Someone asked me this week what system we use for fitting. The thing is, I’m not sure we use a system, at least not in the sense that I interpreted the question.

Method? Yes. Protocol? Check. System? Er, no. There is always going to be more to fitting a rider to a bike than a bunch of number crunching that gives you a magic-bullet solution.

You can take as many measurements as you like, how you like – joint angles, power, motion capture, pressue mapping – but no matter what technology you deploy, the skill is still interpreting the information and relating it to the rider.

A bike fit is a jigsaw, but a complex one where putting one piece in place can disturb another already laid. What works for one rider is unlikely to work for the next or the one after that; there are too many variables to make the process so prescriptive.

Fitting remains a fine mix of art and science; a two-way process between fitter and rider. Look at the rider, listen to the rider and ultimately find a solution you’re both satisfied with.