His bike was a yard too long! - Full Bike Fit

[@benjaminhunt283]

James. Ben here. I will be forever grateful. You made my previously unrideable Giant defy rideeable until i have the funds to get bike that is within the parameters necessary. Without you guys i would have had to throw in the towel. Love these new videos and case studies.🤘🤘

[@rugiOHHHH]

could watch James work all day. Looking forward to the content

[@31.8mm]

yea i can even replace mr. skeleton there with myself

[@nickcarolan2805]

Finally your own channel. Happy days and best of luck James. 👍🇮🇪

[@jrns7014]

Great to see someone in the bike industry with a proper watch! Love that Speedy

[@Bikefitjames]

Thanks!

[@Prince_Vince]

Really looking forward to the next videos, keep up the informative edits. I have a dream about a podcast between Neill Stanbury (Road Cycling Academy) and James. Discussing their opinions on different topics in the bike-fitting-world even if they disagree about some stuff.

[@L0ck5m1th]

I would like to see that too.

[@Amerigo73]

I could watch this all day long. It's full of insights for me - such a systematic approach is amazing.

[@duduyoyo2360]

More content like this please !! Super interesting

[@eyalo30]

The best Bikefit you can get

[@DanTuber]

for £500 it want to be... 😮

[@leerichy6489]

I've just payed more than that for some dental work and it's less fun. £500 is about an " average" integrated bar and stem cost these days, it's not cheap but look at the long term benefits and cost savings. Compared to getting your expensive new bike wrong it starts to look good value.

[@CrumbandLian]

I agree! 👍

[@Bikefitjames]

@@DanTuber you’ve probably spent more on components that make less of a difference to your life

[@DanTuber]

@@Bikefitjames I've never spent that much on a component.

[@eugeneyem]

I'm seriously considering traveling overseas to have a couple of sessions with James. This is gold!

[@XXXENOWRAITHXX]

⁠you can book james specifically for a premium price

[@leerichy6489]

That's right it's all on the website. You do pay an extra charge for the main man but if you're travelling long distances it's got to be worth it. I'm sure if you contact the shop they can arrange for you to see him.

[@Bikefitjames]

You can book directly with me, check the website

[@rakulex]

Love your videos! Very interesting the chat with the customer, really good to understand the process

[@nickyburnell]

Quite a lot of it's too long stuff online lately. My experience. 6ft 1. 95kg, fit. I have annular tears at L1 and L2 so the more I sit up the worse the compression. So I run too long (!) and sort the shoulder stretch out by going lower. Works! We are all different.

[@truthseeker8483]

Changing to a wider stance width made a big difference for me as an older rider. I didn't know about how important it was until seeing these great videos, thanks.🙂

[@SoilworkZA01]

Hypothetically, if most bikes are too long on the reach, a medium sized rider (175cm) on a medium sized Giant Defy with a reach of 380mm and top tube of 545mm would be out by roughly how much? Asking for a friend, definitely not me who is questioning a recent bike purchase

[@peterch4978]

This should be ok frame size, I'm 178cm and have TT 545mm + 85mm stem on Scott Speedster, I would test Defy with 90mm or 80mm stem. velobest.bike/image/data/_geometry/shoss/Scott%20Speedster%20geometry.jpeg

[@thejeffinvade]

I am the same height as you and I know 2024 Defy in size Small fits me better. But I recently got a second hand 2022 defy advanced pro 1 in Medium, the deal was just too good to pass over. 1, 2024 Defy is slightly more aggressive than previous version. My 2022 Medium defy has 377mm reach with 567mm stack which helps it fit me better. 2, I got a 80mm OD2 stem and a handlebar with shorter reach from AliExpress. I also switched 172.5mm crankarm with 170mm crankarm from my last bike. It fits me well, although the handling is a bit twitchy but I live in a flat area which very little fast descent opportunities, so it's not a big issue for me.

[@duduyoyo2360]

Roughly top tube should be 52 cm long max..

[@SamirDhokia]

I have had a bike fit from James made an amazing difference knee pain gone Thank you James and the team

[@keessonnema]

I'm very consious that my bike could be too big for me, however I've seen on your videos (the ones from Francis) that a lot of things are possible. For example I'm riding with an 80mm stem right now, but I hate the feeling of that. I have a bike fit planned next month, so I'm quite excited!

