what bike fitting experience you have, but Dan is incredibly highly rated by everyone who sees him.

[@UKBikeFit]

I think you've unfortunately totally missed the point of this video! Out of interest, based on your understanding, where would you place the cleat in relation to the foot? I also never use KOPS to fit anyone individually. But when giving broad advice to a wide range of people, KOPS is a good place to start, as was explained in the video.