Conference noted::bicycle

    At this time of the year, you can most likely talk a good shop into
    providing you a fit-kit with a purchase of a bike.  O'neils in
    Worcester will charge you $10.00 for the fit kit which can be used
    towards the bike.  Ask for Jim or Mike if you go there.  
    Remember, the fit kit is only a tool and is only as good as who
    used it.  You can do some good guessing yourself but why bother.
    
    steve                                                    

	Most of the FitKit measurements can be done at home but the
	measurements aren't worth anything without the big book
	of tables that translate human measurements into frame
	measurements.

	One item that you cannot measure at home easily is cleat
	alignment.  The special pedals that are part of the FitKit
	measuring set are not something you can buy at the local
	bike shop.

    Early this summer, my boyfriend went into Pedal Power in Acton,
    and he was measured by a FitKit to determine his frame size.  It
    didn't cost us anything at the time, but he was looking for a new
    frame.  Unfortuneately, after he was measured, the shop didn't have
    any frames in his size that he 1- liked AND 2- were in his price
    range.  But, at least we then had the information when we looked
    at other biek shops.
    
    Is this unusual that we were'nt charged for the Fit?  Especially
    since we didn't buy anything?
    
    

    Frank's Spoke 'N Wheel shops also does the Fit Kit for free.
    Rt. 9 Framingham 872-8590 (Frank), Rt. 9 Westboro 366-1539 (Don),
    Rt. 20 Sudbury 443-6696 (Rick), or Rt. 20 Waltham 894-2768.
    
    Frank's got reasonable prices on frames/whole bikes, but I find
    his best asset is the great service & care about the rider ... free
    fit kit, quick cheap service, 1 year free maintenance, etc.
    
    Mark

    re .3 and .4 this is quite a common freebie, especially if you say
    that you're thinking of a new frame but would like it to cost less
    than $900:-^)   The joke is that you can tour the fit kit shops
    and finish up with a whole stack of these cards that seem to say
    you were wearing significantly different bodies in the various shops.

    re .0	I have the C.O.N.I. (I think thats the right acronym ?)
    tables and measuring instructions at home, send me your mail stop
    and I'll X'ox 'em off for you.  At least if you measure yourself
    you'll not be trying to make the measurements fit an in stock frame.
    
    	R
    

    
    Thanks much.  MS  MET-2/L4   I'd rather have an idea of where I
    fit so when I do get down to serious purchasing I can  then have
    the shop do a pro fit for comparisons.  I do not plan on getting
    a custom frame so I need to see if that will/will not pose a problem.
    
    If this self fitting doesn't work.  {I screw it up} Is there a shop
    in the MRO area [not that I'm unwilling to drive 100 miles for a
    good deal] that will do a free fit kit?  
    
    Can you just call a shop and ask for one or do they want to consider
    you a serious buyer first?
    
    Bill

    
    	OK, I'm sending off the first batch of copies today, if anyone
    else wants 'em I'll do another run at the copier early next week.
    For context I have copied out the whole chapter from a book, it
    makes interesting reading anyway.  I'm a bit queezy about reproducing
    copyrighted material this way, despite the fact that the author
    hasn't assigned full credit to his sources in every case, oh well,
    plagarize away I s'pose.
    
    	Reg
    
    
    

    
    	Second batch of copies just left.  If you requested one and
    don't get it by  {Today's date + normal mailing time from MR0 +
    a couple or three more days}  then I screwed up, so send me another
    request.  If you receive two copies its because I might have overlapped
    the first and second mailings (different kind of screw up).
    
    	One of the interesting aspects of this chapter is the consideration
    of not only body dimensions but body type, i.e. whether one
    is hefty  vs  slight in the upper body relative to the lower half.
    Ummmm, some of us carry our weight a little lower, so to speak:-^),
    and that is a factor to consider in frame design.  I think the fit
    kit instructions quietly ignore this since the tables are derived
    from  "averages and extrapolations"  that were made from measurements
    made at NECA on successful riders (racers) and their bikes.
    
    	Reg
    
    {Oh,  N_ew E_ngland C_ycling A_cademy,  pretentious title eh ?}