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BIKE FITTING VS BIKE SIZING

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

Bike fitting, is professional service that is charged for per hour, typically priced from $200 to $440 for the full session, and requires a private, detailed question and answer session, followed by an off-bike flexibility test, then an on-bike video analysis of biomechanics while riding under load, which produces a series of critical body angles and tracking that assist the bike fitter in making changes to enhance the cyclists riding performance and comfort. 

You say you didn't get all of that during your fitting session, but instead received the generic solution of a shorter, and higher rise stem that we hear about all too often? If so, we feel for you.

Most "bike fitting shops" today do not offer half the services listed above, instead preferring to perform static fits, using goniometers, which were in vogue almost fifteen years ago. If you feel you need this kind of detailed service, which we offered years ago before all other Maritime shops did, we totally understand, and will tell you straight up that we do not offer this type of service anymore. 

But, if you fall into the 99% of all cyclists who do not need a "Professional Bike Fit” but do want to be sized properly for your bike, we have a simple, easy solution for you.

SIZING CHARTS VS HEIGHT ONLY CHARTS

The bike business is like any other business, it likes to keep things simple, and help customers make their purchasing decision as uncomplicated as possible. That's all well and good, but with a little bit more info and detail, we can help assure you get the best size bike possible based on your body dimensions.

That's our goal, and to help us make the best sizing decision for you, we need two accurately measured body dimensions, your height, and your inseam.

Height tells us how tall you are, but it does not tell us what proportion of body height is attributed to leg length vs torso length, You can have two customers who are exactly the same height but have dramatically different inseam measurements, and both will require a different size bike based on that extra dimension. Your inseam is the most important body dimension in bike sizing. It determines stand over clearance, saddle height, and the way the bike will look and feel once proper saddle height is established. To get the right size bike you will want to know both your inseam and your height, and that should be measured properly, and not guessed at or assumed.

MEASURING IS IMPORTANT

The old saying "Measure twice, cut once" is a good rule to follow when getting the two measurements needed for the sizing charts. An extra set of hands can also be helpful. Please have a look at the image below for an easy way to get a perfect inseam measurement. Grab a hard covered book, stand with your back against a wall in you sock feet, slide the book up between your legs until it feels like you're actually sitting on the book. Now measure from the highest point of the book to the floor, and voila, you have your inseam measurement and you're ready to move onto the appropriate chart. If this looks too challenging for you, feel free to drop by, we have a very cool fitting tool in-store that will make things even easier.

WHICH CHART IS RIGHT FOR ME?

We have six blocks below, the top row is for women, the bottom row, for men. Each block has a bicycle category attached to it, On-Road, Off-Road, X-Road, and finally E-Bike. There are times where a search in a different category will recommend the same size, and that's all fine. This is a great starting point to choosing the correct size for you. Once the proper chart has been found, cross reference your inseam with your height, and bingo, you have the recommended size for you. If your dimensions can't be found on the sizing charts, please double check your measurements, or give us a call. 

WOMENS

ON-ROAD

WOMENS

OFF-ROAD

WOMENS

X-ROAD

WOMENS

E-BIKE

MENS

ON-ROAD

MENS

OFF-ROAD

MENS

X-ROAD

MENS

E-BIKE

GET SIZED UP TODAY