Bike fit Tuesdays always circle around the same points, yet I'm still learning stuff each time. This is a great public service!

Amazing, had my 56 cm Tarmac sl nicked awhile ago, just replaced it with a second hand 54 cm frame (from a mate). Built up with spare stuff. Its the most comfortable bike Ive ridden. I will pay more attention to James and his bike fit advice from now on as he is spot on advising a smaller frame.

Most KZfaq bike fitters: Try to appear serious while spouting complete nonsense James: Goofs about while spreading true knowledge Once again proof that the less important something appears to be, the more important it probably is

James going to bike shops and doing a "Gordan Ramsey" review of bike fitting, what could be more perfect than that?

Can we hear James’ story on starting his own business? It’d be super interesting to hear how people can make a living through their passions!

The big bike issue could have gotten me had I NOT bought my bike from a bike shop. The bike companies would have had me more in a 54 based on height, but the 52 they had on hand, which the guys initially thought was too small, turned out to be perfect because my inseam was shorter. Ordering online would have resulted in a bike that was too big! Good tips!

1) Saddle height 2) Reach is too long 3) Handlebars too wide 4) Shoes too big 5) Bike is too big

After going my first year and half without a proper bike fit, I thought the pain and discomfort was part of the process. Had the wrong sized shoes too. Got fitted (and refitted to a new bike) and got the right sized pair of shoes; life is good. I’m such an advocate the first thing I tell anyone asking about road cycling is to get a bike fit AND clarifying that a bike fit isn’t from the guy who sold you the Bike telling you you look good on it. Lol 🍻

Spot on. At 5’ 10” also, I have consistently opted for smaller frames than most manufacturers recommend - typically 53/54. Thanks for affirming I’m not crazy!

Watched this morning before going for a short-ish ride (37km) - flipped my stem, dropped the saddle, moved it forwards (also applied some toe-in to my levers) - what a difference. Much more comfortable. Glad I watched the video, as it'll make Nighrider London much more comfortable next weekend!

About to fly to London just to have this man fit me

Love the energy and passion that you guys bring to your channel. Because of your videos, I've been able to get a bike that fits me properly 2nd time round! Been riding a gravel bike in a L (60) for the best part of 16 months and ooooh what a journey it’s been. Sizing came about from the old school “height = bike size” chart gubbins. Bike salesman says you’re a large (I’m 5’11 - 6ft on a good day). You think everything is rosy, pedal about on it for 2 mins to check all is good, pay your money and roll out of the store. Oh how wrong was I…. I felt like I was beaten up every time I rode it. You name it, I suffered from it. Numb undercarriage/neck/shoulder/numb hands/hot foot/lower back pain, over stretched. Everything under the sun. Even bought a cut out saddle (helped a little) and changed the stem to a slightly shorter one but alas, it was money poured down the drain. Enough was enough, cut my losses and sold the bike last month before I did any lasting damage to myself. Because of these brilliant BFT videos I've now got a bike that actually fits me (54 (S) endurance bike).

James is a legend, I have wasted money on 2 other fits years ago, felt good until putting power down outside over distance. Went to James and never felt so good on a bike. Highly recommend

I have found your videos incredibly informative. As I result I totally changed the setup of my 56cm Cannondale Synapse. Two weeks ago I bought a 54cm BMC Roadmachine and I am a very happy bunny.

I’m 5’4”, worked 20+ years in bike shops, and agree 1000% that people get bikes too big. The biggest problem I saw was with shorter riders. Most bike shops have average to tall riders and most can’t relate to smaller rider needs. Most of my fittings resulted in installing a shorter stem and, possibly, shorter reach and narrower handlebars. However, much like the Uber tall peeps, most bike brands don’t do small frames justice. In the mid-90’s I rode the smallest bike my shop offered… a 50cm Cannondale which had a 525mm TT with 110-120mm stem and big reach and drop bars! Now I’m on a 46cm with a 510mm TT and 80-100mm stem (depending on my flexibility, how I’ve been feeling, etc) and short reach and shallow drop bars. Also, a lot of shops set up their bikes on the floor with stem in the “7” position. When I had my shop, I had the bikes set up in the most upright position.

