Is bike fit really that important? (Page 2)

jmug23,

I think your question in the text of your original post was just right.  It looks like some responders addressed the question in the title and didn't read or pay attention to what you wrote in the post itself.

Okay, I'll bite on this: Sure, you can make adjustments to stack and reach of "any" frame of the right general size and make it "fit" (of course you also need to address the fore/aft of the saddle as well, which stack and reach completely ignore). All that does is get your contact points in the right place, disregarding how those adjustments affect your weight distribution on the bike. There's a reason we don't still ride road bike with long stems and forward-facing seatposts -- it did HORRENDOUS things to the handling of those otherwise mild-mannered road bikes.

So, as I said before, sure, you can make the contact points on just about any bike "work", and it'll ride just fine... on the trainer. But take it off the trainer where it actually has to be controlled, and it'll shock you how different a well-fitting bike will ride.

I was "fitted" when I bought my bike a year or so ago. They put me up on a trainer and measured some angles and such. Took the bike off the trainer and sent me on my way (this was my first ever bike since I was about 8 years old).

I rode that bike, in that configuration for several tri's, a metric, and a century. When I moved, I had the bike broken down and rebuilt once it was shipped to my destination. Everything was marked as to where it was before it was broken down and it was built back up with the exact specifications as were marked. I started feeling stretched out and just not comfortable (I also ramped up my training). I took the bike to our local shop and had the owner take a look (he also races Pro over here in Europe). He immediately saw some serious problems and many, many changes were made. He said that they sold me the correct size frame and stem, but that just about everything else was wrong. He said that I was loosing out on about 20% power! That's a huge amount in my opinion and if I can gain even 10% increase in power with a few changes I will be totally satisfied!

So yes, getting the right size frame/stem might work for you, but that doesn't mean that the bike will actually fit you!

I've ridden a roadie with shorty bars for 2 years and I start to feel bad after the 20 mile mark. But it pretty much fits me. I've had it fitted by great "fitters"

I got my new perfect sized Tri-bike yesterday and got it fitted by someone who is an expert tri-bike fitter. OMFG.

I rode 45 miles this morning and I could have rode 50 more. More comfort, more efficiency, definitely leading to more power. 

fit is EVERYTHING!!!!!

This is why the advice is always to get the fit done before buying the bike.

^^^LOL

mostly because your running shoes are wider and less prone to flatting than tires.

I will play some devils advocate here. If bike fit is amazing why do I see IM podium finishers w/o a "professional" fit? Why do I see athletes changing their "professional" bike fits right before races and having great races? 

Last year I was given two choices for fitting: Retul for $250 with a guy who just took a basic course, or a guy with 25 years experience who does it all by sight and charges $40. Sometimes all the high-tech gadgets are not needed, just ask the guy who dropped his 100 yard swim average by switching from the top level wetsuit to the bottom level wetsuit.

Given that choice, I'd go with the guy that has 25 years experience, regardless of the price.

I actually agree with you but don't think that underplays the value of a good fit. 

Some athletes simply prefer a fit that they've grown up with and trained with, even if ReTUL or other standard recommendation fits say it's suboptimal. If they are professionals, they also likely will test their results in both positions with power data to back it up to make sure what they're doing is working. This doesn't mean that a good fit for amateurs is crucially important, even if you might be one of the few who does better without a pro fit and just going with what you've been doing. 

It's analogous to the aero helmet situation in IM. Some pros, like Chrissie in some races at Kona, simply didn't use the aero helmet. Concerns about overheating, etc. Still doesn't mean an aero helmet is very effective for others that day on the same course. 

I would go so far as to say that if you get aero wheels prior to getting a pro fit, you're missing out on the real aerodynamic gains in terms of bang for buck. Your wheels might get you an extra 40-60sec/hr, but your suboptimal aero setup may cost you 90-120 seconds (or more) per hour compared to a recommended optimal fit.