252 Merrow Rd (Route 195) Tolland, Connecticut 06084
	860-872-8248

Fitting Services 

WHY GET A FIT         WHAT IS A FIT             WHO WE ARE            SERVICES OFFERED     

Who needs a professional bike fitting?  Why get a bike fitting?

• you want to improve your bicycle riding experience

• you want to ride more often or longer but are prevented by discomfort, aches or injury

•  you enjoy group rides and wish to increase your performance

• your bicycle is hanging in the garage and you would like to resume cycling but your body and its fitness has changed over the years

• you feel okay on your bike but have never been fitted and just want to ensure that your bike is setup properly

• you have purchased a new or used bike and want it to be professionally fitted

• you are perplexed by questions on saddle height, saddle fore-aft position, reach to the handlebars, type of handlebars, where to place the shifters and others.  A bicycle fitting will look at all these characteristics and tailor them to your individual needs

•  you are considering a new bike purchase and want to be confident that you buy the right size bike that will then be properly fitted to you

 

What is a Professional Bike Fitting? A bike "fitting" is more than merely "sizing" your bicycle.  Selecting the correct size bicycle for a rider is only the first step in the fitting process.  Starting with the correctly sized bike, the experienced bicycle fitter utilizes tools, methods, hardware, software and observations to tailor your bicycling position to match your objectives, body measurements and range of motion.  Saddle height, saddle position fore-aft, reach to the bars, drop to the bars, stem length and angle, handlebar size, brake hood position and cleat position are the many variables that are commonly considered.  Based on your riding objectives and preferences, careful measurements of your body, assessment of your flexibility, and skilled observations of you riding a bike on a trainer, we suggest appropriate adjustments to your bicycle to improve your overall riding experience and reduce injury potential.  We actively engage you in the every step in the process to help you understand our recommendations.  Dr. Andy Pruitt of the Boulder Center of Sports Medicine likens a bicycle fit as a "marriage between the bicycle and the rider".  Further, he says that one of the rules of fitting is to "make the bike fit your body, don't make the body fit the bike".    At Tolland Bicycle, we follow these principles and therefore will setup the same bicycle differently for a competition-oriented rider, an endurance rider or a recreational/fitness rider.    We don't strive to make you look like a picture in one of the bicycle magazines.  We fit the bicycle to your unique body characteristics, flexibility, and preferred riding style.

Bike Fitting Specialists at Tolland Bicycle The bike fitting specialists at Tolland Bicycle have achieved advanced professional fitting certifications by attending training seminars hosted by FitKit Professional Bicycle Fitting and Waterford Bicycle Co., developer of the FitMaster custom fitting bicycle.  Moreover, this training has been supplemented with years of fitting experience and independent study of the fitting principles of industry leaders. For customers considering a custom or special order bicycle, we utilize the Waterford FitMaster.  This special bike machine enables us to replicate the geometry of any stock or custom bike so that the customer can “ride” the bike prior to purchase and fine-tune the fit as necessary.

Services Offered

 Whatever your goals in riding (fitness, recreation, fast group rides or racing), the professionals at Tolland Bicycle can help you reach them.  Whether new bikes, old bikes or a bicycle you plan to purchase, we offer several levels of fitting services to meet your needs.   

• Level 1 - Quick Fit – this fit takes pertinent body part measurements to determine the proper bicycle size for the rider.  If you purchase a new bicycle from us, the fee for this service will be credited towards the purchase price of the bicycle (within 6 months of the fit)
• Level 2 - Static Performance Fit – observes you riding your own bike on a trainer; takes various measurements while you pause your riding at different points in your pedal stroke.
• Level 3 - Dynamic Advanced Fit – we digitally record you riding your bike on our trainer. Sophisticated software allows us to analyze your complete, natural range of motion.  From individual video frames, we take measurements to develop fitting recommendations.  Because we do not have to interrupt your pedal stroke and interfere with your natural riding, a dynamic fitting is superior to a static fitting.
• Re-Fit – Level 2 and level 3 include free follow-up visits for 6 months to fine-tune the fit.  A good fit only represents the rider’s physiology at the time of the fit.  Over time, due to injuries, changing fitness levels and normal aging, the optimal bicycle fit may change. 

We offer a discounted “re-fit” service for return customers who wish to have their fit reviewed when more than 6 months have elapsed from their last fit.  Prices vary depending upon individual needs -- ask us.

	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3
Fee	$50	$125	$200
$50 credit towards purchase of new bike within 6 months of fit
Rider interview
Assess flexibility
Take body measurements
Generate FitKit results
Take measurements of customer's bike (if applicable)
Compare with FitKit results
Ride bike on trainer
Observer & evaluate rider
Take static measurements while on bike
Record digital video of rider
Evaluate video with rider
Take advanced measurements using motion analysis software
Recommend improvements
Adjust bicycle position and reassess rider one step at a time
Email results to customer
Free adjustments/consultation for six months after fit