Bike Fitting for UK Riders: Compare Existing-Bicycle Sessions

Compare Foundation and In-Gear on three essentials: how they assess your position, what they adjust on your existing bicycle and which settings they record. Foundation serves London and Silverstone/Towcester; In-Gear is in Forest Row.[2][6]

Foundation vs In-Gear: the three essentials

Foundation

• Assessment and measurement: Foundation includes on-bike and off-bike movement assessment, dynamic jig fitting and CAD measurements; 3D video and inertia-sensor analysis are optional.[2]
• Contact-point work and bicycle adjustments: Its scope includes cleat positioning, insole, wedge and shim work, plus saddle testing, with changes made to your bicycle on the day where possible.[2]
• Written settings: You receive an in-depth written report, a personal Google Drive folder and CAD measurements.[2]

In-Gear

• Assessment and measurement: In-Gear lists Level 1 at £99 for approximately 45 minutes, mainly using a Wahoo Roller Trainer. It includes an interview about riding/injury history, body measurements with a 2D Body Analyzer and software recommendations for seat height, bar height, saddle fore/aft and reach. Its page does not establish a dynamic jig or motion-analysis package. [6]
• Contact-point work and bicycle adjustments: Your bicycle is adjusted as closely as possible to the recommended dimensions; shoe/cleat work and saddle-testing coverage remain unconfirmed.[6]
• Written settings: Final measurements are recorded for future reference, including setting up a hire bicycle or informing a later purchase; the format supplied to the rider remains unconfirmed.[6]

Compare the work and records offered rather than treating the equipment list as a ranking of fitting accuracy.

Agree your goals and what to bring

Send a short pre-booking note covering your riding discipline, typical distance and frequency, discomfort, goals and previous fitting experience. BikeFit’s background guidance recommends discussing goals and riding type before booking and checking the fitter’s discipline-specific experience.[5] This is general guidance, not either provider’s booking policy.

Discuss relevant injury history before booking, while keeping any need for clinical assessment separate. BikeFit suggests injury history may warrant choosing a physiotherapy-based fitter.[5]

Both services describe adjusting the rider’s bicycle, but neither cited page gives a complete arrival checklist.[2][6] Ask the fitter to confirm:

• Which bicycle you will bring for fitting.
• Which cycling shoes and pedals to bring, including whether pedals should remain fitted.
• Whether to wear your usual riding kit.
• Whether to send previous fit settings beforehand or bring them along.
• Whether any spare components are specifically requested.

These are questions to settle before travelling, not either provider’s documented packing instructions.

Check what happens at your shoes, saddle and bars

BikeFit identifies feet, hands and saddle contact as core fitting areas. It also explains that off-bike structural or flexibility assessment varies between fitters rather than forming a mandatory part of every fit.[5] Ask how each assessment will inform changes to your position.

Foundation includes changes made to your bike on the day, if possible, but does not publish whether required physical components are included free of charge; its cleat, insole, wedge and shim work should not be read as a promise of free products.[2] Its scope also lists outdoor and time-trial/aerobar testing; ask which are relevant to your session.[2]

Foundation qualifies on-the-day changes with “if possible”, while In-Gear warns that achieving the recommended dimensions may require sourcing or supplying new parts.[2][6] Distinguish testing a position from achieving it on your existing setup.

Before booking, ask which contact points will be assessed, which changes can be made during the appointment and what happens if your components cannot achieve the recommended position. For In-Gear, clarify whether the package covers shoe/cleat assessment, saddle trials and handlebar work beyond achieving the recommended dimensions.

Establish your follow-up entitlement

Foundation gives full-fit riders an automatic entitlement to a free follow-up after extended testing.[2] The cited pages leave Foundation’s exact booking window, repeat-visit allowance and follow-up parts/labour coverage unspecified, and do not establish an included follow-up for In-Gear.[2][6]

There is a practical reason to settle this beforehand: BikeFit explains that studio riding may not reproduce climbing, descending or maximum efforts.[5] That supports agreeing a review process, but is not a follow-up promise from either provider.

Ask when to report concerns, how long to test the changed position and how to book a reassessment. Get a written answer on whether the review is included, what could cost extra and what happens if another visit is needed.

Confirm the total cost and booking terms

Ask for an itemised quote before paying. Foundation’s cited page does not state a session price or duration. In-Gear lists Level 1 at £99 and approximately 45 minutes. [2][6] In-Gear says adjustments may require new parts and offers a 5% discount on parts and labour as part of the fitting process; confirm which work qualifies and the final extra charge. [6] Keep the appointment price separate from the cost of achieving the position on your bicycle.

What to confirm with each provider

• Appointment: confirm Foundation’s fee and duration, and the booking-specific arrangements for In-Gear’s advertised £99, approximately 45-minute Level 1 session. Ask whether optional analysis or testing costs extra. [2][6]
• Parts and installation: component prices, workshop labour and whether your approval is required before chargeable work begins.
• Records: the measurements you will receive and their format, particularly at In-Gear.
• Reviews: the booking window, included visits, any parts or labour charges and the price of further appointments.
• Payment terms: any deposit, cancellation, rescheduling and refund conditions.

Compare the written package quotes, including the work needed to transfer the recommended position to your bicycle.

Keep fitting separate from repairs and treatment

Flag mechanical concerns before booking and ask whether separate workshop work is needed before the fit. Agree servicing or component installation explicitly rather than assuming it forms part of the position assessment.

Clinical treatment also sits outside this comparison. BikeFit’s suggestion to consider a physiotherapy-based fitter for relevant injury history is not confirmation that treatment is included.[5] Ask what would require a separate appointment.

Choose on documented scope

Foundation documents a broad assessment, contact-point work, detailed written records and an included follow-up.[2] In-Gear describes recommended position dimensions transferred as closely as possible to an existing bicycle, with final measurements recorded.[6] These are differences in documented scope, not evidence of superior outcomes.

Treat an undocumented feature as unknown, not necessarily absent. Before booking, get written confirmation of the work on your bicycle, the settings you will receive, chargeable extras and the review arrangement.

References

2. FOUNDATION Bike Fit, Road, Triathlon, Gravel, MTB … – London (foundation.fit)
5. What to Expect in a Bike Fit (bikefit.com)
6. Level 1 Bike Fit | £99 (ingearcycles.co.uk)