Does online bike fitting work? Online, in-person, static and dynamic explained

'Bike fit' has become a generic name for very different things: from formula calculators to studios with 3D motion capture. Understanding the categories saves you from paying dearly for what you don't need — or economising on what matters.

Static × dynamic

Static methods measure you standing still (inseam, torso, arm span) and apply formulas. Cheap, and an honest starting point — but nobody pedals standing still. Dynamic methods watch you pedalling and measure the actual angles of the movement: that's where a high saddle, a closed torso and a misaligned knee actually show up.

In-person: when it's worth it

A good in-person fitter combines dynamic measurement with palpation, asymmetry assessment and a clinical conversation. It typically costs a few hundred euros or dollars. It's especially worth it for persistent pain that hasn't responded to adjustments, injury history, significant asymmetries or competitive projects.

Camera-based online: the middle ground that changed the game

FitRide applies the dynamic method through your phone camera: you pedal, computer vision measures knee flexion, torso angle and frontal alignment, and the result comes out as an adjustment plan in centimetres — not jargon. The structural difference from in-person isn't just price: it's re-analysis. Adjusted the bike? Re-film in minutes and compare. In person, every revision is a new appointment.

• Formulas/calculators: free, generic, blind to your body in motion.
• FitRide (online dynamic): measures your real angles while pedalling, costs a fraction of in-person, includes re-analyses.
• In-person: maximum clinical depth, higher cost and scheduling, revisions cost again.

The methods don't compete — if the online fit surfaces something that doesn't improve with gradual adjustments, the report itself becomes excellent material to bring to an in-person professional.