Waterford Fit

Good fit will accomplish more for your performance than any other single factor. That's why all Waterford models are available made to measure. Our network of dealers plays a key role in assuring the best fit for your needs. While body measurements remain important, there is no substitute for the interactive fitting session where each rider benefits from the observations, training and wisdom of a professional bike fitter.

Click here for more information on the Waterford Fitting Process.

What is good fit?

• It lets you ride in comfort.
• It positions you for biomechanical efficiency
• You can use all the positions on your handlebars, not just the hoods and the tops of the bars.

• It feels right when pedaling in or out of the saddle.
• You get "degrees of freedom" to adjust your fit over time.
• It matches for your fitness level and riding preferences.

A good fit makes you feel at one with your bike. Some aspects of how we define good fit have evolves over the past decade. 10 years ago, good fit has meant good fit for competition. Recreational riders applying the same principles many times found themselves in an awkward and uncomfortable position. Two relatively recent changes have made life better for all road riders:

• USA Cycling's groundbreaking research showed that the most efficient riding position is also a comfortable fit. This makes it easier for riders to participate and provide feedback on their own fit.
• Recreational riders and professional fitters now tailor their fittings to the rider's specific needs, and not only as a coaching session for competitors.

Sloped top tube frame designs have become acceptable and even fashionable, giving cycling professionals a greatly increased range of options to meet specific rider needs. The chart below shows how frame geometry has evolved in response to these changes:

The classic racing position (shown in blue) remains very effective in positioning riders for competition - whether road race, time trial or cyclocross.

The so-called "compact design", shown in yellow, has recently become fashionable. to shorten the seat tube, trading a longer seatpost for a shorter frame. This saves a small amount of weight.

Shown in red is another configuration of sloped top tube - design specifically to raise the position of the handlebar relative to the saddle. By simultaneously raising the top of the head tube and dropping the position of the seat cluster, the bars get higher but the standover height - a safety concern - stays the same. A surprising number of competitors have found this kind of fit advantageous. You can see these principles in Waterford's Road Sport CR Geometries.

Waterford's Quick Bike Fit Guide shows you the essential fit dimensions a seek as a starting point for developing a good design for you.