What to bring to a bike fit: checklist before and after your appointment
Pack the bike, footwear and pedal setup you actually use. Prepare a different brief for an existing bike, a purchase or a second bike, and leave with a record of what was measured, changed or left open.
Published 12 November 2026 · OpenBikeFit
Appointment record
- Before
- Bike and kit
- At the fit
- Question and reference
- After
- Measured, proposed or open
For a bike-fit appointment on your existing bicycle, bring the bike you want assessed, the footwear you normally ride in, matching pedals and cleats if you use them, and your usual cycling kit. Bring any current setup notes you can identify, but do not buy equipment or change your position just to make a neat starting record. Ask the studio about its exact appointment, trainer setup and anything else it needs before you travel.
The preparation changes if you have not bought the bike or want to copy a position to a second bike. In all three cases, the useful output is a record you can read later: which bike and configuration were considered, what changed on that bicycle, and which questions or work are still open. This guide helps you prepare and check that record. It is not a booking service, a position prescription or approval to install a component.
Pack the bike you actually ride
Match the items to the way you ride the bicycle. A rider on flat pedals can bring their usual flat-pedal shoes rather than buying clipless equipment. A rider with two clipless systems should identify which shoes, cleats and pedals go together and which system is currently on the bike. If you ride with a usual footbed or other installed accessory, keep it with the relevant setup and tell the fitter if it is different from what you normally use.
Cardiff Bike Fit asks its clients for their own bike, regular kit, footwear and matching pedal setup, plus studio-session practical items. This is one provider’s list, not a requirement to carry every item to every fit. For example, another provider may have particular instructions for bringing a second bike, a triathlon setup, an e-bike or a bicycle without a conventional trainer connection. The provider should confirm what it can accommodate.
The bike
- The bicycle being assessed. Confirm which bike or bikes the service covers and which should attend.
- Actual fitted parts. Note the current saddle, cranks and cockpit. List loose or proposed parts separately.
- Trainer and access questions. Tell the provider about unusual axle, wheel or cockpit arrangements before travelling.
- Mechanical concerns. Mention a known issue before arrival; do not ride an unsafe bike for the sake of a baseline.
The riding kit
- Usual footwear. Bring the shoes you actually use, including ordinary flat-pedal shoes when applicable.
- Matching pedals and cleats. Keep each set with its matching shoes; identify the current set and any alternative.
- Usual footbeds and accessories. Keep relevant accessories with the current setup. Tell the fitter if you have changed them.
- Normal riding clothing. Bring the usual shorts and kit. Ask the studio about other practical items for its indoor session.
The record
- One question for this appointment. Name the bike and the decision you want to make.
- Existing setup notes. Bring the original dated report or a few named measurements if you have them.
- Exact candidates or second-bike record. Separate model, year, size and source for each bike, if relevant.
- Agreed takeaway. Confirm the written output and any follow-up before assuming they are included.
Confirm the scope before you travel
Give the provider the exact job: review the position on this bicycle, assess the purchase candidates, or see whether a known position can be reproduced on a second one. Confirm which bike or bikes are included and which should physically attend. If a service uses a fitting jig, ask whether you should also bring the real bicycle as a reference. A service description that says fit does not tell you which machine will be used or whether a second setup is part of the appointment.
Mention anything that can prevent the agreed session, such as an unusual axle or wheel configuration, an integrated cockpit that cannot easily be adjusted, or a bicycle that needs a mechanical check. Ask what the studio wants you to bring and what it can handle; do not infer trainer or component compatibility from a photo. Ask about the preparation form, what you receive afterwards and who performs any installation. CORE Bike Fit, for example, requests a pre-appointment questionnaire and existing fit measurements if available. Follow your own provider’s instructions for what to share and how.
Bring a baseline, not a target
A dated fit sheet, a setup card or a couple of clear notes are useful if they identify the bike, the measured point, the start of the measurement and the units. Record the model, size and relevant equipment when you can. If a prior report says only saddle height, keep the original rather than rewriting it as a BB-to-saddle vertical measurement. You can write endpoint unknown and ask the fitter to document the new reference. Do not subtract numbers that describe different lines.
The baseline can be entirely on paper. A general notes area can hold the exact saddle, footwear and cockpit references you already know. You do not need a calculator result, a camera recording or a saved profile. If you record the bike yourself, distinguish the actual assembled configuration from a web chart. Write down changes already made, and keep any proposed or purchased-but-not-installed part out of the current setup.
Choose the right brief for your appointment
For your own bike, start with the real setup and a question the appointment can address, such as documenting the current position before parts are replaced. For a purchase, provide exact models, model years, sizes and source geometry charts, with the current bike or its records if the provider asks. For transfer, name the reference bike and receiving bike separately. Two bikes with a similar name, frame size or saddle do not become one record.
Chainsmith advertises a pre-purchase simulation as a separate service from assessment on an existing bicycle. A simulated position can help discuss a candidate; it cannot verify the as-delivered parts, whether the contact points were reproduced or whether an installation is approved. Ask what remains to be checked on the exact bike. If a second bike is not included, take the reference record home rather than treating an unmeasured setup as complete.
Fit my existing bike
- Bring
- The actual bike and normal riding setup. Identify current equipment and bring any dated readings you can interpret.
- Ask
- Can we record the current position, then mark which changes were installed and remeasured?
- Keep
- Separate before and after readings on this same bicycle, plus a list of work not done.
Fit before buying
- Bring
- Exact candidate make, model, model year and size, plus source geometry charts and a current reference if requested.