It’s interesting that James said he’s 5’10 and rides a 53. I am 5’10 like James and I’ve been riding a 56 for the past 11 years because it was my first road bike that I bought just for a charity ride. For years I’ve slowly changed things out and made small adjustments until I feel I got close to perfect for my size. Couldn’t do it anymore. I went and looked at a 53, took it for a spin, I loved it! It was an 8 year old Wilier so I considered it but then decided on a new bike. Every person in the bike shops when I told them the 53 felt perfect gave me a look and said that’s too small! I ended up getting a 54 because the size runs 52-54-56. So glad I went smaller. Now I need to get my saddle right.

I’d love to hear your/James’ thoughts regarding road bs gravel bike set up!

Something I wondered about was how much bike fitting affects comfort and handling and is there a point where you have to say you need a different sized bike - in the context of a higher saddle height may allow more flex for comfort, and a shorter/longer stem or wider bars may allow more or less control depending upon the use of the bike; such as a gravel bike. Or are these things quite minor. Love the bike fit videos with James - he is a total star!

Would love to see a video with James where there's a deep dive into getting the right size of bike. This is a problem I've had looking at bikes. I sit right around 6'0", slightly shorter arms. I've ridden everything between 54-58 with varied comfort. So, how do you make sure the geometry is right for you. What do you look for on that bikes geometry chart?

I got two rules in life: when your tailor is done with your pants measurements, have him add another centimeter to the length and when the guy in the shop is done with your bike fitting, go down one size on the frame. Great video. I've made all these mistakes over the years and have the knee pain to prove it. If your video spares even a single rider of such pain, your work will have been worth it.

No high amount of RED BULL was consumed before the shooting of this video , James is just naturally this hyper (passionate). He did mine in a different era and a different location and if there is such a thing as perfect then his work comes pretty close. I cannot recommend enough to have a bikefit and although the several changes that can be made (millimetres) but you will feel the difference in the way you are literally moulded onto and around your bike and also the comfort that produces when doing longer rides.

I have been lowering my saddle height a few mm every few rides and have been seeing benefits. Bike Fit Tuesday videos are what brought me to your channel. If I was in the UK I'd be bringing him bike fit business.

Last year, I went to a professional bike fitter here in SG before buying a bike. I had a bike in mind but he looked at me, looked at the geometry chart of the bike and said no, it was too big for me. Bummer! So, I brought up my second choice. He looked at the chart and said I was a size 50 (XS). The bike's designer/manufacturer's chart said I should buy a 52 (S) according to my height. I was skeptical but I ordered the frameset in. When it arrived and I took it out of the box I was shocked at how tiny it was! The shop built it up and it fits me perfectly! So glad that I went to him now because if I had followed the recommendation...ugh!

These are the only videos in all of KZfaq that I watch at 1.0 speed. James is dropping knowledge like, uhhh, a peloton dropping water bottles before a big climb?

Sik video man. At 5’7” I thought I was medium 54. I know companies have their varied same sizes which are different but after years found 51 52’s were actually my correct size. The racers like a small frame and longer stem.

"Your Saddle is Too High Tuesdays"

Completely correct. I'm 6'2" and I'm a medium. Started off as a large. I still have that bike and it is HUGE. Definitely get a fit first. Can't recommended enough so you don't waste money in the long run.

When I got into road bikes 5-6 years ago, I went to a very very well known major bike brand shop. They said I could fit on a 56cm frame if I wanted that bike. I ended up buying a 54cm from them as aa ride selected preference. I now ride a 51cm and I wish I been on this size so much earlier. I just went on the advice of the store/their qualified fitters!

If your quads are sore after a big effort, and your hamstrings and glutes are not, your seat is too high. The ideal spot is when all 3 muscle groups work/fatigue equally. Agree most people fitted in bike shops are 20mm too high. Have spent the last 30 years thinking I knew how to set my saddle height. Recently went to a highly skilled fitter with back and knee pain, who dropped my seat 22mm. Feels very strange initially, but all my asymmetries, aches and pains are gone and I have more power. I would put cleats too far forward before shoes being too big as a common mistake. There is very little to no downsides to getting the cleats as far back in the shoes as they will physically go. If the seat goes down as well you don't lose the ability to spin a good cadence.

