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Hi all, recently upgraded to an aero (but not full out TT) race bike. Would anyone recommend a good bike fitter in DMV area? My local bike shops don’t seem particularly equipped to do race bike fits. Thanks for the help.
Spokes, Etc in Alexandria, VA does fit sessions that are really beneficial; you need to set up an appointment, though.
Lots of DC Tri folks use Smiley who works out of his house http://bikefitbysmiley.com/. He’s happy to do truly crazy numbers of follow-ups with you until you are happy with the fit. I fit three bikes with him. Like most fitters he has his own opinions, but if you are sure you want something one way he’ll eventually go along with you, you just need to be clear about what you want.
-Mark
I’ll second Smiley for a local fit. It’s the best money I’ve ever spent on my bike. And, like Mark said, any follow up adjustments within his stated window (which was six months when I fitted with him) are free.
One of the longest threads on the old DCTri website was “Best Bike Fit Hands Down” and was all about Smiley. There were over 50 replies from satisfied club members.
One thing about Smiley instead of a bike shop — if he recommends something new (e.g. different aerobars, handlebars with a different drop, etc.) there is no economic motivation to his suggestion.
I literally just had a session with Smiley this evening for a pre-fit for a tri bike (will soon be posting on the classifieds section to see if anyone is selling one in my size). Here’s why I highly recommend him:
I originally went to see him for this pre-fit in September and he could have taken my money, found some angles that would get me in the saddle, and sent me on my way. However, he found that 1) a different bike fitter had not fit me properly into my road bike and, as a result, I’d been riding it wrong; and 2) due to a lack of flexibility, I wouldn’t be able to ride a tri bike the right way to get enough of a benefit from it to make it a worthwhile purchase. He decided that if I couldn’t ride it the “right way,” he couldn’t in good conscience take my money to do the fit. Instead, we used the session for him to fix the road bike fit and he sent me home with instructions to come back when I’d put some miles riding that bike the right way and after I’d improved my flexibility using some stretches he gave me.
Four months later, I’m easily cruising on gears that I’d previously found difficult to maintain on my road bike and I’ve hit my flexibility goals. That accomplished, he fit me for a tri bike, walking me through every step in the process and providing thorough explanations along the way (and only cost $75 since I’d had the road bike fit within the past 6 months). He’ll also provide me with his analysis of any bike I’m considering in my search.
Also, as someone noted, there is something to be said of the fact that Smiley has nothing to sell you except his bike fitting skills and his reputation. Many a bike shop probably would have stuffed me onto a poorly fitting tri bike to get a purchase, but he wouldn’t allow a client to leave with a fit that wouldn’t have met his standards.
Another strong recommendation for Smiley- I’ve had other bike fits and his is by far superior. He refit my TT bike and it made a WORLD of a difference. I’ll admit I waited a while to get my bike refit because the $275 seemed a bit steep. Now I’m kicking myself for not doing it last year- it’s a small investment for huge results.
Then, when I was looking for a road bike, he had me come in to ride the fit bike so I could get the exact bike that worked for me. All I paid was the additional bike fee and I ended up with a bike that cost less because it was the one best suited for my measurements. Any time I buy a bike in the future I’ll be seeing him first.
Smiley is a perfectionist and won’t let you leave until he’s satisfied you’re riding correctly (like when he insisted on fixing my saddle because I hadn’t put it on just right).
…and yet another recommendation for Smiley. I spent three sessions with him getting my bike (which I thought fit well) and me ready for Ironman North Carolina last fall. Simply put, it was the best money I spent on my bike outside the bike itself. Smiley spends hours ensuring that your bike is fitted to you – well beyond some of the other sophisticated fitters I’ve dealt with. As noted, he has no economic stake in getting you to buy any accoutrements/adjustments for your bike – I needed some risers for my aerobars – I think a total of 20 bucks. He added a few washers to my pedals to open up my hips a little. While the bike course in IMNC was cut short, the multiple century training rides in the training period validated Smiley’s fitting. Make an appointment – you won’t regret it.
Just another recommendation for getting a bike fit from Smiley. After adjusting the fit on my roadie two years ago, Smiley pre-fitted me last year for a tri bike … and with those coordinates in hand I immediately eliminated all those beautiful bike I’d long had my eye on … found one that fits me like a glove and went back to Smiley for final adjustments. Oh, and it took me a year or so to get my act together before I went back for my final fit adjustment. He honored his initial commitment to me, made some adjustments for saddle and cockpit, and here I am … can’t wait for OSP to begin!
+ XX for Smiley. Best bike fit — and involves plenty of back and forth tweaking so you can continue to make adjustments.
Check out Club partner Trek in Clarendon and their Trek Precision Fit https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/precision_fit/.
Pablo
Adding to this forum in case folks are still wondering, “where’s the best place to go for a bike fit?” No questions asked, if you need a bike fit, you need to go to Smiley. I had no idea my tri-bike could ever be this comfortable (or comfortable at all for that matter!). Smiley made adjustments I didn’t even know were an option (who knew pedal spacers existed?!) and has met with me multiple times to get the fit exactly right. We have one final fitting to go and it already feels like a completely different bike from before I met with Smiley. He is hands down the most experienced and knowledgeable fitter in our area. Don’t think twice, go to Smiley.
Here’s his website for ease of access: https://<wbr />bikefitbysmiley.com/
