Should You Get a Bike Fit Before or After Buying a Bike?
By Mike · Updated 13 July 2026
We sell bikes and we do bike fits, so we get asked this weekly. The honest answer is that it depends on what you are buying. Here is how we would advise a friend.
The case for fitting first
A bike fit produces a set of numbers: your saddle height, setback, reach and bar drop. With those numbers, every bike listing, new or pre-owned, becomes an easy yes or no, because you can compare your coordinates against the bike's geometry chart before you ever see it.
Fit first when the stakes are high: you are spending serious money, you are buying unseen or interstate, you are between sizes, you are new to drop-bar bikes, or you have a history of knee, back or neck pain on the bike. This matters double for used bikes, where there is no swapping the frame if you get it wrong. A $2,000 bargain in the wrong size is not a bargain. It is the most expensive clothes-hanger you will ever own.
Fitting first also changes which size is right, not just confirms it. Two riders of identical height can need different frame sizes depending on flexibility, riding goals and body proportions. A size chart cannot see your hamstrings; a fitter can.
The case for fitting after
If you already own the bike, or you are buying the size a proper assessment already put you on, then fitting after purchase is the natural order. The fit dials that specific bike to your body: saddle position, cleat alignment, bar and stem setup.
Fitting after is also the answer when a problem shows up: numb hands, hot feet, or a knee that complains at the top of every climb. These are position problems more often than fitness problems, and they respond to millimetres. Do not tough it out. Discomfort you adapt to becomes injury you rehab.
What we actually recommend
For most people buying their next bike: do a fit or sizing assessment first, shop with your numbers, then have the final setup checked once you have bought. If that sounds like paying twice, it should not. A pre-purchase sizing plus a setup check on the new bike is how you guarantee the expensive part (the frame) is right, which is the one thing no amount of post-purchase adjustment can fix.
Buying the bike from us makes the maths easier: our $180 road fit drops to $150 with a bike purchase, and the $240 TT or triathlon fit drops to $200. Fit and bike from the same place also means the sizing conversation and the sale are the same conversation, which is how it should be.
Our 90-minute functional bike fit in Cheltenham covers the full assessment either way, before you buy or on the bike you already love. Every fit ends with a written report of your measurements and changes, which is exactly the set of numbers that makes shopping easy. And if the fit tells you the bike you own will never quite work, we can help on both ends: browse inspected pre-owned bikes in your actual size, and trade in the one that does not fit.
New to buying second-hand? Start with the complete used road bike buyer's guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is a bike fit worth it before buying a bike?
If you are spending more than a couple of thousand dollars, changing riding style, or have any history of pain on the bike, yes. Knowing your fit coordinates turns bike shopping from guesswork into a filter: you can instantly rule listings in or out by geometry.
How much does a bike fit cost in Australia?
Most professional fits in Melbourne run in the low hundreds of dollars. At MKP a road fit is $180 and a TT or triathlon fit is $240, discounted to $150 and $200 when you buy a bike from us. Against the cost of buying the wrong-sized bike, or the physio bills from riding it, it is the cheapest insurance in cycling.
Can a bike fit fix knee pain from cycling?
Very often, yes. Knee pain is commonly driven by saddle height, saddle setback and cleat position, all of which a fit addresses systematically. Persistent pain after a proper fit is the signal to involve a physio, and a good fitter will tell you that.
What if I already bought the bike?
Then fit it now rather than adapting to it. Most bikes have generous adjustment range in saddle position, bar height and stem length. A fit gets the bike you own working with your body instead of against it.