Every word a gem. Get the knowledge and expertise for years of comfortable trouble free riding - invest in that before you buy. Riding smiles equals riding miles. Thanks guys awesome video, IMHO the best summary of top practice out there. Bravo.

Imagine riding for two decades to finally realize what you instinctively felt about the size of bike someone else said was correct because of your particular height isn’t necessarily true. Thanks guys for lending confidence to us who for whatever reason choose to allow someone else to dictate how something ought to be done. Sure if everyone functioned optimally with the same gear well this video would not be needed. Cheers!

Interesting comment about manufacturers sizing... yes, I've learned a "medium" could be anything from too small to legs swinging free of pedals too large... almost as bad as bottom bracket standards!

Thanks for this channel, very helpful. For me however, the opposite of James's favorite tips was true. I had my saddle put up by 2 cm, my reach extended, and stem "slammed" by 3cm at a bike fit. Oh, just to tick some boxes: Longer stem as well. This did the trick in easing my lower back pain and feeling more comfortable on the bike. Weird, but I guess this just shows how tricky and unique bike fitting is and that basically everybody should get one.

Many banging on about James said he is 5'-10'' and rides a 53. Well as he has previously said many so called 53cm frames won't have a damn single tube that measures 53cm. I heard him also say if he was to purchase an off the shelf ..Specialized, Trek etc. he would opt for a small or 52 despite their fitting chart advising 54 even 56. I'm same height and inseam as James and rode far too big a frame in the 80's ..Cinelli 22-1/2'' Bugger all pillar showing. Gone smaller and smaller over the year's until my latest gravel bike a 2018 Diverge I choose a 52. Man it looks like a kid's bike un-built. But experimented with stem length, saddle height and gone down to 170 cranks, cleats slammed back, It just feels right. Can't thank these two guy's enough for their time and passion. I too will get to James next year despite thinking I'm pretty close already.

Got my 1st bike this week in manchester and cant wait. I like that ‘if you feel you are over reaching you most definitely are’ Im definitely over reaching so looking forward to sorting that out

"If I just spend all my time telling you what I know, it's impossible for me to learn anything." A little quote I try to live by. I'm always a little uneasy when people have this much confidence, that they have all the anwers. I have heard most of what is being said enough times to know that there is a lot of genuine knowledge and experience being shared here, which is to be commended. I just don't think it's right to scare people off trying either other fitters or having a go themselves. Get out there, ride your bike, do your own maintenance, learn some stuff (These guys are great for that!), fit yourself (A video is great to see if you actually look like you think you do.), make some mistakes, love bikes!

I've always found it odd that a lot of road cyclists are riding a bike too big (or set up as such) and it's only since I built up a 40 year old road frame last year that I now see your reasons why. Growing up on 90's/00's mtb things were kind of the other way round i.e. size down for maneuverability so I seem to have got my sizing figured out on the road... I like to think :)

Saddle height! I couldn't ride more than 30 miles without huge amounts of pain! After watching a previous video on saddle height where James mentioned catching the top tube with one knee, my problem was solved! Apparently now I'm a mileage monster! A cycling game changer for me! Cheers..

Great video on bike fit blunders and I own a bike from that direct company you're talking about. At 6'5, I got a size XL. I have followed most of James instructions from his bike fit Tuesdays and what he say works! Once I got the seat height and cleat position set, I was good to go. BTW my shoe size is 50. I've tried several shoe sizes less that 50 and returned all of them. Thanks FC and James, keep schooling them!🚲

This is probably best common sense bike fit video on youtube

Dude - Bike Fit Tuesdays with James are the best. Thanks for another one!

I occasionally suffer from asymmetrical interaction with my toilet seat after a night on the beers. I should lower the seat height.

Went from 'finding James very annoying', to 'this guy is a genius', during this video. Subscribed!

