A Bike Boom Equals a Bike Fitting Boom

Having worked in the bike industry almost 20 years now, I’ve never seen such an increase in ridership.  When the world shut down for COVID-19 six months ago, brick and mortar retailers were terrified that this might mean the end of their business.  But bike shops have thrived.  With nothing else to do during Shelter-in-Place, the one thing we could all do safely was get outside.  We’ve seen record numbers of walkers, hikers, runners, skaters, and bicyclists.  Folks are dusting off those 30-year old bikes.  They’re purchasing new bikes and gear on-line.  They’ve completely bought out the inventory at bike shops.  There’s a global bicycling supply shortage!

After four months of not being able to fit bikes, I returned to work to find my schedule jam-packed.  My regular clientele returned, but surprisingly, all these brand new cyclists found their way into my new bike fit studio in Willow Glen (San Jose, CA).  These were folks who’ve just begun riding in the past six months.

As a long-time bicycling advocate and member of the bay area cycling community, I couldn’t be more thrilled.  I absolutely love working with new riders and helping them on their journey from someone who rides a bike to becoming a confident, comfortable cyclist.  But what was amazing to me was that all of these new riders sought out a bike fitter.  How did they even know about bike fitting?  And, in my mind, I’d like to know how I can reach more of these new riders.

Today, just as I was thinking about our 2020 bike boom, someone sent me a link to this post by Tom Demerly.  Although I’ve read it before, it was worth another read and I thought I’d share it with my audience.  As a fitter with 19 years of experience, thousands of fits under my belt, and training in almost every fit methodology out there, I’m proud to say I’m probably not “full of shit.”

 

https://tomdemerly.com/2016/04/07/10-ways-to-tell-if-your-bike-fitter-is-full-of-shit/