I consider myself a reasonably experienced road bike rider having been riding for over 12 years on a road bike. I’d bought a new bike from a different bike store a year ago and they did a basic bike fit which included changing the front handlebar stem length and swapping the handlebars to a slightly narrower once, this after a couple weeks riding. However when changing these parts, they never took the time re-fit me according to the new reach where my seat was over the pedals, etc.
Since it was essentially a smaller shop with only one person in the front and the bike tech in the back, fast forwarding a year later, I went to Blacksmith after reading up about Brian Rabbit’s expertise. Brian will not stop adjusting the minutia thru however many visits it takes until you are totally happy! ’m in good shape at 66 years but with a rotator cuff and collar bone injury, he took the time to consider all these factors, which included trying a few different bike saddles - 4 different ones before finding the right fit (he’d mount the saddle and I’d ride for a week or two and come back and we’d try another). He did say however that he usually gets the saddle recommendation right the first time with most of his customers!
This in tandem with again swapping the front stem (my bike store where I’b bought the bike graciously accommodated me here) to being slightly longer and getting the seat also positioned properly - these minutia made a huge difference for comfort on longer rides. Getting handlebars micro adjusted for ideal angle, adjusting the position of the break levers on the bars according to your reach and seat position etc made a huge difference.
If you feel your existing bike is not giving you comfortable rides over long distance (hand numbness, sore butt, lower back or shoulder pain?) I’d recommend Brian’s expertise in a heartbeat. Not to mention he’s a hell of a nice guy! They also have a fancy fit machine if you’re interested in buying a custom sized bike to fit your unique physique.