While I'm guilty of 2 of the 5 mistakes on my road bike which I did even know were wrong prior to bike fit Tuesdays and now I'm starting to feel the issues (stem too long bars too wide). I actually had pain in my right knee the other day on my MTB which I solved by raising the saddle 10mm so in conclusion bike fitting is hard and we could all do with a bike fit James to help us out.

Biggest comfort increases I've had on my bike are 38/36cm bars, the narrower the better - takes all of the pressure off the shoulders and arms. Also ride 2 sizes smaller than 'recommended' as I've always found recommended frame sizes too big. Guilty of 120 neg rise stem however...

They were 10cm stems in 84 James 🙂 and Cinelli was the brand of choice. Some of the newer frames have the right length top tubes but the head tube lengths are way too long.

Keep preaching boys, some of it will get thru.......eventually 👏

I've been sold bikes too big my whole life and it wasn't until I bought a internet only bike (Canyon) did I get sold a bike that fitted and it truly is something different to ride. I had to take several different measurements not just the old ' whack a level in ya crotch" ! And you can see it in others as you ride around.

Worst ever bike fit mistake I’ve seen on this channel is Jame’s moustache whist on his bike.

Ok this is huge. I just watched this video and made 3 adjustments 1. I lowered my saddle by 20 mil. 2. I made a angle change to my bars. 3 i moved my saddle forward to the middle point of the rails. after which I took a ride and it was like a brand new bike.

James is like Martin Lewis the financial guy but for bikes. Gets like 1000 great tips into a minute and it's all understandable 😄

Totally agree with #1. I also shortened the crank. Feels much better.

My problem was that my bike was purchased for me by a friend. It was a last year's stock, one size too big (I normally ride a 56 and this was a "59" according to Masi), and a final no return purchase. I have managed to make it work perfectly believe it or not. First was a zero offset seatpost, one size shorter stem, and a narrower bar, after all that I have used the advice from James on BFT.....no issues with comfort no matter the mileage ridden. It literally measured out to within an 1/8" to my original bike on reach, but the bar to seat drop was less, but better for me at my age.

Learnt a good fair bit from these recent bike fit/setup videos, every point has sound reasoning behind it. Made some decent changes on a new bike, all for the better. Cheers!

Bike Fit Tuesday on a Tuesday?

An absolute legend! Pretty good summarization of the things that you've explained many many times. Keep it up!

"Opening up the hips, yadda yadda yadda." Love it!

I watched this to reassure my decision of buying a 53 frame after considering all the specs of the bike and my experience of 55 frames being too big. Yet, all the guides say that I'm a 55. Including a 'bike fit' that I had prior purchasing my 56 roubaix 4 years ago.

Oh wow, turns out James bike shop is at the end of my road! I guess its not too far to travel.

This I simply the best video for anyone to watch who cycles.......Such great wisdom, as a Osteopath this guys rocks knowledge, stay safe and keep up videos-chaps.

I love words. As a music teacher I believe in the precise word even if it seems to be a complex term as it is sometimes just the right word. James seems to prioritise long words at the expense of simplicity. Long words aren't necessarily more precise than short ones. There's enough going on with bike fit without obfuscating it with jargon. I had a physio who would love to extend the recovery of my Achilles tear with extra complex personal explorations (these were always his own personal explorations, whilst my personal tendon remained personally painful). He ended up using Ultrasound to support his ultrawords to burn my tendon to destruction. Keeping it as clear as possible helps more people.

I was guilty of a few of these, until i got my bike fitted by a pro... My saddle went down, my handlebar went down, and my seat went forward. I'm also using a shorter track crank (165mm)

