We're lucky to have several professional bike fitting services available in Berlin and after a few days of research I booked a free consultation with Thomas at Bike Academy. I noticed that many other sites encourage you to book/checkout right away and I appreciate that Bike Academy takes the time to ensure a good match between your needs and the services offered before confirming an appointment.
Thomas was very friendly over the phone during the consultation. We spent about 15m talking about my cycling history, current bike, and goals for the visit. We ended the call with an appointment confirmed and about a week later I traveled down to their relaxed studio in Berlin-Zehlendorf.
I was greeted with a warm welcome and spent the next three hours going through different phases of the bike fit with Adam, a bike fitting specialist, which included an assessment of my flexibility, video captures, dynamic pressure point mapping, and various adjustments of the bike components. Combining all of these inputs with my feedback, Adam was able to build up an informed picture of my fit to inform potential changes.
We adjusted the handlebar tilt, saddle tilt, and seat height. We identified that my shoes were too narrow. We also determined that my saddle was too long and uncomfortably stiff. I ended up with brand new Lake CX242 cycling shoes, Shimano Ultegra pedals, semi-custom insoles, and a gebioMized saddle. I was pleasantly surprised by the premium selection of products in-store!
Overall, I had a fantastic experience and fully recommend the services of Thomas and Adam. The detailed report sent to me afterwards will be invaluable as I continue to improve my cycling and it's clear to me that this is just the start of our relationship. I plan to stay in touch with the team at Bike Academy and look forward to return for any follow-ups!