[@poxcr]

Great content as usual, James! I'd love to see a video about the constraints of fitting someone with long arms and legs, but with a short torso. I'm built like that and I get the feeling it is the worst possible combination for a bike fit. Most bikes end up being either too long or too low for people like us.

[@scottwatson7844]

I’m the same as you and now ride an endurance bike and have done for years. Race bikes are far too long for people like us.

[@poxcr]

@@scottwatson7844 Even endurance bikes fit weird to me. I am just 173cm tall but have an 89cm inseam. I always end up with an absurdly long seat post and quite a few spacers under the stem. 😅

[@izabela-56751]

Really great to see you posting actual case studies from your studio! I'm curious if you'll be featuring a video with someone dealing with severe back issues. I've been struggling to get back on the bike after a lumbar disc herniation, and it's been tough. While I've managed to return to other activities, cycling still triggers my symptoms. To make matters worse, the local bike fitter told me that even with adjustments to my setup, he believes I will still be in pain-and that's exactly what's happening.

[@Bikefitjames]

This’d be an interesting case, why don’t you book in!?

[@izabela-56751]

@@Bikefitjames I'm definitely considering it. It would involve some travel though, as I'm currently based in Poland, so there are some logistics to figure out.

[@Demand68]

Such a good point about riders not using the brake hoods, but gravitating towards the bend of the bars. It’s a tell tale sign everything’s too long

[@robappleby583]

I mostly ride a recumbent trike myself, so what do I know, but I see so many riders - especially women - riding the bends of the handlebar or even the tops. The fact that as soon as they relax from a hard effort section they all sit upright, take their hands off the bars and wring their hands to loosen their wrists must mean something. I also see the majority of riders don't have a still position on the saddle - they're often rocking from side to side, which indicates they've got the saddle too high. I live in Italy which is conventional racing bike heaven, and I wonder sometimes how much fun these riders are really having.

[@christianvirgo2929]

I have had a bike fit everything you have mentioned to be concerned about other so called bike fitters I have been through. So am ready to book an appointment. Thank you for your video's.

[@michael1]

This is a kind of standard patter with bike fitters though - you can't fit yourself, you've been to fitters? Yeah, but they all do it wrong etc etc. Anyone going to see James knows before they go exactly what 3 or 4 things James is going to tell them and sell them because we know his thing is "your saddle is too high", "your shoes don't fit" he's added pedal stance now, if you're short he'll swap your cranks. He's even quite accomplished at gauging which customers will want to hear that their existing bike is fine and they just need the new parts and tweaks, and which one have the budget and n+1 mentality that he can upsell a pinarello to with a "we'll do these changes and we're at a halfway house... but the pinarello? It'd be perfect, no bike fits better" - Nice one. I was about to say "Nah, I'll take the new bike" myself. If you think about it though, logically if James has fit 500 people that would mean there are only 500 people with a comfortable bike - because every other bike fitter is getting it wrong (they have to say that because if you're looking on youtube the chances are you've had at least one bike fit, maybe more and he knows what they did failed because you're still looking - all he has to do is convince you that even though you know bike fitting doesn't work that he can make it work because the others are all doing it wrong) - I'll tell you though that mostly when you go to a bike fitter and he adjusts things and gives you attention and takes an interest in your cycling, everything will feel better - it's like homeopathic medicine. It's a placebo that's improved by the "bedside manner" of the practitioner. Later you will get discomfort again. I spent maybe £10k on different bikes, saddles, stems, bike fits etc trying to get a comfortable road bike and at least one of the bike fitters had the same reputation - he has a facebook page with procyclists, celebs and paralympic cyclists visiting him - johnny brownlee and billy monger amongst others. Hundreds of ringing endorsements and reviews (including mine) but it didn't actually work and I went back and he sold me a saddle and made other changes - and on the day everything felt better - but it didn't actually work. And I just gave up because cycling was painful and miserable and everyone was 'bish, bash bosh, yeah the last guy you went to was an idiot, this is your problem" - and they wanted £300 to tell me that and then anything from £200 to £2000 in parts or new bikes on top. It's a big scam - although, to be fair, I think my bike fitter, as well as James probably believe it works. The guy who fit my bike probably thinks I'm happy - I walked out of the place -twice - with a big smile on my face. And because it was a pre-bike purchase fit I went and spent thousands on a bike that I can't ride for more than 30-45 minutes at a time - and that was after spending thousands on a previous bike. Of course at first I did ride for longer, I just put up with the discomfort for years until eventually I figured it wasn't worth it and gave up. In fact my bike always feels better when I adjust it and get back on. That always works, ride, feel discomfort, get off and adjust for a few minutes, get back on and it feels better....and then you get discomfort again and repeat - forever. The secret to bike fitting is to make sure they jump off the bike in the time between it feeling better and it starting to feel uncomfortable again. And I can do that and it doesn't matter where I put saddle, up, down, forwards or back - the simple act of getting off the bike for a couple of minutes makes it feel comfortable - with the exception of extremes. Sure you can drop your saddle or raise it until you know it's too high, but there's inches of movement where any position feels better until it doesn't - and that's how you can have 25 bike fitters and get 25 different fits with them all telling you the other guys are wrong.