- Ask
- What is modeled or tried on a jig, what cannot be assessed here, and what should be confirmed on the delivered bike?
- Keep
- A scoped comparison and unresolved checks. Do not file a simulated position as an installed reading.
Transfer to a second bike
- Bring
- Two named records, one for the source and one for the receiving bike. Confirm which bicycles should be physically present.
- Ask
- Which points can we actually compare using the same endpoints and units, and which target fields are still missing?
- Keep
- A new receiving-bike record. Preserve the original and do not fill blanks by copying across.
Bring one clear question, not a list of fixes
A useful opening question names the bicycle and the decision. For example: “Can we document my current gravel bike before I replace its saddle?” or “Can these two exact candidate sizes reproduce my documented bar-clamp target, and what would still need checking?” Add the riding context needed for that decision, such as the usual terrain or the equipment you need to keep. Do not turn a sketch or a calculator output into a proposed installation.
If a shop proposes a part, keep its identity, reason, permission checks, installation responsibility and cost separate from the fitting observations. Say whether you want the proposal recorded or separately approved; do not assume a discussion means approval. A question that cannot be answered in this appointment is still useful when the record names what is missing and who should check it.
Ask for a record you can use at home
Ask what will be recorded before the setup changes and which dimensions will be measured again afterwards. Useful rows name the bike, part, exact endpoint, direction and unit. An installed and remeasured value is different from a position tried on an adjustable jig, a suggestion for later work, or an item not covered at all. Ask for those states to be marked in words, even if the report template does not have separate columns.
Check the identity and the references while both the bicycle and the person who took the reading are available. Ask about follow-up scope and how to refer to the right version later. A photograph, tool screenshot and final written report can each help, but one cannot silently substitute for the other. If you are offered a recording, ask what you can keep and how it is handled. Do not send personal details or an individual fit record through a generic tool or inquiry form.
Read a fictional handoff before leaving
This record is made up to show the distinction. On one fictional gravel bike, a saddle reading of 741 mm and a remeasured value of 744 mm use the same named point and the same vertical convention. The change is +3 mm in that coordinate, not a recommendation to raise another saddle or a measurement along the seat tube. The installed crank is recorded as unchanged.
The bar-clamp height was observed at 630 mm; a 636 mm value came from a test on a jig and was not installed. It is not an after measurement on the bike. A note about right hood position did not identify an endpoint, so it stays unresolved. No parts, prices, tools, torque or performance result are inferred. Before accepting a report as a baseline, make sure it is clear which line would describe the actual bicycle if you took it away now.
Saddle reference height
Installed and remeasured
BB centre to marked saddle-top point, vertical; same bicycle and level reference.
- Before
- 741 mm
- Outcome
- 744 mm (remeasured, +3 mm)
Crank length
Unchanged
Crank-axis centre to pedal-axis centre; same installed pair.
- Before
- 170 mm
- Outcome
- 170 mm (same pair checked)
Bar-clamp height
Tried, not installed
BB centre to bar-clamp centre, vertical. Record the bike and jig as different setups.
- Before
- 630 mm (actual bike)
- Outcome
- 636 mm (jig only)
Right hood position
Open question
No exact hood endpoint in the note; confirm one before comparing.
- Before
- Endpoint unknown
- Outcome
- No comparable reading
Keep the next step tied to the right record
Keep the original baseline and any new dated record as separate copies. Later you may want to match a measured coordinate, compare the scope of another offer, or repeat a reading. Those are separate tasks: a paper worksheet can preserve observations; a comparator explores whether a declared target is possible in a model; an installed check still has to happen on the exact bike.
If there are unresolved items, put the next action alongside them: confirm the equipment limit with its manufacturer, obtain a named measurement, or ask the provider what the service included. Do not use a missing row as permission to proceed. The links below open public reading or a blank tool. They carry no readings, start no camera or calculation, and do not arrange a paid fitting.
Practical questions
Frequently asked questions
Back to contentsWhat should I bring to my first bike fit?
For an appointment on your own bicycle, bring that bike, your usual footwear, matching pedals and cleats if you use them, cycling kit and any identifiable prior setup record. Check your provider’s instructions for other items and special equipment before you travel.
Do I need clipless shoes or new parts before a bike fit?
Not from this checklist. Bring the footwear and pedal system you normally use. Tell the provider if you want to discuss a different system or if the service has a particular equipment requirement. A proposal is not an instruction to buy.
Should I change my saddle or cleats before going?
Keep the current setup as an identifiable baseline when possible, and explain any planned change. If you have a mechanical issue, tell the provider before the appointment; do not use a bike you cannot safely operate just to preserve a baseline.
Can I go for a bike fit before buying a bike?
Ask whether the provider offers a pre-purchase service and what to bring. Send or carry the exact models, years, sizes and geometry sources it requests. A model or jig result is not an installed or inspected position on the eventual bike.
Should I bring both bikes for a transfer?
Confirm this with the provider and check which bicycle is included in the appointment. Name the source and receiving bikes separately and bring their records. One appointment or an exact copy is not guaranteed by the word transfer.
What should I ask for after a bike fit?
Ask for the agreed report or setup record with bicycle identity, endpoints, units, changes actually installed and remeasured, proposals not installed, open questions and any scoped follow-up. Retain it alongside the original baseline.
Do I have to record a video or complete a calculator first?
No. This checklist does not require OpenBikeFit, a camera or a saved profile. Use the provider’s actual intake instructions. The blank worksheet is optional and can be used on paper without saving any personal record here.