#3. What Is Decentralised Bike Fitting?

                      CENTRALISED Vs DECENTRALISED

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Decentralised Bike Fitting

Decentralised bike fitting means there is no central controller or system dictating the bike fitting process. Instead, the bike fit is tailored specifically to the individual—your n=1—and avoids relying on predefined parameters or systemised methodologies to determine outcomes.

Inception

The centralised bike fitting systems we see today originated with academics who adopted motion capture technology to collect data from performance cyclists.

That data was then used to define a set of arbitrary angles and ranges—figures packaged and sold as fitting “systems” to aspiring bike fitters around the world. These values were created, declared universally applicable, and commercialised.

Let’s take a look at the impact of these early moves—and the almost inevitable trajectory that has led us to where we are today in 2023.

Marketing & Strategy

Assuming the primary goal of these early systems was commercial and financial success, the next step was to market them effectively. And marketing works—there’s a reason people study it at university.

So how do you sell a bike fitting system?

1. Sponsorship

   Leveraging pro tour teams has long been a successful strategy. Watching the best in the world succeed whilst using a specific product is powerful—whether they’re actually using it or not.

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3. Media Coverage

   In the past, cycling magazines held influence. Today, social media dominates. But the goal remains the same: to place your product firmly in the subconscious minds of the cycling community.

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Whether or not there is validity in any advert or article that is printed, strategic marketing allows a product to reach a wider audience. In this case, the target audience was aspiring bike fitters. What matters is that teams secure sponsorship money, and the fitting system gets in front of potential customers.

Adoption by Bike Fitters

Marketing has now planted a seed in the potential bike fitter’s psyche. The aspiring bike fitter decides to purchase the system, because it promises that—to adequately fit a rider to their bike—all you really need to do is buy the technology.

The fitter is now invested, and as we know, people who are invested in something often spend a great deal of time promoting the very thing they’ve bought into.

Through repeated exposure—via marketing, fitter endorsements, pro tour teams, and an ever-increasing online presence—these systemised, centralised bike fitting technologies have shaped public perception of what a “bike fit” actually is.

I once attended a course where a fellow bike fitter made the remark:

“I’ve conducted market research into what cyclists want, and the majority said they’d pay more for a bike fit that uses technology than one that doesn’t.”(Referring to motion capture, pressure mapping, angle-based, systemised fitting, etc.)He concluded:“So as fitters, we should buy it and use it—even if we don’t believe in it.”

That mindset is now incredibly common. I’ve met many fitters who started out thinking, “I don’t need to use any technology to become a competent bike fitter”—only to jump on the bandwagon later. Why? Because the guy down the road is using it, and they’re worried they’ll lose business if they don’t do the same.

This is fear. This is the herd mentality—deeply woven into our thinking. And if we’re not conscious of it, we risk losing our authentic position, becoming either a passive follower or an active contributor to the problem.

But why do cyclists—like those questioned in that market research—believe that technology equals a better bike fit? Have they stopped to ask themselves why they think that? Have you, if you’re a fitter?

Is it because their favourite pro tour team uses it? Because they saw it in a magazine? A YouTube video? On a bike fitter’s Instagram reel? Or is it simply all of the above?

Is it an informed opinion—or is it just a response to marketing?

So, what do we have now?

We have a product created out of thin air. Marketed well. Invested in by fitters. Promoted by fitters. Endorsed by magazines and world tour teams. And all the while, the consumer—the cyclist—is being bombarded, from every angle, with the message:

“This is what a bike fit is. This is what you need.”

And through no real fault of their own, many cyclists now simply believe that a bike fit only has value if it includes technology—because that’s all they’ve ever seen. That’s the message they’re constantly shown.

And for most, there’s no obvious reason to dig any deeper.

Layer Two Technologies

We’re now seeing the rise of what I’d call centralised layer two technologies—tools built on data from existing layer one systems, such as motion capture.

Pressure mapping is a good example. Originally an academic effort to measure saddle pressure distribution, it has now become a commercial sales tool—used not only to attract clients but also to sell saddles.

The problem? Layer two technologies are only as effective as the data they’re built on. If layer one data is flawed or limited, layer two tools only compound the issue.

AI

We’re currently in a phase of mass data collection, using centralised systems to gather information under the premise that it will lead to better fits, better bike designs, and better tools.

There’s no denying that AI is reshaping how we access and apply information across every field. But in order for AI—or any machine learning system—to deliver a truly accurate bike fit, it would require the neurological, physiological, and functional data of every rider ever fitted, plus the outcomes of every past bike fit, all done perfectly.

Even then, there’s the issue of fitting new riders—each one a unique blend of anatomy, history, and goals. No two riders are the same.

Despite this, the refrain I often hear from centralised bike fitters is:“Well, it’s all down to the experience of the bike fitter at the end of the day.”

But becoming “experienced” within the confines of a rigid, centralised system is like claiming to be a great artist because you’ve mastered paint-by-numbers—or a Michelin-star chef because you know how to microwave ready meals.

Conclusion

We’ve managed to centralise so much of human life—governments, medicine, education, finance—and those centralised structures have deeply shaped our collective thinking.

In the world of cycling, I encourage you—the rider, the consumer—to pause and reflect.

What do you believe to be true about bike fitting?

And more importantly—why do you believe it?

CENTRALISED Vs DECENTRALISED

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