[@BlandCube]

@@michael1 i aint reading all that

[@michael1]

@@BlandCube Yeah reading isn't for everyone. You might strain something

[@JHBEM]

Thanks for producing and sharing these insights openly to everyone. Not being in London, do the world of bike fitter specialists like yourself have a collaborative network where you might be able to ´Pay it forward’ with any closer, or in, Cambridge UK?

[@SzX1X]

@Bikefit James I love your videos man. The thing is, it doesn’t substitute a real bikefit. So for all the people who are not from UK: Would you like to make a video on how to spot a good bikefitter? I got terrible experience with one and this broke my trust, so I don’t know where to go. Thanks!

[@poxcr]

Right? It's tough to find one, specially when all those local bike shop mechanics who got a 'Retul' certificate believe they're now proper bike fitters.

[@thomasdemontlivault5647]

Agreed, have tried two in Brussels and none were remotely as professional as what's in this video. Not the same price either though.

[@thomasdemontlivault5647]

Awesome video! I've been struggling for 5 years with bikes that - I believe - are always too long. I've done 2 bike fits so far and am about to do a third one, for lack of improvement.

[@PhilKrueger-y4u]

San Diego to Portland via Las Vegas!? The ride through Joshua Tree would be nice. The mountains of Utah are spectacular. But the coast of California and Oregon might be one of the most scenic tours anywhere (once you get past LA.) I would also choose the middle route up the backside of the Sierras (hwy395) over Vegas

[@zbigniewnykiel]

Thanks for all of the information!!!

[@JJBpilot]

Fascinating to see those knee angles.... looks like the saddle height is too low, but I guess can't argue with expertise.

[@49tkscott]

Awesome content. So many points that resonate with my riding woes. Hoping to learn and improve my riding comfort so I can break my personal goal of a 100 mike ride. My record so far is 65.

[@joe4624]

Shame my bike cost the same as the fit, otherwise I'd definitely be up for a visit to the shop 😂

[@1947wdx]

Short top tube, short stem, less reach, sit up straighter ... I hear these things a lot in recent bike fit videos. While this may be a common issue, I had a bike fit (by a reputable bike fitter) when I bought my new bike and have never felt so cramped on the bike before. I'd like to hear you discuss that aspect. The other extreme if you will. How do you know if your bike is too small? How does posture affect the fit? How do I know my posture is wrong, and how do I fix it? These are some of the things I'm currently discussing with my fitter, and would like to hear your take on them.

[@yesmate78]

Decide yourself,you need other people decisions

[@stevemullin1195]

Wish I could find a bike fitter over here in Los Angeles that has a bike rig like you have to work out my bike fit on my surly bridge club. I have carpal tunnel issues and I'm riding on a brooks b17 saddle and a jones h bar 2.5 bar on my XL frame. I'm 6'2", 203lbs and I'm using my bike for general riding with touring or bike packing in the future.

[@g.fortin3228]

Love the vids..great to see you getting your own channel going.

[@Anthony-pr1cy]

Need more videos like this!

[@Bikefitjames]

Stay tuned!

[@Ribanski]

Hi James been watching and learning form your vids a long time now. Very informative,funny and professional informative. Just one tip from a other professional, camera handling and movement, please pay more attention to that. Please get some more information and guidance about that. It will make your vids more comfortable to watch and a the end more professional. As bike-fitting is a profession that your one of the best one, handling a camera is also a profession. Keep making these vids..

