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Hey man, I don't even work here.

Call me crazy, but I really don't buy all the stuff about getting measured. To me, that is more alchemy than science. There are probably a dozen different systems for "fitting" a bike, but as far as I know there is no comparison between them. Furthermore, there really isn't any data that I have seen to show if any of the systems for fitting a bike actually make a difference in comfort or efficiency. The best the systems have to say they work at all is that some Cat 1 racing team uses it. Since none of you (that I know of) are Cat 1 racers, that is like asking an Indy car driver to pick out a used car for you to drive. How can someone who doesn't know you take simple measurements and try and determine the way you like to ride a bike?

That is the real issue here. Not how the bike is going to <i>fit</i>, but how it will <i><b>feel</b></i>. Even if you have determined the type of bike you want, you still need to find your riding style. Basically you are trying to predict the style in which you do something, before you have done it. (Ask yourself what your favorite style of tap dance is.) I love seeing Joe ride with his shoulders high and back straight. That isn't how I ride though. I don't see being able to tell him to ride the way I do because of some mathematical black magic.

My best advice for fitting a bike is to measure the length of the inner leg. Then get a bike with a stand over height an inch or two less than that. Basically everything else can be adjusted. At least to some degree. Once you get to to this point, you could pay someone to make those little adjustments. But you have to have the frame first. In other words. bicycle fitting is only really useful once you have the frame. For my money I would still rather do it myself though.

So now that the rant is concluded, Jon, I encourage your girlfriend to try out a bunch of different bikes. Preferably for rides as long as possible. It will help give a sense of what works and what doesn't. It can also help with the other little differences, like double or triple crankset, fixed gear vs. geared, or appropriate crank arm length. That way when you start spending real money to get the bike, she will know what she wants.

Well, that is a bit more than my two cents. More like a buck and a half...

Alex, well said. I think you have brought up the flip side of the coin I was talking about. It seems like your fitting helped get the most comfort out of a bike you already had. A physical therapist (or whoever) can look at how you sit on the bike and recommend changes that help. Even better if they can impart some of the reasons they have for doing things. But to do this you both need the bike and know how you ride.

But how is a guy at a shop going to measure you, or see you on a bike and pick your style? You could probably go to a bike shop and the fitting will help them recommend a bike that can in all likely hood be adjusted to work, but may not fit the way you use it. If you have the means, why not try out a bunch of bikes? My recommendation would be to try that before getting the fitting.

It would be interesting to create a bike library. A way for people to check out a bike before they buy. Probably too many permutations to be reasonable though.

As for standover height, I wouldn't say it is the only thing to be worried about. It is more like a starting point. If your frame is two inches taller than your legs, it probably won't work well. Once you get the height figured out, you can begin to build the rest of the bike from there.

There is one other reason to start there. Also a bit of a problem for people with weird physiologies. This is that most production frames are rated in terms of height. The length increases in rough proportion to that. But if the height you want in a frame doesn't work for the length you want, there isn't much else to do. A different style of frame usually changes the ratio between the two, so you could get a different style frame. But that can also lead to changes in tires, wheels and brakes. Even if you know you have a short torso and long legs, it may be the only way to adjust that on the frame you want is to get a short stem or an angled seat post.

I should also note that your mileage may vary. Plus this comes from the guy wearing shorts in winter, so take with a healthy grain of salt.

-dB