me too i was riding a bike that was off for me. my chance was when i found that the frame + saddle + saddle height and tilt were right for me (48 + 70cms SH i'm 5'7). at least i got that. but the stem was too short and too low. and my handlebars were too wide. 44 that i changed for 40. my saddle was too far behind too. so from a 48 frame + -6° 100mm stem + 44 handlebars + saddle too far back >to> 48 frame + 120mm with 35° rise + 40mm handlebars + saddle about in the middle of the rails. i took the right decision to stop cycling 2 weeks before the fitting to feel more incline to accept the drastic change. if you ride the days before, any small change will be perceived as huge and will make you uncomfortable. which is counter productive for the fitting and the fitter. i wanted to be able to stick to what he achieved for me. i prepared my mind to accept the change. the thing that jumped into my face when i rode my bike after the fitting was how easy i was clipping the cleats. the pedal was right where it should be and clipped right away. i'm not searching for it like before. the other problem i had was the weird feeling i had in the climbs. sitted i was not happy at all, i couldn't put the ower down. now i feel like i can put the power down no matter where i am. i really do feel connected. handling in the corners is like papa into mama. my weight is well distributed on the wheels. if you put a scale under each wheel, i'm sure i'd be close to 50/50 balance.

"you could poach a salmon in that"... that's going to keep me laughing all day!... brilliant vid! 👍👍

I bought the 2022 Raleigh Centros ebike and I had to buy it online as no shop locally had it in stock Different types of bikes have different size requirements from what I've seen online and for EBikes it confirmed what I was advised. I spoke to the retailer and Raleigh and they said because I'm 6'2" that I need the 56cm one so I ordered it It turns out it was too big and the saddle was already at it's lowest and so I'm having to send it back for the 52cm one Someone said in a Facebook group I'm in that Raleigh bikes are a bit big and the size I was recommended was more suitable for someone 6'4" I didn't feel safe on it and also the handlebars upon checking again, were too much of a stretch to use The problem is that there is overlap for the sizes with some heights. I'm hoping that the replacement fits better and I have the option of raising the saddle slightly if necessary

Definitely my newly discovered favourite KZfaq channel 👊🏾👏🏾✊🏾

7:22 Thinking Canyon... 7:47 Yup, definitely Canyon. Canyon tends to label their bike size too big. A medium on other brands is a small in Canyon.

Very good video. Thanks James Still waiting for the reach around joke though.

Interesting stuff this, there's so much to consider that has so far slipped me by. I'm 5 11 and usually found 56 was the best fit for me. I have a BMC Roadmachine in 56 which fits pretty nice but I'm not super happy with how it rides, particularly on low percentage inclines, but that's prob more to do with the carbon layup rather than the sizing. Somehow I enjoy my older racer size 58 with a super short stem. Now, after watching this, I'm tempted to try out a 54 or 55 and see how that feels. Scheduling a bike fit is sliding up my list of priorities.

James loves saying 'asymmetrical interaction with the saddle' :-)

Loved to see a similar video with some actual information on how high the saddle should be and without chewing gum

James dropping knowledge like corn kernels! Great video, as usual. Cheers, guys! 🍻🍻🍻

From a bike fit perspective. If someone is on a frame that's not quite the right size. Is too large or too small easier to compensate for with other factors such as seat height and stem? Obviously, getting the right frame size is best, but not everyone is in a position to do that. Who will have it easier to compensate?

I'm 6'3 with a large inseam size (3'1) and had a size 58 bike with standard sized stem. Now I switched to a size 61 Tarmac with a shorter stem and I finally cycle without pain

On a Tuesday !?!? ..... What is the world coming too

The other thing about bike fit is that there is a lot of overlap between bike sizes now because of sloping top tubes. I am also 5'10" and I have ridden bikes as small as a 52 (530mm top tube) and a 56 (with a 545mm top tube). A lot of riders have issues with getting the right amount of stack as well... and too many people are chasing the "slammed" look and sacrificing their comfort and power to do so.

Great video. I am a petite lady, less than 5 feet, and wish now I had had a fit prior to purchasing my bike. Maybe we would have made a different choice. We are now changing the cranks that came with the bike to a smaller crank that would best fit me to get ride of knee pain. So yes, bikes when you are not average height are an issue. I am lucky to have an excellent fitter here in Montreal.

Yes!! I feel exactly like I’m doing a plank when I ride my bike.

Some bike shops don't really have the right knowledge. I was sold a bike that was slightly on the larger size. I felt bad, but then saw another fellow cyclist who is 4 inches shorter than me riding the same size as my bike. His saddle was all the way down. Was suprise because the bike shop where he bought the bike was a popular bike shop.