[@LukeMichaelJames]

Hey :) Luke here. I shoot these videos and will do my best to make them more smooth. These bike fits are shot as a fly on the wall from start to finish, which can be between 3-4 hours, so sometimes i'll be filming something specific and James will say something interesting, where i'll have to quickly adapt and move, reframe or zoom in and out. This is my profession too and my full time business, so I want to make sure it's as good as possible, as well as being dynamic, humble and feeling very real and in the moment. Hopefully that will get better and more enjoyable for you to watch going forward :)

[@uwja_]

Cool video! Would love to see a before and after of the fit of the rider on their bike.

[@chrisridesbicycles]

Idea for fun video: Get a stock bike from one of the big brands and do a reverse bike fit as in „design“ a person who would fit on that bike.

[@RideCJH]

You mention the Pinarello X as being the best bike for reach and stack. I have a Pearson Forge and I've found this to be good as well ( and a bit cheaper too)

[@lmbraga]

It would be really interesting to have some of James' thoughts on Mountain Bike fit. Does the more dynamic nature of moving around on mtb make fits different?

[@hananas2]

What I find funny is that my vintage steel bike has wildly agressive geometry but to me it feels super natural and just right for even 5h long rides. I'm 183cm and my bike has a 400mm reach, 540mm stack, 100mm quill stem but sitting just a few cm above the top tube. It also has a seat tube angle of 74.5 degrees though so I guess that shortens it up a little?

[@davidchivers2762]

Hi James. Love your work. I'm on the other side of the world and wondering if you know of any experts doing similar bike fit analysis in New Zealand.

[@HIGHVILLELAUNCHER]

The quick shot at :03 shows you marking the saddle height with what looks like a very far back position with the ruler. Shouldnt it run from center of the bb and thru the seatpost clamp and straight up thru that? Thank you James.

[@CatManDoSocial]

Great stuff as usual. I so wish we were in the same country/continent. I would get a fit from you in a heartbeat.

[@Bikefitjames]

Can do a remote fit if you’re interested, ping me at [e-mail]

[@CatManDoSocial]

@@Bikefitjames Thanks James!

[@alanwright4628]

What stem change did you make to this gentleman's bike?

[@andreemurray7039]

Awesome James good plain taking

[@Bazza1968]

Think I need to find a frame with an XS reach coupled with a M/L stack.... 1m70cm, axle to saddle 870mm, size 10(Uk) feet....On a 52cm Vitus Razor Disc now with a 60mm stem and short reach (75mm) bars with 105 mech groupset....I'd love to get a bike fit but can't afford it, reckon it would be a challenge to sort me out and find a frameset off the shelf that would best suit my long legs and short torso.... (bought the bike going by Wiggle size guide, Cube Attain seems the only bike I've seen that would probably do!)

[@billincolumbia]

Good stuff, sir.

[@Cycleplayer117]

Just subscribed and will come for a bike fit real soon 👍🏾

[@Bikefitjames]

Thank you!

[@stevemullin1195]

Was wondering if you have checked out the infinity saddles made over here in LA....what is your opinion on these saddles especially for long distance riding/touring to help reduce saddle sores.

[@likesbikes438]

Great stuff as always! Is there a chance that you could do a video where you talk about/recommend fitting courses for people to get into bike fitting or for fitters who want to up their bike-fit game?

[@cleberaraujo055]

I think ill treat myself with a fit for Xmas and 60th bday 😊

[@Bikefitjames]

We’d love to have you down

[@Strange_Brew]

This guy is really good!

[@Krith220]

How do you ever get into a more aero position if you're fitted so upright on the bike?

[@markflorence11]

Any chance you can recommend a competent bike fitter in Wisconsin or Minnesota USA?

[@leoturgenov7440]

I wish there was a bike fitter of this quality near where I live! (north carolina)

[@Cycle.every.day.]

Weekly vids , good stuff.

[@Bikefitjames]

Stay tuned

[@derekhobbs1102]

As long as it's Tuesday.

[@paulawright6868]

Always fascinating stuff. ❤

[@DontSpySpying]

What saddle height did he end up with? Curious to how it lines up with his inseam measurement of 91

[@nelsonsilva6842]

Always Wondered how you translate the jig infinitely adjustable measurements in to a bike that is incremental?!?!

[@MegaSixpac]

When you and Francis come to New Zealand I would like a bike fit please

[@dustisallthings4542]

Bang on with Burts, he and you should do...Ms Kools and Henry.

[@Bikefitjames]

Eh?

[@antonrodriguez3940]

Hi James, the links in the description don't work, they've been shortened...

