I did some online researching of bike fitters in the DFW area. I knew that I wanted to go to one that had the ability to put me on a robot version of a bike where tweaks could be made, a process similar to an optometrist visit. I decided on Dynamic Bike Fit for a couple of reasons. One, they got crazy good reviews and people seemed to love the fitter, Craig Fulk. And second, they had a location super close to me!
Making the appointment was super easy, I did it online through the website. When I got to the location, it was at Craig's home. He converted his second floor media room to a bike fitting studio.
Craig is a Retül fitter which uses a robot-like bike that allows the fitter to analyze the rider's fit while in motion. Most of the assessment is through the use of the software that tracks what the rider's body is doing. The fit is determined based on numbers and angles rather than the feel to the rider. Hilariously, I insisted that my seat was too high and when Craig dropped me a tenth of a centimeter I immediately knew I was wrong and the system was right!
Craig was kind and attentive, keeping me in conversation while also focusing on the task at hand. The first thing he did was have me do some stretching to see my flexibility and assess if one of my legs is shorter/longer than the other (turns out thats true). Next, I got on the Retül Müve which is the bicycle robot. Craig strapped on some sensors that a camera picked up and then the software analyzed my positioning as I pedaled. It was so cool!
Once, we knew how my body needed to be on the bike, Craig was able to pull up various bike models and compare their fit to the fit that I need. It was neat being able to see them transposed on top of each other. Craig would explain that with some tweaks of various components, some bike frames would work even if not initially in line with what I needed while others were so far out of my range that he said not to even consider them.
I cannot say enough about Dynamic Bike Fit and Craig. I would 100% recommend anyone looking for a new bike or to feel better on their current bike to see him. I should also note, that he was super patient with the bike shopping process! I emailed him lots of different options and he kindly emailed me back quickly!
This is part 1 of the story. Once I get my bike put together, I will be taking it back in to get the bike adjusted to my fit! And I'll be sure and post about that!
Next up....put the bike together! We've officially got all of the components in (except for the saddle) so we're hoping to get some work done on it this weekend! (And by we, I mean, I'm doing the hoping and Matthew's doing the working)