Has anyone had a bike fit?

[Binky]

I'm still getting back into the swing of cycling again after a few years off the bikes, I'm older, heavier and less bike fit than I was, and also riding riser bar bikes while my drop bar road bike is gathering dust in a corner. I'm considering a bike fit to get the most out of my cycling and to possibly iron out a few issues I'm having.

I've noticed there are now quite a few people offering bike fitting services, from the expensive to the not so expensive, from specialists who do nothing but bike fits to bike shops who also offer it as one of their many services.

Has anyone had one? What did you think of the experience? Has it improved your cycling or solved any issues you may have had?

[PH]

I had a bike fit by Hewitt Cycles as a part of the buying experience some 25 years ago, it made some changes to my position which I didn't at first like, but ended up changing other bikes to match.  That's an issue with trial and error, you will resort to what feels familiar, rather than what might be best.  Years later I tried the guide linked below, and it came within mm's of the Hewitt fit.  Both professional and guided need to be taken as a starting point, rather than an absolute, we are all different, though not as different as some assume.
https://wheel-easy.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/bike-set-up-2017a.pdf

[in4]

I too had a fit on Hewitt’s fitting steed; looked like a medieval torture device but was a tried, tested and accurate device  for me. I also had a fit at SJS in Bridgewater which was a different but just as effective a process. I’ve only changed my bike stem once in over 8 years of riding my Nomad.

[energyman]

I had a bike fit years ago when I bought my RST.  Best thing I ever did as it fits me like a  glove.  It's now converted to an E and still going strong.
Kevin Sayles looked me over a few years later and built me a superb Woodrup Chimera.

[mickeg]

I never had one.  And am quite content with the results.

I occasionally notice people in front of me that I suspect have their saddles too low, they seem to swing their knees outward to the side as they pedal.

I used to be very uncomfortable when using the drops, maybe used the drops about 5 percent of the time.  Then I lost about 15 percent of my body weight, and a lot of that weight came off the middle section.  Now I am much more comfortable using the drops and use the drops more often without discomfort.  My point here is that if you plan to lose weight, you might want to do that before instead of after the bike fit.