[@Bikefitjames]

Thanks for letting me know, it'll be sorted within 24hrs. If you wanted to book a fit head to www.bicyclerichmond.co.uk

[@Bikefitjames]

Fixed

[@okantichrist]

At the end do you get a sheet with all specific measurements?

[@Bikefitjames]

Of course!

[@vs92384]

James you confused internal rotation of the hip with external rotation.

[@BenchmarkStudio_]

No matter what length my stem is I put my hands back right below the hoods it’s just more comfortable to rest my palms

[@mitchellsteindler]

Same. Its the most hand shaped part of the handlebar.

[@Sills71]

Once upon a time bikes came in 14 or 15 sizes and they fit better, then the industry went to much more limited sizes not to make the bike the better but to increase their profits. Although the Pinarello is not too bad at 8 sizes it is still too few. Compact geometry, integrated headsets, aheadset stems and limited sizes made bikes fit more challenging. Not to mention the "I wanna ride what the pros ride" mindset of the average cyclist....

[@CreativeFishDesignsCharlotte]

damn as much as i hate to say , I trust ur info completely , I wish u where in the us , I think I'm close at home with your help lol but u would have been far better thanks for your work sir

[@tommyfreckmann6857]

Did he say tighter in internal rotation as the video is showing him assessing external hip rotation??

[@Bikefitjames]

No

[@Bikefitjames]

It’s the right leg and I’m pulling the foot toward me, thus internally rotating the hip

[@tommyfreckmann6857]

@Bikefitjames got it, what I saw was the foot going medially when you mentioned being tight. But, I couldn't tell what you were saying. Just making sure I understood so I could follow along your reasoning for certain bike adjustments.

[@thijsvandenbroek5333]

I find the sram 11 speed road shifters so small with my large hands that i mostly sit in te drops or semi behind the hoods just because there is more space

[@stuartwilkes4434]

I've discovered people still set saddle setback using the old string from the underside of the kneecap down through the centre of the axel in the foot forward position. This may have worked with 73° seat tubes but with modern seat angles especially on modern mountain bikes this always moves you too rearward gruining the ride and control you should be getting.

[@LazyGrayF0x]

Is that a speedmaster on the wrist?

[@Bikefitjames]

3861 sapphire sandwich

[@philipdiggens9455]

After years of saddle pain on long rides and several unsuccessful bike fits James sorted me after one session. Next time I buy a bike I'll be off to see him first to get it 100% right!

[@hockysa]

Ooo independent channel

[@АнтонАлексеенко_044]

You need to start trade-in business for those bike owners to swap them

[@edwin_slager]

Why isn’t there a James in The Netherlands

[@Bikefitjames]

Because there is a Bikefit James in London just a 60 minute flight over the channel 😉

[@jonathanz9889]

Where's Chris froome?

[@ISWYDTOR]

Well, now I definitely know that my bike is way too big.

[@kimwalton2873]

Wish I lived closer to get a total bike fit.😑

[@zedddddful]

So his bike was the wrong size basically?

[@WilliamTurner-v3p]

omg, cool

[@TheWoogeroo]

We need a new 'Worst pro bike fits' video, including the new Vuelta (and soon Ineos) star Pablo Castrillo - he looks like he's dying on the bike 100% of the time.

[@zikaperic2133]

what is a yard?

[@Bikefitjames]

😂 it’s an old English measurement of distance - it’s 3ft

[@JulianAndresKlode]

Heh next what's a feet. But suffice it to say it's about a meter, 91.44 cm to be more exact.

[@carlosaguirre9643]

I wish the enunciation was in english...

[@RachelSchloer]

Who still uses yards as a measurement especially for a bike fit lol

[@ajanmadas]

where the fuck is that glorious beard

[@Bikefitjames]

@@ajanmadas currently being cultivated for the winter

[@myPPPLab]

hood ange too upright

[@julianallen515]

A yard? As in 36 inches? Hmm. We never used to see many people riding with their hands on the top of the bar behind the hoods. Now it's everywhere. Are people less flexible, buying the wrong sized frame more often or what? I don't want to be riding in a group with people so far from their brakes.

[@richardhamwi]

Get a microphone please...

[@markstone722]

Don't think so. Click bait.

[@audimaster5000]

It was a bike fitting with yo mom. Besides a bike fitting, we also can see where you got the grumpy pants trait from. Thanks

[@markstone5390]

Or where you can see BS coming

[@Bikefitjames]

@@audimaster5000😂😂😂