I'm sure James would get bored stiff in 5 minutes but I'd love to go for a drink with the man, just to pick his brains on everything bike fit mechanics related, makes it properly interesting.

Just found this. Best bike fit I’ve had was James when at Sigma. Came down from Scotland for it

Totally thinking about flying over to England from Canada just to see James unless he does overseas house calls🙂

Question for James, if I have already bought a bike that I'm pretty sure is a little big for me (It was the bike I was dreaming about and I found it on offer with a slight scratch for £2500 off list price), is it still worth getting a fit to rejig it and make it fit a little better or will you just tut and tell me off for the entire fit session?

Saddle height to high, not forward enough, incline down to far or not enough, etc.. any number of issues. That will compress the nerves in the perineum area which can cause numbness and other problems. There are saddles that by design fix all that e.g. SQlab 612. You still need the saddle adjusted correctly though.

always enjoy bike fit Tuesday. great advice thank you both.

I took James’ advice on a previous video about handlebar width and bought some 38’s. While they felt better at first over time I found I rested my palm too much on the bar where it bends around to the hood and had issues, got some 44 bars out of curiosity and the outside of my hands were more resting and distributed better which I found interesting

Bike sizing is just ridiculous now...I have two 58 cm bicycles, the top tube and seat tube on one are both pretty much bang on 58cm...on the other the top tube is 56.8 and the seat tube is 54.5 it’s massively different....two bikes allegedly the same size shouldn’t be that far apart.

I like how Francis makes a "shameless plug" to his own channel, in a video on his own channel. Also, I am about to get a bikefit scheduled. It's a shame James is so far away from me (I reside in the Netherlands), otherwise it would have been a no-brainer for me.

I went for a local bike sizing with an independent bike fitter using a retul rig. After the sizing I was recommended to go for either a size 56 Trek emonda or a size 55 Orbea orca which were the bikes I was interested in. Several months later (after using a cheap Trek emonda 56 with no fit issues) my Orbea orca arrived and after a couple of rides I had leg pain issues. I went to the local bike fitter who made some adjustments but seemed to be having difficulty even though he'd told me what size stem, handlebars and saddle to go with. He ended up adjusting my saddle all the way forward on the rails and I'm still getting leg pain issues now. I believe I was advised to get a bike that is too large for me as it feels bigger than the trek emonda 56. I'm now desperately trying to sell the orca but having no luck unless I'm prepared to lose a significant amount of money. I will never go for a bike fit again, I've not had any fit issues previously when relying on my own experience. So just wanted to point out that a bike fit isn't the be all and end all if you are somewhat experienced and have an idea what you are doing. I was going to order the smaller frame but went with the large one as I trusted what I was being told. Big mistake!

Ok. It's getting wierd .. Bikefit Tuesday's actually on a Tuesday ?? What ??? I mean .. seriously .. WHATS going on Francis ? 😄😜 Like it 👌

If I had to guess, you are probably thinking of Canyon for oversized bikes. I just returned to cycling this year, and according to their website and the sales rep, I'm a size medium. I'm 5'8". I have now been riding the bike about 8 months and everything you are saying in the video seems to apply to me! I believe the reach is too long, yet its aero bars so I can't adjust the reach, so I have moved the seat forward and have saddle problems and all of the above. I have the Canyon Ultimate. Without seeing me, would you say I'm likely a small?

Really helpful advice. Thank you chaps!! I bought first instead of getting fitted, but it sounds like luckily I’ll be ok as I erred on the size of caution. (Do you see what I did there?)

I so like the no nonsense advice !

We need James and Francis on Alternative Cycling Network weekly livestream!

“You could poach a salmon in that” 😂😂😂

Well I'm travelling from Cardiff to you on 19 November for a bike fit before I buy another frame 👍

You are definitely talking about Canyon when it comes to sizing!

The king of bike fitters

I’m in the military and just found out I’m getting posted to a big city and decided I’ll save some $ and become a cyclist. Thanks for these great introductory videos

This man knows how to fit a bike