when a bike fit doesn't go as planned

Recently I had a bike fit not go as planned. Everything was looking good during the fitting itself, we were making good progress and the data was looking good, but a few days after her fitting she started to have some new symptoms.Instead of freaking out and undoing all our changes we took a new round of data to see how she was moving on the bike now. Because she had now ridden for a few days, her body had adapted to the new position and so her data from the infrared and saddle pressure was going to be different than when we finished with her initial fitting.We patiently went through the new data and instead of needing to undo changes, it became clear that we needed to make further changes -- she had adapted rather quickly and could now tolerate a new saddle position.https://youtu.be/Tfgsfl1NPYkHere's the outline I worked up for this video

• Just know that it doesn’t necessarily mean that your bike fitter doesn’t know what they’re doing
  • Unfortunately in the unregulated and un-vetted space that is bike fitting, this is far more likely than it is in other professions, but things can not go as planned even in the best of scenarios
  • Why it’s extremely important that the fitter have access to accurate and objective measurement techniques(video of setting up infrared and saddle pressure reading)
    • If you’re to have and reasonable chance of tracking done the problem, the measurement technology has to be VERY repeatable (this is where infrared motion capture and saddle pressure tchnology comes in handy)
    • Without this, the fitter will be mostly feeling about in the dark for a solution
      • This includes skilled practitioners using static measurement methods -- plumb bobs, goniometers, manual angle finders - because the intra-rater reliability of these is too poor even in the best of hands when dealing with difficult or complex problems that often come up
        • For basic bike fitting it’s….okay, but that’s about it (and the cost of the fitting should reflect this -- it shouldn’t be an expensive fitting)
    • Why are accurate (and often expensive) measurement methods important?
      • The fitter can/re-assure the client with hard data showing that some things have improved in the fitting in a very coherent way -- not just taking the “delicate genius’” word for it
      • On follow up, we can have an accurate accounting of what, if anything, has changed since the end of the first fitting
        • If nothing has changed then perhaps this rider needs to be adjusted less/more with the result that they might end up further in the normal range or perhaps further outside the normal range
  • Also why you should look for a bike fitter who offers reasonably priced or free (but perhaps limited) follow-ups in order to address issues that can arise as you adapt to your position
• As I alluded to before we need to figure out why this new symptom cropped up or why the original symptom didn’t go away
  • Expectations need to be managed - we're not looking for full resolution of symptoms necessarily, although this sometimes happens and it's great when it does
    • Only looking for some change in the frequency, intensity or duration of the symptom
    • Even small changes are a “win”
  • Usual sequence of how a follow up visit for a bike fit goes:
    • client comes in and we do another round of data and I see some measurement or indicator that they’re definitely different than when they left
    • Something may have adapted either much more quickly or slowly or in a different movement pattern than expected
    • This can be easily addressed -- again when it can be accurately measured and quantified -- thru some basic adjustments
    • Sometimes the motion looks great but the problem persists and this can be because their body isn’t ready for the improved symmetry
      • Need to retrain muscles or create new movement patterns
• Don’t need to throw the baby out with the bathwater and start over -- you just need to intelligently adapt things